2001 USF Bulls

A milestone for the South Florida football program came in dramatic fashion. The fourth round of the college draft opened with the New England Patriots taking offensive lineman Kenyatta Jones with the ninety-sixth overall selection. Jones, who went to Gainesville Eastside High School, became the first USF draft selection. Cleveland picked next and took defensive back Anthony Henry, who was the Bulls career leader with ten interceptions. Next up was Arizona, who drafted place kicker Bill Gramatica. Jim Leavitt called it "A great day for USF Football." He also talked about watching on television as three consecutive Bulls were selected. "I was sitting in my living room screaming, I was so excited."

On May 21, University President Judy Genshaft named Lee Roy Selmon the new Athletic Director at USF. "Lee Roy Selmon is the right person at the right time to take USF athletics to the next level," Genshaft said. "He'll take the ball and run with it." Selmon stated, "This is an exciting challenge."

The Bulls were now a full-fledged Division I-A independent. Jim Leavitt talked about USF's first "bowl eligible schedule," featuring eight I-A opponents. "We made a commitment to move this program forward in quick fashion and to play this schedule in just our fifth season ever shows we are serious about that commitment. We've upgraded the schedule each and every year, and clearly, this is another ambitious jump." The head coach also talked about the move to I-A. "We've established ourselves as a pretty strong I-AA team. To establish yourself as one of the I-A powers is a whole another world. I'm extremely conservative and cautious by nature, but I am really fired up over the future of this program."

On August 30, at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois, the season opened against Northern Illinois. The game marked USF's first August game, first Thursday night game and first Mid-American Conference opponent. Marquel Blackwell heaved a 56 yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew Rubin and the Bulls lead 7-0. Thomas Hammock had a big night for NIU with 177 yards rushing and his touchdown run evened the score after the first quarter. Blackwell (17 of 32 for 223 yards) again hit Rubin on the bomb, this time from 52 yards, and USF lead 14-7 at the half. Rubin finished the night with three receptions for 121 yards. Early in the second half, USF had a first and goal at the 3 yard line, but had to settle for a 21 yard Santiago Gramatica field goal and a 17-7 lead. The Bulls made some mistakes, including eleven penalties for 96 yards, and lost a fumble deep in their own territory to setup a Huskies touchdown. The game was tied when the horn sounded, however, a 42 yard field goal attempt by Steve Azar was in the air. The kick was good, NIU celebrated and USF suffered a painful 20-17 defeat. Blackwell talked after the game. "A loss is a loss, no matter how it comes. You don't want to lose, but we can't let this end our season."

South Florida was a twenty-two point underdog against their first Big East opponent at a brand new Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Twice, Marquel Blackwell and DeAndrew Rubin connected on scoring passes and the Bulls took a 14-0 first quarter lead. A 56 yard pass put the Panthers on the board in the half's final minute and it was 14-7 heading to the locker room. Two more Blackwell touchdown passes and the Bulls had stretched the lead to 28-7 late in third quarter. The Pittsburgh rally began with a 71 yard pass from David Priestley to R.J. English and the gap was narrowed to 28-14 after three quarters. On the first play of the fourth quarter Pitt scored again, but they missed the extra point. When Priestley (28 of 45 for 354 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT) and English (5 catches for 135 yards) hooked up again, the Bulls stopped the Panthers two point conversion and held a slim 28-26 advantage. Blackwell sneaked into the end zone from 1 yard out for the game's final score and USF had the upset victory 35-26. South Florida's no huddle, spread offense generated a team record tying 27 first downs on a record 97 plays. Blackwell passed for 343 yards and set team records for completions (37), attempts (65) and tied the record with four touchdown passes. He also passed Chad Barnhardt for the school career passing yards mark. Rubin had a team record eleven receptions (144 yards) and with eleven career touchdown catches passed Rj Anderson for that school record. Not that it was all offense. Pitt was held to 12 yards rushing, a USF record low. Junior tackle Greg Walls, from Sarasota Booker High School, recorded three of the team's seven sacks. Jim Leavitt was asked what he thought people across the country would think of his upstart program defeating a well established division I-A power on the road. "I hope they say 'There's a team rising out of the city of Tampa that's not bad.' You're not going to gain respect until you beat people."

