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Dark Day In The Sun

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 1, 2008

Updated: 01/01/2008 12:11 am

EL PASO, Texas - Early in the fourth quarter Monday, University of South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe scrambled for a few yards before being sandwiched by two Oregon defenders.

Grothe remained motionless on the stadium turf with a mild concussion.

Like USF, he was knocked out: Oregon 56, USF 21.

"That play was symbolic of how the game went," USF offensive coordinator Greg Gregory said.

USF's Dream Season: Ore-gone.

Sun Sets on USF.

USF Quacks Under Pressure.

Bulls Gored in El Paso.

No matter how it's described, the No. 23 Bulls (9-4) were no match for Oregon (9-4) in a battle of teams that once were ranked No. 2 this season.

"They just lined up and whipped our front seven into submission," USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. "That's the best offensive team we've played and a lot more speed than anyone we played, including West Virginia.

"Overall, they ran tougher, ran harder, blocked longer. Hats off, they just handled us."

Oregon junior running back Jonathan Stewart rushed for a Sun Bowl record and career-best 253 yards. Justin Roper, who was Oregon's fourth-string quarterback, tied a Sun Bowl record with four touchdown passes.

Watching in street clothes, injured Oregon starting quarterback Dennis Dixon summed up Roper's performance in one word: "Excellent."

The Ducks' 56 points were the most scored in the Sun Bowl's 74-year history and the most ever allowed by USF. It also was USF's third-largest margin of defeat and the third-most yards (533) allowed in school history.

USF - not Florida State - looked like the Sunshine State school playing in a New Year's Eve bowl without 25 scholarship players.

"We got beat on offense, defense and special teams," sophomore kicker Delbert Alvarado said. "That's usually not going to be a good result."

Leading 18-14 at halftime, Oregon put the contest away with a 21-point outburst in the first eight minutes of the third quarter and the Ducks led 46-14 entering the fourth quarter.

"It was such a change from one half to another," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "I can't explain it. I don't think I could mess up that bad at halftime with my motivational speeches. I obviously did.

"We didn't come out with any fire, any passion. It's hard to figure. That's not really a case with South Florida football."

Oregon set six Sun Bowl records and tied two others while ending USF's three-game winning streak. The Bulls were not prepared for Oregon's new offensive wrinkles put in the past few weeks.

"They had a month to change things up and they did a good job, a really good job," USF senior linebacker Ben Moffitt said. "Anytime you lose, it hurts really bad."

Added defensive line coach Dan McCarney: "For the long layoff like we all had, I thought their execution was phenomenal, really outstanding offensively. They beat us in every way imaginable. You look at every phase and they beat us."

Grothe finished with 197 yards passing, including a 21-yard TD pass to Taurus Johnson, and 40 yards rushing, before getting knocked out in the fourth quarter. That headache he has this morning won't be a New Year's Eve party hangover.

"I knew they were fast, but they were really fast," Grothe said.

USF, which had averaged 472 yards and 48 points in its previous three games, was held to 324 yards. The Bulls also committed four turnovers.

"Turnovers were a factor in the score being that big, but they weren't a factor in the result of the game," Gregory said.

Oregon's victory ended a three-game regular-season losing streak and a bowl losing streak of four games.

"Losing a Heisman Trophy candidate - the leading Heisman Trophy candidate - was a big blow," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "It took us a couple of games to recover."

The Bulls were never able to recover after halftime.

"They were bigger, more physical, stronger and faster than us - basically," USF safeties coach Troy Douglas said. "They kicked our butts. They were better by far than anyone we played. It was a butt whipping."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

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