With the South Florida returning nearly its entire offense from last season's record-breaking unit, the Bulls have their sights set on even bigger goals this fall.

Last year, USF began 6-0 and reached No. 2 in the BCS rankings before a three-game losing streak dropped the Bulls out of the national championship picture and eliminated USF from the Big East race.

With USF returning 10 starters from the offense, including all-everything Matt Grothe, the attention during the spring was on defense. It's on that side of the ball the Bulls must replace four-starters in cornerbacks Mike Jenkins (first-round pick by Dallas) and Trae Williams (fifth-round pick by Jacksonville) and LB Ben Moffitt.

Also, unheralded but steady defensive lineman Richard Clebert has graduated. The defense held its own this spring. Jerome Murphy and Tyller Roberts entered spring as the replacements for Jenkins and Williams and established themselves as the clear-cut starters.

Filling Moffitt's linebacker spot wasn't as easy. It was targeted for junior college transfer Kion Wilson, but he was injured in the spring and didn't get many reps. Chris Robinson, a former defensive end, emerged as a starter at linebacker, joining returning starters Brouce Mompremier and Tyrone McKenzie, a second-team All-Big East selection last season.

The key for the Bulls in 2008 is how they fare early in the season. A nationally televised home game against Kansas in week three could propel the Bulls back into the national spotlight, just like last season when they won at Auburn.

The question is: Can the Bulls maintain that momentum during the Big East season where anything short of a Big East championship would be a disappointment in Tampa?

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