COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Published 11:33 pm Friday, September 12, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. — Freshman Maikon Bonani kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired Friday night, giving No. 19 South Florida a 37-34 victory over No. 13 Kansas.
Matt Grothe threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns for USF (3-0) which overcame a 17-point deficit to take a two-touchdown lead before Kansas’ Todd Reesing tied the game with two fourth-quarter TD passes.
Reesing had the Jayhawks on the move again when safety Nate Allen intercepted his deep throw in the middle of the field and returned it 40 yards to the Kansas 27 with 30 seconds remaining.
Bonani, making his college debut, kicked the game-winner two plays later.
Grothe won the matchup of undersized quarterbacks who elevated their teams into the national spotlight with TD passes of 21 yards to Taurus Johnson and 37 yards to A.J. Love during an 18-minute stretch in which USF outgained the Jayhawks 346 yards to 15 to climb out of its big hole and take a 34-20 lead.
A week after throwing for a career-best 412 yards against Louisiana Tech, Reesing went 34-of-51 for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Johnathan Wilson caught two TD passes and finished with nine receptions for 160 yards, while Kerry Meier had 11 catches for 120 yards for Kansas.
The Jayhawks and Bulls were two of college football’s biggest surprises of 2007, with both climbing as high as No. 2 in the country before dropping out of contention for a spot in the BCS championship game.
This season is about establishing that they can be major players on the national stage for years to come.
Kansas lost for just the second time in 16 games with Reesing as its starting quarterback, the other a neutral-site loss to Missouri. The Jayhawks scored on their first two possessions, building a 10-0 lead, and Reesing’s 4-yard TD run made it 20-3 late in the second quarter.
Grothe began USF’s comeback with a 28-yard TD run.
Reesing, who looked unstoppable until USF limited Kansas to 9 yards in the third quarter, rallied his team with TD passes of 18 yards to Wilson and 14 yards to Angus Quigley with 5:32 remaining.
Notes
OHIO STATE: Running back Chris “Beanie” Wells will not play for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes against No. 1 Southern California today because of his injured right foot. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel made the announcement late Friday afternoon after the team went through a 40-minute walkthrough at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans (1-0) will be playing their first game since an impressive 52-7 victory Aug. 30 at Virginia. Ohio State (2-0) has beaten in-state opposition Youngstown State and Ohio University.
WEST VIRGINIA: Coach Bill Stewart has signed a six-year contract that will pay him $800,000 this year with an annual increase of $50,000. Athletic Director Ed Pastilong announced Stewart’s base salary is $150,000, and he will earn $550,000 in supplemental income for promotional purposes, including radio and television appearances with the Mountaineer Sports Network.
FLORIDA STATE: The NCAA found no new allegations of academic cheating by Florida State student-athletes, but it may consider additional penalties against the school, including the forfeiture of games. Athletes cheated on an online test from the fall of 2006 through summer 2007. They also received improper help from staffers who provided them with answers to the exam and typed papers for them. The NCAA will hold a hearing Oct. 18 to decide if Florida State should receive additional penalties.
EAST CAROLINA: The State Bureau of Investigation is looking into reports that some police used excessive force on fans during East Carolina’s dramatic win last weekend. Officials said the SBI will consider video that shows fans being knocked down by officers as fans rushed the field after the Pirates’ 24-3 upset win over then-No. 8 West Virginia. East Carolina is being fined $10,000 by Conference USA because fans ran onto the field.
