Two USF Football Players Won't go to Notre Dame

News is coming out tonight that two players won't be making the trip to Notre Dame on Saturday.

From Greg Auman - As the Bulls prepare for the ND game, just two days away now, two football players won't be making the trip.

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Todd Chandler has been ruled academically ineligible for the semester and won't make the trip. The 6-0 318-pound former 4-star recruit out of Miami, Florida was one of the top prospects just two seasons ago, but he has not lived up to the hype yet. While performing well this Fall, he didn't make the two-deep depth chart, being beaten out by true freshman Elkino Watson. Chandler can still appeal the decision if he wishes to, but no decision has been made on this yet.

Sophomore running back Bradley Battles has been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating team rules (exact violation has not been stated from USF of course). The 5-9 201-pound tailback out of Marianna, Florida was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school but has not been able to make his way up the depth chart (missed a few games last season with a knee injury) and has been battling for the 3rd running back spot, but has been beaten out by Marcus Shaw at this stage.

These are the latest updates tonight on the suspensions for both players. More information will probably come out tomorrow morning and we will bring you the updates.

Skip Holtz Names Team Captains for Notre Dame

Senior safety Jerrell Young (number 1) has been named one of the four starting captains for the game on Saturday (Picture: www.TBO.com)

After waiting a few days, Coach Holtz finally announced who the team captains are for the Notre Dame game (2 days away!)

They are cornerback Quenton Washington, safety Jerrell Young, center Chaz Hine, and quarterback B.J. Daniels.

Washington and Young are two starting senior members of the No Fly Zone. Washington has been impressive all off season and Young has shown his ability to make the big play. Chaz Hine moved from guard to center in just the past few weeks, but the former walk-on has excelled not only on the field but also in the classroom. The final member is Daniels. In the 12 years Holtz has been a coach, he has never named a junior a team captain until now.

Daniels has really impressed this off season, growing into the offense and also becoming more of a vocal leader on the field (check out the story from Adam Adkins today about his maturity this off season, a great read). After a rough 2010 season, he is doing and saying everything right and will hopefully lead the team to victory on Saturday. Congrats to these great players for this honor.

Final Thoughts on Men's Big East Schedule

The 2011-2012 season could be worse than last season.

Everyone is focused on football right (for good reason), but after looking at the USF men's basketball schedule, I can't get over how rough of a season it is going to be. After going 10-23 (3-15) in 2010, beating just Providence and DePaul twice in conference play, the Bulls have been dealt a buzz saw conference schedule.

Opening with UCONN, the defending national champions, and going to DePaul just once and facing a retooled Providence team (Shane Larkin is now suiting up for them) there aren't many chances for the Bulls to win this season in conference play. Can they upset someone? Sure they can, teams can be beaten any given night, but the Big East, the best basketball conference around (standing by that) is a battle every week. Teams like Louisville, Villanova, Pitt, and Georgetown are always top teams and getting a win against them is usually a miracle. Mix in the non-conference schedule with a game at Kansas to top it off, it is just brutal.

2011-2012 Men's Big East Basketball Schedule Released

It's going to be a long season for the basketball team.

It's that time again, the 2011-2012 Big East schedule for the men's basketball team has been released (do we have to play this season?).

The Bulls are going to have a rough season, there is little debate about that. Without a real home court to play on, missing out on junior college transfer Andre Jackson (enrollment issues kept him out), and losing the only experienced point guard on the roster in Anthony Crater (it will always be Crater time), the Bulls could face another ugly season where they will be battling to stay out of the Big East basement. Here is the Big East portion of the schedule.

• Dec. 28 Connecticut
• Jan. 1 Rutgers
• Jan. 5 at Villanova
• Jan. 10 at Notre Dame
• Jan. 13 Seton Hall
• Jan. 18 St. Johns
• Jan. 22 at DePaul
• Jan. 24 at Marquette
• Jan. 29 Providence
• Feb. 4 at Georgetown, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
• Feb. 8 Pittsburgh
• Feb. 11 at Providence
• Feb. 15 Villanova, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Feb. 19 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Feb. 22 at Syracuse
• Feb. 26 Cincinnati
• Feb. 29 at Louisville
• March 3 West Virginia

Opening the Big East slate by hosting UCONN (probably in the St. Pete Forum) is a rough way to start the season in the Big East and after that, it doesn't get easier.

Trips to Villanova and ND early in the year will be difficult (putting it mildly). The game against Seton Hall at home could be a winnable game (not many are). They play at Depaul on January 22nd which could be a battle for the basement. If he Bulls are able to beat the Blue Demons there, they have a chance to avoid dead last in the Big East, but expect Depaul to be better this season (just not fair anymore).

Coming down the stretch in the February, the schedule is just brutal. Games with Nova, at Pitt, at Syracuse, Cincinnati at home (do we call it home?), at Louisville, and then facing WVU to wrap it all up, the Bulls will be lucky to get a win in there.

So there you have it, the Big East schedule. Mix in the non-conference games against VCU, Kansas, and Kentucky (possibly), this is going to be a truly rough season for this team. Hopefully after this season, the team will begin to turn it around with the new Muma Center and a new home floor, but until then, yikes.

