USF@CINCY, biggest game in our history??

[Bull Matrix]

The USFvsCINCY game has to be one of the biggest games in our short histort because of the bowl implications. Both teams will be fighting it out to get bowl eligible. This has to be good for both USF and the new BIG EAST. It also has to help with the rivalry with Cincy, not that there is much there yet. Look at it this way. Cincy beat ECU in 2002 which pretty much ripped away USF's first bowl invitation to the HAWAII BOWL.  Last season, USF gets a big emotion win over Cincy in OT. You can bet that this game will be bigger because both teams have alot on the line this time around. A CINCY loss will be heartbreaking for them because they have to finish the season against UL. Who knows what will happen between ULvsCincy because that is a rivalry game. Anyway, I hope this game helps build some kind of rivalry with USF and Cincy because the BIG EAST can benefit in the long run. I hope USF has a good number of fans that are going to travel up there. What USF needs to do is send a lot students up for that game because it will be a big one.

[Jim Johnson]

It's not as big for us as it will be for Cincinnati.  They won't beat Louisville on the road, so they need to beat USF at home to go to a bowl game.

If USF loses, we still have two more games to get the two wins we need to be bowl eligible.

It is a BIG game, but not the biggest.  I would say that biggest game we have this year will be the Memphis game.  Needing to win two of three, with a surging Cincy and a surging Pitt - we can't afford a let down against Memphis.

[usfbulls2004]

We just need 2 more wins and we can get a bowl. The way our team is playing, I think we can win all three. Go Bulls!

[WoolyBully]

I think both Pitt & Memphis are playing BETTER than USF. As much fun as last evening was, remember - after all - it was ECU.  Fortunately for us it was a conference win, unfortunately Memphis got-it-goin'-on & Pitt ...well... they are Pitt.

[CyberBull]

I think both Pitt & Memphis are playing BETTER than USF. As much fun as last evening was, remember - after all - it was ECU.  Fortunately for us it was a conference win, unfortunately Memphis got-it-goin'-on & Pitt ...well... they are Pitt.

Why are we so quick to discount what we have done?

Memphis and Pitt are scoring a lot of points but they are also giving up a lot of points. It really depends how well PJ plays. If he plays like he has the last 2 games then that sets up the play action and plays down the field.

If PJ plays poorly then we have no chance.

I like our chances or running the table. Mostly b/c our we are getting more consistency from our youngsters manning the LB and DL.

[Velcro]

I think Cincy is the biggest because if we lose to Cincy, we probably won't get a bowl period, even if we are eligible.

If we beat Cincy and Memphis, we will be bowl eligible in November, giving bowls a chance to invite us... if we lose one of the two, we wouldn't be eligible until december (if at all), and that is too late to get an invite.

The next game is automatically the biggest ever under this scenario, and that happens to be cincy... if we beat em, then memphis is the biggest ever.

[smazza]

not the biggest game

[lotsofbull99]

I'll say it's our biggest game this week.

[Guest HowieP1]

It's the biggest because if USF wins it pretty much eliminates Cincy from going to a bowl game and opens up a slot for us, as this article points out:

Published Sunday, November 14, 2004

Bulls Take Another Small Step Toward Bowl Bid

By Patrick Zier

TAMPA

USF took a small step toward post-season play here Saturday night when it beat East Carolina, 41-17, but the win gave the Bulls a chance to take a big step this Saturday when they travel to Cincinnati.

A victory over the Bearcats would put South Florida in position to become bowl eligible by winning one of its last two games against Memphis and Pittsburgh, both at home.

It will also virtually guarantee that Cincinnati will not be bowleligible -- the Bearcats would then have to win their last game against Louisville to make it -thus improving USF's bowl chances by eliminating a possible contender.

A loss to Cincinnati wouldn't necessarily eliminate USF from the bowl picture, but it would then have to beat both Memphis and Pittsburgh, which seems very unlikely.

Mistakes at critical moments continue to trip the Bulls, although there are not as many of them as there were earlier in the season and the team seems to be improving overall.

The Bulls came up with two fine defensive efforts in the first half Saturday, one an individual play and the other a team effort, that may well have turned the game in USF's favor.

East Carolina was driving on the first possession of the game and had a third-and-one at the USF 36 when Stephen Nicholas blitzed Pirate quarterback James Pinkney, tackling him as he made a desperate effort to get rid of the ball.

Pinkney was called for intentional grounding, taking the Pirates out of field goal position and preventing them from scoring first.

Then, up 10-0 late in the second quarter, East Carolina had a first-and-goal at the Bulls' 4-yard line.

Here, USF's defense stopped the Pirates cold, forcing a field goal instead of giving up a touchdown.

There were big plays on offense as well, most notably the ability to convert in third-andlong situations.

With East Carolina still hanging in the game as the fourth quarter started and memories of the collapse against Army still fresh, the Bulls put the game out of reach on two big third-andlong plays.

With this win, USF has now put together two decent efforts backto-back. The Bulls have been more consistent and seem more settled as a team, both on offense and defense.

If they can win Saturday at Cincinnati, that could give them the momentum they need to win one of their final two, which should give them their first bowl bid ever.

This is not to say the Bulls are there. They are still a young team which needs to continue to improve to have a chance at winning six games.

But if the Bulls can finish 6-5 and make it to a bowl, then this must be considered a successful season.

Most figured them for a lower rung in Conference USA and while it has been an up and down year, the emergence of Hall and some of the other young players bodes well for the future.

And this is a program which most definitely has a future.

Patrick Zier covers USF football for the Ledger.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041114/COLUMNISTS0613/411140392/1113/SPORTS

[Bull Matrix]

Lets face the facts in that the Cincy game is huge for USF. If we win this game, then we are getting alot of talk about what bowl game will want USF. If we lose, then USF would get very little bowl talk. The better the bowl talk, the better the exposure our program gets. I am sorry, but this has to be one of the biggest games in USF's shortest history. I just hope USF can get a lot of fans up there to cheer the team on.