Matt Grothe
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| Matt Grothe | |
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| College | South Florida |
| Conference | Big East |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | QB |
| Jersey # | 8 |
| Class | RS junior (2008) |
| Career | 2006 – present |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 213 lb (97 kg) |
| Nationality | USA |
| Born | September 8, 1986 |
| High school | Lake Gibson HS, Lakeland, Florida |
| Awards | |
| Big East Rookie of the Year (2006) | |
| Bowl games | |
Matt Grothe (born September 8, 1986) is the current starting quarterback for the University of South Florida Bulls (USF) NCAA Division 1-A football team. Grothe is a 2005 graduate of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida.
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[edit] High School Years
Grothe attended Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida and was a letterman in football. In football, he was a two-time first team Class 4A All-State selection, named the Lakeland Ledger Player of the Year twice, and as a senior, he was named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, was named the Class 4A Player of the Year, was a finalist for Mr. Football in the state of Florida, and was named the Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year. Grothe led his team to the state championship football game vs. Armwood HS. Grothe passed for 2,700 yards and ran for 1,250 yards as a senior. Grothe passed for 33 touchdowns and rushed for 15 touchdowns. [1] After his senior season, he was named the 21st best prospect in Florida by the Tampa Tribune, named the 23rd best prospect in Florida by the Orlando Sentinel, and Rivals.com ranked him as the 24th best dual-threat quarterback and 93rd best overall prospect in the state of Florida. Matt Grothe graduated from Lake Gibson High School in 2005 with a 4.0 grade point average.
[edit] Collegiate Career
[edit] 2007 season
Grothe was named to the Maxwell Award watch list, the first USF player ever named to the list. Grothe was also named to the Manning Award watch list, given to college football's top quarterback. Grothe led the Bulls to a 9-4 record in the 2007 season, including a 26-23 victory over No. 18 Auburn in Alabama on September 9, 2007 and a 21-13 victory over #5 West Virginia University at home on September 29, 2007. On October 14, 2007, Grothe was at the helm as the Bulls skyrocketed to a No. 2 BCS ranking in the nation, the highest school ranking in history. [2] The team ended the 2007 regular season ranked 21st in the BCS.
Grothe broke his own record for passing yards in a game with 382 in a 38-33 loss to the University of Cincinnati, and had a career-long 80-yard TD run against the University of Pittsburgh on November 24, 2007. He finished the 2007 regular season with 22 all-purpose touchdowns against only 12 interceptions.
Grothe and the Bulls accepted an invitation to the Brut Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX, where they fell short against the University of Oregon Ducks of the PAC-10 on December 31, 2007.
[edit] 2006 season
The 2006 season marked Grothe's first action on the football team after redshirting all of USF's 2005 bowl season. While many were skeptical of the possible talent level of the QB in his first year, he created a national splash by winning the starting quarterback spot over senior Pat Julmiste in the first game of 2006 against McNeese State. The national buzz continued for Grothe, the 2006 Big East Rookie of the Year, after he led his team to a stunning upset of #7 West Virginia on the road in Morgantown. In his first post-season appearance, he led USF to the PapaJohns.com bowl against East Carolina. Although Grothe missed the entire 2nd half of the game with a shin injury, the Bulls claimed their first-ever bowl victory by a score of 24-7.
Sports television channel ESPN named Grothe the "biggest surprise" in all of the Big East Conference for the 2006 football season. In total offensive yards, Grothe accumulated an average of 246 yards per game, second to only Louisville's Brian Brohm in 2006 Big East play. Nationally, he ranked #17 in total offense for 2006 and was the 2nd ranked freshman in the country in that category. [1]
[edit] 2005 season
Grothe spent the 2005 campaign as a redshirt behind then-quarterback Pat Julmiste.
[edit] Records and Accolades
At South Florida, Grothe surpassed 3000 yards of total offense in his first full season and passed for more than 2400, breaking both school records formerly held by Marquel Blackwell. On December 1, 2006, the Sporting News magazine named Grothe the 2006 Big East Freshman of the Year, as well as naming him to the Big East All-Freshman team. The Tampa Tribune also named Grothe the Big East Rookie of the Year.
- 2006 Big East Rookie of the Year
- 2006 Sporting News Big East Freshman of the Year
- 2006 Sporting News Big East All-Freshman Team
- 2006 Scout All-American Freshman Team (2nd team)
- 2006 Tampa Tribune Big East Freshman of the Year
- 2007 Nationalchamps.net Heisman Watch Candidate
- 2007 Maxwell Award Watch List
- 2007 Manning Award Watch List
[edit] References
- ^ Matt Grothe Bio - GoUSFBulls.com—Official Athletics Web Site of the University of South Florida
- ^ South Florida Football grabs no. 2 ranking in the BCS | WBUL 1620am - The University of South Florida's Student Radio Station
