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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 17, 2002
TBS to broadcast USF-Oklahoma
A newcomer to college football will broadcast South Florida's first nationally televised game.
In prime time.
TBS on Monday selected USF at Oklahoma for its Sept. 28 broadcast. The game will be moved from 3 to 7 p.m.
The cable network began covering college football this season, and Oregon State's victory over UNLV on Saturday was its inaugural broadcast.
ABC, TBS and Fox Sports Net select from among Pac-10 and Big 12 games each week. ABC picks first and chose Nebraska at Iowa State.
FSN, which rotates the second choice with TBS, selected Oregon State at USC. And TBS picked the USF-Oklahoma game over, among others, Texas at Tulane.
"Obviously, it's one of the top teams in the country in (No.2) Oklahoma and an opportunity to give national exposure to another program from a (big-market) area," TBS spokesman Jeff Pomeroy said.
USF's 42-3 loss Saturday at Arkansas figured to diminish the Bulls' chances of being chosen, but that was offset in part by "some compelling story lines," Pomeroy said.
Among them are USF athletic director Lee Roy Selmon's return to his alma mater, where he was an All-American; USF coach Jim Leavitt facing Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who were co-defensive coordinators at Kansas State from 1991-95; and Leavitt meeting Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, his classmate at Missouri.
Air travelers across the country will be among those watching. The CNN Airport Network recently picked up TBS' college football slate.
The broadcast crew will be veteran TBS announcers Ron Thulin (play-by-play) and Craig Sager (sideline reporter) and color analyst Charles Davis, who has worked for the Sunshine Network.
ON TOP: USF did not return a punt at Arkansas but moved from No.2 to No.1 nationally with a punt return average of 30.63 yards.
Also, the Bulls and punter Devin Sanderson are 11th nationally in punting with a 39.91 net average.
REST DAY: The Bulls, who have a bye Saturday, did not practice Monday.
-- PETE YOUNG
TALLAHASSEE -- Fabian Walker quietly slipped in the door as the backup quarterback against Maryland on Saturday. But it's a revolving door as former backup Adrian McPherson will return to the No.2 slot behind Chris Rix.
"We'll let that thing kind of flutter," coach Bobby Bowden said.
"We just don't think (McPherson) is hurt bad enough to get a medical hardship."
McPherson had been hoping to receive a medical redshirt for his injured ankle, which was rolled during a preseason scrimmage. But during a meeting with Bowden and quarterbacks coach Daryl Dickey, he found out the injury is not severe enough to warrant one. "To qualify (for a medical redshirt), you really have to be out of practice, and it has not been quite that bad," Bowden said.
"(McPherson) didn't practice all last week, but I don't think with the present injury it would be strong enough (to warrant a medical redshirt)."
In 2000, McPherson was the first high school athlete to be Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football in Florida and saw significant playing time during his freshman season, even pushing incumbent Rix for the starting position.
"I'm not going to say I was pleased to be medically redshirted because no one wants to get hurt," McPherson said. "If I'm not able to (redshirt), then I'm just going to come out here and work hard every day."
Going into Saturday, McPherson was listed as the backup. But when Rix went down with 6:30 left in the game, Walker entered. During a news conference Sunday, Bowden said Walker would be the backup because McPherson could not play. But Monday, McPherson said he could have played.
"I thought I was going to get a medical (redshirt), and that's why I didn't go out there on Saturday," McPherson said. "I could have (played). I feel like I'm good enough to play."
Walker completed one pass for 39 yards and had a 14-yard scramble. "It doesn't matter to me one bit," he said. "Either way, I'm just going to play and try to get ready to be the No.1 quarterback."
INJURY NEWS: Fullback B.J. Dean is scheduled to have an MRI on Wednesday to check his strained left medial collateral ligament, sustained Saturday.
-- JASON SCHNEIDER
ORLANDO -- UCF played 15 games against teams from the Mid-American Conference before joining the league for this season.
But as the league's newest member, opening up against the defending champion puts the team right in the fire.
"This is certainly a big game," senior linebacker Chris Pilinko said. "It has been highly anticipated, us coming into the conference and people expecting us to do well, including us. A lot of the teams in the MAC were not happy about that, so I am sure we are not their favorite opponent.
"We are just anxious to get out there and play and have a positive impact."
TV NEWS: Sunshine Network announced it will air the Knights' game against Syracuse on Nov.2.
-- Times wires