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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 7, 2001
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah's 21-0 blitz set a South Florida record for most points allowed in the first quarter. Middle Tennessee State last season and Memphis this season shared the previous record with 17. The score might have been 28-0 were it not for an interception by USF safety Joe Morgan deep in Bulls territory.
Utah's first-quarter domination was thorough. USF was outgained 191-11, and Utah had an 11-0 advantage in first downs. And the Utes had a 13:02 to 1:58 time-of-possession edge. They completed 7 of 8 passes for 102 yards and had 18 rushes for 89 yards. The Bulls ran just six plays.
Utah's 31 first-half points equaled the record allowed by USF, set last season by Middle Tennessee State in a 45-9 defeat.
BACK IN THE PICTURE: Sophomore running back Vince Brewer, who started the first two games and was USF's leading rusher, returned. Brewer missed the Sept. 22 game at Memphis with a shoulder injury and did not play (coach's decision) last week against North Texas.
Brewer was inserted Saturday in the second quarter in place of starter Clenton Crossley, who was making his first career start. Senior Derrick Rackard, who started last week, did not make the trip due to an ankle injury.
BAD TOE: USF receiver DeAndrew Rubin continues to be slowed by turf toe. Rubin injured his right big toe in the 35-26 win Sept. 8 at Pittsburgh, in which he had 10 receptions for 144 yards, and has played sparingly in the three games since. He did not enter Saturday's game until the middle of the second quarter.
BIONIC LEG: Redshirt freshman kicker Justin Geisler, who handles kickoffs for USF, had some impressive field goals in warmups, repeatedly hitting 50-plus-yard kicks through the thin air at Rice-Eccles Stadium (4,500-foot elevation).
Geisler nailed a 59-yarder, and his final kick, from 50 yards, cleared the crossbar with at least 12 yards to spare.
UTAH LINGO: Around the state, the three Division I-A football schools, Utah, BYU and Utah State, are referred to as The U, The Y and USU, respectively. This season, the Bulls are an honorary state school as they play two of the three (Utah and Utah State), plus Division I-AA Southern Utah.
FINALLY: USF sophomore wide receiver Elgin Hicks suited up for his first collegiate game. Hicks, a transfer from Florida, wore No. 22 for the Bulls. After redshirting in 1999 at Florida and sitting out last season after transferring to USF, Hicks became academically ineligible this summer. He regained his eligibility this week.
OUT OF THE WOODWORK: USF sophomore tight end Tommy Hunter is a Mormon, and he requested a team-record 53 tickets to the game.
SHORT START: Sophomore Kenny Robinson made his second career start in place of cornerback Maurice Tucker. Tucker had an equipment problem after covering the opening kickoff, and Robinson raced onto the field to replace him for the first play.
TRICKERY: The biggest play of Utah's opening touchdown drive was a 26-yard completion from wide receiver Dennis Smith to tight end Matt Hansen.
Smith caught a lateral pass in the flat from quarterback Lance Rice, and passed to an open Hansen to the 19.