South Florida Bulls @ Syracuse Orange Football Preview

The Orange have been squeezed in recent weeks, but the Bulls have been gored. One team is sliding entering Friday night's Big East battle, but the other is in freefall.

South Florida travels to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse in a battle of teams reeling of late after promising starts. The Bulls opened the season 4-0, were ranked in the top 25, and looked to be the class of the Big East, only to lose their next four games, all Big East games, and suddenly find themselves in danger of missing the postseason. Meanwhile, while they were often narrow victories, Syracuse looked to also be a contender for the Big East title after starting 5-2 and scoring an impressive win over West Virginia two weeks ago on national television. Since then, the Orange has suffered consecutive Big East losses on the road and has seen their offense virtually disappear. Now they’ll have the chance to rebound at home against an equally reeling South Florida team. The loser could very well be eliminated from bowl contention.

For South Florida, an offense that was statistically one of the best in the country for the first month of the season has regressed since to the point of non-existence. The Bulls were unable to generate any semblance of an offense in losses to Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and Rutgers. The play of quarterback BJ Daniels has also regressed to where he was in 2010: inconsistent and erratic. With multiple opportunities to make crucial throws to put South Florida in position to win the game against Rutgers, Daniels often missed. He has continued to be a weapon running the ball, however, rushing for 440 yards on the year. Against Syracuse, a defense that generates a great deal of pressure up front with its defensive line, Daniels will again have to make plays with his legs, but to win, he’ll need to make some clutch throws as well.

The Orange will also be looking to jump start a struggling offense that has disappears since the upset of West Virginia two weeks ago. Against Louisville, the Orange could not move the ball on the ground and could not protect Ryan Nassib. Against Connecticut, they had success moving the ball but were paralyzed by penalties and turnovers. This offensive struggle has been out of character for a team that has been disciplined and efficient for most of the season. For the Orange to win, Nassib will need to be smart and accurate, keep the chains moving, and get the ball to his safety blanket tight end Nick Provo. South Florida has struggled on the road; more to the point, though, the Cuse has an offense that can keep BJ Daniels on the sidelines and protects the ball. That's all the Orange are likely to need in the attempt to regain that winning feeling.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer