As disappointment piles up, Grothe learns tough lessons
The USF quarterback is trying to cope with a rough stretch.
By GARY SHELTON
Published November 7, 2007
TAMPA - This is where the lessons are learned.
As it turns out, some of them are more difficult than others.
On a perfect Tuesday afternoon in an imperfect season, Matt Grothe walked slowly across the University of South Florida campus. As he paused to avoid a passing car, Grothe looked like just another student with loud hair and a quiet voice on his way to class.
Some students carry a heavier course load than others, however.
And in the case of Grothe, there is suddenly a lot to study.
The world has changed, quickly and cruelly. When a team and its quarterback rise so far and fall so fast, even the dreamers will swear they had doubts all along. Success turns into disappointment and celebrity has turned into second-guessing. Even for a college sophomore, it can be a lot to absorb.
"It's different," Grothe said. "Not the people who are in my face, but other people. Sometimes, I go on the Internet to see what people are saying about me and about the team. The last three weeks, people are trashing the team, and they're trashing me."
Grothe shakes his head.
"And these are supposed to be USF fans."
Such is the way of the world. A man falls down a mountain, and there are those who cannot wait to tell him he shouldn't have been up that high to begin with. A football team follows six straight wins with three straight losses, and there are fans who will insist they were never fooled by the good times.
They are much alike, the quarterback and the program for which he plays. Both are young, both are competitive, both became better faster than anyone would have expected. Also, both are tasting real disappointment for the first time.
Oh, there have been bad days before, defeats that left coaches angry and players disappointed. But the Bulls never had anything at stake before, and without expectations, there is only so much anguish to be mustered.
This was different. This time, fans dared to debate national rankings and Big East championships and Heisman Trophies. This time, something precious was lost along with three games. Innocence, perhaps.
Along the way, Grothe has had his struggles. Against Cincinnati, he had four interceptions and a fumble, and despite all of his yardage (382 yards passing, 457 yards total offense), he was not as sharp as he was early in the season.
Consider this: In Grothe's first three games this year, he had four touchdowns and zero interceptions. In his middle three games, he had three touchdowns and three interceptions. In his last three games, he has four touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Perhaps it is to be expected. Every game, Grothe seems to throw more, and every game, he seems to run more. Wouldn't you expect the opponents to focus on him? Wouldn't you expect the message boards?
"I get upset at myself a little sometimes," Grothe said. "Some people say, 'Well, a lot is on his shoulders, so he's going to make more mistakes.' But I don't need to make mistakes. I feel like I'm out there for a reason, and I shouldn't be making mistakes."
If you are fair about it, you should notice how much - too much is asked of Grothe. The running game has not developed. The receivers drop a lot of balls. The play-calling can make you scratch your head.
But, yes, Grothe needs to be better, too. For instance: Do you remember that second-quarter interception he threw in the end zone? He seemed to miss his receiver by a hash mark.
"It was just a bad ball," Grothe said. "A bad read."
Over the last three weeks, the losses have left Grothe speechless. He has shown up for only one postgame news conference, that after being prodded by his coaches.
"I just didn't have anything to say," Grothe said. "We needed to play better, and I needed to play better. I thought that was obvious."
There are lessons here. In adversity, there always are. When a team asks a player to throw it 51 times and run in another 22, it needs something else on the menu. The Bulls have to develop a running game that makes defenses adjust. It has to get better receivers.
Also, it has to remember how sweet things were there for a while when USF was rated second in the country.
"That shows us that good things are possible," Grothe said. "And it shows us that they can disappear just like that."
You can say that about the Bulls.
Also you can say it about the player who makes them go.