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Bulls Will Go Green Against West Virginia

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

TAMPA - To accommodate West Virginia's "White Out" – or is it "Whiteout" – plans for Saturday, honoring the final home game for WVU senior QB Pat White, the University of South Florida will wear its green home jerseys while the Mountaineers will wear their white road uniforms.

NCAA rules specify that home teams wear dark uniforms and visitors wear white or light colored jerseys, but West Virginia petitioned the NCAA to allow the jersey color switch. USF agreed to the jersey switch.

Ironically, USC coach Pete Carroll said the Trojans will wear their cardinal red home jerseys for Saturday's road game in the Rose Bowl against UCLA, which will wear their blue and gold home jerseys. That violates an NCAA rule requiring visiting teams to wear white. The infraction will cost USC a timeout at the start of the game.

However, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel supports both teams wearing their home jerseys and said the Bruins will call a timeout immediately after USC's to even it out.

There will be no loss of timeouts in the West Virginia-USF game since both teams are not wearing their home jerseys.

West Virginia is encouraging its fans to wear white No. 5 T-shirts and some local businesses are selling White's No. 5 white T-shirts for $5. However, with temperatures expected to be near freezing Saturday night, it's unknown how many will have those T-shirts over their coats.

White holds 16 WVU, Big East and NCAA records.

"This senior class has done much more than any other senior class, and we just happened to be led by a guy named White," WVU coach Bill Stewart told the West Virginia media on Tuesday. "Pat White, No. 5, the greatest winner in college football, would not be one iota without 18 brothers who have helped him along the journey.

"Those 19 seniors are why we're having a 'White-Out.' Pat White isn't the reason. It's Pat White who is at the head of the class, and the entire pyramid that has helped him become what he has become.

"So our senior class would not want it any other way. This is not a one-man show. This is not a one-man outfit. It is not a one-man story. This is a story about 18 brothers who are lifting up a 19th who happens to have the last name of White. Our senior class absolutely loves No. 5, and this is for all of them."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928

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