USF-Miami sellout has Bulls buzzing

USF senior defensive George Selvie has started more games than any other player in school history, but he's only played in front of two sellout crowds at Raymond James Stadium during his career.

However, USF has officially announced Saturday's game against Miami is a sellout, a nice parting gift for USF's seniors on Senior Day.

"It's a big deal for us,'' Selvie said. "We're playing them at home. Earlier in the year, we had the chance to go play Florida State, and we beat them. And now we've got another chance to play another team in the Big 3, and they are coming into our house. It's Miami coming to play. It's one of the biggest games that we'll ever play in Ray Jay.''

USF has sold out two previous home games in the 13-year history of the program, setting a school record with a crowd of 67,012 against West Virginia on Sept. 28, 2007. The Bulls also sold out the 2007 game with UCF as 65,948 turned out for USF's 64-12 win.

Miami returned 3,000 of its tickets earlier this month and could return more. If so, USF plans to quickly put those tickets on sell for a game that is on TV (3:30 p.m., ABC) opposite the Florida State-Florida game (3:30 p.m., CBS).

Freshman linebacker Sam Barrington, heavily courted by the 'Canes during the recruiting process, expects the crowd and the atmosphere on the field to be electric.

"There's going to be some talking,'' Barrington said.

Bulls coach Jim Leavitt envisioned games like this when he first started the program in 1997. Win or lose Saturday, the Bulls and Hurricanes meet the next five years as they try to build the state's next great college football rivalry. The teams met in the Orange Bowl in 2005 but have not played since.

"Our guys are excited and I'm sure Miami guys are excited,'' Leavitt said. "I wanted to make this happen because I thought it was important for the University of South Florida and for where I want this program to go. We'll [have] a sellout, it's on TV, the whole nine yards. It's opposite Florida-Florida State, at the same time ... that's that's pretty big. That's pretty powerful.''