Colleges

Grothe outshines impressive RB

Freshman Mike Ford plays well, but it's the sophomore quarterback who gets a key TD.

By GREG AUMAN
Published April 15, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Joseph Garnett Jr.] Trae Williams pulls down an interception near the goal line in the second quarter of USF's spring game.

TAMPA - Mike Ford made a strong first impression on Bulls fans, but Matt Grothe got the last laugh. This fall, they'll be working together.

Grothe scrambled for a 3-yard score with 1:02 to play, rallying the White squad to a 7-6 win over Ford's Green team in USF's spring game Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.

"Everybody talks about Grothe being banged up. He didn't look all that banged up tonight," coach Jim Leavitt said of his sophomore quarterback, who did not take live contact as he recovers from a hairline fracture in his lower right leg he suffered in USF's win at the Papajohns.com Bowl in December. "He would have gotten away from a lot of those whistles."

A whistle provided the margin of victory. Mike Benzer's first extra point attempt was blocked by the Green's Jerome Murphy, but officials gave Benzer another shot - because rushing kicks was off limits - and he made good on the second chance.

The game drew 4,310 fans, about 400 more than last year and, Leavitt said, the most ever for a Bulls spring game.

Grothe's score spoiled a promising debut for Ford, a freshman running back from Sarasota. After more than three scoreless quarters, Ford broke loose for a 26-yard run, then scored on a 4-yard run, leading the Green team to a 6-0 lead with 14:30 to play.

"Mike Ford did some good things. He looks like he's a big, strong back, and Aston Samuels 58 yards can fly," Leavitt said.

Ford, playing his first football in a year and a half, had one carry and one catch in the first three quarters, then took over on one fourth-quarter drive. He rushed for two first downs, then went 26 yards down the left side, lowering his shoulder and knocking defensive back Louis Gachette backward as he went out of bounds. On the next play, he rushed to his right for the game's first score, giving him 51 yards on the drive.

"I've got it back, so everything's going pretty good," Ford said. "The offensive line, we worked as a team. I did my thing, and they did theirs. We worked like we'd already been playing together."

Before Ford's run, neither team could crack the scoreboard - or the red zone, for that matter. The closest the Bulls could come were four long field goal attempts, with Benzer and Ilia Petrov each missing two. USF's starting long-snapper and kicker missed the game with ankle injuries.

Grothe was 18-of-34 for 179 yards, and junior Grant Gregory, his top backup for the fall, went 14-of-26 for 154 yards with two interceptions.

The one negative: Junior Matt Huners of Palm Harbor had to be helped off the field after injuring his leg. Huners, the team's starting left guard, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, but he has more than four months before the season opener against Elon on Sept. 1.

RECRUITING: USF picked up its first commitment for 2008 on Saturday, getting a pledge from Jeff Hawkins, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end from Ocala Vanguard.

Times staff writer Greg Auman can be reached at (813) 226-3346 or at auman@sptimes.com.

[Last modified April 15, 2007, 00:52:17]