Two days after University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt learned at least three of his players were tweeting messages during a team meeting and in the locker room about 15 minutes before kickoff Saturday, Leavitt said he is giving up Twitter."I'm not going to use Twitter any more," Leavitt said Tuesday. "I figured ... if I'm going to ask my players not to probably do it during that time, then I'm just going to stop.
My Twittering days are over."
On Saturday before the Bulls played Wofford, starting wide receiver Carlton Mitchell, back-up quarterback B.J. Daniels and reserve punter Justin Brockhaus-Kann sent tweets from their cell phones during team meetings, the pregame meal and the bus ride to Raymond James Stadium. Mitchell also sent two tweets from the locker room 15 and 55 minutes before kickoff.
"I've never been in that situation and when I read in the [Tampa Tribune] and heard about some guys doing that, how do I respond to that?" Leaviit said. "It's probably something I really don't want ..."
USF senior quarterback Matt Grothe understands why Leavitt was upset.
"The biggest thing was Coach Leavitt wanted us to be focused and prepared," Grothe said. "When that stuff goes on it makes you wonder, but at the same time, he [Mitchell] had a good game."
Mitchell had a team-high six receptions in the Bulls' 40-7 victory.
Leavitt has nearly 1,400 followers on his Twitter account and said he only tweeted at "appropriate times," then joking said, "like 5 in the morning on Sunday [rather] than the other times [during team functions].
"Just to be a role model I'm not going to [tweet]."
Leavitt added he doesn't have a policy against players having cell phones in team meetings.
"If their cell phone goes off in a team meeting, I get disappointed," he said. "I don't have [a team rule], maybe I'm from [the] old school or a different era. I don't know why you would have cell phones around in a locker room or on the bus.
"I never had a policy, maybe I should. Maybe that's my fault I didn't tell them what they could and couldn't do. I just assumed people wouldn't do something like that. You can't assume anything anymore."
So for trivia buffs, here was Leavitt's final tweet posted at 5:11 AM Sunday. "It is amazing how peaceful it is now. Full moon and all. Congrats to MD for making it with the Bucs. I believe AH as well is in. Focus."
Booing Bill
Pittsburgh quarterback Bill Stull ranks second in the Big East in passing efficiency and is tied for second in touchdown passes. However, Stull is the league leader so far this year in most times booed by his own fans.
Such is the life these days for the Panthers' senior.
In Saturday's 38-3 win against Youngstown State, Stull was booed on his second pass of the day.
Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said he probably looks at the booing a little bit differently.
"Fortunately [Stull] is a fifth-year quarterback, he can deal with it," Wannstedt said. "If that's a freshman, a young kid, 18 years old, it could have an effect on him.
"These kids are trying to do the best they can. I understand the fans' side. They're paying money, that's all part of it. It's tough."
Stull, as Pitt fans haven't forgotten, didn't have one of his better days in last year's 3-0 Sun Bowl skunking to Oregon State.
"I think [booing] with the second pass, I thought it was a little bit early for that type of reaction in the first game," Wannstedt said. "I think there's a difference [when booing NFL players] making $10 million."
Pittsburgh's student section was calling for back-up Tino Sunseri -- "We want Tino!" they chanted -- during the game. When Pitt coaches mistakenly put Stull in the game in the third quarter, he was booed even louder.
Perhaps, Wannstedt could have pulled a Sam Wyche and grabbed a sideline microphone and reminded the crowd they don't live in Cleveland.
Stull said he heard the booing from the fans.
"Obviously you're going to hear it, no matter what," Stull told the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. "You have to ignore it, focus on the play at hand and don't let it get to you."
There were also some boo-birds in Piscataway, N.J., as well watching Rutgers' lopsided loss to Cincinnati.
New Card on the Block
Louisville QB Justin Burke made his first collegiate start Saturday, throwing for 223 yards in the Cardinals' 30-10 victory.
Granted, the opponent was FCS Indiana State, which has lost 28 consecutive games, but UL coach Steve Kragthorpe was still pleased with Burke's performance.
