USF finds out about Kelly's tricks of the trade in 2007

What could have been a potential top ten matchup between the schools turned into a mid-afternoon struggle between two teams looking to back on track in Big East play. What could have been a primetime game on ABC, what could have been a game where ESPN’s College Gameday broadcasted their show from the “Pirate Ship” in Raymond James Stadium, turned into a shootout between new Big East foes.
But enough about what could have been.

In 2007 Brian Kelly’s UC Bearcats started off 6-0. The ‘Cats rose to national prominence and a #15 ranking, unheard of in recent memory for UC fans. In mid October they dropped two games in a row, to rivals Louisville and Pittsburgh before a bye week. After the bye the ‘Cats traveled to Tampa, Florida and tried to right their ship.
USF had a dream season in 2007 as well. They rose to #2 in the country before dropping games to Rutgers and Connecticut. They came into the game against the Bearcats ranked #18 and favored at home.

The parallels between that matchup and this one are very few and far between, but the Bearcats are coming off of a bye week heading to Tampa and the Bulls are ranked #21—close to 18th—in the polls.
But that game in 2007 was one of the wildest games I have ever witnessed. A game that saw Brian Kelly throw out every play in the playbook, including a fake punt and fake field goal, in order to pull off a stunning 38-33 victory.

The first quarter took over one hour to complete. USF struck first on a 73 yard “pick six” five minutes into the game. Two-and-a-half minutes later Ben Mauk hit Antwuan Giddens for 63 yards and a touchdown. The ensuing kickoff was returned 100 yards by the Bulls’s Mike Jenkins and that quickly the game became a track meet. It was 14-7 with 10:30 showing on the clock.

We needed a TV timeout or two just to catch our breaths after watching the first five minutes, but the fireworks were not over yet. The Bearcats scored 24 straight first quarter points, including a blocked punt which was recovered in the endzone by Giddens and a “pick six” of our own by Mike Mickens.
After one it was 31-14 and the ‘Cats seemed like they were clicking on all cylinders even coming off of a bye week. But after two field goals by USF and one UC touchdown in the second quarter it was 38-20 at halftime.

The first half was as crazy as it sounds. Kelly, who doubles as UC’s playcaller on gamedays, threw everything his mind could imagine at USF. On one fourth down in my end of the stadium he let Kevin Huber—now with the Cincinnati Bengals—fake a punt. The play was supposed to be a short pass from Huber to blocking back Doug Jones. Jones tripped on the play and Huber sprinted, well ok, he ran, for a first down instead.

Kelly also called a “flea flicker” pass where Ben Mauk handed the ball to Jacob Ramsey who was going to run forward into the line and toss the ball back to Mauk, who would then heave it down the field for a receiver. Ramsey fumbled the ball and the Bulls took over.

One other play featured Mauk swinging the ball out to wideout Marcus Barnett who then launched the ball down field to Mardy Gilyard. Gilyard got tripped from behind just short of the goal line.

On fourth and 13, with less than half a minute left on the clock, UC up 38-33, and at the USF 28, Kelly took a timeout. He wanted to kick a field goal, or did he? If you were watching on TV you may have seen ESPN do a close up shot of Kelly who uttered the phrase, “Let’s fake it.”

And they did.

Huber was the holder and he got the snap from long snapper Mike Windt. Instead of placing the ball on the ground he flipped it over his head to Rogers who swung behind him. Rogers was ready to throw the ball deep to Craig Carey—who was still a quarterback at the time—but was hit for a loss on the play and South Florida took over from there.

After two futile shots at the endzone with only seconds remaining, the UC players flooded the field, escaping Tampa with a 38-33 victory. It was easily the most exciting game in the Kelly era to that point. “We said it was going to be exciting,” he said. “We certainly are not cookie cutter when it comes to the way we play the game of football.”
And if that game was any indication, we’re in for a treat when the two teams meet tomorrow evening on ESPN at 7:30. I have a feeling that we won’t be seeing any more fake field goals with thirty seconds left on the clock.