"15 for 15" - The 3rd Greatest Player in USF History is...

Matt Grothe, QB/2006-09

Matt Grothe was the other quarterback in the 2005 recruiting class. Most thought that Carlton Hill was going to be the greatest thing ever at USF , and even then-offensive coordinator Rod Smith thought Grothe should move to safety. After redshirting in 2005, Grothe moved ahead of Hill at QB, and was neck and neck with senior Pat Julmiste on the depth chart. Julmiste started the 2006 opener against McNeese State, but after Pat injured his knee midway through the 2nd quarter, Grothe went in and Pat Julmiste became the USF version of Wally Pipp.

Grothe took over the team, although there wasn't much buzz nationally on what #8 was doing in Tampa. Then, on a sunny November day against Pitt, Matt did this.

(via mattgrothedotcom)

And then he did this five minutes later.

(via mattgrothedotcom)

The crowd couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe it, even the announcers couldn't believe it. Grothe earned cult status across the nation after that game. The media finally had a face with the program, and Matt was the perfect face for USF football. Matt played above his abilities, and the program rose to prominence quicker than anyone expected.

Matt took this team to heights I couldn't have even conceived when I first stepped on campus in 2003. The win against West Virginia in 2006, Grothe to Hester, The Night Tampa Became a College Town, the NUMBER TWO BCS RANKING in the country, the comeback win against Kansas in 2008 where he put the team on his shoulders. The ALL-TIME yardage leader in Big East history. There are probably 50 other things that I'm missing that you guys will add.

Previous entries: #4 - Kawika Mitchell, #5 - Andre Hall, #6 - Anthony Henry, #7 - Mike Jenkins, #8 - Stephen Nicholas, #9 - George Selvie, #10 - Nate Allen, #11 - DeAndrew Rubin, #12 - Hugh Smith, #13 - Kenyatta Jones, #14 - Ben Moffitt, #15 - Chad Barnhardt