Mitchell out for Rutgers game

Posted Nov 10, 2009 by Gregg Becnel

Updated Nov 10, 2009 at 07:26 PM

The University of South Florida will be without its top receiver and deep threat when the Bulls face Rutgers in an ESPN Thursday night game.

Carlton Mitchell, who suffered a high ankle sprain against West Virginia Oct. 30, will not travel with the team to Piscataway, N.J., Coach Jim Leavitt said. 

With Mitchell’s absence, the opportunity is there for another receiver to take over the playmaker role against the Scarlet Knights.

One candidate is standout freshman Sterling Griffin, who has shown flashes with catches of 73 and 41 yards. He is USF’s fourth-leading receiver with nine receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Griffin said he expected to be a key contributor as a freshman.

“I’m not really surprised,” said Griffin, who averages 21.1 yards per catch. “I came out in the summer and in camp and worked hard and took notes from the older guys and just did everything the coaches said. I knew I was capable of playing when I came here, so I just came out and did what I had to do.”

BUTLER’S SEASON ENDS: Backup CB Tyson Butler will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Leavitt said.

Butler, who saw action in every game this season, had 11 tackles, one fumble recovery and recorded his first career interception at Pittsburgh.

PRAISE FOR KION: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has liked what he’s seen from USF senior LB Kion Wilson.

“He is an instinctual good football player. I have listened to him and he just sounds like a guy that gets it,” Schiano said. “You listen to him talk about football or whatever in his press interactions and say, ‘This guy gets it.’ You can see he gets it on the field. He is a very smart defensive football player.”

Wilson leads USF with 61 tackles.