USF's Grothe sprained shoulder on series before knee injury

South Florida senior quarterback Matt Grothe said that even if he didn't injure his knee last weekend he would have been unable to play Saturday at Florida State because of a shoulder injury.

On the series before Grothe tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Charleston Southern, he suffered an AC joint sprain in his right (throwing) shoulder, the same injury that has sidelined Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.

"I jumped over somebody and got hit underneath the shoulder," Grothe said. "I can't throw the ball. I think I threw it one time [in the game] after the injury, but there was so much adrenaline I couldn't feel [the injury]."

Grothe said he didn't tell his teammates or coaches about the shoulder injury until after the game.

"We were up 21-0 and I was going to get on the head phones and tell Chico [offensive coordinator Mike Canales in the press box] that I don't want to go back in because my shoulder hurts," Grothe said. "But then our defense made a big play [forcing a punt], and I was like, 'No, I'll go back in for one more series.'

"The rest was history."

Grothe's knee injury came with 2:54 remaining in the first half and the coaches told him before the game he wouldn't play in the second half.

On Monday, Grothe tried to throw a football and could only throw it "probably 10 yards," he said. "I couldn't imagine having to throw it down the field."

Grothe said he didn't have any second thoughts about remaining in the game after the shoulder injury.

He also said he believes he's been playing the past two seasons with a slightly torn ACL.

"My left knee has always bothered me for about two years now," Grothe said. "After long practices, my left knee has always been sore.

"In practices, I'll have a brace or a sleeve on my knee. I think I sprained it a couple of years ago in a game and might have slightly tore it and never did anything [to correct it]."

With Grothe out for the season, freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels will make his first start when the Bulls (3-0) visit No. 18 FSU (2-1).