South Florida Bulls vs Miami Hurricanes Recap

The South Florida Bulls won one in-state showdown this season against Florida State. Two months later, they emphatically failed in their attempt to win another Sunshine State showcase.

The Miami Hurricanes were not in a giving mood on Saturday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Coach Randy Shannon's club strode into Tampa, Fla., and upheld the honor of the ACC against the Big East. By smacking South Florida from start to finish, the Canes dealt Jim Leavitt's Bulls a crushing blow near the end of another season that started strong, but is ending with a whimper.

The refrain is incredibly old, worn and familiar, but it still applies to the USF program after all these years: First halves of seasons are fabulous in Tampa, while second halves are horrible. The Bulls began the year 5-0, only to then drop three of their next five in a pattern that has repeated itself with mind-numbing regularity. This matchup with another brand-name program gave South Florida a chance to register a signature November win, and gain an opportunity to produce a 9-3 regular season record.

A strong two-game finish was a significant goal for USF, because it would have muted any talk of another late-season swoon; moreover, given the loss of senior quarterback Matt Grothe, a 9-3 record - burnished with twin triumphs over Florida State and Miami - would have made 2009 a highly successful campaign for the Bulls. This statement would have held true even without the presence of a Big East championship, especially since Leavitt and his coaching staff would have owned a considerable extra measure of recruiting leverage in the state of Florida. Taking down "The U" would have made South Florida an even more prominent program.

The calculus was clear entering the high-stakes collision with the Canes: There was much to be won and lost on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. A win, and 9-3 could come into view; a loss, and a stumble to a 7-5 finish loomed as a distinct - and devastating - possibility.

Unfortunately yet all-too-recognizably, South Florida took the path of least resistance, bowing meekly to Miami in a game that was never really close.

The Canes stormed the gates in this game, bolting to a 14-3 lead while outgaining USF by a 144-14 margin. Miami established complete control on both sides of the line of scrimmage, eventually extending its lead to 21-3 while the Bulls and quarterback B.J. Daniels struggled to do anything on offense. Speed, physicality, precision, ball security, balance, you name it - Miami had it and USF most certainly did not. The Bulls offered one brief glimpse of quality on a 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive at the start of the third quarter to slice the Canes' lead to 21-10, but Daniels - just 6-of-16 for 77 yards, with one touchdown and one interception - was never heard from after that.

There's no way to sugar-coat or hide from the ugly reality: South Florida's second-half fade is complete, the program's negative reputation still very much alive. If Leavitt and his staff can't coax a win from their players next week at Connecticut, the specter of 7-5 will haunt USF football into a downcast December and the offseason to come.

> 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