MG Sports Talk

I guess you can drink at USF games...nice

Tampa, FL - It seems like every time these teams meet its a season-changing game for both. South Florida (5-2) started the 2009 campaign fast with a 5-0 out of the gates and a huge road win against ranked Florida State making their way into the AP Top 25 before falling consecutively to Big East leaders Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, currently ranked #6 and #16 respectively. #20 West Virginia (6-1) has also started the season strong with their only loss coming at Auburn in a game that saw the Mountaineers give up the ball 6 times. Yes, 6. A close win over an inspired and respected UCONN team last week moved the Eers up the polls but many of WVU’s toughest tests remain on the schedule.

Bottom line…tonight’s game, which will be televised at 8pm ET on ESPN2, is a must win for both teams if either wants a chance at the Big East title. The Mountaineers still have tough games to play at Cincinnati and at Rutgers with the Backyard Brawl vs. rival Pitt in Morgantown this year. And WVU fans remember all too well what happened the last time the Panthers came to Touchdown City. USF is in the midst of arguably the hardest 3 game lineup of any team this year but could stay afloat with a home win under the lights at Raymond James Stadium.

Here is what to look for:

WVU RB Noel Devine is the most exciting player in the country. Averaging 130 ypg, #7 is liable to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball. Expect WVU to get creative on offense by using Devine in multiple sets and even splitting him out as a slot receiver to avoid USF’s D line.

USF has 2 defensive ends headed to the NFL in George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul. The young Mountaineer O line will have their hands full, especially on pass plays, where these 2 monsters excel. Conversely, the Bulls have the 2nd worst rush defense in the Big East so look for big numbers on the ground for Dub Vee.

WVU QB Jarrett Brown ranks 23rd in passer rating nationwide, proof that West Virginia has opened up their offense to a good mix. Brown’s obvious downfall is in his inability to hold on to the ball and his decision-making through the air has been shaky. For tonight, I would give him the green light to tuck and run early and often. Expect to see a similar style on the other side of the ball with USF backup QB B.J. Daniels. Matt Grothe’s replacement, has seen mild success in both the air and ground game. Against Florida State, Daniels ran for 127 yards, looking an awful lot like the injured USF starter. Although, Daniels has had his trouble through the air with 4 INTs in his last 2 starts.

Also…look for hot girls in the crowd. Supposedly, the girl pictured, Jen Sterger goes from game to game with the home teams’ colors on and sits up front to get TV time. Now thats a true fan….of herself. I’d be a fan too if you chopped off that mug or if she was wearing Blue & Gold. See more of superfan Jennifer Sterger.

Expect an exciting game tonight, as these two teams have formed somewhat of a fierce rivaly in 5 short years. The series is tied 2-2 and USF seems to have WVU’s number on defense. The Mountaineer offense has been held to under 20 points in all 4 previous games. I expect a close game with WVU beating the spread of -3

WVU 24
USF 20

Jenn says…Leave your picks!

Tags: Auburn Tigers, B.J. Daniels, Cincinnati Bearcats, George Selvie, Jarrett Brown, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jen Sterger, Matt Grothe, Noel Devine, Pittsburgh Panthers, South Florida Bulls, UCONN Huskies, West Virginia Mountaineers | This entry was posted on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 6:10 pm and is filed under NCAA Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.