For Carlton Mitchell, the first thing that needed to go was the old cell phone.

After a disappointing sophomore year, South Florida’s No. 1 wide receiver realized something had to change.

During the offseason, Mitchell’s mother, Angela Mitchell, bought her son a new cell phone before the start of training camp that only his coaches, teammates, and herself knew the number to.

The ‘focus phone’ was a way for Mitchell to isolate himself from everyone else and allowed for him to concentrate on the game.

‘I was already serious about getting something to change, but I think one of the biggest steps was getting a separate phone for camp,’ Mitchell said ‘I kept my normal phone off, and I left it at home. All I had was the focus phone. Once camp started I was more focused and I just learned the game more.’

The phone was just the beginning of Mitchell’s rededication and transformation this season.

As a junior this year, Mitchell has already registered more catches, yards and touchdowns than a year ago, and is becoming one of the most dynamic playmakers in the Big East.

He is the leading receiver for the Bulls right now, with 29 catches for 542 yards and four touchdowns through eight games.

Mitchell suffered an ankle injury two weeks ago against West Virginia, and USF head coach Jim Leavitt said he is doubtful for this weekend’s game. Nevertheless, Mitchell in the middle of his best season and is expected to return for the stretch run.

‘Last year, I had a lot of outside distractions, and I kind of lost a little focus,’ Mitchell said. ‘It was just outside stuff. I really hurt the team and a lot needed to change.’

After a record-setting freshman campaign, Mitchell saw a decrease in playing time and recognized that he couldn’t keep doing what he was doing.

Mitchell re-committed himself to the team and adjusted the way he approached the game.

‘I changed who I played for and what I play for,’ Mitchell said. ‘Before, I played for the fame and the hype. It was like I was playing a selfish game. Now I feel that I play for all the right reasons. I feel like I’m a more complete person and a more complete player.’

So far this year, Mitchell’s new demeanor has paid dividends for his team, and he has become one of the elite deep-ball threats in the Big East.

After eight games, Mitchell has caught five passes for more than 50 yards and is averaging 18.7 yards per catch.

At 6-foot 4, Mitchell’s size is what allows for him to get leverage on smaller defenders, but it’s his speed and ability to break through the secondary that make him so explosive.

He ran track during his first year at South Florida and holds the school record for the 400-meter dash (47.28).

‘He can stretch the field vertically and he can catch a short route and turn it into a big play,’ said Mark Kantor, one of Mitchell’s former coaches at Gaither (Fla.) High School. ‘That’s the thing that really separates the guys that are playing in the NFL from everyone else. He can create separation from the defenders because they have to honor that speed.’

Mitchell’s big plays have been a huge boost for the Bulls, but he has yet to prove that he can be a consistent performer.

He was a non-factor in USF’s two losses against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, finishing with a combined three catches for a total of 33 yards. He also only had one catch in the Bulls’ victory over Florida State.

In the other five games that the USF has played, he is averaging five catches and 100.2 yards per game. When Mitchell catches more than four passes this year, the Bulls are 5-0.

Even though Mitchell’s production has been inconsistent, he has still improved off of last year and has become a leader on South Florida’s offense.

The dropped passes from a year ago are a thing of the past, and he is establishing himself as one of the premier wide receivers in the Big East.

‘He has a lot more confidence,’ Leavitt said two weeks ago on the weekly Big East teleconference. ‘He is capable of doing some really big things, as we can see. As a guy gets older, he gets more confident in his play, and I think that’s just been the biggest thing for him.’

Game of the Week

West Virginia at No. 5 Cincinnati

Friday, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Last year, West Virginia had to score 13 points and recover an onside kick in the final 1:11 to force overtime.

Cincinnati ended up wining the game in overtime and carried the momentum from the victory all the way to the school’s first Big East title.

This year, the Bearcats are No. 5 in the BCS rankings and have a legitimate shot at getting into the BCS Championship if they win out.

However, all of that can change with a loss to the Mountaineers.

West Virginia struggled on offense last week, as it barely squeaked out a 17-9 win over a struggling Louisville team, but is currently No. 25 in the BCS rankings.

With a win in this game the Mountaineers could drastically change the Big East title race and put to sleep the chances of the Bearcats playing for a national championship.

‘It’s the same West Virginia team that you have seen over the last five or six years,’ Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly said. ‘They are extremely talented on both sides of the ball. It’s another great challenge and it’s one that were excited being home for, that’s for sure.’

rwmarfur@syr.edu

Published on November 10, 2009 at 12:00 pm