AD Paul Griffin

Paul Griffin was athletic director at the University of South Florida for fifteen years (1986-2001), before being forced to resign after allegations that he tried to cover up complaints about racial discrimination within the women's basketball program. During he tenure, USF ascended from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA, earning 63 conference championships along the way. At least one USF team, and often more than one, participated in an NCAA championship each year under Griffin. He successfully spearheaded the school’s efforts to start a football program and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named him the 1999 Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year. Prior to coming to USF, Griffin was athletic director at Jacksonville University (1981-86). He was also the lacrosse coach at Roanoke (VA) College (1972-81) and served as the school’s athletic director for five years (1977-81). Since leaving USF, he has been athletic director at Arkansas State and senior associate athletic director at Georgia Tech. Griffin is a native of Baldwin, N.Y.

The home opener against Southern Utah was originally scheduled to be played four days after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11. That game, along with all NFL games and virtually every college game that weekend, was postponed. USF would now open with three road games, however, seven of the last eight would be at home, including the last six games. Jim Leavitt said of moving the Southern Utah game to an open date for each school five weeks later, "It's definitely the right decision to make."

The Liberty Bowl was the site for the first game against future Conference USA foe Memphis. In the game's first minute, the Tigers went 80 yards in three plays for a quick 7-0 lead. A Dante Brown touchdown run put the home team up 17-0 after the first quarter, then the Bulls defense stiffened. USF forced four second quarter turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown to close the gap to 17-6 at the half. The Bulls added a field goal on the opening possession of the second half, however, the offensive struggle for most of the night. Marquel Blackwell (25 of 61 for 276 yards) was intercepted three times and a lost fumble made it a total of four turnovers. Thirteen penalties for 93 yards certainly did not help. After the first quarter lapse, the defense played tough. Junior defensive end Chris Daley, from Brooksville Hernando High School, recorded 2 1/2 of the Bulls five sacks and Memphis was held to 49 yards in the second half. The game ended with the Bulls at the Memphis 2 yard line, as a Blackwell pass sailed incomplete as time expired. "We just made too many mistakes," Jim Leavitt said of the 17-9 defeat. "The fact that we were in there at the end was remarkable. I thought we would score, get the two-pointer and go into overtime."

The season's first home game was against Sun Belt Conference member North Texas. It was the first time South Florida hosted, and was favored over, a Division I-A team. Freshman running back Clenton Crossley, out of Bushnell South Sumter High School, ran for two scores against the Mean Green. Marquel Blackwell (15 of 24 for 206 yards with 1 INT) also ran for a TD, as the Bulls scored twice on fourth and goal. Quarterback Scott Hall (18 of 33 for 203 yards with 1 INT) did hook up with Ja'Mel Branch on a first quarter touchdown pass, however, the Bulls shut down North Texas after that. Jim Leavitt was pleased with the 28-10 victory. "The first time we had a I-A team come into Raymond James Stadium and we win. It's great."

The Bulls were never in the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. After the worst first quarter in USF history, Utah lead 21-0. Members of the Mountain West Conference, the Utes dominated that opening period. They had an 191 to 11 advantage in total yards, 11-0 in first downs and South Florida had the ball for just 1:58. The 31-0 score at half time equalled the USF record for most points allowed in a half. When it was over, the Bulls had allowed the most points in team history in a 52-21 defeat. The stars for the home team included Lance Rice (16 of 21 for 238 yards with and an INT), who threw for four touchdowns, Josh Lyman (7 catches for 117 yards) caught a pair of scoring passes, and Adam Tate (122 yards rushing) ran for two touchdowns. For USF, Huey Whittaker, a sophomore wide receiver from Springstead High School, had nine reception for 101 yards. Senior wide receiver Hugh Smith, out of Merritt Island High School, had five grabs for 106 yards. The blowout did allow quarterback Ronnie Banks (4 of 6 for 55 yards) to see his first college action. The red-shirt freshman from New Orleans also tossed his first career TD pass. Marquel Blackwell (28 of 55 for 281 yards with 2 TDs and an INT) was interviewed after the game. "I really don't have anything to say, other than we have to play a whole lot better than we did tonight."

