Senior Matt Huners, who has started all 12 games this season at offensive guard and has graded out as one of USF's best offensive linemen, will miss Saturday's St. Petersburg Bowl against Memphis because he is academically ineligible.

Huners, a fifth-year player from Palm Harbor, graduated last spring but did not earn enough postgraduate credit hours during the fall semester to maintain his eligibility. He started all but one game at left guard this season, shifting to right guard in USF's loss to Cincinnati.

"There's no excuse for it," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "There's a rule and he knew about it. Matt was well aware of this for a long time, and we've been prepared for it. This is no new shock to us."

Offensive line is a position already thinned by injuries this season, and with Huners out, the Bulls will start sophomore Jake Sims, who has been limited in practice since breaking a bone in his right hand in practice last week.

Sims, a former walk-on put on scholarship this fall, will step in at right tackle, with right tackle Marc Dile shifting to left tackle and left tackle Ryan Schmidt moving inside to Huners' spot at left guard. Freshmen Danous Estenor and Jeremiah Warren would be the most experienced linemen available in case of any additional injury.