Sounding Off

Riverview controversy not new to Manatee County

2012-02-13T06:50:00.001-08:00

The FHSAA ruling that Sarasota Riverview had to forfeit games because of improprieties involving former Bradenton Christian player Austin Walker brings back memories of Haminn Quaintance.

Known as “Q” he was one of the best basketball players Ken Ansbro coached during his 21 years with the Palmetto High basketball program (last 7 as head coach).

Quaintance transferred to Riverview for his senior year amid a lot of controversy. He had a solid career at Kent State and played professionally overseas.

Ansbro has never forgotten the day prior to his senior year when out of the clear blue sky Haminn came up and told him he was leaving.

“He was one of the best players I ever coached. To this day, I don’t know why he left. He just came up to me one day before his senior year and said he was going to Riverview. I gave up trying to figure those things out,” Ansbro said.

Preferred walk-on QB situation at USF gets crowded for Palmetto's Miller

2012-02-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

Palmetto quarterback Trent Miller is going to get additional competition at USF as the walk-on quarterback situation for the Bulls just got a little more crowded.

Tampa Jesuit quarterback Tommy Eveld, brother of USF QB Bobby Eveld, recently announced he accepted an offer to be a preferred walk-on for the Bulls.

The success rate of preferred walk-ons anywhere is a long shot, but you never know. Bobby Eveld walked on at USF and received a scholarship fairly quickly after getting a chance to play when Bulls starting quarterback B.J. Daniels went down with an injury.

One thing about being a walk-on is that you never know where the road will take you. Englewood Lemon Bay quarterback Matt Piloto (see photo) walked on at USF under former head coach Jim Leavitt.

It didn't work out at USF for Piloto, but he got his chance because of an injury and last season the junior started for Division III national power Mount Union, leading the Purple Raiders to a 14-1 season with their only loss coming in the NCAA Division III national title game.

Piloto threw for 2,245 yards and 21 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

You don't have to look too far for walk-on quarterbacks who had great careers such as Kerwin Bell at Florida who threw 56 TD passes and was named SEC Player of The Year in 1984.

Did you know Aaron Rodgers turned down an offer to be a walk-on at Illinois and instead went to a junior college. His career has turned out pretty good for the Green Bay Packers.

Could this be the best Super Bowl memory?

2012-02-09T14:41:00.001-08:00

Here is my choice for the best line to come out of the Super Bowl; courtesy of USA Today bloggers Tom Weir and Reid Cherner.

In their Wednesday column here is what they had to say about the Material Girl aka Madonna.

"The Material Girl should be glad that when she made her Cleopatra style entrance on a throne that she wasn't being carried by the Patriots receivers"

Maybe they could've just said Madonna was fortunate she wasn't carried by Pats receiver Wes Welker. But he had a tough enough week for dropping that fourth quarter pass that probably would've locked up a victory for New England.

Reports surfaced all over that he received tons of butterfingers candy bars; put those next to that comment by quarterback Tom Brady's wife regarding his receivers and you have to feel sorry for Welker.

Lot more than district title at stake for Braden River

2012-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

There is a lot at stake for the Braden River boys basketball team this Friday night when it plays Venice for the Class 7A-District 11 championship.

In fact you might say there is more on the line than just a second straight district title for the Pirates, though that means a lot. But this veteran team has higher goals and a win over Venice would certainly help in many ways.

This game is to clear a much easier path to the Region 3 final and eventual trip to the state final four.

The two top teams in this region appear to be Braden River (22-4) and Stuart Martin County (22-3).

If Braden River beats Venice and gets by its first round region opponent it would be home for the region semifinal most likely against Stuart Martin County, which finished 10-0 in its district.

If the Pirates lose to Venice and go into the regions as district tournament runner-up they would likely have to go to Stuart Martin County for their region quarterfinal game and that is something they want to avoid at all costs.

Here is a little bonus. The District 12 championship game is Saturday night so if the Pirates beat Venice, Braden River head coach Matt Nesser and his staff will be able to scout that game.

The other top teams in Class 7A-Region 3 appear to be Wiregrass (17-9), Tampa Chamberlain (13-7), St. Petersburg (16-9) and Clearwater (18-10).

Cobb makes Lakewood Ranch Cinderella team

2012-02-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

The Lakewood Ranch boys basketball squad is the area's Cinderella team as we head into the district finals Friday night.

The Mustangs pulled off the upset of the year when it knocked off top seed Seminole Osceola on the road Wednesday night.

But was it really an upset?

The key for the Mustangs has been the return of double-double man, 6-6 senior Brian Cobb, who missed 22 games this season because of a torn ACL. He averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds last season.

Cobb says he is only at 70 percent, but 70 percent of Cobb is better than 100 percent of most players. He has also injected confidence in his teammates and gotten them better shots now that defense have to concentrate on him.

In two post season games, Cobb has 31 points and 25 rebounds. the Mustangs are at Palmetto Friday night in district championship game. The Tigers will be favorites, but if you include the Cobb factor have to like Mustangs chances.

Dick Vitale All-Access Special airs tonight on ESPNU

2012-02-08T07:58:00.001-08:00

The Dick Vitale All-Access show will air tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPNU prior to the Duke-North Carolina he will call for the 40^th time in this storied rivalry.

The sports network is calling the half-hour piece a “never-before-seen-look” at Vitale, one of the most recognizable voices in sports television and Lakewood Ranch resident.

ESPN cameras followed the basketball icon around the past two months and filmed Vitale at some of his favorite spots, including the Broken Egg restaurant in Lakewood Ranch.

They also videoed him playing with his grandchildren in his Lakewood Ranch home and moving around the area going from Sarasota to Lakewood Ranch as many onlookers treated him like a national hero.

Cameras also followed Vitale for a typical college basketball work week, which included NC State and North Carolina game on January 26^th and two days later as he announced the St. John’s at Duke game with Brent Musburger.

When he is not hanging with family and or calling games, Dickie V sets up his self made office at the Broken Egg in Lakewood Ranch where he works to raise money for the Jimmy V Foundation in his fight against pediatric cancer.

The All-Access Dickie V will also re-air next Wednesday at 5 pm and 6:30 and at other to be determined times.

Woodie piling up awards as one of nation's top recruiters

2012-02-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

When you are hot you are hot.

That's the best way to describe Ray Woodie, the former Palmetto High and Bayshore head football coach who is piling up honors as an elite recruiter at Western Kentucky.

After getting named the top recruiter in the Sun Belt Conference by ESPN and Scout.com/Fox Sports the Palmetto native was cited by Rivals.Com as one of the top 10 recruiters from the non BCS schools.

Woodie has no fear and is "stealing" kids that coaches from the BCS schools probably thought belonged to them. But no more, Woodie and WKU Willie Taggart are reeling in some of the top talent in the country and it doesn't appear things will slow down.

These two guys are revolutionizing the way recruiting is done. They pitch honesty and success and refuse to take a back seat to anyone.

Braden River 5th in FABC rankings but won't mean much if don't win tonight

2012-02-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

On the eve of its biggest game of the season, the Braden River High boys basketball moved up to the fifth in the latest Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) Class 7A ranking

The Pirates (20-4) were seventh in the previous poll. But all of that won't mean much if they don't beat Punta Gorda Charlotte (16-110 tonight in a class 7A-District 11 semifinal round game.

Braden River defeated Charlotte both times they met during the regular season, earning a 42-41 victory on the road and then winning handily at home 60-40.

The game is at Braden River where the Pirates are 9-1 this season. It bodes well for this young program that is gunning for its second straight district championship, but head coach Matt Nesser is taking nothing for granted.

"Defense is the key. We are a blue collar team and have to play good defense if we are going to win," he said.

Brad Christian gets top seed after Mooney slammed for violations

2012-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Cardinal Mooney boys basketball team will be missing its star player and a whole lot of victories when the Class 3A-District 10 boys basketball tournament gets underway on Tuesday.

Michael Colby, FHSAA Director of Compliance, said Mooney used players that were deemed ineligible because they violated recruiting rules.

One of those players is freshman phenom Antonio Blakeney, the Cougars leading scorer and best player. Also declared ineligible was freshman Justin Najmy and some players off the Mooney JV team. The team has to forfeit all the games those two played in, the FHSAA said.

Blakeney attended Booker Middle School where he was a prolific scorer and led the team to the Sarasota County Middle School championship.

Colby said the players played on a club team that was coached by a person connected with the Cardinal Mooney basketball program and then followed him to the school, which is considered recruiting.

Colby said his organization received an anonymous tip about a possible violation of FHSAA rules and asked school officials at Cardinal Mooney to look into it.

"They found improprieties and then self reported it and took action," Colby said. "If a player is on a travel ball, club team or AAU team and then follows that coach to the school where the coach has contact with it's a violation of our rules and is considered recruiting. They are ineligible for the rest of the season, but can play next year."

Colby said the players have until Thursday to file an appeal, but the hearing would not be held until March when the season would be over. Cardinal Mooney Athletic Director Bill Donivan would not respond to any questions.

The ruling means Bradenton Christian becomes the top seed in the the three team district tournament, which is being held at Cardinal Mooney.

Out-Of-Door-Academy plays Cardinal Mooney on Tuesday and the winner faces Bradenton Christian Friday night in the district championship game.

Brian Poole makes history with 4 year scholarship deal

2012-02-02T09:38:00.001-08:00

Brian Poole made history in more ways than one when he signed a letter-of-intent to play football for the University of Florida.

The Southeast High defensive back received a four year scholarship and is believed to be the first athlete from Manatee County to sign a four year athletic scholarship.

NCAA athletic scholarships have always been for one year subject to renewal each year. Last October the NCAA passed a rule that allows four year athletic scholarships, leaving up to each conference and each individual school to offer four year scholarship packages.

The Southeastern Conference agreed and Florida offered all its 2012 football recruits four year scholarships. Southeast High head football coach and athletic director Paul Maechtle confirmed that Poole’s scholarship is for four years.

In his signing day press conference, Florida head coach Will Muschamp confirmed that all 23 players he signed for his top five recruiting class were given four year scholarships.

Muschamp was philosophical above the four year deal noting most college football programs renew scholarships anyway. But it has become an issue with some schools saying they prefer the one year renewals.

Ramogi Human, president of the National College Players Association, says every year he gets numerous complaints from athletes whose scholarships were not renewed, He says many thought their scholarships were for four years.

It was reported that Ohio State offered its football recruits four year deals as did most schools in the Big 10 and the SEC. Not all coaches support the four year deal. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier has publicly said he doesn’t like it because he believes players should have to earn their scholarship each year through the renewal process.

Schiano's first hire could be Butch Davis

2012-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

It appears Greg Schiano's first major move as Tampa Bay Bucs head football coach will be to hire long time friend Butch Davis as his assistant head coach and possibly defensive coordinator.

Davis has a good amount of NFL experience though he hasn't coached in the league since he left the Cleveland Browns in 2004.

Schiano was Davis' defensive coordinator at the University of Miami in 1999 and 2000. Davis was the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 1993 when they won the Super Bowl under Jimmy Johnson.

Davis was the Cleveland Browns head coach from 2001 through 2004 and his best team went 9-7. Prior to that he was head coach at the University of Miami where he was credited with helping the program get rid of its "bad boy" image while still keeping it competitive under tough circumstances with a lot of NCAA penatlies.

He was the head coach at North Carolina from 2007 through 2010 and turned the Tar Heels into contender. But he had to forfeit 16 victories after the NCAA ruled some of his players had taken inappropriate benefits and the school fired him prior to the 2011 season.

Harder says Pinellas County schools ganged up against his 'Noles

2012-01-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

If the Southeast High girls’ basketball team is going to capture its 13^th straight district champion, the Seminoles will have to do it on the road and long head coach John Harder says that is wrong.

Harder sees the scenario as a product of home cooking and an example of poor sportsmanship and selfishness.

By virtue of being seeded number one, Southeast should be home for the Class 5A-District 12 title game assuming it wins its semifinal match, he says.

The problem Harder says is that four of the six teams in the district are from Pinellas County and they took care of their own, not considering Southeast and Bayshore.

The one good thing about getting the first seed if Southeast reaches the final it will likely have to beat the winner of the St. Petersburg Lakewood-Gulfport Boca Ciega game rather than have to face each other.

Realistically these are the only three teams with a chance to win the district championship. Southeast beat Lakewood at home and lost in overtime on the road at Boca Ciega on a controversial call at the end. They all finished 4-1 in the district and Southeast got the top seed because it had the best overall record (21-4).

Southeast has exceeded expectations because its core group of three sophomores is playing like seniors. It is sparked by forward Deangela Mathis, who leads the Seminoles in scoring (19.1 ppg), is second in rebounding (5.2 RPG) and shooting 59 percent from the field.

Keshawna Robinson continues to be a force on the boards. The 5-10 sophomore tops the Noles on the boards (10.4 rpg) and is third in scoring (11 ppg).

A big plus and somewhat of a surprise with her scoring has been 5-6 guard Bevin Mays, a defensive ace who is averaging 13.3 points and leads Southeast with 79 assists.

Lakewood, the defending 4A state champion, is expected to be without its top player, six-foot junior Tianah Alvarado, who is out with a knee injury. She averaged 30 points per game last year and was selected 4A state tournament MVP.

Take a look at Tommy Bernhardt's impossible shot that stunned Southeast

2012-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

Braden River senior Tommy Bernhardt has carved out a reputation this season for making big shots . But none might have been more dramatic than the three-quarter court shot he nailed against Southeast this season as the halftime buzzer sounded. You be the judge, but this is the longest shot made this season around these parts.

ESPN comes to Bradenton to film Dick Vitale special

2012-01-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

ESPN will be in town with cameras rolling this week as part of a special it is doing on Dick Vitale, Lakewood Ranch's most famous citizen and college hoops guru.

The television network is filming a documentary half-hour piece on Vitale for a program called "All-Access with Dickie V" to air on ESPNU on February 7th prior to the Duke-North Carolina game basketball game.

On Friday, the ESPN crew and Vitale will be at the Broken Egg Breakfast and Lunch Restaurant in Lakewood Ranch between 9 and 9:30 am and spend most of the morning there. It is located on 6115 Exchange Way.

ESPN and Vitale will be at the Broken Egg in Siesta Key on Thursday at 9:30 am and later that morning at the Broken Egg in Lakewood Ranch.

The public is invited to meet Dick Vitale personally, receive an autograph and take photos with him. They might get a chance to see themselves on the ESPN special that will air nationally.

"Dickie V" eats at the Broken Egg in Lakewood Ranch nearly every day and considers it his home away from home.

The Broken Egg helps Vitale raise money for the V Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research through private donations and sales of various items, including books. Some of the families touched by Vitale have eaten breakfast with him at the restaurant and shared their emotions.

Weis should do for Kansas QB what Florida did for Mike Blakely

2012-01-25T09:42:00.001-08:00

The plight of University of Kansas quarterback Brock Berglund is a prime example of what is wrong with college athletics and how the NCAA tries to control an athlete’s life.

The Associated Press reported that the freshman from Denver was dismissed from the squad last week when he didn't attend a mandatory team meeting with the Jayhawks' new coaching staff.

He wants to transfer and feared that by attending the meeting he would be locked in for another semester, the AP report said.

Berglund told the AP in a phone interview that he sent a written request to school administrators in late December asking for permission to speak to other universities, but the request was denied.

The 19-year-old has a meeting scheduled for Friday in Lawrence, Kan., with the university's student-athlete appeals board, which will make a determination on whether the denial of Berglund's transfer request was fair.

This is another example of how college coaches can leave anytime without repercussions even if they break a contract, while athletes have no freedom of movement.

It’s particularly troublesome for Berglund and others in his situation because the coaches who recruited him are not longer there.

Berglund has hired a lawyer to help him get released from his scholarship so he can play for another school, according to the AP report.

A similar situation occurred last year with Manatee High running back Mike Blakely who was recruited by Urban Meyer at Florida. Meyer left Florida when Blakely got there at mid year and he wanted to leave.

Fortunately, for Blakely, Gators new coach Will Muschamp allowed him to leave to play for SEC foe Auburn. Manatee High legendary coach Joe Kinnan contacted Muschamp on behalf of Blakely.

"It's just very fortunate that Coach Muschamp, a class act, went ahead and released him to go to Auburn. He didn't think he would have an opportunity to go to Auburn, but it worked out,” Kinnan said at the time.

Ironically the new head coach for Kansas is former Florida offensive coordinator and Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis.

One of the first things Weis did was bring in senior transfer quarterback Dayne Crist from Notre Dame. With only one year of eligibility it doesn't appear Crist came to play backup.

Weis announced this week that Berglund was no longer part of the Kansas football team, but no mention was given about his release to pursue other schools.

Bucs should be glad Kelly turned them down

2012-01-23T11:52:00.001-08:00

To the Bucs we say: Be Careful What You Wish For Because You Might Get It!

The Bucs were spared perhaps an embarrassment when Oregon University head football coach Chip Kelly turned down their offer to be their new head coach.

Anything is possible; but if you look at Kelly's track record and college experience he would have had to make a major adjustment to coaching at the NFL level and history has proven that doesn't usually work.

The list of college head football coaches who failed at the NFL level is staggering. To make it worse, Kelly runs a spread offense that features a lot small guys running all over the place.

Kelly had success against Pac 12 teams, but lost both his encounters with teams from the SEC, which is more like what he would see in the NFL.

His two lowest point totals the last two years came against Auburn (19 points) in the BCS 2011 title game and last season (27) against LSU. Three seasons ago, his team scored 17 points against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and 9 vs Boise State.

However you do the math, this is a big risk.

Rudd leads USF and provides ESPN with highlight reel

2012-01-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

Right now Victor Rudd might be the most famous player on a USF men’s basketball team, which is starting to get a lot of attention.

The 6-7 swingman scored all of his 24 points in the second half Wednesday night to lead the Bulls to 64-49 victory over St. John’s. The win gives USF (11-8 overall) a 4-2 Big East Conference, which is their best start since joining the league in 2005.

Rudd knocked down 5 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc, but his so-called “shot heard round the world” (at least ESPN’s world) was a thunderous dunk. It earned him a spot in ESPN’s top 10 highlights for Wednesday night.

The recognition has been a long time coming for Rudd, who transferred to USF from Arizona State. His 24 points was the fifth best total for a half in USF history.

Ironically Rudd missed all five his field goal attempts in the first half, but during warm-ups prior to the second half his shot started to fall and it give him confidence.

"When I got back out there in the second half I made every shot in warm-ups, so I felt good," Rudd said. "To get my first shot off and going from that it gave me a lot of confidence.”

Rudd started off the season strong, then struggled and found himself coming off the bench. It might have provided a spark and no one feels better than Bulls head coach Stan Heath.

"I've seen a change, especially with the attitude, just working and being a more complete player since the New Year," USF head coach Stan Heath said. "Those things that he's doing today, we see that in practice and we're just like, 'Man, I want to see that in a game.' It took him a while and hopefully this is a coming-out party that he'll be consistent like this.”

The Bulls lead the Big East in scoring defense, allowing 57.6 points per game. They are second in rebounding defense and third in 3-point field goal defense (30 percent).

NCAA again fails to address needs of athletes

2012-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

The NCAA had an opportunity to do something for the student athletes who put all that money in its coffers and dropped the ball.

More than 160 schools have objected to a decision by the NCAA Board of Directors last October to increase grant-in-aid scholarships by $2,000. The measure was to address the additional cost of attendance expenses athletes incur that are not covered.

The proposal, supported by NCAA President Mark Emmert, also called for multi-year scholarships to replace the ones that are now granted annually and can be withdrawn for any reason.

The NCAA Board said next month the 355 Division I schools will vote on the measure. It will take 222 votes to kill the board’s proposal and set the NCAA back to the caveman days.

The $2,000 proposal is optional for every school, which makes you wonder why some are vehemently opposed. But it’s about giving opponents a recruiting edge and to most schools that is sacrilegious.

The opponents say they don’t have the money, but a joint study by the National College Players Association and Drexel University refute that claim. It notes TV sports revenues last year were approximately $784 million and are expected to rise as the SEC and ACC seek to renew their television deals.

It’s not about how much you make. It’s about how you spend it.

“If historical patterns are any indication, it is almost a guarantee that athletic administrators will spend the bulk of the money rewarding themselves and their coaches with enormous salary increases and bonuses while spending lavishly on athletic facilities,” the report says.

Revenue generating athletes (FBS football and Division I basketball) from five universities (Arizona, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Purdue and UCLA) petitioned the NCAA this year to improve their benefits. None asked to be paid. They just wanted to be treated fairly.

Some key points were:

Ø additional money to make up for the scholarship shortfalls, which studies have shown average $3,200 per year per student.

Ø preventing permanently injured players from losing their scholarships

Ø Requiring schools to pay all the costs of an athlete’s sports-related medical expenses

Ø Issuance of multiyear scholarships

Players are not afraid to speak out; even those with NFL aspirations who in the past might have feared being labeled a trouble maker.

UCLA kicker Jeff Locke, an NFL prospect, got 70 football players and 17 men’s basketball players at his school to sign the petition. He is aware that the Pac 12 conference recently signed a 12 year agreement with ESPN and Fox that is reportedly worth $3 billion, the richest in college sports.

“If the NCAA pushes back these issues, the schools will find other ways to spend this money, whether it is put into new facilities or to increase coaches salaries, and the players will not be able to receive the basic protections they need from the billions they help generate,” Locke said through the NCPA.

The assurance of sports related full medical coverage is important to p players such as Georgia Tech redshirt defensive end Denzel McCoy, who sat out the season with a knee injury.

“The things we go through, the hours we put in, what our bodies go through, we disserve some sort of results. College football is a billion dollar industry,” he told the Associated Press. “When I am 40 years old I’ve got a degree and everything, but if I can’t walk up a flight of stairs, what did I get out of it besides a few bowl games, some rings and things like that.”

Ohio State agreed to pay new coach Urban Meyer $4 million, which is an increase of $2.8 million over the person he is replacing. Mike Leach, who was fired from Texas Tech, got what would be equivalent to a boost of $1.6 million for the head job at Washington state.

While fired coaches get paid for the length of their contract, there is nothing protecting the athlete from a coach who can take away his scholarship without a reason.

A lot of money issues for players could be eased if the NCAA allowed college athletes to endorse products and earn money off their name, but schools refused to do it. It all goes back to their fear that it will give some opponent a recruiting edge.

Everyone wants to win, but nobody wants to help the people most responsible for winning_ which are the athletes.

“It would cost approximately $47 million per year to provide a $3,2000 scholarship increase to FBS football players and division I men’s basketball players,” the NCAP-Drexel reported said. “The same amount can be given to female athletes for a total of $94 million. With $784 million in new annual revenues, colleges can afford a scholarship increase, pay for sports related medical expenses and ensure injured players can keep their scholarships while still enjoying an unprecedented revenue windfall.”

Dick Vitale Gala will have new wrinkle this year

2012-01-18T13:41:00.001-08:00

You can always expect the unexpected from Dick Vitale, especially when it is something that is going to generate excitement.

This year is no exception. The 2012 Dick Vitale Gala to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research will be hosting an after party that will have live music.

The Dick Vitale Gala, which raises money for pediatric cancer research and has been vital in saving the lives of so many children, will be held May 12th at the Sarasota Ritz-Carlton.

The Gala, in its seventh year, will be honoring former Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams and current Villanova head coach Jay Wright along with former head football coach and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz.

We will begin the evening with a cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. For the first time in the gala's history, we will be hosting an after party with live music. Tickets are available now for sale and begin at $1,000 per ticket.

Cosh figures to be new USF defensive coordinator

2012-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Numerous reports indicate that Chris Cosh will be the next defensive coordinator at USF replacing Mark Snyder, who took the DC at Texas A&M.

The first question most USF fans will ask is whether Cosh will be an improvement over Snyder. Based on their past work that would seem to be the case though neither has what you would call an elite body of work.

Cosh has been the defensive coordinator for the past three seasons at Kansas State and was the linebackers coach there from 2004-05.

Under Cosh, last year Kansas State finished with a 10-3 record and the Wildcats ranked 72nd in total defense, allowing 394 yards per game.

USF ranked 39th in total defense and allowed 351 yards per game. But in their Big East Conference play, the Bulls allowed 405 yards per game and were known for blowing leads in the last quarter because of their defense.

Looking at Snyder's body of work at USF and then at Marshall when he was head coach from 2005 through 2009 you see a pattern of lapses by his defense.

Snyder had one winning season at Marshall, his last yeaer when he was 7-6. He was forced out when fans were complaining about the inability of the team's defense to hold onto leads late in the game. He was 23-37 at Marshall taking over a team that was 44-19 during the five years before his arrival.

USF to play Nevada next season

2012-01-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

The University of South Florida will play a home-and-home series with the University of Nevada, the schools announced today.

USF will visit Nevada on Sept. 8, 2012 with the Wolf Pack making a return trip to Tampa on Oct. 3, 2015. With this addition, USF has finalized its 2012 non-conference schedule with Nevada joining Tennessee-Chattanooga (Sept. 1), Ball St. (Sept. 22), Florida St. (Sept. 29) and Miami (Nov. 24).

It's good news for USF fans, who were afraid the the Bulls might have to play two FCS (formerly I-AA) schools next season because it was getting late to fill that last spot.

It will also be a big early test for USF's defense, which struggled last season in trying to hold leads at the end of several games.

“We are excited to come to this agreement with Nevada,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug Woolard. “With everything that’s going on around the country, schools are having a difficult time finishing off their schedules. We’re happy that a quality program like Nevada had an opening and we look forward to facing them next season and in 2015.”

Nevada, which will move from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West Conference for 2012, is coming off a 7-6 season that finished with a 24-17 loss to No. 19 Southern Miss in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

The Wolf Pack tied for second in the WAC with a 5-2 mark. Nevada finished the year ranked sixth nationally in total offense (506.7 ypg), while posting 247.5 rushing yards and 31.7 points per game. The Wolf Pack has appeared in seven straight bowl games, and prior to 2011, posted a 13-1 season in 2010 and an 8-5 year in 2009.

“Nevada offers a difficult test for us,” said USF head coach Skip Holtz. “Offensively, they’ve been very productive under coach Ault and they’ve had a lot of success as a team over the last few years. Going on the road and playing in a tough environment early in the season will give us an opportunity to see where we are and could help us as we move deeper into the schedule.”

The trip to Reno in 2012 will mark the third time in USF program history that it will play west of the Rocky Mountains. The Bulls traveled to San Diego to take on San Diego St. in 1999 and they also visited Utah in 2001.

“USF has an outstanding football team that will present us with some unique challenges,” Nevada head coach Chris Ault said. “They are well coached and have some quality players. This is a game our fans won’t want to miss.”

Poole makes official visit to Florida this weekend

2012-01-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Brian Poole is taking his official visit to Florida this weekend and says nothing has changed. Expect him to officially become a Gator February 1, the national signing day for high school football players.

The Southeast High product has been in constant touch with the Florida coaching staff. They don't want to take a chance on losing him because of all the 2012 Gator prospects he is among the most likely to impact an impact next season.

The nationally touted cornerback added to his Superman reputation earlier this month in the Under Armour All-American game when he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown and had what likely was a touchdown saving solo tackle on another.

USF knocks Dickie V's Seton Hall out of top 25

2012-01-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

In beating then 24th ranked Seton Hall last week, the University of South Florida men's basketball team might have impressed the planet's best known basketball guru.

Our own Dick Vitale is a graduate of Seton Hall and its 56-55 loss to USF knocked the Pirates out of the AP national rankings.

The Hall (15-3), as it is known up in New Jersey, was in the top 25 for the first time since the 2000-01 season. Unfortunately the stay didn't last long and the Pirates didn't make it in this week's rankings.

But maybe this is more about USF, which appears to have its best basketball team since Stan Heath took over the program five years ago.

USF's tenacious defense held Seton Hall to its second lowest point total of the season, which is impressive considering the Pirates low of 49 came to undefeated top ranked Syracuse.

USF ranks second in the Big East Conference and 21st overall in scoring defense allowing 58.2 points per game.

Braden River's Casseus appears headed to Iowa State

2012-01-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

It appears Braden River senior Jeff Casseus will be headed to Iowa State next year to play football.

The 6-6, 250 pound offensive lineman will make an official visit next weekend to the Ames, Iowa school and says he could make a verbal commitment.

Casseus is currently playing basketball and is a key cog in what is likely to be the best boys basketball team in Braden River school history. But with his size and athleticism, his sport on the next level if football.

if Casseus signs with Iowa State, he will join former Manatee High standouts, receiver Quenton Bundrage and defensive lineman Quinton Pompey, who are freshmen there.

Casseus is one of many Florida players being recruited by Iowa State defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, who was an integral part of the emergency of the University of South Florida football program and previously coached at FSU.

Not interested in BCS title game? You were not alone

2012-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

If you were bored watching the Alabama-LSU BCS title game or simply not interested enough to turn it on, don’t feel bad. You were not alone.

The reported TV ratings were the third lowest for the BCS title game in the 14 year history of the BCS. It drew a 14.0 rating on ESPN squeaking ahead of the 2004 game between LSU and Oklahoma and the 2002 Miami-Nebraska game.

The Alabama-LSU game was down eight percent from last year’s Auburn-Oregon and was possibly part of a bigger trend, which says people want a different system.

An interesting note is that the three lowest rated BCS title games featured a team that did not win its conference perhaps proving that the public is not as easy to fool as the BCS moguls would like to believe. There was Alabama this year and Nebraska in ’02 and Oklahoma in ’04.

The five BCS Bowl games this year averaged 8.4 percent of all TV households, down from last year. West Virginia’s 70-33 demolition of Clemson at the Orange Bowl drew a 4.5 rating, making it the lowest rated game in BCS history. The Rose and Sugar Bowls also saw a significant drop in ratings.

Shed Haynes leads country's top defensive team

2012-01-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Shed Haynes was known for his offensive talents when he played basketball at Palmetto High, State College of Florida and Lackawanna College.

But the guard is making a name for himself on the defensive end at Tarlleton State College (Texas), which leads the nation (Division II) in fewest points allowed and field goal percentage defense.

The Texans are holding opponents to 34.9 shooting and giving up 51.6 points per game. Haynes has been a ball-hawk and the leads the team in steals (20). The point guard is also tops in assists (51) and is averaging 9.8 points per game.

Haynes was one of the best 3-point shooters in the country in the one year that he played for Lackawanna after transferring from SCF. Last season he was at USF, didn’t get the playing time he wanted and transferred.

Though he has made defense a priority this year, Haynes is still a point guard who can hurt teams with his long range shooting. The six-foot senior is second on the team with 17 treys.

Southeast girls ranked 8th, but injuries mounting up

2012-01-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

Southeast is the only Manatee County school to be ranked in the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FACA) girls basketball state poll that was released on Tuesday.

Coming off a week where they defeated two defending state champions in St. Petersburg Lakewood and Tampa Catholic, the Seminoles (16-3) are eighth in the Class 5A Poll.

The voters still have Lakewood (11-5) ranked ahead of Southeast in the fifth spot. Gulfport Boca Ciega (13-7), which defeated Southeast earlier in the season, is ranked seventh.

It wasn’t all that good for Southeast last week. The already thin Lady Seminoles lost sophomore guard and sixth man Daisha Kelly to an ACL injury she suffered during the team’s victory over Palmetto. She is out for the season.

Deangela Mathis continues to look like an emerging star for Southeast. The sophomore is averaging 19.5 points per game to leads the team in scoring and is shooting 60 percent from the field. Bevin Mays had a career high 25 points in win over Tampa Catholic.

Jared Williams recovering from surgery after bowl game injury

2012-01-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

SMU freshman Jared Williams was resting comfortably on Sunday recovering from surgery for a broken femur on Saturday night, according to his father Walt Williams.

The former Southeast/Bradenton Prep running back was injured in the fourth quarter of the BBVA Compass Bowl Saturday between SMU and Pittsburgh in Birmingham, Alabama.

(photo: Williams waves to crowd as he is carted off the field).

Williams tried to cut to his right when he was hit on his left leg by the helmet of Pittsburgh safety Andrew Taglianetti. He spent several minutes on the ground writing in pain until attended to be medical personnel and eventually carted off the field.

Williams had surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham. He hopes to be released on Monday and plans to come home to Bradenton with his parents, who were at the game.

“Jared actually broke his femur in two places, but he will be fine and the doctor said he should be ready to play in July,” Walt Williams said. “He is feeling a little distraught, but is in good spirits overall. It’s like anything in football. You get hurt, work to recover and move on from there.”

Walt Williams was sitting in the stands when the injury occurred and rushed down to the field to be with his son along with Jared’s mother.

“When I first saw the hit I immediately thought it was his knee, but he got hit high around the thigh” Walt Williams said. “They had to put a rod in his leg and he will be crutches for about two weeks. Right now he is eager to get into his rehab and be ready for practice in the summer. The rod shouldn’t affect him at all, not with his speed or anything else he does.”

It appeared Williams took a direct hit from Taglianetti’s helmet, but Walt Williams said he felt the play was clean.

“Its football and you have to expect anything when you are out there on the field,” Walt Williams said. “It was a freak accident and the process is now what do you do from here. Jared will be fine. He has been through a lot. Nothing has come easy to him.”

SMU won the game 28-6 and Williams was the leading rusher for the Mustangs with 40 yards on 11 carries.

Poole breaks numerous records in All-American game including two set by former Southeast teammate

2012-01-06T10:30:00.001-08:00

Brian Poole wrote his name into the record books at the fifth annual Under Armour All-American game Thursday night with one of the events most memorable performances.

The Southeast High cornerback broke four records, including one set last year by his former teammate Jon Dowling.

Poole returned an interception 93 yards for a touchdown that broke two records.

The longest previous touchdown was a 92-yard reception from Andre Debose set in 2009. Dowling set the record for the longest interception returned for a touchdown last year when he took a pick 56 yards to the endzone.

Will Hill had the longest interception return (62 yards) set in '08 until Poole shattered that record with his electrifying return.

Poole also topped Dowling's record for most interception return yards (63), which Dowling got on two picks.

Poole declared immediately after the game that he is a Gator ending speculation that the long time Florida commit might change his mind. Ironically, he will join Debose when he arrives in Gainesville.

"Harpoon" event returns to Manatee County with cherished memories

2012-01-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

BRADENTON- The Youth Foundation Basketball Showcase has had several names and now has a new venue, but the memories it created will live forever.

It was the event where host Southeast in 2004 ended Jacksonville Ribault’s 120 game win streak against Florida schools before what is believed to be the biggest crowd ever to watch a high school basketball game in Manatee County for either boys or girls.

And then there was 2002 when little Casey Baker stole the ball with a few seconds left and lofted a shot that enabled Southeast to knock off undefeated Clearwater the state’s top ranked team and national power.

It was the shot heard round the world for girls’ basketball in these parts and to top it off Baker went on to set a school record for steals at Marshall University.

It’s now called the Manasota High School Basketball Showcase and will be held at Bayshore on Saturday. It’s still under the direction of Howard "Harpoon" Karasick, who is putting on his 24^th edition of this event, which was held in Manatee County on two previous occasions.

Regardless of the name and site, this could be another day of big upsets, particularly in the two last games, where the Southeast girls take on two time defending Tampa Catholic and in the nightcap when Braden River faces Sarasota Riverview in a matchup of the area’s two best teams.

For Southeast (13-3) it will mean taking on defending state champions on two straight nights. The Seminoles play host to defending Class 4A State champion St. Petersburg Lakewood on Friday in a district game and then face Tampa Catholic, the two time 3A defending state champs.

Southeast lost to Tampa Catholic in the region final the last two years. The Noles are now in 5A with St. Pete Lakewood, but would like nothing better than to extract some revenge over a team that broke their hearts twice in a row.

But this event seems to bring out the best in the Southeast girls and turn their head coach John Harder into a miracle worker.

“This is the first time we are playing state champs on back to back nights and I never heard of anyone doing that in less than 24 hours,” Harder said. “I am not some genius who wants to upset the world, but they said it would be better for the community if we did it so we are going to do it. It will certainly get us ready for the post season.

“We were up by two points at the end last year and lost to Tampa Catholic and our kids haven’t forgotten that. I want our girls to feel like they are preparing for the end of the season run and this will do it.”

Braden River (10-1) is unbeaten against area teams from Manatee down through Charlotte County. Its only loss is to Miami Carol City, a team host Riverview (11-2) beat in the same Christmas Tournament.

“We thought we could get to play them in their tournament but lost. Now we get that chance and are looking forward to it,” Braden River head coach Matt Nesser said. “We want to play the best and consider them maybe the best in the area. They are athletic and have good size and don’t make a lot of mistakes.”

To get his team ready for the post season, Nesser put together a road heavy schedule and has played only three home games so far this season. In their last game, the Pirates earned a come from 42-41 victory on the road at Punta Gorda Charlotte, which is a tough place to play.

“We haven’t played our best basketball yet. In order to be a championship team you need to play hard for an entire 32 minutes and we did that maybe in one or two games,” Nesser said.

The coach says his three starters from the football team still haven’t gotten their basketball legs yet and it has affected the shooting of point guard Steven Ross.

The Pirates are led by shooting guard Tre’ Bryant, who is averaging 17 points per game. Travon Young, the 6-5 junior, continues to be the Pirates big presence inside averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tommy Bernhardt, a senior guard, is averaging a shade over 10 points per outing.

Riverview is led by 6-3 versatile guard Eric Traver, who is averaging 16.6 points per game and is surrounded by a lot of talent.

What: Manasota High School Basketball Showcase:

Where: Bayshore High

When: Saturday

Admission: $3.00 gets you in for all the games. Kids under 10 are free.

Schedule:

10:30 am (girls) Bayshore vs Clearwater

12 Noon (girls) Lakewood Ranch vs North Port

1:30 pm (boys) Palmetto vs Bayshore

3 pm (girls) Riverview vs St. Petersburg

4:30 pm (boys) Southeast vs Lakewood Ranch

6 pm (girls) Southeast vs Tampa Catholic

7:30 pm (boys) Braden River vs Riverview

Poole returns interception for 93 yard TD to highllight first half of Under Armour Game

2012-01-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

Brian Poole provided the highlight reel in the first half of the Under Armour All-American Game at Tropicana Field.

The Southeast High product did what he does best. He intercepted a pass and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown to give his team the Blur a 20-3 lead.

Poole promised yours truely that he would get an interception, but never said he would return it for a touchdown. However, that's him. He always adds something special

Scott leaves USF for NFL draft in surprise move

2012-01-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

To what seems to be everyone's surprise, USF running back Darrell Scott has decided to forego his senior year and opt for the NFL draft.

The decision ends a tumultuous ride for the 6-1, 239 pounder who came to USF two years ago from Colorado and sat out 2010 because of transfer rules.

Scott, rated the top high school running back in the country after his senior year of high school in California, led USF last season with 814 yards rushing (5.3 per carry average) and showed flashes of brilliance.

His best game came against FAMU when he rushed for a career high 146 yards. His other 100 yard rushing game came against Rutgers (19 carries for 100 yards) and against West Virginia in the season finale he rushed for 92 yards on 14 carries.

Scott's departure means the two most heralded running backs out of high school to play for USF never finished their careers for the Bulls. Mike Ford, the former Sarasota High star and single season rushing leader for Manatee and Sarasota Counties, was dropped from the team prior to his senior year for breaking school rules.

Poole is solid commit to Florida despite other visits

2011-12-29T14:55:00.001-08:00

Brian Poole appears solidly committed to Florida though he plans to take three more visits as allowed by NCAA rules.

The Southeast High senior, who is rated the best cornerback prospect in the country by one publication, has visited Notre Dame and recently Western Kentucky.

He had a home visit from WKU head coach Willie Taggart just before Christmas and said it was a good meeting and he likes the former Manatee High star. However, it didn’t change Poole’s mind about playing for the Gators.

Poole grew up a Florida fan, but perhaps more importantly sees an opportunity to get on the field early and says Gators head coach Will Muschamp told him he expects him to make an impact next season.

One of the state’s most versatile players, Poole excelled this past season as a cornerback, running back and kick returner. He returned punts of 92 and 90 yards for touchdowns, rushed for 439 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 155 receiving yards and a touchdown and threw for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Poole also had two interceptions, seven pass deflections and 44 tackles, including 20 solos, which were impressive since most teams ran away from his side of the field Southeast head coach Paul Maechtle said.

For his career, Poole returned three interceptions for touchdowns and had 12 picks. He had 212 tackles, including 107 first hits.

Rachel Brown eclipses 1,000 point barrier in Smoothie Classic

2011-12-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

Rachel Brown broke the 1,000 career scoring barrier, but it wasn't enough to help her host Bradenton Christian team avoid a 52-47 loss to Englewood Lemon Bay (4-8), Tuesday night in the Smoothie King Classic.

The senior guard needed 19 points to reach the milestone and scored 20 to finish the night with 1,001 points. She scored her 1,000 point on a driving layup and added a free throw with 3:25 left in the game.

The game was the final of eight contests and did not end until 11:45 p.m. The BCS girls (5-5) take the floor again today at 2:30 when it plays Arcadia DeSoto County in a consolation round matchup.

In other late game Tuesday night, the Manatee High girls defeated DeSoto 46-39 to improve to 4-8. The Hurricanes were led by Jasmine Luther (12 points) and Taylor Wilson (11). DeSoto (4-6) got 19 points from freshman Tishona Riley.

TODAY'S SEMIFINAL:
Boys:
Cardinal Mooney vs Tamp Prep, 4 pm
Bradenton Christian vs Lennard, 7 pm
Girls
Braden River vs Bayshore, 5:30 pm
Manatee vs Lemon Bay, 8:30 pm

Consolation games:
Boys
Bayshore vs Pinellas Park, 10 am
Lakewood Ranch vs Community Christian, 1 pm
Girls
Cardinal Mooney vs Alonso, 11 am
Bradenton Christian vs DeSoto, 2:30 pm

Mistral Raymond has best day as pro with interception

2011-12-27T16:00:00.001-08:00

Mistral Raymond is starting to show up big for the Minnesota Vikings despite a nagging shoulder injury that has plagued him in recent weeks.

The former Palmetto High/USF standout intercepted pass thrown by Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman last week that set up a Minnesota field that enabled the Vikings to get a good cushion in their 33-26 victory.

It was the first interception in 10 games, which set an NFL record for the beleaguered Vikings defense, which has been hit hard by injuries. Raymond finished with six tackles and two passes defended in the game.

The rookie safety now has 18 tackles though he only started seeing significant minutes in the last quarter of the season because he was set back by injuries. The Vikings entered the game with an NFL low six interceptions for the season

Taggart makes home visit to try and persuade Poole to swtich allegiance

2011-12-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

Could this be the night Brian Poole switches allegence?

The Southeast High standout, who has verbally committed to Florida, is getting a home visit tonight from former Manatee High quarterback and Western Kentucky head coach Willie Taggart.

Poole, rated the number one cornerback in the country in some publications, visited WKU last weekend. Before he left he said he was still a Florida commit but added you never know. He also said he planned on taking all five of his alloted visits. Earlier this season he took an official visit to Notre Dame and has three left.

Taggart is receiving rave reviews for how he turned around the WKU program this year taking the Hilltoppers to a 7-5 record that included a 7-1 Sun Belt Conference mark. He inherited a 2-22 program prior to last season that was the domat of FBS (I-A) football.

Taggart is considered a top notch recruiter who is particularly effective in his home state of Florida. With Poole, he has the added incentive that six former Manatee County players are on the roster at WKU.

USF offers three Manatee defensive linemen

2011-12-13T15:24:00.001-08:00

The University of South Florida offered scholarships to three Manatee High defensive linemen soon after the Hurricanes Class 7A state semifinal victory over Palm Beach Dwyer Gardens last weekend.

Manatee assistant coaches said the offers went to juniors Blake Keller (6-2, 211) and Derrick Calloway (6-1, 302) and sophomore DeMarcas Christmas (6-3. 285). They said there is a chance the fourth member of the 'Canes front four, junior Marquis Dawsey (5-11, 219), could eventually secure an offer.

The players obviously have time to wait, which is good. USF head coach Skip Holtz is on the hot seat after a 5-7 season which saw him win only one Big East Conference game. Quite a few fans are upset that he is third highest paid football coach in the Big East Conference earning $1.7 million with little to show for it.

Ironically, if Holtz does get fired next season there are those at Manatee High who are hoping Willie Taggart might get the job. The former Manatee star quarterback did one of the best turn-around jobs in the country this year at Western Kentucky and is considered a fierce recruiter who gets excellent results.

Poole visits Western Kentucky this weekend; says you never know

2011-12-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

Brian Poole, the area's most heavily recruited player, will take an official visit to Western Kentucky this weekend.

The Southeast High defensive back has verbally committed to Florida and Gators head coach Will Muschamp has been telling Poole he can make an impact next season.

This is Poole's second official visit. He visited Notre Dame earlier this season and says he might take all five official visits allowed by the NCAA.

Poole has been speaking with with WKU head coach Ray Woodie, a former Palmetto High head football coach and standout player there, who has close ties to Manatee County players.

"I am still verbally committed to Florida, but you never know. I hope to take all of my visits," Poole said.

Poole is rated among the top cornerbacks in the country and one publication had him the top cornerback. He also played running back, but will play defense for the Gators, who have struggled with their secondary this season.

Bucs tackle woes at root of their problems

2011-12-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

It's time for the Tampa Bay Bucs to get back to basics. And by that we mean learning how to tackle.

Going into last week’s Carolina game, Tampa led the league in attempted tackles missed with a soaring 15.4 percent rate according to Pro Football Focus.

They did show a slight improvement against Carolina with “only” 12 missed tackles after averaging 14 per outing over the previous three games.

Despite all the rave about his return, Tanard Jackson is the most culpable Buc coming up short on nearly half of his tackles by missing an astonishing 44 percent. Not too far behind is Quincy Black, who is missing on 25.5 percent of his attempts.

The three worst tackling teams in the league are the Bucs, Eagles and Carolina. The best is San Francisco.

The worst tackling secondary in the league is arguably the Eagles led by high priced trade acquisition Nnamdi Asomugha, who has allowed 27.3 percent of runners to escape his grasp. Six of the Bucs missed tackles against Carolina came trying to bring down Jonathan Stewart.

Palmetto's Raymond to get inaugural start against Tebow

2011-12-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

Mistral Raymond is a person filled with patience and perseverance.

The Minnesota Vikings safety is expected to receive his reward this Sunday when he starts his first NFL game against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

The game, slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff, is supposed to be televised to a good part of the nation by Fox Sports.

Raymond, selected in the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft, gets the starting nod at safety after Husain Abdullah (concussion) and Tyrell Johnson (hamstring) were placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

The 6-1, 190 pound Raymond, who played at Palmetto High and the University of South Florida, has been used sparingly this year seeing most of his action on special teams.

He was very impressive in pre-season camp, but went down early with a hamstring injury that kept on the sidelines for an extended period of time.

The game has an interesting story line. Though Tebow has come somewhat of a national craze with all the media hype, in a very quiet, unassuming way Raymond has gotten his share of stories written about him because of his unique background and struggles.

One of the latest was a story that appeared this week on Yahoo Sports. Click here to read.

Holtz building a troublesome football resume at USF

2011-12-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

The second year of the Skip Holtz era ended with one of the worst seasons in the history of the program following the Bulls gut-wrenching 30-27 loss to West Virginia Thursday night.

Perhaps more disturbing is how the defense collapsed on the late stages of four heartbreaking losses.

Cincinnati, Miami and West Virginia scored on their final possessions to come from behind to beat the Bulls. Rutgers scored on its next to last possession of regulation to tie the game and then defeated USF in overtime.

The combined stats from those four drives are most troubling. USF opponents completed 20 of 26 passes for 244 yards without an interception on those drives.

The final game typified this season with USF unable to stop West Virginia on its game winning drive. The killer came when the Mountaineers had a fourth and 10 from the USF 42 yard line with 13 seconds left and quarterback Geno Smith completed a 26 yard pass to set up the game wining 28 yard field goal as time expired.

Miami’s Jacory Harris completed seven straight passes without an incompletion on the Hurricanes final drive. Rutgers had five straight completions and then after two misfires quarterback Chas Dodd threw a 34-yard TD strike with 1:08 left that eventually sent the game into overtime.

Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros completed four of his first five passes in the Bearcats winning drive, including a 21 yarder that gave his team a first down at the USF six that led to his two-yard TD run.

Holtz now owns an indistinguishable list of non-accomplishments and failures.
The loss ends the Bulls string of going to six straight bowl games, gives the program (5-7) its first losing season since 2004 and only third since the program first started playing in 1997.

The 1-6 Big East Conference record is the program’s worst since joining the league in 2004 surpassing the previous worst in ’08 when the Bulls had a 2-5 league record. Its worst record in Conference USA was 3-5 in ’04.

As pointed out earlier this week, this is all from a man who is the reported third highest paid coach in the Big East Conference at $1.7 million per season.

Southeast Kieron James and Ranch's Matt Farhat earn honors

2011-11-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

Former Southeast defensive back Kieron James and Lakewood Ranch offensive lineman Matt Farhat won honorable mention honors in their just completed collegiate seasons.

James, who played defensive back and some quarterback at Southeast, finished his junior year at FCS (formerly I-AA) Western Illinois University where he ranked 49th nationally in passes defended (0.91 per game and was one of the top defensive backs in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The six-foot, 190 pound James led WIU with three interceptions and had an impressive 45 total tackles, including 29 solos. He was credited with seven pass breakups to go along with his three picks.

Charles Chestnut, another Southeast product, also completed his junior year at WIU. The receiver was second on his team with 23 catches and 296 reception yards.

Enock Presidendieu, a 6-4, 280 pound offensive lineman also from Southeast, finished his career for the Fighting Leathernecks.

Farhat earned honorable mention honors in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) in completing his junior year at the University of Charleston. He helped pave the way for the team's higher powered run game and for Adrien Jenkins, a Southeast High graduate.

A junior, Jenkins finished third for Charleston in total offense with 254 yards amassed on 256 yards rushing, 142 receiving and 28 yards on kick returns.

Muschamp says Florida lacks the physicality to be winning team in SEC

2011-11-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

There are so many things you can find wrong with Florida in its 21-7 loss to FSU Saturday night. Gators head coach Will Muschamp focused on four, but cited his team's lack of physicality as a contributor to many problems.

In a nutshell he mentioned lack of a running game, lack of physical toughness and team that is still overall on the immature side.

He is what he said:

On lack of a running game:
"We have tried to run the ball inside and just haven't been very effective. We've tried different things__probably did too much at times to try and create a run game and help us vertically down the field. We haven't been able to do it consistently."

On lacking physical toughness:
"That's not first time they've heard it all season. It starts with me, falls on my shoulders and I'm the one who is responsible. At the end of the day you are what you are."

On Gators defense:
They got four turnovers and we only had one so it wasn't good enough."

On the team's youth:
"Some of our players are more mature than others. There's a lot of things. You just can't put your finger on one thing."

USF men take 3-0 record to Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic

2011-11-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

The University of South Florida mens' basketball team hits the road this weekend as it heads to Uncasville, Conn. to take part in the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic.

The Bulls will fact Old Dominion at 2 p.m. on Saturday and will face either Kentucky or Penn State on Sunday. Saturday’s game will be on ESPN3 with Mike Crispino (play-by-play) and Tim Welsh (analyst) having the all. In addition, Jim Lighthall (play-by-play) and Todd Kalas (analyst) will call the action live on WHNZ 1250 AM Radio with the pre-game show starting at 1:30 p.m.

USF head coach Stan Heath returns the majority of his roster from 2010-11 including 77 percent of his scoring and 67.8 percent of his rebounding.

The Bulls have four returning starters in forwards Augustus Gilchrist and Ron Anderson Jr., and guards Jawanza Poland and Hugh Robertson. Other returnees include junior guard Shaun Noriega and junior forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, who saw action in every game last season.

Sophomore Victor Rudd (Arizona State) will look to make an immediate impact after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Overall the Bulls return eight players who have seen action in 443 career games.

The Bulls are off to a good start and are 3-0 after coming off a 73-43 victory over Florida Southern College last Wednesday night.

Rudd is averaging 16.7 points per game to lead the team in scoring. Other double digit scorers are Gilchrist (12.7 ppg) and Ron Anderson (11.3 ppg). They are also number one and two in rebounding with Gilchrist averaging 9.3 boards per game and Anderson 9 rebounds per game.

Bucs Winslow is high risk low reward target

2011-11-18T13:35:00.001-08:00

Action speaks louder than words, but stats don’t lie.

They might explain in part the Josh Freeman quandary.

The Tampa Bucs quarterback leads the NFL with 13 interceptions, after throwing only six last year.

Most disturbing is that nearly half of his picks (6) have come when he has thrown to tight end

His sideline arguments with Winslow have been well documented and it makes you wonder if the tight end is putting pressure on Freeman to throw him the ball in bad situations. The six picks when targeting Winslow is twice as much as any other Bucs player.

It’s time to break up this relationship, but the stubborn Winslow can’t accept reality.

Freeman has been picked off three times throwing to Arrelious Been and twice when Preston Parker has been his target.

Throwing to Winslow has become high risk with low reward.

He is averaging 3.4 yards after the catch and 9.1 yards per reception, which is well below the NFL norm.

Winslow was Freeman favorite last year, but everything comes to an end and it seems as if the surly tight end can’t accept it.

People laugh when Freeman says he is a better quarterback this year.

But he does have some factual ammunition to support an argument that he is victim of a poor receiving corps.

Among the regular starting NFL quarterbacks, Freeman and Michael Vick lead the league in most passes dropped by their receivers with 27 says PFF.

It doesn’t help that he Bucs Mike Williams is tied for second among NFL receivers with eight drops. Williams is only averaging 3.4 yards after the catch, which ranks among the bottom third in the league and is catching 54.2 percent of the balls thrown to him, which also ranks him among the lowest in that category.