WVU looks for second win against UCF

[Apis Bull]

WVU looks for second win against UCF

By JIM BUTTA

MORGANTOWN-First year University of Central Florida head football coach George O'Leary has had two major worries on his mind this week.

First, is the impending approach of Hurricane Ivan, which is expected to strike the Florida coast sometime Sunday or Monday.

The second is a Mountaineer team that rushed for 478 yards in a 56-23 rout of East Carolina last Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium at Mountaineer Field.

"You can't plan for hurricanes," said O'Leary, who missed the Golden Knights' season-opening loss at Wisconsin to attend his mother's funeral. "As far as West Virginia goes, we've been able to put in some preparation, but you really can't plan on what they can do out of that spread attack of theirs."

An attack that appeared to be in high gear against the Pirates, amassing 621 yards of total offense.

"We still need to improve in the passing game because there will be a case where we will have to throw to win a game," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said. "I feel that we are better prepared to do that than we have been in the last couple years."

Great news for the multitude of blue and gold fans making the trek to Orlando for the 6 p.m. kickoff. Not so good news for a UCF prevent unit which gave up 400 yards of total offense-170 through the air-in a 34-6 opening season loss at No. 21 Wisconsin.

"I thought that we had opportunities to get things done," said O'Leary. "We just didn't get it done."

What the Golden Knights must do to have any chance at upsetting No. 10 WVU is stop a Mountaineer running attack which seemed to click on all cylinders against ECU.

One player in particular that sent the Pirates home having nightmares was senior superback Kay-Jay Harris. The Tampa, Fla.-native ran for a Mountaineer Field, school and Big East record 337 yards and four touchdowns-and didn't start the game.

"Well, if we played right now, obviously Kay-Jay would be the starting running back," said Rodriguez. "But, we still feel like we have two starters in the backfield and they will continue to split time, just like last weekend against East Carolina."

Also seeing time at the position will be sophomore Jason Colson, who ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

But, even after watching his team give up 230 yards on the ground to the Badgers and reading about the exploits of Harris and Colson against the Pirates, the player that most concerns O'Leary and his staff is senior quarterback Rasheed Marshall.

"Wisconsin was basically a downhill run team," said the UCF coach. "West Virginia spreads things around and has a much more athlete quarterback."

One big advantage for the Golden Knights will be that the game will be played on the natural grass surface of the Florida Citrus Bowl, a surface that hasn't exactly been friendly to Mountaineer teams in the past. WVU was 1-3 on grass in 2003 and has a 26-43 mark in games played on natural grass.

Still this shouldn't pose too big a problem. WVU rolls to win No. 2.... 40-17.

Contact Jim Butta via e-mail at

jbutta@newsandsentinel.com

Link

[bulls96go]

and the sun rises in the east