Miami-USF could become next rivalry
CORAL GABLES (AP) – When teams step out of conference to end the regular season, it’s traditionally for a matchup of in-state rivals.
Think Florida-Florida State. Georgia-Georgia Tech. Clemson-South Carolina.
The “rivalry” between Miami and South Florida isn’t exactly at that level yet. By 2013, that might change.
Starting with Saturday’s trip to Tampa, the Hurricanes are planning to end their next five regular-season schedules against the Bulls. The teams have only met once, a 27-7 Miami win in 2005, so it’s not a real rivalry yet. Given South Florida’s rapid ascent in college football, combined with the schools going head-to-head for recruits, it’s a series both sides take seriously.
“It’s an in-state game,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “There’s going to be some fire, there’s going to be some excitement in the air. It’s probably going to be a sold-out stadium, one of those type of deals. It’s South Florida having an opportunity to get on the map, beat the University of Miami. Our players have to understand, it’s a rivalry game.”
South Florida would say it already is on that map.
Only two seasons ago, the Bulls – who didn’t even play their first game until 1997 – were ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25, getting 11 first-place votes in the poll released Oct. 14, 2007. Earlier this season, South Florida went into Tallahassee and stunned Florida State 17-7, a win that Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said afterward “changes history.”
Getting a chance to take down Miami, that alone is a reward for the Bulls.
“We’ve only been Division I-A, what, eight years? We haven’t been around a long time,” Leavitt said Monday. “I really thought, if there was a way we could play one of those schools and try to build a game, then I thought it would really help our program as we continue to try to build this. Miami agreed to play us for this stretch, and hopefully it will continue after that.”
No. 19 Miami (8-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) almost surely will consider that plan.
Already this season, the Hurricanes have played on national television seven times, something that certainly helps recruiting. So does visibility around the talent-rich Sunshine State. Miami started the year in Tallahassee against Florida State, went to Orlando a few weeks later to play Central Florida, and now ends the slate in Tampa against the Bulls (7-3, 3-3 Big East).