TAMPA -- With a string of near-misses that had built up into a seven-game losing streak, it looked like USF might need divine intervention to get its first Big East win. Turns out, the Bulls just needed a little Providence.

Trailing the Friars by 17 in the first half and 12 at the break, the Bulls rallied in nearly the opposite of their standard storyline, saving their best basketball for the end of a 79-72 victory before a crowd of 3,526 in the Sun Dome.

"I do think our team needed confidence, confidence that they could finish a game, confidence they could win a game in the Big East," coach Stan Heath said. "You can only be close so many times, and it just drains you. Now guys feel good about themselves tonight. ... The focus will be a little better, and that momentum will carry into our next game."

USF (7-12, 1-5) has won three straight against the Friars (11-8, 0-6), just the third time in six Big East seasons they've beaten a team three in a row. They won with balanced scoring and solid free-throw shooting, going 8-for-8 at the line in the final minute. ... Read more

There are three things we're hearing a lot about this week as the Bulls try to focus their attention on problem areas -- turnover margin, third down on offense and the passing game. Improve in those three areas, and USF will be in good position to reverse their current skid.

Just how bad are the Bulls in those areas? Consider the passing game in terms of passing touchdowns vs. interceptions -- as a plus-minus, USF has the worst out of 66 programs in BCS conferences, sitting at minus-5 (5 TDs, 10 INTs).  In all of Division I-A, only New Mexico (minus-6) and Middle Tennessee State (minus-8) are worse, though there are solid programs close to USF -- LSU, Penn State and Kentucky are all at minus-4. Friday's opponent Cincinnati, by comparison, is sitting at plus-14, with 17 TDs and just three interceptions -- the only schools in the nation with a better differential are USC and Boise State at plus-17 and Hawaii, which is a ridiculous plus-19. ... Read more

Former USF running back Mike Ford has been arrested for the second time in four months in Sarasota, where police say he violated a protective injunction by leaving harassing messages by phone and on Facebook to the mother of his two children.

Ford, 24, was arrested Wednesday night and was released Thursday evening on $50,000 bond. He was arrested in June on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery against the same woman, Berneta Bean, though that charge was later dropped. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a Sarasota County Sheriff's Office report stated that Ford left a phone message in late September that "nothing would keep him from seeing his kids and that bad things would happen if he could not see them soon." One message written on Facebook.com stated that Ford did not care about a "petty" restraining order against him, the report said. ... Read more

With Kevin Gidrey, Andrew Ketchel and Richard Kelly all seniors this fall, USF will have significant turnover at the hybrid TE/FB position in the offseason, but the Bulls have addressed that position by picking up a commitment Wednesday night from Tye Turner, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound senior from Griffin, Ga.

"He's a big, athletic kid -- blocks well and catches the ball well," said Griffin coach Steve DeVoursney, who said Turner chose the Bulls over offers from Western Kentucky -- USF's next opponent -- and Western Carolina, along with interest from Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

Turner, who carries a 3.7 grade-point average at Griffin and also plays basketball, played primarily fullback and H-back last season but is working as a tight end this fall, with three catches for 39 yards in his first two games. Griffin, located about 40 miles south of Atlanta, is undefeated and ranked as the No. 3 team in Georgia's Class 4A rankings. It's also the alma mater of Western Kentucky running back Bobby Rainey, who has rushed for 339 yards and three touchdowns in WKU's two lopsided losses. ... Read more