A&M's Departure is the Big East's Time to Shine

If you're just getting up from a two month-long coma, then you probably haven't heard that Texas A&M has been in close talks with the SEC for future membership. Well, it's now official, as TAMU has sent an official letter to the Big XII today announcing its intent to leave the conference by June 30, 2012.

Now that you're all caught up, it's time to talk about the near future: where does the Big East fall into all this? Ever since Nebraska and Colorado left the conference, the Big XII has been dangerously unstable, hanging around with just 10 teams. Texas's introduction of the Longhorn Network didn't help matters, as UT strengthened its monopolizing grip on the Midwest. Now, with the departure of A&M, the rest of the teams may be realizing their unhappiness with the conference. This is where the Big East comes riding in on its stallion and sweeps multiple basketball and football-rich schools off their feet. Teams ripe for the plucking include (though not geographically ideal, but that's not a consideration here anymore) Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri. Any reasonable person can see that Texas and Oklahoma are beyond the reach of the conference at this point (Texas should go independent in my opinion), but the addition of any combination of these auxiliary teams would be an excellent step forward. You know, that letter from TAMU only said it would be applying to other conferences, so the SEC isn't locked in just yet. The Big East could at least extend an invitation.

If the Big East is serious about going to 12 football teams and increasing its football profile, it would have already been on the phone with officials from Kansas, K-State, and Missouri. Additionally, if John Marinatto is serious about keeping his job, he'll have the paperwork already filled out for those three schools.

Scouting Notre Dame: Offense

Picking up on this week's preview of the USF-Notre Dame matchup, here's your rundown of Notre Dame's offense.

Quarterback

Last week, Brian Kelly finally pulled the trigger and released a statement saying he will be starting Senior Dayne Crist against the Bulls. Crist, who led the Irish to a 4-5 record before going down with a season-ending knee injury, will be making his first start since losing to Tulsa in October of last season, so needless to say, it may take Crist a few series to shake off the rust. In 2010, Crist completed almost 60% of his passes, while throwing 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in a passing-dominated offense. Crist beat out Tommy Rees for the QB job, although Rees was impressive last season, completing 61% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Don't be surprised to see both quarterbacks make an appearance on Saturday, especially if Crist seems to be struggling to adapt back to the game atmosphere.

Wide Receivers

Surrounded by offseason controversy, the story of the summer was star Irish WR Michael Floyd, who received virtually no reprimand for his drunk driving charges. Contrary to what many believed to happen, Floyd will not be sitting out the game against the Bulls. Not a half. Not a quarter. Floyd had by far the most receiving yards and touchdowns on the team last year, hauling in over 1000 yards and 12 TDs. The next most receiving touchdowns on the team was 3, held by other WR starter Theo Riddick. Opposite Floyd will be Sophomore T.J. Jones, who caught 23 passes for a little over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The backups will be John Goodman, Robby Toma, and DaVaris Daniels, who all combined for 29 catches, 333 yards and no touchdowns (Daniels is a Freshman, so those numbers are all Goodman and Toma).

Tight Ends

A relatively underused position in an offense like Brian Kelly's, the Tight End position looks pretty much exactly as it did at the end of last year. Starter at TE will be Tyler Eifert, who took over for Kyle Rudolph after his season-ending injury, and spend most of his playing time making third-down plays and mainly short-yardage, over-the-middle plays. Eifert hauled in 27 catches last year, 16 of which ended in first down of touchdowns (he scored three TDs), on his way to being named Offensive Newcomer of the Year. Behind Eifert will be another veteran, fifth-year Senior Mike Ragone, who hasn't seen much playing time during his tenure with Notre Dame, grabbing three passes last year. Don't expect to see a lot of Ragone in the passing game, but the 250-pounder may be seeing the field for some blocking plays.

Running Backs

Leading rusher Cierre Wood returns for his Junior year after averaging 5.1 yards per carry and three touchdowns on 119 attempts. Don't expect to see a whole lot of running in Notre Dame's repertoire, seeing as how Wood, the team's leading rusher, led the running backs in touchdowns after taking over for an injured Armando Allen, who, as a starter, averaged 64.2 yards per game. Nine of Green's offensive plays went for 20 yards or more. The bulky Senior Jonas Gray will be backing up Wood. Gray saw action in seven games, running for 100 yards on 20 carries, and 2/2 on first down conversions on third down.

Live Bull Rush Chat Coming Thursday!!

Time to launch another new and exciting feature to the site.

Hello Bull Rush fans, as we prepare for the big season opener vs. Notre Dame, we thought we would add a special feature to the site to help answer your questions and better prepare you for the season.

If you view our main page, you will notice a new addition to the right hand side, a chat feature called Green, Gold, and Live! Yes, we will be holding a live chat session tomorrow night, Thursday 9/1/2011, at 7:30 PM (Eastern of course, we get viewers from Alaska so we have to specify) for one hour. Yes, I (USF Matt) will be sitting down, putting down my scouting reports on Ball State (I am already working on FAMU stuff, welcome to my dedication) and will answer your questions for one HOUR. From 7:30 to 8:30 PM, I will take your questions and comments. This is the first time we have ever done something like this via the site.

This is a great chance to talk one on one with me (if you don't have twitter and are unable to chat with me on there) and a great way to learn about the writers, the site, and get my insights on the USF football team and other programs (who is up for a basketball conversation, didn't think so). Hope everyone logs in tomorrow night!

