USF vs PENN STATE

[FIGHTNBULLS]

Personally, I think we got a good shot at an upset in Penn State.  Remember, their offense is terrible. They lost their QB due to grad. Will be starting anew there.

Their touted D only avg at best. If Andre Hall has + 100 yrds allowing some passing where we get on the board with 14 pts  or more, WE WIN !

[ChiTownBull]

welcome aboard FIGHTNBULLS

hope you are right  ;D

[KeysBull]

how is their d just average?

[S p e n c e]

Yeah, thier D is top 10 possibly even top 5 in the country well above average.  It will be very difficult to pull out a win.  We are going to have to really rely on special teams and field position to control this game.  If we can get lucky and return a kick or punt for a TD early, or grab a lucky fumble recovery or pick we may have a chance.  

[KeysBull]

Well i have to agree that their offense is pretty terrible.  I doubt either team will score more than 20 points.

[Guest Shane Beener]

I have to agree that our Offense leaves much to be desired.  Hopefully with our new freshmen we can get something going there.  However, I disagree that our defense is average.  With that said I can't wait for the game!

[USFPDiddy]

PSU defense is top notch.  The QB is also not new, as he has been around along with mills for several years.  That said, he is definitely no heisman candidate preseason.

PSU will be a good team with a winning record next year, and a great test for our bulls.  If we win, expect as high as 8-9 wins on the year, as we will be THAT good to win there IMO.  If we lose, look for more around 5-6 6-5 range.

[Guest BasketBull.]

It's a tough challenge for our Bulls.

1) They will be playing at home and in front of a huge crowd. There's a lot riding on this game for them. Basically, in their minds they cannot afford to lose to USF. This factor alone is 7 points in their favor.

2) They have a great defense: it will be a tough day running the ball alone. We need to be able air it out if we are to move anything on the ground. And with a new offense, this spells out 7 points in their favor.

3) There are too many questions for our team. Between the defense and the offense, all we can count on is Andre Hall at this point. But we had him last year also and he couldn't do it alone...

Keys to the game:

Keeping it close and possibly winning: we must move the ball in the air and then get them to back up so we can run the ball. 95% of it is riding on the QB position.

No passing game and this game can get very ugly... Our defense will be on the field for a very long time and things will not look pretty. Papa Joe will look like a football genius.

The good: USF gets a big check $$$.

The bad: our weaknesses are going to be exposed.

The ugly: If the defense plays the entire game...

21-point underdog is about right.

[Guest]

Here are some things to consider...

First, because of Penn State's great defense and their lackluster offense, there will be far more punts than touchdowns... so it will really be a battle of field position... If USF can keep PSU pinned back most of the time, then USF has the chance...

In a defensive game, turnovers are going to be more important than in a shootout... If USF can get some takeaways - especially in field goal range - and also keep control of the ball... then USF has the chance.

In a game where first downs are precious, penalties can hurt a ton... a single holding call on USF's offense will effectively kill a drive - no matter where it is on the field (I don't see USF getting 20 yards in 3 plays on the PSU defense, let alone 2 or 1)... personal foul calls on defense can give the PSU offense yards that they might not get on their own... If USF can limit the number of penalties, especially 10 and 15 yard ones (false starts and offsides can be forgiven), then USF has the chance...

When you play a strong defense, where the "weakest" point is their secondary, the passing game becomes more critical... "Weakest" is a relative term, as the PSU secondary is still a good unit... The QB will need to make sure his throws are accurate, and the WRs will need to eliminate dropped passes... If the USF passing game can improve from 48% completion to 65% completion, then USF has the chance...

Andre Hall will be a marked man... running against their DL and their LBs will be a challenge... heck, if I were JoePa, I would put 8 or 9 men in the box and dare the QB to throw it... I'd blitz every other down... the USF OL will need to hold their DL at bay - and allow Hall to rush for positive yards... If Andre Hall can rush for 100 yards, then USF has the chance...

Finally, yes, 100,000 people can be a very challenging crowd... and with not disrespect to the die hard Penn State fans that might be reading this board -- but these 100,000 are not Arkansas fans... or Tennesee fans... I have watched Penn State games where the crowd was very silent... If Penn State falters early, the vast majority of the fans will be sitting on their hands.  Don't give the crowd too much credit in this case, they won't be that loud.

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There are a lot of IF's above, and they don't all need to happen to give USF the chance to win this game... To be sure, Penn State has a GREAT defense and it will be tough to score on them.... but the Penn State offense is no better (if not worse) than USF's, so it will be tough for them to score on us...

I would think that if USF can score 21+ points (which hasn't happen against Penn State since 2003) then USF will win the game.

[mutt]

The BULLS will DESTROY them...