WVU: Loss to USF didn't sting that much

[flsportsfan83]

For West Virginia's two star players, the sting of nearly losing their coach is gone.

The sting of losing to Louisville is not.

Tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White opened spring practice March 5 with the four-month-old Louisville loss seared into their psyches.

Mark S. Hawkins/Icon SMI

QB Pat White's goal this spring? Add some muscle mass to his 185-pound frame.That game, Nov. 2 at Louisville, pitted two unbeaten heavyweights and was hyped like few games in Big East history. The Cardinals prevailed, 44-34, taking advantage of a porous WVU pass defense and two Slaton fumbles early in the second half.

"I use it as motivation," Slaton said. "I'm over it, but it's going to be a motivating thing for me."

Nobody enjoyed the crushing, 24-19 home loss to South Florida three weeks later, either, but not all losses are created equal. "Both of them go as L's on your record," White said. "But I would say if one [stands out], it's Louisville."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2800705&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2

I wonder how 2 losses in a row will sting?

[Velcro]

Of course the one to UL stings the most, as it had more BCS implications for them at the time, and there is more of a rivalry between WVU and UL than WVU and USF.  Ours was the last game and the BCS game was likely going to Rutgers or UL at that point.

[JoeB]

It might not sting them, but it sure was sweet for us.   ;D

[Matt]

when we beat them next year maybe we will mean a little more to them.

[Grateful Dad]

Sorry, but I don't buy it.  They showed their butts on television.  White and Slaton couldn't have run in that game even if they had put rollerblades on.  Getting embarrassed at home by the lowly Bulls?  Right -- that didn't hurt.

Sure, the thing with L'ville is bigger for them, but we shamed them.  BTW, I love having these games on DVD -- I watch one every week and last week was this one.

[Bull Matrix]

The point is that USF is still under the radar of many which is a good thing.

[Brad]

WVU: Loss to USF didn't sting that much

Either do skinned knees....r-i-i-i-i-ight...

[Sunil]

They view Louisville as their big conference rival...so it's not surprising that it'd hurt more. The only team they would have hated losing to more is Pitt. It's like if Michigan had a loss against Ohio State and another against Northwestern. He didn't say it didn't sting to lose to us...just that Louisville was worse. If we're just grasping for stuff to throw on the bulletin board, then alright...but it doesn't appear like much to me...

I've said before, and I'll say it again. We're at the point in our program where we need a hated rival to stir up some venom and get fans on both sides pumped up. The best thing to happen to us in the BE might just be to beat Rutgers again this year. Sure we have a little bit of a thing with Louisville, but it's more of a rivalry for us than it is for them. Rutgers is the one school who is up and coming just like us...who has no other another major rival....just like us. I'm also an alum of that school as well, and travel through that area frequently....believe me when I say that we already have their attention. If we can both string together good records again, and we go on to win that game this year, the rivalry will be on....and that's a GREAT THING!

[80mins]

i interpret this as a compliment to the Bulls; we weren't seen as low enough that it differed from any other loss. I think the Louisville loss hurt not from a rivalry standpoint, but because it was that loss that dashed their hopes of competing for a national championship.

[smazza]

pure bull

losing tousf confirm what most in know knew

wv is way overated and couldnt beat a quality team when it counts to save their life