The Bulls have played just two day games this season; the other six have been at night, including two primetime television Friday and Sunday night games.

But with just four games remaining, three have a noon kickoff, including Saturday’s Homecoming game against Pittsburgh. Even though game time is early in the day, players such as linebacker Patrick St. Louis like playing when the sun is up high.

“I like playing in the afternoon,” said St. Louis, who is third on the team in tackles with 60. “I like the sun; I like playing in the afternoon. You know, we always play at night, and I like the afternoon because that’s when you turn the TV on and a college football game is on. (Saturday) afternoon is college football time.”

To others, such as receiver Amarri Jackson, it doesn’t matter what time the game is scheduled.

“(The time) doesn’t matter to me,” said Jackson, who has 200 yards receiving this season. “Since little league, (I’ve played) morning, noon, night – it doesn’t matter. I think I like the noon time, but I don’t know how good it is for my grandmother. She doesn’t like all the light.”

One-handed: Receiver Jackie Chambers broke his left hand Oct. 22 against Cincinnati, just his second game back from his six-game suspension. However, coach Jim Leavitt said Chambers has to “adjust” and “catch the ball one-handed.”

Long stretch: Leavitt knows his team went a long time before its bye week. Eight weeks elapsed before the Bulls finally had a weekend off for rest and recuperation.

That’s much different than last season, when USF went 21 days between its Oct. 15 game against Pittsburgh and its Nov. 5 game against Rutgers. The extended break was due to Hurricane Wilma, rescheduling the Oct. 22 game against West Virginia to Dec. 3. The bye week followed that game.

Leavitt, however, said it was difficult going so long before taking the break.

“Our guys went through eight weeks of football. We haven’t really gone that long of a stretch without a break before,” Leavitt said. “Last year, remember, we had five weeks off. Five weeks of a season because of the hurricanes, so it’s a little different thing. But it’s what it is when you live in Florida, you don’t always really know.”

This and that: Representatives from the Texas Bowl (Dec. 28) and the International Bowl (Jan. 6) will attend Saturday’s game.