USF's challenge this week: stop an unstoppable duo

[E.T.]

USF's challenge this week: stop an unstoppable duo

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published November 23, 2006

 

TAMPA - USF coach Jim Leavitt was lamenting this week how impossible it is for his scout team to simulate the sheer speed the Bulls will face Saturday in West Virginia's twin rushing attack of running back Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White.

"Their speed is off the radar," Leavitt said. "The things you see them do on film, I haven't seen anybody do, the way they find a crease and they're gone."

Leavitt initially compared the two to Colorado's Kordell Stewart and Rashaan Salaam, the mid 1990s tandem he faced while at Kansas State.

"They take over games," he said. "These two guys are really different, two of the best I've ever seen."

Asked what scout-teamers were lining up as West Virginia's No. 5 and No. 10, Leavitt wouldn't say, suggesting he'd have to look elsewhere for an accurate portrayal.

"We could bring in (Michael) Vick from the Atlanta Falcons to come down here and do it. He'd probably be a pretty good simulation," Leavitt said. "And for that matter, their running back (Warrick Dunn), there's your two. We can smile all we want, but they're probably not far off."

Slaton is the Big East's leading rusher with 1,578 yards, but USF handled him in a 27-10 loss last season, limiting him to a career-low 3.1 yards per carry. He finished with 86 yards, one of only two games in his past 14 he failed to gain at least 100.

Vick held the Big East record for rushing yards by a quarterback (210), but White has surpassed that three times in his past 13 games. Two of the three longest carries of his career came in last year's USF game, which he put away with second-half touchdown runs of 76 and 65 yards.

West Virginia's spread no-huddle offense - USF offensive coordinator Rod Smith played and coached under Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez, and runs a similar scheme with the Bulls - has been prolific, averaging 330 yards and keeping the Mountaineers among the nation's elite since White took over as starter last season.

"Making a one-on-one tackle with these guys is pretty impossible," Leavitt said. "What are you going to do, other than bring the width of the field in?"

The two sophomores are coming off their best performance in last week's 45-27 win at Pittsburgh. Slaton rushed for 215 yards and White went for 220, becoming only the third pair in NCAA history to top 200 in the same game. As if 435 rushing yards and four touchdowns were not enough, they connected on six passes for 130 yards and two more touchdowns.

"I thought our offense was executing pretty well," said Rodriguez, whose team remains in contention to return to a BCS game after beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in January.

USF will counter that rushing attack with perhaps the Big East's best linebacking corps in seniors Stephen Nicholas and Patrick St. Louis and junior Ben Moffitt. Rodriguez said he has a high respect for the defense.

"They're pretty fast all around," Rodriguez said. "The strength of their defense is the speed, but their three linebackers have great experience and make a lot of plays. They're very active and equally as good against the run and the pass game."

Moffitt, who had a team-high 11 tackles in last year's loss, said West Virginia's offense is "unorthodox," requiring more preparation and focus than others the Bulls have faced this season.

"Their whole offense, a lot of it is based on you making a mistake," he said. "If you don't play assignment football, they'll break one and they'll be up the sideline and touchdown. Everybody has to be on point, or you're in trouble."

Greg Auman can be reached at (813) 226-3346, or at auman@sptimes.com See his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/usf.

[smazza]

they were stopped by ul and had they played any team with a real defense they would have been stopped a second time

[E.T.]

And I truly BULLieve that if our D plays their BEST game, they can stop WVU.

I feel good about our Offense getting on track Saturday.

DISCLAIMER: I felt the same last week.  

[The Sheriff]

They are some nasty backs. If we don't stop them and their barn fed linemen get blocks on our linebackers, it will be like opening the levies in New Orleans on our defense. This game has the potential to get real ugly.

Word to the wise... WVU will not ever get much better than they are now... our program is all upside... an ugly fall this weekend will not be forgotten by our coaches or players.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Their fans predict WVU will put up 40+ points on the Bulls.

I don't see it.

We laid an Egg at Louisville -I don't see another egg.

USF will pull this one out! I BULLIEVE!

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

Their fans predict WVU will put up 40+ points on the Bulls.

[highlight]I don't see it.[/highlight]

We laid an Egg at Louisville -I don't see another egg.

USF will pull this one out! I BULLIEVE!

I see it.

[The Sheriff]

As long as we put up 50+, I'm down with it.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Looking back at last year in Tampa:

WVU was ranked #12, with the best defense in the Big East and they won 28-13.

White: (rushing) 11-177 (passing) 5-10-1-89

Slaton: 28-86

Total yards: 394

--------------

USF:

Hall: 20-75

Sacs: 0

Total yards: 370

[wvulaw97]

they were stopped by ul and had they played any team with a real defense they would have been stopped a second time

not exactly.  we lost the game, but they didn't stop our O.  We had around 550 yards of offense.  We lost the game because we put ball on the ground 7 times and lost 3 fumbles.  

I'm not saying we can't be beat, but I am saying UL did not stop our offense.  And, Slaton missed over a full quarter with an injury.

Take a look at the Ds we have played without the WVU numbers and you'll find some surprises.  Cincinnati has played OSU, Va Tech, UL and so on.  Nobody put the numbers on their D like we did.  In fact, if you take away the numbers from the WVU game, they have a pretty nice D ranking.

[Cubanbull]

ECU did a pretty good job at stopping WV's running game