South Florida Bulls football

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USF Bulls football
2012 South Florida Bulls football team
South Florida Bulls Logo2.svg
First season 1997 (FCS), 2001 (FBS)
Head coach Willie Taggart
Home stadium Raymond James Stadium
Stadium capacity 66,321 (41,441 lower bowl)
Stadium surface Grass, Tifway Bermuda 419
Location Tampa, Florida
Conference The American
All-time record 103–62 (.624)
Postseason bowl record 4–2
Colors

Green and Gold

          
Fight song Golden Brahman March
Marching band Herd of Thunder
Outfitter Under Armour
Website GoUSFBulls.com

The USF Bulls football team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of American football. The Bulls compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the American Athletic Conference (The American). The team plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The Bulls began playing in 1997, holding their first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus.[1] Jim Leavitt, previously the defensive coordinator at Kansas State, was hired as the team's first head coach.

After competing their first four years as a Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) independent, the Bulls moved to Division I-A, now Division I FBS, in 2001 but remained independent. They joined Conference USA in 2003 until becoming a member of the Big East Conference in 2005.

The Bulls' starting quarterback for the 2007 South Florida Bulls football team was sophomore Matt Grothe, who was awarded the Big East Rookie of the Year award in 2006 after being the most productive freshman in total offense with 258.5 yards per game.[2] South Florida was also home to defensive end George Selvie, who was named the school's first Consensus All-American in 2007.[3]

South Florida received increased press coverage for their upsets of Top 25 ranked teams such as West Virginia (in 2006 and 2007), Louisville (in 2005) and Auburn (in 2007) and the Florida State Seminoles (2009). The 2007 football season marked their first ascent into the AP Poll, first placing at #23, rising to #18 in Week 4, jumping to #6 after the win against West Virginia, rising one more spot to #5 in week 6 after a victory over FAU, and jumping 3 more spots to #2 with 11 first place votes after beating UCF. The Bulls' high ranking was short lived, as South Florida lost its next 3 games and tumbled out of the rankings. However, the Bulls rebounded towards the end of the season, finishing the regular season ranked #21 in the BCS standings and #23 in the AP poll. Following their final regular season game, they faced unranked Oregon in the Brut Sun Bowl. Oregon defeated the Bulls by the score of 56-21, in which USF set a Sun Bowl record for most points allowed to an opponent. USF was dropped from the national rankings in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today polls following the loss in this bowl game.

USF won its first bowl game in its second bowl appearance with a victory over former Conference USA rivals, East Carolina on December 23, 2006 in the Papajohns.com Bowl. The previous year, USF lost to NC State in the Bulls' first-ever bowl appearance, the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Leavitt remained as the team's head coach throughout this period. He was fired on January 8, 2010 after an investigation revealed that during halftime of a game against Louisville, he grabbed a player by the shoulder pads and struck him across the face two times. The investigation also claimed that Leavitt interfered with the investigation by telling several coaches and players to change their stories [1]. Leavitt maintains he never struck the player, but was merely trying to console him, and after a wrongful termination suit against USF[4], the school eventually settled with Leavitt for $2.75 million.[5]. Leavitt went on to serve as linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers, which in his first season as an NFL coach, 2011, reached the NFC Championship for the first time since 1997.

On January 14, 2010, Skip Holtz was named the teams 2nd head coach.[6] His firing from USF was announced by Doug Woolard on December 2, 2012 after 3 seasons.[7] Holtz was subsequently hired by Louisiana Tech as its new head coach.

On December 8, 2012, USF announced that Willie Taggart will be the next head football coach. He previously coached at Western Kentucky.[8]

After a period of turmoil in the conference during the early 2010s led to a formal conference split along football lines in 2013, the FBS schools in the original Big East, including South Florida, will reorganize as The American Athletic Conference effective in July 2013.

Contents

History [edit]

Season-by-season results [edit]

