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Eyes on C-USA's prize

Who said South Florida couldn't compete in Conference USA until 2003? The Bulls are gunning for the conference title.

USF was denied admittance to C-USA until 2003, but if it wins all four of its games against C-USA teams -- a fair mix/representation of league teams with two at home and two on the road -- how could anyone deny the Bulls are the league's best team? The only possible dissenters would be Louisville or TCU, two teams USF doesn't play, if either wins the league. (See the Times' C-USA rankings on this page.) It's one down and three to go for USF. The Bulls nicked Southern Miss 16-13 last weekend and play at East Carolina on Saturday. The Pirates, at 2-3, are a notch below their usual form and threatening to have their second losing season since 1993. But they are 2-0 at home, 2-0 in the league and haven't lost a homecoming game since 1988. USF's final two C-USA games are Nov. 9 against Memphis at home and Nov. 23 at Houston.

Imagine it: South Florida, 2002 Conference USA champion. It can't happen, of course, but if USF goes 4-0, it deserves the title.

HEATING UP: With consecutive hard-fought wins, there are whispers about the football team earning a bowl bid.

The odds are stacked against it without a conference affiliation. All 56 slots in the 28 bowls have conference tie-ins, including five for C-USA. There are possibilities, however.

For instance, the Dec. 31 Silicon Valley Classic pits a Western Athletic Conference team against the No. 8 team from the Big 12. If the No. 8 Big 12 team is not bowl-eligible (it needs at least six Division I-A wins), an at-large team could be invited. If USF wins out -- unlikely but possible -- it would be 9-2 with seven straight wins and could be a desirable attraction.

BIG BUCKS: The football contract to play at Penn State on Sept. 3, 2005, was officially announced Thursday. Athletic director Lee Roy Selmon said USF will be paid $500,000 by PSU for making the trip.

ON TOP: The volleyball team is unbeaten in C-USA play at 4-0, having rattled off wins against East Carolina, Charlotte, Tulane and Southern Miss while losing just one game, to Tulane.

The Bulls resume C-USA play with home matches against Memphis at 7 tonight and Saint Louis at 7 Saturday. The Billikens (4-0) and Louisville (3-0) are the league's other unbeaten teams.

FULL COURT: The women's basketball team has the depth it lacked last season to play its frenetic full-court style because of five newcomers (not counting two redshirting transfers), among them instant impact players such as 6-foot-5 Florida transfer Jameelah Trimble and freshman guard Valerie de Velasco.

How much the Bulls improve on their 14-13 record is another matter. The nonconference schedule is much tougher, with the likes of defending national champion Connecticut, SEC power Georgia and Big Ten champion Indiana.

"The only way we're going to get to the point where we can play for a Conference USA title is to play (a great nonconference schedule)," coach Jose Fernandez said.

Connecticut visits the Sun Dome on Dec. 28 for the third game of the day. The men's basketball team plays Long Island University in the first semifinal of the USF Shootout at 1 p.m., followed by Belmont-East Tennessee State at 3:30, then USF-UConn at 7.

BACK HOME: The men's soccer team (8-3, 3-2) went 3-2 in its past five games, all on the road. USF beat Marquette 1-0 Saturday on a goal from Seminole High graduate Aaron Paroulek. The Bulls return to the USF Soccer Stadium to play C-USA powerhouse Saint Louis (9-2-1, 4-1), ranked No. 14 in the NCSAA/adidas poll, at 7 p.m. Saturday.

-- Pete Young covers USF sports. He can be reached at (813) 226-3346, or via e-mail at young@sptimes.com

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