South Florida Bulls vs Miami Hurricanes Preview

If you love football, be sure to pull up a chair on Saturday, fix up a turkey sandwich with some gravy and stuffing, and kick back for a fun three-and-a-half-hour thrill ride in Tampa, Fla.

Miami-South Florida sure has the feel of a supreme shootout between two exciting signal callers.

In this corner stands Miami quarterback Jacory Harris. The sophomore and Miami native has shown the unique ability - not found among all quarterbacks - to shrug off mistakes and come back with big plays on subsequent drives. Harris threw two early interceptions against Oklahoma in a ballyhooed Oct. 3 battle, but rebounded to throw three touchdown passes in an important and exciting 21-20 win over a very tough Sooner team and its imposing defense.

Harris also owns a winner's mentality and a flair for the Harry Houdini escape job, as shown when he completed a barrage of late passes to lead Miami to a 28-27 win at Wake Forest on Oct. 31. In that game, the Hurricanes looked down and out when trailing 27-14 in the fourth quarter, but thanks to Harris's heroics in a 14-point flurry, Coach Randy Shannon's squad was able to leave the Demon Deacons dejected and despondent.

Yes, Harris - who played last week against Duke with a bandaged non-throwing hand - can be erratic and puzzling under center. Inconsistency has dogged this 6-foot-4 standout, who came up small in a 31-7 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 26, and then poured forth a total of seven interceptions in twin losses to Clemson and North Carolina. The Jacory Harris Experience is a rollercoaster of stomach-turning proportions; through all of the ups and downs, however, there's one thing Harris certainly isn't, and that's boring. Every Miami game turns into a death-defying drama when this quarterback steps onto the big stage.

Now, in the other corner, stands South Florida field general B.J. Daniels. The freshman has surpassed Coach Jim Leavitt's expectations by keeping USF afloat after the program's celebrated senior superstar, Matt Grothe, was felled for the season with an injury on Sept. 19 against Charleston Southern. Daniels has had an uncanny knack for the big-bomb pass play, a talent first exhibited in a hugely significant 17-7 win at Florida State on Sept. 26. Daniels completed passes of 77 and 73 yards in that game, enabling the Bulls to prevail in their freshman quarterback's first-ever collegiate start. USF not only won a ballgame on that afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla.; the Bulls scored in-state bragging rights, gained leverage on the recruiting trail, and showed that Daniels - who was snubbed by Florida State and Bobby Bowden - can play with anyone in the Sunshine State.

Ever since that shining moment against Florida State, Daniels has continued to excel, albeit in fits and starts. The 20-year-old has looked really bad at times in much the same way that Jacory Harris has (the prime example being a Nov. 12 stinker at Rutgers), but after bouncing back with 445 all-purpose yards in a 34-22 win last week against Louisville, Daniels is back on the beam and ready for his mano-a-mano matchup with his Miami counterpart.

The Hurricanes have their fighter, and the Bulls have their brawler in the ring as well. It should be an entertaining football fight when Miami and South Florida settle an in-state argument at Raymond James Stadium this weekend.

Pass the turkey... and pass the football as well. Jacory Harris and B.J. Daniels figure to give pigskin partisans a taste of something special.

> Find a great selection of USF hats & apparel and more online along with Big East football jerseys from Big East Fans partner sites.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer