Bulls Dream Season Derailed
Danny Dabiri |Oct 19,2007
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 Bulls Dream Season Derailed
On their opening possession, Rutgers converted a fake punt on fourth down to keep the drive alive but were forced to settle for a field goal. In the second half, Rutgers scored a touchdown on a fake field goal pass that put them up 27-17. The Scarlet Knights relied on standout running back Ray Rice to carry the load. Rice ran for 181 yards on 39 carries. It was the first time the Bulls had allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.
South Florida refused to go down without a fight. The Bulls rallied to cut the lead to 30-27 with a few minutes to play. After forcing a punt, South Florida took over at midfield with an opportunity to score the go-ahead touchdown or attempt a game tying field goal. Sophomore quarterback Matt Grothe was sacked on first down, leaving the Bulls in a difficult spot. On fourth and long, Grothe completed a deep pass down the sideline to put the Bulls in field goal range. However, the play was overturned by a marginal offensive pass interference call. Grothe’s last-ditch attempt down the field was intercepted and the upset was complete.
The loss all but ends the Bulls aspirations of a national championship. But the team still has a lot to play for.
“Our goal never had anything to do with the rankings,” South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. “So that’s not something I think about because I don’t have anything to do with it. Our goal is to win the Big East. We took a hit tonight, for sure. There’s no room for error. You still have a shot with one loss, but I don’t know if you can win with two.”
As it stands now, Connecticut is the only Big East team yet to suffer a conference defeat. The Bulls will look to rebound from their first loss when they travel to Storrs to take on the Huskies next week. Much like the SEC, running the table in the Big East is a daunting challenge. The conference crown is up for grabs now. Fasten your seat belts, it is sure to be a bumpy ride.
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