Statistics correct as of the end of the 2012-13 college football season
NCAA Division I champions Conference Champions Division Champions Bowl Eligible Undefeated Season
Year NCAA Division Conference Conference Division Overall Conference Coach Final Ranking
Games Win Loss Tie Pct. Games Win Loss Tie Pct. Standing
1997 I-AA Division I-AA Independent N/A 11 5 6 0 .455 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
1998 I-AA Division I-AA Independent N/A 11 8 3 0 .727 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
1999 I-AA Division I-AA Independent N/A 11 7 4 0 .636 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
2000 I-AA Division I-AA Independent N/A 11 7 4 0 .636 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
2001 I-A Independent N/A 11 8 3 0 .727 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
2002 I-A Independent N/A 11 9 2 0 .818 0 0 0 0 .000 N/A Jim Leavitt -
2003 I-A C-USA N/A 11 7 4 0 .636 8 5 3 0 .625 T-3rd Jim Leavitt -
2004 I-A C-USA N/A 11 4 7 0 .364 8 3 5 0 .375 T-6th Jim Leavitt -
2005 I-A Big East N/A 12 6 6 0 .500 7 4 3 0 .571 T-3rd Jim Leavitt -
2006 FBS Big East N/A 13 9 4 0 .692 7 4 3 0 .571 T-4th Jim Leavitt -
2007 FBS Big East N/A 13 9 4 0 .692 7 4 3 0 .571 T-3rd Jim Leavitt -
2008 FBS Big East N/A 13 8 5 0 .615 7 2 5 0 .286 6th Jim Leavitt -
2009 FBS Big East N/A 13 8 5 0 .615 7 3 4 0 .429 T-4th Jim Leavitt -
2010 FBS Big East N/A 13 8 5 0 .615 7 3 4 0 .429 T-5th Skip Holtz -
2011 FBS Big East N/A 12 5 7 0 .417 7 1 6 0 .143 T-7th Skip Holtz -
2012 FBS Big East N/A 12 3 9 0 .250 7 1 6 0 .143 8th Skip Holtz -
2013 FBS The American N/A 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0 .000 TBD Willie Taggart -
Totals 177 108 69 0 .610 65 29 36 0 .446

Bowl game appearances [edit]

Season Date Bowl W/L Opponent PF PA Coach Notes
2005 December 31, 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl L NC State 0 14 Jim Leavitt notes
2006 December 23, 2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl W East Carolina 24 7 Jim Leavitt notes
2007 December 31, 2007 Sun Bowl L Oregon 21 56 Jim Leavitt notes
2008 December 20, 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl W Memphis 41 14 Jim Leavitt notes
2009 January 2, 2010 International Bowl W NIU 27 3 Jim Leavitt notes
2010 December 31, 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl W Clemson 31 26 Skip Holtz notes
Total 6 bowl games 4–2 144 120

Stadium [edit]

Halftime show in a 2007 USF Bulls game played at Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium is a $168.5 million facility which opened September 20, 1998 with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Chicago Bears. Two weeks later, the Bulls debuted in their new home with a 45-6 win over The Citadel in front of 32,598 fans.[9] From 1998 to 2007, only the lower half of the stadium has been typically opened for USF games, allowing for a capacity of 41,441,[10] although the upper deck has been opened numerous times to accommodate crowds in excess of what the lower bowl can handle. However, as of 2008, USF has opened the upper deck for every home game and is selling season tickets in the upper deck as well. The largest crowd to see the Bulls play a home game came on September 28, 2007 against then #5 ranked West Virginia, when 67,012 saw the #18 Bulls win.[11] The Bulls played at Houlihan's Stadium in 1997.

The Bulls have continued to enjoy a winning edge in Raymond James, building a 43-11 record since 1998.[12] , including one streak of 21 straight victories at home.[13]

Current Pro Players [edit]

See also: List of South Florida Bulls in the NFL Draft

National Football League (10)

Arena Football League (7)

Canadian Football League(1)

United Football League(4)

Free Agents(11)

Media [edit]

Bulls football games currently air on the radio in Tampa on Sports Radio 98.7 The Fan WHFS-FM. Play-by-play man Jim Louk is teamed with color analyst and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mark Robinson in the booth for the broadcasts. Many of the televised games air locally on ESPN Plus outlet WFTS-TV. Some replays of the games can be seen on Bright House Sports Network. Due to USF's affiliation in the Big East Conference, most games can be seen on one of the many channels ESPN owns.

Rivals [edit]

As a young program that has grown rapidly and shifted conferences several times, USF has developed few lasting rivalries. The most noteworthy has been the UCF–USF football rivalry against in-state opponents the University of Central Florida Knights. The matchup had been the subject of much discussion and fan enthusiasm since the 1990s, but it was not until 2005 that a game was scheduled. The two schools met in a four year home-and-away series through 2008. USF won each of the matches, which drew substantial crowds, but declined to schedule any further games.[14][15] However, the series will resume as an annual conference game when UCF joins the Big East in 2013.[16]

Before major conference realignment in the early 2010s, candidates for a future rivalry game included Louisville, another former member of Conference USA before its move to the Big East/The American; West Virginia; Rutgers; and Miami, with whom USF began a 6-year Thanksgiving weekend series in 2008. The last 4 games of the USF/UM series (2010–2013) will be televised by one of the ESPN networks.[17] Louisville and Rutgers will both leave The American after the 2013 season, respectively for the ACC and Big Ten.

