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As impressive as football's upset win against Louisville was, no USF team has hit the Big East running as strongly as men's soccer, which is 5-0-0 in league play and making a case for a conference championship and more.
"They're working very hard for each other, and they've done all of this with a few guys injured," said coach George Kiefer, whose team's match Tuesday at Florida Atlantic was postponed due to inclement weather.
Kiefer pinpoints the turnaround in his young team as Sept. 16, when the Bulls were 1-3 and trailing Seton Hall 2-0 with five minutes to play. USF rallied to tie the game and won its Big East debut in overtime on a goal by midfielder Sammy Castellanos.
"How they won that game is how they've played ever since. They're playing their butts off to win," Kiefer said. "To pull that game off the way they did, it got them all believing."
Now the Bulls are 6-3, fresh off a 4-2 win Sunday over Villanova.
Kiefer is starting five freshmen, including phenom Jordan Seabrook, who is tied for the Big East lead with seven goals and was named conference rookie of the week after getting two goals and an assist against Villanova.
"If you look at the minutes that freshmen play in most programs, our freshmen are already sophomores," Kiefer said.
All this with five regulars injured, including senior Hunter West, the team's leading scorer the past three seasons. The Bulls, now ranked No. 23 in the Soccer America Top 25, should win their next two league matches, at a Syracuse team still winless in league play and at home against a DePaul team they have long dominated, and that would set up a huge match with No. 6 St. John's in Tampa on Oct. 15.
NEW FOOTBALL ADDITION: Another walk-on transfer will officially join the Bulls this week, and while he can't play this season, 5-foot-11 receiver Josh Smith of Lakeland has an intriguing background.
Smith was on scholarship last year at Boise State, catching seven passes for 72 yards for the Western Athletic Conference champion, and is even listed in the Broncos' 2005 media guide.
In 2002-03, he had two prolific seasons at Compton Community College in California, catching 72 passes for 1,380 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a senior at Lakeland, he had 50 receptions for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Smith has been a regular at Bulls practices the past month, working out on his own, but he was lining up with the receivers Tuesday. He'll take a physical today and is expected to join the team as a full-fledged member Thursday.
The Bulls will have a competitive group at receiver in 2006, with all 10 on the current roster returning. Smith is the third receiver sitting out this season as a transfer, joining Amp Hill (LSU) and Ean Randolph (Webber). Former Oregon star Ryan Gilliam, who transferred to USF this fall and got his first look at receiver, is now working as a cornerback.
CLIPPING, 10 YARDS: USF's first bye week in football will go quickly, and after coach Jim Leavitt said Monday he hoped it was a week when his staff could get haircuts, by Tuesday he was finding even that might have to wait.
"You think on an off week you have some time but I don't know where you have it," he said. "I went to get a haircut yesterday and there were people waiting. I couldn't wait. I just came right back. I don't know when I can get out to do it."
THIS AND THAT: The men's basketball team has added a walk-on in 5-foot-9 freshman guard Roodly Prophete. Prophete, who averaged 16 points and six assists as a senior at Coconut Creek High in North Lauderdale, will help the Bulls in practice, especially in preparation for teams with quick guards. He was a high school teammate of Bulls forward McHugh Mattis. ... What used to be Midnight Madness, the annual celebration of the first basketball practice, is now scheduled at a more family-friendly time, with Bulls Mania set for 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Sun Dome.
Greg Auman covers USF athletics. He can be reached at auman@sptimes.com Check out his "USF Bulletin" blog online at sptimes.com/blogs/usf.