Connecticut was the first of six straight home games to close out the schedule. A bad snap lead to the first safety against USF and an early 2-0 Huskies lead. The Bulls blocked a punt, Marquel Blackwell threw a touchdown pass and the score was 12-2. UConn cut the lead to 12-9, then USF dominated. Blackwell (23 of 35 for 277 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs) ran for three short touchdowns and the score was 40-9 after three quarters. The Bulls got to the quarterback five times and Chris Daley tied the team record with three sacks. The game featured plenty of flags. USF equaled the school record with seventeen penalties for a record 158 yards, while the Huskies were flagged twelve times for 121 yards. "I was disgusted with the way we played last week," Jim Leavitt admitted. "We were humiliated and embarrassed. You saw how our guys came out and responded." The head coach was not completely satisfied with the 40-21 victory. "We just had too many penalties. We got a ways to go."

A Marquel Blackwell interception gave Southern Utah a 3-0 lead, before the Bulls rolled over the Division I-AA Thunderbirds at Raymond James Stadium. USF had a 14-3 lead and a 162 to negative 5 advantage in total yards as the first period expired. Southern Utah's option offensive only generated 20 yards by half time and completed just five passes all night. Blackwell (37 of 46 for 295 yards) more than made up for the early pick by running for three short scores and throwing for three touchdowns. He went 13 for 13 in second half, which set the school record for consecutive completions, and tied the team record for completions in a game. South Florida finished with 429 total yards, compared to 133 for the visitors, and a team record 21 passing first downs. Wide receiver Huey Whittaker caught two TD passes, the first touchdowns of his career. It was the first time they scored 40 or more points in consecutive games. Jim Leavitt said after the 42-12 victory, "I thought we did some really good things."

The smallest crowd in school history, 21,056, watched South Florida get off to another slow start. Early in the second quarter, Liberty tied the game at 14- 14. The Bulls scored four touchdowns in less then eight minutes and it was 42- 14 at the half. It was the most points the team had scored in a first half and the 68-37 final was the most total points scored in a USF game. Marquel Blackwell (18 of 35 for 291 yards with an INT) tied the school record with four touchdown passes, Clenton Crossley scored three times and Chris Iskra (6 receptions for 143 yards) caught a pair of TD passes. While the Bulls defense recorded four sacks, and USF generated 580 total yards, the Flames ran up 468 total yards. The Bulls allowed a team record 31 first downs and Liberty ran 104 plays. Quarterback Biff Parson (30 of 46) threw for 321 yards with three touchdowns and two receivers, Daniel Jackson (15 catches for 165 yards) and Josh Stofle (15 receptions for 164 yards), broke the record for receiving yards against the Bulls. It was the fourth year in a row the Bulls had defeated Liberty.

A homecoming crowd of 32,711 was largest to watch South Florida football at Raymond James Stadium. The game against win-less Houston was also the first time the Bulls played host to a Conference USA team. The first score came on a 63 yard fumble recovery by safety J.R. Reed. The sophomore from Hillsborough High School also had a 44 yard fumble return in the third quarter, which gave him the two longest fumble returns in school history. Clenton Crossley ran for two scores and the Bulls built a 31-0 half time advantage. Vince Brewer ran for a touchdown, and caught a pass for another score, as the lead stretched to 38-0 after three quarters. Marquel Blackwell (24 of 37 for 284 yards) continued to impress. Not only did he establish new USF season records for passing yards and passing TDs, he had his first career reception on the option pass. Cougars QB Nick Eddy (14 of 34 for 139 yards) was harassed all night and the Bulls recorded five sacks. Houston was flagged fourteen times for 93 yards, while USF had ten penalties for 85 yards. The 45-6 final gave Houston a school record twelfth consecutive defeat and USF its first win over a future conference opponent. Jim Leavitt said, "It is a very big win for our program. To have a Conference USA team to come in here and win. It will be a part of history for us."

Western Illinois took a 7-6 lead after the first quarter in Tampa. Early in the second, quarterback Sam Clemons (17 of 39 for 207 yards with an INT) heaved a touchdown pass to Frisman Jackson (10 receptions for 130 yards) and the Leathernecks were ahead 14-6. By the time the teams headed to the locker room, USF was up 20-17. Marquel Blackwell (20 of 33 for 277 yards) threw a pair of scoring passes and Quinton Callum was the star of the game. The sophomore running back from Lake City Columbia High School tied the team record with four touchdowns in a game, scoring three times on 1 yard runs and another time on a pass reception. South Florida would dominate the second half. Not only did they out score WIU 27-0, but USF out gained them 262 to 43 in total yards after the break. The Bulls finished with an 509 to 276 advantage in total yards. The USF defense recorded five sacks in a 48-17 victory. It was the fifth straight game the Bulls had scored 40 or more points. J.R. Reed talked of the Bulls slow start. "I don't know what it is. When we play I-AA teams, we don't come to play."

The Aggies of Utah State, a Division I-A Independent, held a 7-0 lead after the first half at RJS. In the third quarter, the Bulls blocked a punt and the game was tied. QB Jose Fuentes (24 of 44 for 333 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs) heaved a 49 yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Curtis and Utah State was back in front. Curtis finished the night with eleven catches and his 221 receiving yards were a record against USF. South Florida forced five turnovers and a fumble return evened the score at 13-13 after three quarters. Shurron Pierson recorded three of the Bulls five sacks and the sophomore defensive end from Weston High School also recovered a fumble. USF scored three unanswered fourth quarter touchdowns, including a team record 91 yard punt return by DeAndrew Rubin, to put the game away. There were plenty of flags, as USF was penalized thirteen times for 111 yards and Utah State fifteen times for 110 yards. Marquel Blackwell went 14 of 33 for 129 yards with an interception, as the Bulls matched the team record with six straight wins. Jim Leavitt said after the 34-13 victory, "Hey we're bowl eligible. How about that for a headline? There are probably four teams going to bowls that we played this year and we beat two that are going to bowls."

For a young team, which would lose only eight seniors, South Florida posted a surprising 8-3 record in its first season at the Division I-A level. The record matched the best in team history. For the second year in a row, the Bulls went undefeated at home and they posted a school record 7-0 mark at Raymond James Stadium. A thirteen game home winning streak was the fourth longest in the nation.

Marquel Blackwell rewrote the record book setting new passing records in almost every category. He set new marks for completions (258), attempts (456), passing yards (2,882), touchdown passes (20) and interceptions (11). His nine rushing touchdowns also equaled the team record. Huey Whittaker broke the school record for receptions (52) and passing yards (548). Clenton Crossley was the team's lead rushing, but his 380 yards were a record low for a leading rusher. Santiago Gramatica had a tough freshman season converting 44 of 52 extra points and making just 3 of 11 field goals for a total of 53 points. Blackwell and Crossley ended up leading the team in scoring with 54 points, which was a new low for a leading scorer. Defensively, Kawika Mitchell established a new team record with 106 tackles. Shurron Pierson broke the sack record with ten sacks and Chris Daley was close behind with 9.5 sacks. J.R. Reed had five interceptions to tie the team record.

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