South Florida recovers pride in record performance
USF 21, MEMPHIS 16: A week after their bowl hopes likely were dashed, the Bulls force a record seven turnovers.
By PETE YOUNG
Published November 30, 2003
[Times photo: Stefanie Boyar]
USF's J.R. Reed, right, high fives Ron Hemingway after Reed intercepted a second-quarter pass.
MEMPHIS - Stripped a week ago of the overwhelming motivating force behind every workout, every practice and every play for the past year - the possibility of earning a bowl berth - South Florida mined a deeper source of inspiration on Saturday.
Pride.
USF might not go to a bowl game, but playing bowl-bound, scorching-hot Memphis on Saturday in the chilly Liberty Bowl, the Bulls summoned a record-setting defensive effort to defeat the Tigers 21-16 in front of 47,875 in the season finale.
"Everybody thought we were dead," coach Jim Leavitt said. "The last loss to UAB (22-19 a week ago) was the hardest loss. It destroyed me and our team.
"We had a nice talk last night. Some people stood up. We said this was about character. We said this was a character game. We said it was bigger than a bowl game, bigger than a championship.
"It was about the character of our program and what South Florida has been built on these last eight years."
USF forced a school-record seven turnovers to halt Memphis' five-game win streak, three on interceptions by J.R. Reed.
The senior safety from Hillsborough High had a career-capping dream performance: a kickoff return touchdown, fumble return touchdown and his school-record 16th, 17th and 18th interceptions.
Reed's father, Herbert Lee Reed Sr., lives in Memphis and was watching his son play live for the first time.
"J.R. said before the game, "I'm going to finish with 18 (interceptions)," said Reed's mother, Dottie, before posing for pictures after the game with J.R. and his father. "This was an incredible day."
Said Leavitt: "J.R.'s the best safety I've ever been around. Phenomenal. He's a phenomenal football player."
Last week's loss to UAB on a field goal in the final seconds meant USF (7-4, 5-3) would not have the minimum six Division I-A wins to be bowl eligible.
The Bulls rallied emotionally during the week.
"I gave a speech (Friday) night. I said everybody on our team is a fighter. And we proved it," senior linebacker Maurice Jones said. "Our defense was all over the place. Me, J.R., Kevin (Verpaele), we decided to go out with a bang.
"At the start of the season I said I had the best two safeties in the nation behind me, and J.R. proved it today."
Trailing 7-0 at halftime and with the offense stuck in neutral - the Bulls gained just 192 yards and eight first downs total - Reed took the second-half kickoff 96 yards to tie the score.
Memphis (8-4, 5-3) kicked a field goal, then Reed put USF up 14-10 with a 45-yard fumble return after Stephen Nicholas stripped Derron Parquet (26 carries, 164 yards).
Reed's second interception led to the next USF score and a 21-10 lead. DeJuan Green scored on an option pitch from Pat Julmiste on the first play of the fourth quarter.
"We stuck together. We knew this was our last go-round," said Verpaele, who graduates in December and begins teaching at Cocoa High on Jan.6. "I knew J.R. would get into the end zone, but I couldn't have forecasted seven turnovers.
"We talked about character. Character is what you do when no one's watching. I think we've got good character. Today we showed character and pride."
A USF turnover a few minutes later gave Memphis the ball at the USF 17, but that merely set up more Reed heroics.
His leaping interception in the back of the end zone saved a possible touchdown.
The Tigers trimmed it to 21-16 on a Wimprine-to-Ryan Scott pass with 4:26 to go, but Memphis never threatened after that despite a late fumble by USF.
Helping preserve the win was a 58-yard pass from Julmiste to Chris Iskra. It was only the second catch of an injury-marred season for Iskra, who had 81 receptions his first three years.
"How about that," Leavitt said. "That's the catch of a lifetime."
Julmiste (8-of-17, 167 yards) made his second career start and took every snap. Leavitt said Ronnie Banks (sore back) and Brian Fisher (broken ribs) were not able to throw the ball.
Memphis, which had won its past five games by an average score of 37-14, played without injured stars DeAngelo Williams and Maurice Avery.
The Tigers gained 237 yards of their 458 yards in the first half but were held to one score, a 36-yard pass from Wimprine to Darron White.
