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MEMPHIS - South Florida coach Jim Leavitt was campaigning for a bowl bid after USF's 21-16 upset Saturday.
"We're hoping that by some miracle we can get into a bowl game," Leavitt said. "If they can petition to get us out last year then why can't they petition to get us in this year?"
Leavitt said athletic director Lee Roy Selmon will appeal to the NCAA to have one of USF's wins over a I-AA school count toward its overall total. Nicholls State and Charleston Southern don't meet scholarship requirements to count toward the six-win minimum for bowl eligibility. USF is 7-4 and did not schedule a 12th game. The Bulls were dropped by I-A opponents Baylor and Eastern Michigan in February.
USF was 9-2 last season but with no conference affiliation was leveraged out of a bowl bid. The Bulls finished tied for third in Conference USA this season at 5-3.
"I know we would bring a lot of people (to a bowl). We'd probably bring (30,000) if we could ever go anywhere," Leavitt said. "We're going to be denied because Nicholls State has three scholarships less? Is that a reason to keep South Florida out of a bowl? If it is, it's wrong.
"We finished third in this conference. Who are the other two teams that tied with us? Memphis and Louisville. We beat 'em both. It's wrong. It's just wrong. That'd be two years in a row we've been slighted, and it's just wrong. These guys deserve it."
UNOFFICIALLY, NO: Maurice Jones had nine tackles unofficially, which would leave him one shy of equaling the USF season record of 117 set by Kawika Mitchell last season. Official statistics are provided by USF after reviewing a tape of the game.
MR. TOUGH: USF receiver/punt returner Brian Fisher played with broken ribs sustained Nov. 22 vs. UAB. Fisher, who also sprained an ankle Saturday, said he injured the ribs Oct.4 vs. Louisville, then reaggravated the injury Nov. 22.
OUT, AND IN: With Memphis star running back/kick returner DeAngelo Williams out with a knee injury, safety/linebacker Derrick Ballard returned kicks. LSU transfer Derron Parquet replaced Williams in the backfield and piled up the yards (26 carries for 164) but lost two fumbles.
THISCLOSE: USF defensive tackle Craig Kobel sacked quarterback Danny Wimprine in the first quarter to give him 18 tackles for loss, one shy of Mitchell's school record set last season.
GREAT FINISH: USF receiver Chris Iskra capped an aggravating senior season in style. Iskra had 81 catches for 1,047 yards coming into 2003, but because of injuries had only one catch this fall. Late Saturday he hauled in a 58-yard pass from Pat Julmiste to help preserve the win.
BRRRR!: The temperature was 46 degrees at kickoff, the coldest in USF history, surpassing the 48 at Connecticut Oct.28, 2000.
THE J.R. REED SHOW: In addition to his three interceptions and fumble return TD, J.R. Reed's 96-yard kickoff return for a TD was the third in school history and first not against Charleston Southern. Reed had 32.2 yards a return this season (18 for 580 yards), breaking Hugh Smith's mark of 29.2 from last season.