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The run has to be stopped

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 7, 2001

Stopping the run is Football Defense 101. In fact, it's the first thing on the syllabus and an unremitting topic throughout the semester.

Last week, in its 20-17 loss at Northern Illinois, South Florida allowed 200 yards on the ground, including crucial yardage at critical junctures.

Consequently, it wasn't hard to figure out what was No. 1 on coach Jim Leavitt's priority list this week.

"If the team gets 200 yards running on you, you're probably not going to win, and it's that simple," Leavitt said. "They created field position because of it and got into position to kick the (winning, final play) field goal.

"We've got to do better."

The Bulls will receive a boost Saturday from senior Tchecoy Blount, who has started 17 games in his career but was academically ineligible last week.

Blount will rotate at defensive tackle with redshirt freshman Matt Groelinger. Juniors Greg Walls and Tavares Jurineack, who both played extensively last week, will rotate at nose tackle with redshirt freshman Howard Campbell.

USF defensive end Emerson Morris said to expect Pittsburgh, which scored 31 points last week with a good run-pass balance, to initially attack the Bulls on the ground.

"They're going to see what we did last week and come right at us running the ball," Morris said. "That's our challenge. They will try to use the run to set up the pass. We've got to be ready for it."

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES: Freshman wide receiver Brian Fisher, who quarterbacked Pensacola Pine Forest to the Class 5A title last fall, has adapted to his new position so quickly he has supplanted senior Hugh Smith as a starter.

Smith, who dropped a couple of passes last week, has fallen far: He is not listed on the two-deep. Then again, the depth chart lists just two wide receivers in the starting lineup despite routinely using three and four receivers. DeAndrew Rubin and Chris Iskra are listed as starters.

In the secondary, senior Bernard Brown has been elevated to the first team ahead of sophomore Ron Hemingway, who hurt his chances of holding off Brown by dropping a sure interception last week.

MR. HONEST: Senior guard Jimmy Fitts admitted what most knew: He was the one called for holding late in the NIU game, effectively forcing USF to punt from deep in its territory and setting up NIU's winning field goal.

Even more impressive, Fitts admitted it was a good call.

"I just slipped on the block. I was falling down, and the reaction, I just held on," Fitts said. "It was definitely a fair call, I held."

TOUGH LUCK: Injuries are a bummer no matter what the circumstances, but star Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Bryant's sprained ankle, which might keep him out of Saturday's game, was particularly aggravating.

Bryant was injured in the first quarter of the first game of the season during his 78-yard punt return that was called back because of a penalty. Ouch.

FAST START: The men's soccer team is 2-0 after 1-0 wins over Lafayette and Florida International. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins was named the C-USA player of the week for the back-to-back shutouts. In 18 starts last season, Perkins didn't record a shutout.

Next up for USF, ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA south region, are matches tonight against North Carolina State (at Duke) and Saturday at Duke, which is No. 8 in the south region.

- Pete Young covers USF sports. He can be reached at (727) 893-8129 or via e-mail at

young@sptimes.com.

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