USF's Euphoric Night Was Not A Fluke
JOEY JOHNSTON
Published: Sep 25, 2005
TAMPA As the clock ticked away its final seconds on Saturday night, the University of South Florida's offensive players faced third-and-goal from the 6-yard line. They hopped up and down, begging for the opportunity at a tack-on touchdown.
USF coach Jim Leavitt waved it off. He pointed to the scoreboard. What more needed to be said? What more needed to be proven?
South Florida 45, Louisville 14.
Let's not embellish the scene. Let's just state the facts.
It was the greatest moment in USF athletic history -- period. Fluke? No way.
No. 9-ranked Louisville was picked for the Rose Bowl's national championship game by The New York Times. It received a first-place vote in The Associated Press preseason poll. But it was outplayed and outcoached by the 20-point underdog Bulls.
Maybe Louisville has been severely overrated. Undoubtedly, USF was vastly underrated. Either way, from start to finish, it was a magical night.
USF formally introduced itself to the Big East Conference -- and the nation.
The defense was magnificent, throttling a Louisville team that had been portrayed as an unstoppable offensive machine. Wide receiver Amarri Jackson, a former junior-college basketball player, wrote an improbable page of USF history by scoring on two reverses and throwing an option touchdown pass. Quarterback Pat Julmiste continued his rapid maturation. Chad Simpson reignited momentum with a 94-yard kickoff return touchdown to open the second half.
USF should receive votes in today's national polls.
The Bulls are halfway to bowl eligibility -- and all the way to euphoria.
Other than that? Routine stuff.
Yeah, right.
"This defies everyone's predictions," USF president Judy Genshaft said. "It was everything you could have possibly imagined -- and more! I just wish it was on national television."
Leavitt Was A Believer
If you were among the 33,586 fans at Raymond James Stadium, the memory of Saturday night will never die. If you witnessed the highlights on ESPN, yes, it really happened. If you are a USF player, it's time to believe.
Leavitt believed all along. Last week, he was asked about Saturday night's game, probably the biggest in USF history.
"Louisville is good," Leavitt said. "And so are we."
Here's another believer -- Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, who attended Saturday night's game. Nationally, here's how the result will be portrayed -- more evidence that the new Big East stinks in football. No doubt, the league was wounded by the sudden evaporation of what might have been an 11-0 Cardinal team.
That's the short view.
"People are quick to pass judgments based on the result of games," Tranghese said. "This is a long-term venture we're involved in. These are kids playing. When one group outplays another, they deserve the win.
"The reason South Florida is in our league is because we're convinced about where this program can go. It's located in Tampa, one of the great spots in America. Everybody you talk to in football says it's going to happen here in a big way. How long will it take? That I can't answer."
But Saturday night can't hurt.
Watch out, Miami Hurricanes? That may be overstating the case. Maybe. Maybe not. USF could've beaten plenty of ranked teams on Saturday night.
Potential Was Realized
Ironically, Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was one of the driving forces behind USF's ascension to the Big East. Ask Jurich about USF's potential, and he'll give you the same response.
"The place is a gold mine," Jurich said earlier this week. "It has everything you need to succeed."
Now it has its first victory against a top 25-ranked team.
Now it has belief.
"USF will start to establish a different kind of identity," Tranghese said. "Outside of Tampa, a lot of people might not know where the University of South Florida is located. Now USF will become a player along the Eastern seaboard. It's going to help them as much institutionally as athletically."
Athletically, it won't get much bigger than Saturday night's result.
But then you listen to Leavitt. He has toppled countless obstacles at USF. He talked about an article in last week's Tampa Tribune, one that identified Louisville as the Big East's model program, a level of aspiration for USF.
"We made copies of that article and passed them around," Leavitt said. "It said we should try to be like Louisville. I don't know about that. We just wanted to be like South Florida."
If Saturday night was the model for USF football performance, this may be just the start.
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