SOUTH FLORIDA QB CAN’T DEAL WITH FACEBOOK POKERS: The dark clouds of hatred are growing between two rising programs in the Sunshine State. How do we know the animosity is getting serious? Just ask Facebook:

The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES logs in with news that the online socializing site is being used by fans to mess with South Florida QB Matt Grothe.The #5 Bulls will be facing Central Florida this Saturday at a sold-out Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In the days leading up to the I-4 rivalry, many Knights fans have been ‘poking’ the USF QB’s Facebook page.

As explained on the site, a poke is a way to interact with other Facebook members, calling it “a feature without any specific purpose.” But UCF faithful have found a purpose - to annoy the rival QB.

Grothe laments, “I’ve probably been poked three or four times by other schools all year. I’ve probably been poked about 6 million times this week.”

But the South Florida signal-caller is trying not to let the Facebook foolery get to him: “It’s kind of funny. Some of those people…I don’t know.”It’s a shame some would stoop to such shenanigans to harass an opposing player before a big matchup. But if you have a Facebook account, try poking Matt here.