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USF To Use Sun Bowl Rout As Motivation

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 22, 2008

TAMPA The consensus around the University of South Florida training camp is the lingering sting of last year's 56-21 Sun Bowl loss against Oregon will be used as incentive this season.

"We're definitely going to use that as motivation this year," C Jake Griffin said. "A lot of people want to know if we're going to be the team that went 6-0 and was No. 2 in the nation or if we're the team that laid an egg in the Sun Bowl.

"We have to prove it to everyone still because people don't know who we are. I mean, they know who South Florida is, but they just think we went 6-0 and then we lost three in a row, so they don't really know who we are yet."

The No. 19 Bulls open the season a week from today when they host Division I-AA Tennessee-Martin.

FORD TUNING UP: Sophomore RB Mike Ford, who found himself third on the depth chart earlier in camp, has recently been making an impression on Bulls coach Jim Leavitt.

"I didn't think Mike had a real good summer, to be honest with you," Leavitt said. "But lately he's been coming on."

Despite Ford's late push, senior Ben Williams remains the No. 1 running back.

STILL NO WORD: CBs John Lejiste and George Baker, TE Andreas Shields (who returned to practice after being absent Thursday) and LBs LaDre Watkins and Quavon Taylor still haven't been cleared by the NCAA, while JuCo transfer CB Theo Wilson remains ineligible while still trying to resolve separate academic issues.

However, Leavitt believes "it's just a matter of time" before each player's situation will be settled, saying some could receive clearance late Friday.

ODDS AND ENDS: Receivers coach Mike Canales missed both of Friday's workouts to attend the funeral of his grandmother in California. … Friday was USF's final two-a-day practice and as the players huddled up after stretching, they began repeating the chant of "Last day." … The Bulls will practice once this morning and then return to a normal game-week practice schedule beginning Monday.

Gregg Becnel

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