Logos and uniforms [edit]

USF's uniforms worn from 2008 to 2009

Statistics and rankings [edit]

  • The Bulls received their first ever pre-season Top 25 ranking on August 1, 2007 when they and head coach Jim Leavitt were ranked #21 in the Coaches Poll.[18]
  • USF has won every home opener in school history (11-0).
  • Bill Gramatica holds the record for the longest field goal in school history at 63 yards.[19]
  • USF plays in the largest stadium (65,657), the stadium with the largest student section (12,501) and has the largest enrollment (44,038) of any school in the Big East.[20]
  • USF was ranked for the first time exactly 10 years and 10 days after its inaugural game against Kentucky Wesleyan in 1997.[20]
  • USF rose at an unprecedented pace, earning an AP ranking 104 polls after becoming a full-time, bowl eligible FBS member in 2001. Boise State had the previous record, getting ranked after 115 AP polls during their seventh season.[20]
  • USF became the fastest team in the modern era of college football to go from upstart NCAA FBS school to a top-10 ranking on Sunday, Sept. 30. There were 106 AP polls and 112 Coaches Polls since USF became a full-time FBS member in 2001.[20]
  • The same can be said about the top-5 ranking, which took USF 107 weeks to achieve.[20]

School Songs [edit]

Golden Brahman March (Fight Song)

Chorus:
USF Bulls are we,
We hold our standard upright and free.
For Green and Gold we stand united.
Our beacon lighted and noble to see.
USF Bulls are we,
For USF will always be.
With all our might we fight the battle
here and now, and we will win the victory!
Shout: S-O-U-T-H F-L-O-R-I-D-A
South Florida, South Florida
Go Bulls!
(return to chorus)

Alma Mater

Hail to Thee, our Alma Mater
May thy name be told,
Where above thy gleaming splendor,
Waves the green and gold.
Thou our guide in quest for knowledge.
Where we all are free
University of South Florida,
Alma Mater, Hail to thee!
Be our guide in truth and wisdom
As we onward go,
May thy glory, fame and honor
Never cease to grow;
May our thoughts and prayers
be with thee through eternity,
University of South Florida,
Alma Mater, Hail to thee!

Future non-conference opponents [edit]

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
vs Chattanooga vs McNeese State vs NC State vs Florida A&M at Indiana Florida
at Nevada at Michigan State vs Indiana vs Michigan State
at Ball State vs Florida Atlantic vs Nevada
vs Florida State
at Miami (FL)

[21]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Hayes, Matt (2007-10-05). "Meet the driving force behind South Florida". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2005-10-05. 
  2. ^ Official Big East website
  3. ^ GoUSFBulls.com
  4. ^ "Ex-coach Jim Leavitt sues USF". tampabay.com. Retrieved 2010-03-16. 
  5. ^ {{Cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/usf-settles-ex-coach-jim-leavitts-lawsuit-for-275-million/1144945
  6. ^ "South Florida Hires Skip Holtz". ncaafootball.fanhouse.com. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
  7. ^ McMurphy, Brett (December 2, 2012). "USF fires Skip Holtz, sources say". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2012-12-02. 
  8. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/south-florida-hires-willie-taggart-to-take-over-struggling-football-program/2012/12/08/84e8ae90-4142-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story.html
  9. ^ University of South Florida Bulls 2006 Football Media Guide (pdf file) page 12
  10. ^ University of South Florida Bulls 2006 Football Media Guide (pdf file) page 10, sixth paragraph.
  11. ^ 67,018
  12. ^ University of South Florida Bulls 2006 Football Media Guide. Includes the 2006 results
  13. ^ University of South Florida Bulls 2006 Football Media Guide (pdf file) page 142, 1st game of 2000 season to 4th game of 2003 season
  14. ^ Greg Auman (September 6, 2008). "Should USF play UCF every year?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 14, 2012. 
  15. ^ Greg Auman (April 29, 2011). "USF says no contracts proposed for football with UCF". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 14, 2012. 
  16. ^ Mike Bianchi (December 7, 2011). "Finally, Big East gives UCF some much-needed good news". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 13, 2012. 
  17. ^ Sports: USF adds statement series with Hurricanes
  18. ^ http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5471317/
  19. ^ Bill Gramatica - ArenaFootball.com — The Official Web site of the Arena Football League AFL
  20. ^ a b c d e Game Preview: UCF at No. 5 USF - GoUSFBulls.com—Official Athletics Web Site of the University of South Florida
  21. ^ "USF Bulls Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2012-02-11. 

External links [edit]

South Florida Bulls football
Venues
Bowls & rivalries
Culture & lore
People
Seasons
Current members
Future members
Departing members
Former members
Championships and awards
Seasons
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