USF Women's Basketball Non-conference Schedule Released

Coach Fernandez and his team will be earning a lot of frequent flyer miles during the non-conference portion of the schedule.

As we get geared up for the football season (FOOTBAWW) the women's 2011-2012 non-conference basketball schedule was released yesterday and the ladies will be racking up the frequent flyer miles during this season.

Click here for the full schedule.

The ladies will travel up I-4 to Daytona Beach to take on three straight tough opponents, FSU (ACC), Arkansas (SEC), and Minnesota (Big 10).

Then on November 23rd and 24th they will pack their jackets as they head to Anchorage, Alaska to take on Central Michigan and Miami (or Alaska, Anchorage). I would like to know who and why they would schedule a basketball tournament there and how on Earth USF was selected.

On December 2nd and 3rd they will travel out west to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force and Idaho State (at least it won't that far away like Alaska).

Finally, at the end of the season, the ladies will stay on the East coast and head up to New Jersey to face Dayton and St. Peter's (or Binghamton).

This is going to be a crazy season for the ladies (not much better for the men). The traveling the team will have to do is pretty bad and the very limited home games,which will be played in the Rec center, bring in tough opponents, like Stetson, who won the A-Sun conference last season and went to the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Fernandez has a strong team returning with capable guard play and good, solid post players, so as long as they can stay healthy and avoid jet lag during the non-conference portion of the schedule, they should have a solid season.

Scouting Notre Dame: Safeties

Time to take a look at the Notre Dame starting safeties.

It is time to take a look at the Notre Dame safeties. While the corners will try to lock down our receivers (should be a fun match up to watch) the ND safeties will cover deep and will also play the middle of the field and try to stop any running game or blow up passes underneath. Here are the names you will need to know for this game. [keep reading]

USF Adds Ten Newcomers

Coach Holtz welcomed 10 newcomers to the football team today. 

From Adam Adkins (TBO.com) - During the press conference today, Coach Holtz announced the 10 newcomers to the football roster.  Teams are allowed to expand the roster to 115 (up from 105) now the semester has started and here are the names that have been added:

No.; Name; Pos.; Ht.; Wt. Yr; Hometown (High School)

43; Robert Arnemann; TE; 6-2; 214; So.; Jacksonville, Fla. (Sandalwood HS)

62; David Bardetsky; LS; 6-1; 212; Fr.; Jacksonville, Fla. (Trinity Christian HS) 37; Spencer Cavalieri; FB; 6-2; 226; Fr.; Tampa, Fla. (Gaither HS) 77; Jake Kaufman; OL; 6-9; 362; RFr.; Jersey City, N.J. (St. Peters Prep) 39; Tyler Robb; DB; 5-9; 196; Fr.; Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Catholic HS) 98; Cody Sanfratello; DL; 6-0; 245; Fr.; Jensen Beach, Fla. (Jensen Beach HS) 25; Allen Singleton; DB; 6-0; 195; Jr.; Ocala, Fla. (Forest HS) 14; Baylin Trujillo; QB; 6-1; 225; So.; Orlando, Fla. (Oak Ridge HS) 84; William Whiteside; WR; 6-2; 183; Fr.; Tampa, Fla. (Chamberlain HS) 75; Mike York; OL; 6-3; 357; Fr.; Plant City, Fla. (Plant City HS)

A few notes to make about the 10 newcomers.  Jake Kaufman was not technically part of the team over the Summer due to his lingering back issues (recovering from surgery).  It appears he is healthy enough and has been added to the roster once more (can he stay healthy is the real question).

As Auman noted, David Bardetsky joins the team after turning down a scholarship offer from FIU (can never have enough longer snappers I guess). 

Mike York is home Plant City, same high school as starting tackle Mark Popek.

An interesting name added to the roster is Baylin Trujillo (sophomore quarterback) it seems Holtz continues to bring in the players with the most impossible names to pronounce or even spell correctly.

We welcome all the new additions to the football team, good luck this season, stay healthy, and keep battling!

Scouting Notre Dame: Cornerbacks

The Bulls will have to face two experienced corners including senior Robert Blanton.

The 2011 USF Bulls have a solid secondary and have great duo at corner in Washington and Webster, but the Irish have a solid pair in the secondary as well and will be working hard to shut down the USF passing game and try to make like tough for B.J. Daniels.

The Irish, working in the 3-4 defense, need their corners to play well to stop the USF receivers. The Bulls have a lot of weapons on the corner, both in size (Landi) and speed (Mitchell) so it should be an interesting battle between the corners and receivers. [keep reading]

Scouting the Notre Dame Defensive Line

Ethan Johnson (DE) leads a big defensive line. 

The Irish use a 3-4 base defense, putting three big bodies on the line and allowing the linebackers to either come up in the box to blitz and support the run or to drift back in pass coverage.  While not a traditional defensive line that we are use to seeing, they can plug up the running game and allow the lineabackers to get in and attack even more. 

Let's take a look at the Irish defensive line and the depth they have. [keep reading]

Michael McFarland Granted Hardship Waiver

McFarland (in the red jersey) will play this season.

From Greg Auman (Twitter) - The Bulls got some great news this morning (USF is the king at getting hardship waivers).  Tight end transfer Michael McFarland, the 6-4 240-pound former Blake High School star, has been granted his hardship waiver from the NCAA and will be able to play immediately.  He will have 4 years remaining of eligibility.

