West Virginia Mountaineers @ South Florida Bulls Football Preview

Big East schedule makers setup the South Florida-West Virginia finale to be a de facto Big East championship game. They were half right. West Virginia will travel to Tampa with a chance to win at least a share of the Big East title and to put the pressure on Cincinnati to win its final game as well. Trips to Tampa have not always gone well for the Mountaineers, so the Mountaineers will have to play much better than they did at home against Pittsburgh the week before if they want to escape with a win. South Florida, meanwhile, has struggled through a very disappointing season that saw the team go from first to worst in a matter of six weeks. After starting 4-0 with a road win at Notre Dame, the Bulls opened 0-4 in Big East play and are now in danger of missing a bowl game should they lose on Thursday night. A win over a ranked West Virginia team that also clinches a bowl berth would be a soothing ending to an otherwise forgettable season.

South Florida, much like Cincinnati, built its offense around the play of a dual threat quarterback. BJ Daniels played well to begin the season but as it wore on, he struggled in the passing game, choosing to rely on his running ability to move the offense and becoming increasingly erratic throwing the ball. Daniels injured his shoulder against Miami and after sitting out against Louisville last week, will be a game time decision. If he can’t go, backup Bobby Eveld will once again start. While Eveld not the running threat Daniels is, he is a capable passer. If Daniels can’t go, expect a heavy dose of running back Darrell Scott. Scott is a load to bring down and West Virginia has struggled to stop bigger backs in previous weeks. The Bulls struggle in pass protection, and coming off of a 10-sack performance against Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers defense would love to come after Eveld just as aggressively.

West Virginia’s offense throws the ball as well as any team in the country. The thing that has determined games for the Mountaineers has been the ability to run the ball; even just enough to keep team honest. Last week against Pittsburgh, West Virginia’s offense was completely bottled up in the first half. In the second half, however, Dana Holgorsen committed to running the ball and the team rallied to a 21-20 wins as tailback Shawne Alston rushed for two second half scores. If the running game is just adequate, quarterback Geno Smith and his talented set of receivers led by Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin should have space to run against a banged up South Florida secondary. The challenge will be in containing a very good, young South Florida defensive line led by Ryne Giddins. If the Mountaineers can’t move the ball on the ground, they’ll also have trouble protecting Smith. If they can, they should be able to finish their season in style.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer