The redshirt freshman quarterback was thrown into the spotlight and flourished there for the Bulls.
By PETE YOUNG
Published November 7, 2003
TAMPA - You weren't supposed to hear about Pat Julmiste for two more years.
Nope, Julmiste was slated to spend his first few autumns at South Florida, until 2005, in anonymity. If everything went just right, then he would step into the limelight and the most important job on the football team.
But backups always are one play, one injury, away from starting. Or, in this case, a few sacks and scattered passes away from relieving the starting quarterback in mid game.
Julmiste came off the bench to replace Ronnie Banks in the 24-17 double-overtime win Oct. 31 over Cincinnati. The redshirt freshman committed no turnovers and helped rally the Bulls.
"Going in against Cincinnati when we called his number, everything was on the line - the bowl game, national TV," quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said. "He was ready. He's worked hard since he's been here."
It wasn't the first action of Julmiste's college career; he played about half the game Oct. 18 vs. overmatched Division I-AA Charleston Southern. Nor was he the first quarterback to replace Banks, a junior, against Cincinnati; receiver/option specialist Brian Fisher was inserted in his usual role as an occasional change of pace.
But this was Julmiste's first real action, and he was cool under pressure. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder played most of the second half and completed 5-of-12 for 67 yards and a touchdown, and he had seven carries for 21 yards (including negative yards from a sack), helping USF to a win vital in keeping its bowl hopes alive.
"I was just trying to stay mistake-free," Julmiste said. "I'm a team player and I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the team win."
Julmiste's accelerated learning curve has allowed USF to turn its two-QB system (Banks and Fisher) into a triple option, so to speak. Playing in a run-oriented offense at Miramar High made Julmiste, who turned 20 in August, a bit of a project upon arriving at USF last fall. His progress has been swift.
"It's been tremendous. He's really developed mentally, that's the most important thing," Smith said. "They ran pretty much nothing but Wing-T at Pat's high school, so he had a huge obstacle to overcome. He's made great strides. We had to get him up to speed with what the college games entail and with what our offense entails, and he's been doing it."
Said Julmiste: "I had to mature earlier. I've had to adjust my mind-set to be ready to play."
He appears to have the tools to succeed.
"He's a pretty big and athletic kid, obviously," Smith said. "He's got a strong arm and he can run fairly well also, kind of a combination of Ronnie and (graduated four-year starter) Marquel (Blackwell). But he's still a raw, young kid."
While the offense changes drastically when the 5-7 Fisher enters, it varies little from Banks to Julmiste. They are about the same size and possess similar skills, primarily a strong right arm. Julmiste runs a little faster, Banks is more experienced, but otherwise there is not much difference, besides their voices.
Julmiste's parents originally are from Haiti, and his English has a slight accent.
"Sometimes," Smith said, laughing, when asked if he notices Julmiste's accent when he's calling signals.
USF is keeping the quarterback situation under wraps. Coach Jim Leavitt said all three have taken repetitions with the first team this week and that he might not choose a starter for Saturday's game at East Carolina until the coin toss.
Julmiste's athleticism shined through in high school. He played basketball and ran track and was recruited for football by Kansas State, Akron and N.C. State, among others. He said his top 40-yard time is 4.7, but that he has "game speed," meaning he is faster with the ball in his hands and tacklers in pursuit.
There could be more Julmistes on the way to Tampa. Brother Josh has committed to USF, where he could play defensive end.
By the time Josh Julmiste arrives, his brother could be a household name, a couple of years ahead of schedule. In fact, some considered Julmiste the second-best quarterback USF recruited in 2002, behind Evan Kraky. A chronic ankle problem sent Kraky home to Pennsylvania for surgery this fall (he's expected back in the spring). Julmiste, however, had established himself ahead of Kraky on the depth chart.
"Pat's always been an energetic kid. He's never backed down from anything," Smith said. "That sums him up. He's a joy to coach. He's always going full speed. Hopefully he continues to get better."