This is huge news for the Bulls as they head to South Bend is a few days.  There have been concerns at the tight end position with depth and ability.  Evan Landi has been named the starting tight end with Andreas Shields, but this will most certainly help the depth chart and add another weapon to the field.

The former 4-star recruit who originally transferred to UF made his way back home and now he will not have to sit for this season.

This is certainly a big win for Holtz and staff.  McFarland is a big passing catching weapon that has been practicing with the team, so he is in shape and understands the offense.  It won't be determined how much he will play Saturday, but he is available. 

Scouting Notre Dame - Linebackers

Manti Te'o leads an aggressive linebacking group for the Irish.

The Irish use a 3-4 base defense, putting three big bodies on the front line and putting four, big athletic linebackers in the middle of the field. All of them can drop back in pass coverage and take away anything underneath in the short passing game. They also have the size needed to lock down the running back and even put their hand on the ground and blitz from the edge. The 3-4 is a very unique defensive set up that allows the defensive coordinator to mix and scheme even more than normal with so many linebackers on the field. It does allow running backs to hit the line faster without an extra 300-pound plus body on the line, but it can create nightmares in the blocking and protection schemes for the offensive line.

Here are the linebackers that make up the base of the 3-4 Notre Dame defense. [keep reading]

Final Thoughts on USF Fall Depth Chart

See our final thoughts on the Fall depth chart. 

In case you were sleeping last night, the USF Bulls released their Fall depth chart in preparation for the Notre Dame game and there were a few surprises on the roster.

Now while this depth chart may not reflect the rest of the season, it does give us a chance to look at where the coaches see everyone and how the roster may unfold the rest of the season. [keep reading]

USF Depth Chart Finally Released!

See who has been added to the starting Fall depth chart and who is no longer at starter. 

From Greg Auman - Finally, after waiting for a few weeks for the Fall camp to end and a few scrimmages to take place, the Fall depth chart has been released by USF.  Here you go!

USF Bulls Offensive Highlights From 2010

Tick tock, tick tock, the season is getting closer and we continue to look back at some of the incredible highlights from the 2010 season, this time, taking a look at all of the offense and some of the biggest moments from the first year in the Holtz era. (Once again, incredible job by SOUTHFLORDIAVIDEO on youtube, make sure to find him and enjoy all of their work).

While the offense wasn't that consistent last season (new system, what do you expect) there were still plenty of jaw dropping moments.  Enjoy the look back and get ready for even more highlights this season!

Concerns Remain at Cornerback

The Bulls still have major questions at cornerback heading into the game Saturday.

From Adam Adkins - It seems the roster battles are not quite over yet. As reported by Adam Adkins, Coach Holtz and his staff are still trying to figure out the depth at cornerback. Cornerback has been a position of concern all off-season, but now it appears it is still a concern and really isn't a solid answer for the issue right now.

Both Quenton Washington and Kayvon Webster are the starting corners heading into Saturday's game with ND, but when it comes to reserves an who comes in to help them out when needed, is still being debated.

There are 6 players battling for roster spots on the depth chart, walk-on junior Ernie Tabueatu, George Baker, Ricardo Dixon, Brandon Salinas, redshirt freshman Spencer Boyd and true freshman Kenneth Durden.

Baker has been slowed with a groin injury, which seems to be recovering now. Tabuteau missed time in fall with back spasms, but has played well. Dixon missed the spring after back issues but seems to be ready to go. Spencer Boyd recently tweaked his knee, so he may not be a full speed along with Durden, who sprained an ankle recently, but it is minor and he is back.

This is very disconcerting to me being so close to game day and not having a solid plan as to who will be the back up when Washington and Webster need a break out there.

Tabuteau really seemed to impress this fall, but missing time with his back issues hurts his stock. Baker as well missed time, but if he is healthy, has a bit more experience and could be a sure option to get on the field. Dixon didn't miss time this fall like the other two, but there are still lingering concerns about his back. Salinas is a former walk-on that played in two games last year, so there are questions on if he is ready to handle that pressure (can he cover Floyd or Riddick?). Boyd's injury is the latest and seems a bit more troubling with his knee brace. He should be full speed for ND, but will he be at full health? Durden is a true freshman. While Holtz will play true freshman, it could be a rude learning experience for him to be out there if the other players are not ready to go.

Hopefully Holtz and staff will be able to come to some form of agreement on who should take over on the depth chart at corner. It is certainly a tough decision due to the time missed by so many players and the inability to get a full read on each player. We will see what happens on Saturday.

Scouting Notre Dame: Special Teams

The Bulls will have to contain Theo Riddick returning kicks and shut down the ND special teams units.

It is finally here, game week. We have been talking and waiting all summer long for this moment and it finally arrives (counting the seconds every day). Week 1 of the 2011 season is upon us and the Bulls prepare for the big season ahead of them as they take on Notre Dame (game is at 3:30 PM, like you didn't already know about this).

We have been talking non-stop for the last few months preparing and anticipating the first game of the season and it is finally here, so it is time to get every fan educated for game week and start by covering every inch of the Notre Dame team, starting with their special teams.

I talked earlier last week about how Lindsey Lamar could be a huge X-factor for the Bulls going into this game and stand by the fact that special teams will be a huge game-changer in this game. Let's take a look at the Notre Dame specialist and see what they bring. [keep reading]

Looking at the Notre Dame Coaching Staff

5 days and counting. There are just 5 more days until the Bulls take the field in South Bend in one of the biggest games in program history (the word excited does not explain how we are feeling right now).

As we prepare for this contest and begin digging into the Notre Dame team, we should take some time to look at who the coaches are at Notre Dame. While the players make the plays on the field, it is the play calling and decision making of the men on the sideline that can make or break a game or a program.

Notre Dame has had some historic coaches during its day (Holtz anyone?) and now the job has been handed to head coach Brian Kelly to lead the way for the Irish. [keep reading]

USF Football News and Notes

Wide receiver Ruben Gonzalez could see playing time this season.

It is finally here, game week! This week is very special as we prepare for the first football game of the season and it should be a huge one for the Bulls.

Here are some notes from yesterday (via Greg Auman). The Bulls will begin to make their preparations for the big game, getting into the film rooms and finalizing the depth chart. I asked Greg last night when a revised Fall depth chart would be released and he expects it to come out the same time as Notre Dame, which could be today. Once it is released (hoping Holtz does it soon) we will cover all the changes or surprises on it.

Announcing The Bull Rush App for Android

Bull Rush Readers,

We're pleased to announce that The Bull Rush now has an app available for free download via the Android Market. Now with the touch of one button, you can log on and feel the rush. The USF vs Notre Dame game is only five days away so be sure to get yours today!

Please don't hesitate to send us feedback and suggestions on how to make The Bull Rush app enhance our readers' experience. As always, our aim is ensure that you have access to all USF, all the time. Special thanks to our good friend and USF alumni Ryan Hunter for creating and designing the app. Please check back as we will be working on making this app available for the iPhone coming soon.

Top 10 Moments of 2010: Number 1

Can you believe it? The season is finally here! In just a few short days, college football will be back once again and USF can begin its quest for a Big East title. But before that happens, we still have a countdown to finish. If you haven't kept up with all the other top moments of 2010, here's your rundown of the top 10:

Number 10: Jacquez Jenkins's interception in the bowl game
Number 9: Opening kickoff
Number 8: Lindsey Lamar's kickoff return against Syracuse
Number 7: Terrence Mitchell's touchdown run against Pitt
Number 6: Maikon Bonani's game-tying field goal against UConn
Number 5: Bobby Eveld's game-tying touchdown at Miami
Number 4: The team singing the fight song after beating Rutgers
Number 3: Halftime at Florida
Number 2: Patrick Hampton's 4th-and-1 overtime stop at Louisville

And now we've arrived at the number 1 moment of the 2010 season.

Number 1: Demetris Murray's overtime touchdown at Miami

USF had another chance at taking a shot at a state power for the second time this season, and the fourth time in two years. USF and Miami had a home-and-home scheduling agreement in place that had just started last year, when UM annihilated the Bulls in Tampa. Now it was USF's chance for revenge, coming off a loss to Pittsburgh that eliminated them from Big East contention. After losing any hope of appearing in the ACC title game and becoming bowl-eligible last week, the only thing the Hurricanes had to play for was to keep the respect of the state. Unfortunately for UM, the Bulls had other plans. After battle it out for four quarters, the 'Canes and Bulls had to decide this one in overtime, where everyone knows USF doesn't lose. UM took the first possession and didn't go far, settling for a field goal.

Then it was USF's turn. Given no clock, Coach Holtz decided to stretch the ball out, making run plays the theme of the Bulls' overtime effort. Once past the 10 yard line, Holtz knew to hand the ball to Demetris Murray, who had already been having a career day on the field. On second down and goal from the 2, those play calls paid off. Murray received the handoff from Bobby Eveld and dove above the trench, trying to push the nose of the football past the goal line. Murray fell to the ground with still no signal from the referees. After removing the pile, the officials signaled touchdown. Fans in the corner of the end zone were going wild, but it wasn't over yet as the referees were taking the play under review.

After a few minutes of deafening silence and waiting, the refs came back onto the field to make the announcement. After review, the call on the field stood; it was a touchdown and the game was over. USF fans proceeded to scream as the few remaining Hurricane fans evacuated the stadium. A group of players leaped into the stands to celebrate their monumental victory with the Bulls fans. Holtz acknowledged the faithful Bulls as they shouted his name from as high as the upper decks. The ten minutes of celebration were some of the most exciting moments ever experienced by Bulls fans, and USF football had made a statement that it's definitely the "Big 4" from now on.

USF Ladies Win 9 to 0 Over Alabama A&M University

The USF ladies won big today, 9 to 0 over Alabama A&M University.

The USF ladies looked strong against Indiana and were able to put on a scoring show against Alabama A&M University with a huge 9 to 0 victory.

AAMU didn't have a shot on goal in his game as Nicole McClure played just 42 minutes in the net before Summer Ikeda took over to get some solid playing experience. Most of the starters were pulled early in this game and the reserves were able to get a lot of valuable playing time in the game (great for down the road).

Kelly Campbell got the scoring started early in the game, nailing a goal in the 7th minute. Sharla Passariello had a goal in the 14th minute, taking 14 shots on the afternoon (Klotz didn't even have to play in this game). Marsha Harper added a goal in the 20th minute (added an assist later) and Sarah Miller added a goal in the 21st minute as the Bulls poured it on and took a very comfortable lead.

