Suspended for USF’s first two games for violating team rules, junior RB Mike Ford has to “earn everybody’s trust back,” USF RBs coach Carl Franks told me Monday.

“He realizes he not only let down himself, but he let down his teammates, which is the most important thing,” Franks said. “It’s a tough situation. He has a family. He let them down to some degree and the coaching staff to some degree.

“He’s got to get back and earn everybody’s trust back. He can do that.”

Ford was suspended in 2007 for one game for missing classes. USF coach Jim Leavitt didn’t indicate the nature of this year’s suspension of Ford.

“I don’t really think about anything other than you keep moving forward,” Leavitt said. “Mike’s a good guy. He really has a good heart. I love him dearly. You got to do the right things, that’s all there is to it.

“(If) you have a son and your son messes up, you can get very angry and let them know how angry you are, but you still love your son.”

Even without Ford and RB Jamar Taylor, who might be out for the season with a knee injury, offensive coordinator Mike Canales said the Bulls still have a solid core of backs.

“We have very capable backs,” Canales said. “Guys will step up. You lose somebody to an injury, somebody will step up. You move on.

“We’ll move on. Things happen like that (Ford’s suspension) and also losing Jamar Taylor was a big hit.”

Even before the suspension was announced Monday, Franks told Moise Plancher would be the starter if the season began now. “Mo has earned it,” Franks said.

Leavitt added the top three backs had been Plancher, Taylor and Aston Samuels and that freshman Lindsey Lamar “is playing beyond his years.”

Ford will not be allowed to play against Division I-AA Wofford and at Western Kentucky. Ford’s season debut will be Sept. 19 against Charleston Southern.

“He has made a mistake and he will have to serve that suspension and he’ll be right back in the mix,” Franks said. “Probably what the team will look for is to see his attitude through that process and how hard he works to be prepared after those two games.”