Bulls Win in Canada
(January 3, 2010)

The University of South Florida Bulls made the school’s fifth straight bowl appearance in the International Bowl. It’s a good thing the game was played inside at the Rogers Centre, as temperatures were below freezing the entire time the team was in Toronto. There were practices, sightseeing and other festivities before the Bulls took on Northern Illinois.

The Bulls first practiced at the University of Toronto where the field at Varsity Stadium was covered by a temporary bubble. A second practice was held at the Rogers Centre itself. The team went on a tour of the CN Tower and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This was USF’s first January game and first game outside the United States. The 2010 International Bowl started as cold as the weather outside the stadium. A turnover gave USF good field position and Eric Schwartz kicked a field goal five minutes into the game. The Huskies kicked their own field goal and the game was tied 3-3 at the half.

It was Mike Ford that provided the spark for the Bulls. Ford only has one first half carry, but rushed for 207 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown to earn MVP honors. Even though he was sacked five times, B.J. Daniels (14 of 22 for 217 yards) tossed two TD passes to A.J. Love and the Bulls won 27-3.

After back-to-back bowl victories, head coach Jim Leavitt said, ''I thought it was extraordinary the way our team changed at halftime, especially our offense. I told our offensive coaches that we really need to put the ball into Mike Ford's hands.” B.J. Daniels was already looking ahead to next year. ''It's very exciting to see where we are right now and see where we could possibly be. 'We have a lot of young talent and a lot of guys coming back.''