Kayla Bala (fan favorite of course) got her first goal of the season (added an assist as well). Noelle Pineiro added a goal in the 46th minute after helping add 3 assists on other scores. Demi Stokes and Cara Patterson both added goals late and Mary Ann Krilin added one more in the 81st minute in a huge win for the ladies. Ann Vikre had an assist, along with Brittany Piulon (took one shot on the afternoon), Kendall Narum, and Rehana Murani.

The ladies, now 2-1, will next take on Vanderbilt on Friday at 5 PM to open the Dafeldecker Classic. Great win for the ladies, let's hope they can build off this solid win with a lot of reserves getting playing time and will lead them to more wins in the near future.

USF Weekly Sports Schedule

Game week is finally here!

Now that classes have started, the Fall sports schedule is back in full swing and the second week of classes has a week full of sports all across campus (great way to get the students active early and often).

Now that classes have started, the Fall sports schedule is back in full swing and the second week of classes has a week full of sports all across campus (great way to get the students active early and often).

USF Ladies Take on Alabama A&M

USF ladies are back to to work this afternoon as they take on Alabama A&M.

The Bulls continue their regular season at home as they host Alabama A&M University (game starts at 1PM). USF was able to recover from an early lost two weeks ago to UCF and beat Indiana on Friday night to even their record at 1-1 on the year. In this match, they hope to get a winning record going as they face a struggling Alabama A&M team.

AAMU (we will use that to shorten up their name) finished the 2010 season at 6-13-0 (2-1-0 in conference play) and were 3-9-0 away from home, so we aren't facing any kind of juggernaut here. Last year, AAMU averaged just 1.05 goals per game while allowing 4.47 goals per game against them, so defense was a major issue and in 2011, in just the first two games for them (Austin Peay State and Kennesaw State) is has gotten worse for them.

AAMU lost their first home game 14 to 0 (Austin Peay) and the second game 8 to 0, to send them to 0-2-0 on the season. Opponents have made 59 shots on goal so far against AAMU while they have just 4 shots on goal themselves. AAMU is struggling big time so this is a perfect opportunity for the Bulls to get out and get a solid game for themselves. Let's take a look at some of the players for AAMU that will be on the field for this one. [keep reading]

USF Ladies Drop Second Game of the Season

The 2011 volleyball season continues their rough start to the season, dropping all three sets to New Mexico State in the New Mexico Invite and drop to 0-2 to start the season.

The ladies lost all 3 sets of the match, dropping 18 to 25, 18 to 25, and 17 to 25. The Bulls were close in the first set, but just couldn't muster enough to hang around and try to get a win.

J'beria Davis had 11 kills on the afternoon and 3 digs. Kayla Walton had 4 kills. Valerie El Houssine had 6 kills, 2 assists, and 7 digs as she continues to play well to start the season. Shelbie Dailey had 2 kills, 16 assists, and 2 digs. Janice Rivera had 1 kill and 2 digs as well in front of a crow of 1130 to see the second game of the tournament.

The ladies will return home to face Eastern Kentucky on Friday night at 7:30 PM in the first game of the USF Volleyball Invitational. Hopefully they can notch the first win of the season in front of the home crowd.

USF Beats Wake Forest 2 to 0 to Open the Season

After a solid exhibition win earlier in the week over UT to get the Bulls ready for the season, USF headed to Winston-Salem to get the season started and came away with a 2-0 victory, getting the Bulls off to a 1-0 start for 2011.

The Bulls got the scoring started in the 22nd minute with a goal by Dom Dwyer to put the Bulls ahead early in the contest. In the 37th minute, Wake Forest scored an own goal to help put the Bulls ahead 2 to 0 and that was the last of the scoring. Wake Forest outshot USF, 20 to 14, but it wasn't enough. Chris Blais made 7 saves in his first start in the regular season and played well all night to stop the constant WF attack.

Ashani Fairclough and Dom Dwyer both got yellow cards on the night and committed 14 fouls, but it is the first game so they will get better with discipline.

Kevin Olani took 4 shots on the night, 2 on goal. Wesley Charpie also took 2 shots, one on goal.

Congrats to the men on the first win of the season. The Bulls will next take on Georgia State on Friday night at 7:30 PM, the first real game in the new home stadium for the Bulls.

USF Takes on Wake Forest to Open the Season

The Bulls start the 2011 season tonight.

The 2011 season officially begins for the USF men's soccer team as they head on the road to take on ACC opponent Wake Forest. The Bulls have had success against the ACC in the past and are hoping to get the season started off right (game starts at 7 PM).

The Demon Deacons finished the 2010 season at 8-9-2 (4-3-1 at home), not the greatest season on record for them. They averaged just 1.11 goals per game and were 1-3 at home vs. non-conference opponents, so the stats work in our favor. Also, Wake Forest added 9 freshman in their 2011 recruiting class and have no seniors on the roster, so they have a very young squad on the field, but a talented one. Here are the players to watch in this game. [keep reading]

USF Volleyball Takes on New Mexico State

The Bulls take on New Mexico State in the second game of the season.

