11/26/05 Sidebar for the St. Pete Times
College football
Potential turnaround halted on reverse
By DENIS GORMAN
Published November 27, 2005
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - On the biggest play of the game, the Bulls banked on a reserve quarterback who hadn't thrown a pass in six weeks.
It banked on Pat Julmiste running free in the secondary.
Neither happened, and now USF is left to wonder about what could have been. A possible BCS bowl berth is gone, and a bowl game is not guaranteed.
The biggest play in South Florida's 15-10 loss to UConn Saturday was a botched fourth down reverse pass from Courtney Denson to Julmiste.
With 6:02 left, and after a false start penalty backed the Bulls up from the 1, USF had fourth and goal from the Huskies' 6-yard line. Instead of calling on freshman Kyle Bronson to try a 23-yard field goal, coach Jim Leavitt and offensive coordinator Rod Smith called for a double reverse pass.
Julmiste handed off to senior running back Andre Hall. As Hall sprinted left, toward Denson, Julmiste ran right. Hall handed the ball to Denson, who looked for Julmiste, but Julmiste was held up by the secondary. Denson, without a second option, reversed field until he was sacked by defensive end Dan Davis at the 19. Instead of the lead being cut to two, the Bulls remained down five.
"We were fourth and 6," Leavitt said. "I thought about the field goal. The reason I didn't do it was I wanted two opportunities to win the ballgame and not one. I felt if we didn't make it, our defense was playing really well and would give our offense good field position to go ahead to do it again."
The offense got the ball back, with 2:46 remaining. But on first down, Julmiste and junior wide receiver S.J. Green miscommunicated on a pass route. Green stopped running at the UConn 10 and sophomore Tyvon Branch intercepted the pass in the end zone.
"You can go ahead and question (the call), but I felt like I really wanted to go for the touchdown," Leavitt said. "It was a play we've been working on quite a bit. Connecticut did a very good job of (defending) it."
Julmiste did not talk to the media and left Rentschler Field through a back door. Denson, who injured his Achilles' on the play, spoke briefly before boarding the team bus.
"Pat was covered. That messed up the whole play right there," said Denson, who has played some at receiver but hasn't caught a pass this season. "In practice, the play works perfectly every time. I guess they probably knew I was at wideout and had a chance to do it (run the play)."
Leavitt had an opportunity to blame Smith, but didn't, saying that the play call was "all of ours, all of us. I knew what we were doing. I can easily tell them not to do it. It was my call and I didn't (overrule Smith)."
Some fans had another view, however, quickly posting a Web site, firerodsmith.com.
Leavitt was philosophical about the play, its outcome and where the Bulls go from here.
"It'll be tough. You have to bring your team back from that; it won't be easy. We're (going) to have to do some work.
"When you invest a lot in something, and you had the opportunities in that fourth quarter, it's tough.
"If it works, everyone thinks you're brilliant. If it doesn't, then you're foolish.
"So, we're foolish."
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/27/Sports/Potential_turnaround_.shtml
Potential turnaround halted on reverse
By DENIS GORMAN
Published November 27, 2005
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - On the biggest play of the game, the Bulls banked on a reserve quarterback who hadn't thrown a pass in six weeks.
It banked on Pat Julmiste running free in the secondary.
Neither happened, and now USF is left to wonder about what could have been. A possible BCS bowl berth is gone, and a bowl game is not guaranteed.
The biggest play in South Florida's 15-10 loss to UConn Saturday was a botched fourth down reverse pass from Courtney Denson to Julmiste.
With 6:02 left, and after a false start penalty backed the Bulls up from the 1, USF had fourth and goal from the Huskies' 6-yard line. Instead of calling on freshman Kyle Bronson to try a 23-yard field goal, coach Jim Leavitt and offensive coordinator Rod Smith called for a double reverse pass.
Julmiste handed off to senior running back Andre Hall. As Hall sprinted left, toward Denson, Julmiste ran right. Hall handed the ball to Denson, who looked for Julmiste, but Julmiste was held up by the secondary. Denson, without a second option, reversed field until he was sacked by defensive end Dan Davis at the 19. Instead of the lead being cut to two, the Bulls remained down five.
"We were fourth and 6," Leavitt said. "I thought about the field goal. The reason I didn't do it was I wanted two opportunities to win the ballgame and not one. I felt if we didn't make it, our defense was playing really well and would give our offense good field position to go ahead to do it again."
The offense got the ball back, with 2:46 remaining. But on first down, Julmiste and junior wide receiver S.J. Green miscommunicated on a pass route. Green stopped running at the UConn 10 and sophomore Tyvon Branch intercepted the pass in the end zone.
"You can go ahead and question (the call), but I felt like I really wanted to go for the touchdown," Leavitt said. "It was a play we've been working on quite a bit. Connecticut did a very good job of (defending) it."
Julmiste did not talk to the media and left Rentschler Field through a back door. Denson, who injured his Achilles' on the play, spoke briefly before boarding the team bus.
"Pat was covered. That messed up the whole play right there," said Denson, who has played some at receiver but hasn't caught a pass this season. "In practice, the play works perfectly every time. I guess they probably knew I was at wideout and had a chance to do it (run the play)."
Leavitt had an opportunity to blame Smith, but didn't, saying that the play call was "all of ours, all of us. I knew what we were doing. I can easily tell them not to do it. It was my call and I didn't (overrule Smith)."
Some fans had another view, however, quickly posting a Web site, firerodsmith.com.
Leavitt was philosophical about the play, its outcome and where the Bulls go from here.
"It'll be tough. You have to bring your team back from that; it won't be easy. We're (going) to have to do some work.
"When you invest a lot in something, and you had the opportunities in that fourth quarter, it's tough.
"If it works, everyone thinks you're brilliant. If it doesn't, then you're foolish.
"So, we're foolish."
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/27/Sports/Potential_turnaround_.shtml
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 4:35 AM
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