Has South Florida Peaked? Matt Grothe Remains Bullish on His Team

Don't worry, Matt Grothe doesn't need to be be coddled. He doesn't have a fragile ego. Quite frankly, Grothe is his own harshest critic.

After rising to No. 2 nationally in the middle of the 2007 college football season, the South Florida Bulls have failed to fulfill inflated expectations. Grothe, one of the most experienced returning quarterbacks in the country and a multi-dimensional playmaker, admits he put too much pressure on himself to make sure USF remained in the national spotlight.

Of course, that spotlight has flickered. There have been no Big East titles and mediocre 14-11 record once the schedule rolled into October and beyond the past three years. Determined to change that trend and help the Bulls play up to their talent level, Grothe is approaching his final season with a different mantra.

"I think the past couple of years when we've gotten ourselves in a hole, I've tried to put too much on my shoulders," Grothe told FanHouse Tuesday. "This year I am not going to worry so much about what's down the line, worry so much about the next game. I am just going to concentrate on the next play and play football like I know how.

"Sometimes I think I am a little too negative on myself. When I watch video and see some of my mistakes, yes, I want to learn from them and try to avoid them as well. But I've also have done the same thing other times and helped make big plays.

"I want to find a happy medium and go with some of the stuff and decisions that have helped me."

That process has started during summer workouts under the torrid Tampa, Fla., sun for Grothe and the Bulls. The team runs and lifts weight five times a week, followed by seven-on-seven throwing sessions on Mondays and Thursdays.

With 12 returning starters, including heralded defensive end George Selvie, and a relatively soft opening schedule against Wofford, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern before traveling to testy Florida State, USF wants to build early confidence and momentum.

"Honestly, I think this is the best summer we've had as a team," said, Grothe, who led the Big East in total offense (269.4 yards per game) and ranked No. 21 nationally last season in his third year as the Bulls' starter. "We've been so close, but our goal is to win the Big East. I believed we really had a good chance last year but certain things didn't go our way. But you can't make excuses or worry about last year. We are going to try our best this year.

"We've really been putting in the time this summer to help accomplish that goal."

Grothe, 22, has certainly paid his dues. He's known as a player who can make plays with his hands and his feet, and, at times, has been his electric best when forced to improvise outside of the pocket. It's easy to see why Brett Favre was his quarterback hero as a youth.

Grothe, a sturdy 6-foot, 210-pound right-hander, posted career best in touchdown passes (18), passing yards (2,911), passing yards per game (223.9) and added a team-best 591 rushing yards and four touchdowns last season. Grothe will enter his senior season with a chance to break Big East records for completions, touchdowns responsible for and passing yards and overtake Pat White as the conference's all-time leader in career total offense.

Never satisfied, there's another statistic Grothe wants to improve -- interceptions. He has tossed 14 in three consecutive seasons, either forcing the pass into coverage or trying to make a big play. Grothe is determined to make better reads and fewer errors.

"I know how to play football. I know after the past three years I know what I can do," said Grothe, who has 8.157 career passing yards, 1,799 shy of the Big East record.

"I also know what I need to stay away from. Just like my teammates, I've been working hard and learning this summer. It's just a matter of building on the good that has happened the last few years because it's up to us not to let down the older guys who have been part of all this."

Of course, "this" has been very cool.

On Sept. 6, 1996, 75 players assembled for the Bulls' first ever practice under coach Jim Leavitt. They opened their season in 1997 and went 8-3 in their first year in Division-I in 2001. While the program also has experienced growing pains, it was the talk of the national media in 2007 when it opened 6-0 and rose to No. 2 nationally behind Grothe.

That was then, this is now.

Fans are wondering if the Bulls have reached a plateau, winning just five of their last 13 league games. Grothe, meanwhile, is well aware of what USF has accomplished, appearing in four consecutive bowl games, and what goals remain. Fans believe the Bulls have as good a chance as any team to win the BIG EAST and play in a BCS bowl game. Plus, non-conference showdowns against FSU and Miami could also change around the program.

Still, Grothe, who is one class shy of graduation, refuses to look ahead. Those days -- in terms of approach -- are gone.

"What we've been able to accomplish as a program has been awesome. I really don't know how else to explain it more than awesome," said Grothe, who played high school football at Lake Gibson in Lakeland, 45 minutes east of Tampa. "It's something I don't forget the rest of my life, knowing that I've been part of something special.

"Still, we still have plenty of goals that we want to accomplish. To do that we need to concentrate and work hard each day, and that's what we've been doing this summer."