USF takes on New Mexico State (5 PM tip off) in the second game of the New Mexico Invite. New Mexico State is another powerful team that will give the lady Bulls all they can handle in this one. New Mexico State is coming off of a 18-13 season (12-4 in conference, 8-3 at home, 8-6 away) and 2-4 in neutral sites. Expect a home crowd to be in the stands for them as the Bulls look to get off to a solid start in 2011.


New Mexico State lost their first game of the season, but pushed #5 Nebraska to 5 games in their first match before dropping to 0-1 on the season. This is going to be a very tough game for the Bulls.

USF Ladies Drop First Game to New Mexico

The 2011 USF volleyball season got off to a rough start last night as the ladies dropped the first game of the New Mexico Invite 3 to 1 to New Mexico and start the season at 0-1.

The Bulls came out firing in the first set, winning 29-27, but dropped the next three sets, 25-19, 25-19, and 25-21. Despite the loss, the Bulls and Coach Lessinger came away proud of her team that has 6 new comers that have not played in real competitive matches at the collegiate level before.

Outside hitter J'Beria Davis led the way with 17 skills for the match. Jessica Burghhart had 32 assists, 8 digs, and 2 service aces. Senior Janice Rivera had 6 assists and 15 digs to lead the way. Valerie El Houssin had 7 kills, 2 assists, and 11 digs. Andrea Rodriguez Gomez had 3 kills, 2 digs, and 7 blocks as well.

The ladies will be back in action this afternoon with the second game of the tournament against New Mexico State (0-1) who dropped a rough game to #5 Nebraska to start their season, so it doesn't get any easier for the ladies.

USF Ladies Beat Indiana 2 to 1

Chelsea Klotz had the deciding goal in the USF ladies win over Indiana , 2 to 1.

The USF ladies soccer season continues as they beat Indiana 2 to 1 and improve to 1-1-0 as they open the new home stadium for the first time.

The Bulls came out firing to start the game, but the heat played a major factor and seemed to fatigue both teams late in the contest, but the ladies were able to endure the heat. Chelsea Klotz led the way for the Bulls (what else is knew). She took 6 shots on the night, 4 on goal, and scored in the second half to put the Bulls ahead for good.

Klotz sat most of the first half with some fatigue, but was the most dynamic player on the field and controlled everything. Senior Demi Stokes, batting an ankle injury, took 5 shots (4 on goal) and scored the first goal of the game in the first half. Stokes was limited in the first game of the season, but came out firing in this game and helped the Bulls offense move the ball and get a goal on the board.

The rest of the ladies played a solid match as they notched their first victory of the season in the new stadium. Anne Vikre and Boo Simon played all 90 minutes. Defensive specialist Molly Stack played all 90 minutes as well, taking 2 shots on the night. McClure stopped 7 shots on the night as she played well in the net to cool off Indiana, a team that had scored quite a few goals to start the season.

The ladies will return to the field on Sunday to take on Alabama A&M.

USF Basketball Receives Bad News

Coach Heath and team got some bad news tonight.

As we all get amped for football season, we have bad news to report for the basketball team (Stan Heath is probably crying at his desk right now).

According to Greg Auman tonight, JUCO transfer Andre Jackson (6-10 285-pounds) has not met NCAA transfer regulation rules and will not be able to join the program or university this season, meaning the team is now a man down.

This is just awful news for Coach Stan Heath tonight. With Jarrid Famous graduating, it will leave Heath with a short bench of post players with Augustus Gilchrist (imagined if he actually went to the NBA, hilarious), Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, and Ron Anderson Jr. to take over in the post. This gives the Bulls no size in the paint and will make life even harder.

Sigh well at least Heath got some "good" news in the same night. Center Jordan Omogbehin (7-3) has been allowed by the NCAA to enroll at USF this fall, allowing him to attend classes but he will not be able to play this season.

Omogbehin will now enroll full time in the winter semester, but will not be able to take the court for the Bulls, so even worse news for Coach Heath.

This 2011 season basketball season is going to be another long year for the Bulls and Coach Heath, sigh, what else is new.

Stephen Bravo-Brown to Be Put on Scholarship

Wide receiver Stephen Bravo-Brown will be placed on scholarship, according to Coach Holtz. (Picture: www.tampabay.com)

From Adam Adkins - After a scrimmage today, Coach Holtz stated that he will put former walk-on wide receiver Stephen Bravo-Brown on scholarship.

The 5-10 178-pound receiver (sophomore) walked-on last season and made a solid contribution to the team. Bravo-Brown started two games for the Bulls when injuries mounted for the team, making a total of 11 receptions on the season for 104 yards.

Bravo-Brown had been working hard through camp and has displayed great flashes to the coaches and now he is being rewarded for his hard work, so congratulations to the young man and getting recognized.

This also limits the Bulls on the number of scholarships they will have for the season. Tight end Michael McFarland still remains a walk-on as the Bulls await the decision of the NCAA for his hardship waiver.

More news and notes will be coming later from the scrimmage today (thanks to Adkins and Greg Auman) including Holtz disappointed in the sloppy play of the offense and some great plays from freshman that continue to shine.

USF Volleyball Takes on New Mexico

The Bulls will be facing the New Mexico Lobos and Kelly Williamson, a tough first matchup.

The 2011 season is finally here and the Bulls travel to the desert to take on New Mexico in the New Mexico Invitational to get it going (tip off at 7:30 PM).

The New Mexico Lobos are coming off of a successful season in 2010, going 20-10 (12-4 in conference play) and went 13-2 at home, so this is going to be a very tough first test for the ladies in their quest to make the Big East tournament.

The Lobos are led by senior outside-hitter Kelly Williamson (6-2). She had 296 kills last season (2.79 kills per set). She also had 7 service aces and had 83 digs so she will be the focus of the offense for the Lobos and an active player against the Bulls. Senior middle-blocker Ashley Rhoades (5-11) had 256 kills last season (2.42 kills per set). She also had 4 service aces. Sophomore middle blocker Lexi Ross (6-2) had 11 kills last season and will figure to be more of a threat this season. The Lobos are a well coaches team with a solid group of veterans and youth, so this is going to be a very tough match up.

The Bulls will need key players such as Kelsey Palmer, Janice Rivera, and others to step up in this first game of the season and set the tone and come out firing in the first game. After this game, the ladies will take on New Mexico State in the second game.

We will have the full game recap after it goes final.

USF Making Some Tweaks

Michael Lanaris has taken over the middle linebacker spot with Barrington moving to strong side linebacker.

As Adam Adkins has noted, the offensive line for the Bulls seems to be shifting just a bit more as they make their final preparations for Notre Dame (8 days and counting children!)

Chaz Hine, the veteran starting guard, has moved over to center and has been taking plenty of snaps, while Kevin McCaskill continues to take snaps at guard. Both players are move around and gives Holtz more options on the line. This also allows Danous Estenor and Jeremiah Warren to get snaps at guard as well with Hine moving to center. The Bulls had issues last year in their 2nd team offensive line and making sure players are versatile will be key late in the season. Quinterrius Eatmon and Mark Popek continue to work at tackle and it would seem those two spots are locked in, for now.

The Bulls also have shifted the linebackers around (V5 and Adkins noted this earlier). Sam Barrington has moved to strong side linebacker, allowing Michael Lanaris to move to middle linebacker, Lattimore remaining at weakside.

I tend to like this move. It gives the Bulls a very experienced linebacking group on the field. Barrington is a great tackler and can drop back into coverage, while Lanaris is a physical run stopper and having him in the middle is a great move. Jeuen, Cliett, Weatherspoon, and others will help provide the depth needed.

One final note, the Bulls are having a full scrimmage today, running about 100 plays as they prepare for ND. After the game, they will have Saturday off and then prepare for game week starting on Sunday. There are talks that a depth chart (we are all waiting for it) could be released (per the interwebs talk). It would make sense for the coaches to use the full scrimmage to evaluate the team one last time before putting the final depth chart together, but we are not sure yet if they will do this. Once more news comes from the scrimmage, we will have you covered.

Go Bulls.

USF Women's Soccer Takes on Indiana

The USF ladies take on Indiana tonight as they open the new soccer stadium, looking to bounce back after dropping the first game of the season.

The USF ladies finally get to open their home schedule after 3 games on the road (2 exhibition games that were rained out) and an ugly loss to UCF to start the season. The Bulls will be facing off against Big 10 opponent Indiana (game starts at 7:30 PM so everyone needs to get to the stadium) who is looking to continue their solid start to the 2011 season.

Indiana enters the night at (1-0-1) beating Butler last time out 6 to 1. The lady Hoosiers finished the 2010 season at 6-12-1 (2-8-0 in conference) and were 3-5-0 away from home, so not the greatest season. Despite a rough season, Indiana returns a solid corps of players that are very talented and will give the experienced Bulls team a run for their money.

Indiana has faced Evansville and Butler to open the season, so this is their first match of the year vs. a BCS conference opponent, so expect the competition to be tense. Let's take a look at what the Hoosiers bring to the field. [keep reading]

USF Offers 2013 Another Defensive End Prospect

Recruiting never takes a day off it seems.

As the college football season begins, so does the high school season and many top prospects on the Bulls short list are in action. We have seen the Bulls coaching staff looking down the road and recruiting players for the class of 2013 and a new prospect has been hearing from USF.

2013 defensive end prospect Derrick Calloway, 6-1 294-pounds (yikes, big kid) has already received a verbal offer from the Bulls.

The Manatee High School star (Brandenton, Florida) is a talented young man that can simply take over a game. The other night, Josh Newberg of 247sports, was at his game vs. Heritage High School and tweeted that Calloway was simply wearing down the Heritage offensive line. At 294-pounds, it is easy to see his size and strength and how a smaller high school tackle or guard would be easily overmatched (seems like the kid could line up and play in the college level with his size and weight).

USF is the first school to offer him and there will be plenty of other programs to follow suit very soon.

Pressuring Crist Will be Key Next Weekend for USF

Getting pressure on ND starting quarterback Dayne Crist will be key for the Bulls to come away with a victory next week.

Just a few days ago, the Irish named senior Dayne Crist the starting quarterback over sophomore Tommy Rees.

Crist, one of the most coveted recruits coming out of high school, has had a long and tough career while at ND. Dealing with constant pressure, coaching changes, expectations, and more recently, knee injuries, Crist seems poised for a big season, but USF will is there to stop it before it begins. Getting a pass rush on him will be just one big factor for the Bulls to come away with a victory [keep reading]