WVU's struggles vs. USF defy logic

[JuicedBull]

By Dave Hickman

MORGANTOWN - It is a game in which West Virginia always seems to struggle, and the reasons are neither consistent nor entirely clear.

Yes, South Florida has developed a solid program, but WVU always has gone into the games between the teams with a better record. Only once in the five years the teams have played has USF even been ranked, and that season the Mountaineers were 13 spots higher.

The Bulls have had talented players, too. Last year, five of them were drafted as compared to just one Mountaineer. But there are still more WVU players active in the NFL than there are USF products.

And, no, coaching probably hasn't had much to do with it, either. Bill Stewart is 1-1 against USF and Rich Rodriguez was 1-2. Jim Leavitt was the South Florida coach in all five previous games, but he was fired after his last four teams went 3-0, 6-0, 5-0 and 5-0 to start and then 6-4, 3-4, 3-5 and 3-5 to finish those seasons.

It's not easy to put a finger on why South Florida has won three of the five meetings between the teams and played tough in the other two, but don't be surprised if the script is the same tonight.

The Bulls (3-2) are coming off an embarrassing 13-9 loss at home to Syracuse, while the No. 25 Mountaineers (4-1) have lost only by six points on the road at unbeaten and No. 9 LSU. Yet when the teams meet at 7:30 p.m. at Mountaineer Field, it is likely to once again be a struggle.

"I don't know what it is. I guess we underestimate the speed that those guys have,'' said West Virginia receiver Jock Sanders. "And they've beaten us in all parts of the game - coaching, playing, physicalness, every part of the game they just beat us.''

That speed factor is perhaps the most generally speculated reason for why South Florida is always able to rise up from whatever station and give West Virginia fits. The fact is that the Mountaineers beat many teams because of their own speed in the form of players like Sanders and Noel Devine on offense and Robert Sands and J.T. Thomas on defense.

Those four - as well as 11 others on West Virginia's two-deep - are from Florida. But South Florida, to the surprise of no one, has a roster dominated by Floridians, where speed is the name of the game. Only three players listed as starters are not from Florida.

"Sure, I think speed has something to do with it,'' said Stewart. "They match up well with us. They run well.''

There is also the other Florida factor involved, one that has nothing to do with speed and everything to do with pride. Both Rodriguez and Stewart have tried to minimize the effect over the years, but with so many Floridians on the West Virginia roster, a game against USF is often like a reunion. So many players from both sides competed with or against one another in high school and it becomes personal.

Stewart does his best to keep his players as grounded as possible when he knows that this is personal for so many.

"I've told them, 'Just play your game. You don't have to go out there and put a cape on and fly around in the lights,' '' Stewart said. "You get those guys that know each other and played against each other and then the bragging comes in. The swagger comes in. A little swagger's not bad, but you just have to play your game, do what you're supposed to do, be part of the structure ... and that's how you win.''

For the first time in the series, South Florida comes into the game without Leavitt, who is in the midst of a wrongful termination suit against the school. In his place is Skip Holtz, who a few times worked his own magic against West Virginia while coaching at East Carolina.

If the Bulls are going to make a game of this one - they are 101/2-point underdogs - they will have to correct their problems on offense. A year ago, quarterback B.J. Daniels shredded West Virginia for 336 total yards and threw for three touchdowns in a 30-19 USF win in Tampa, but Daniels has struggled mightily this season.

The Bulls will also have to work their magic against a West Virginia offense that is just getting better with the emergence of Brad Starks at receiver and with Devine rounding into full health.

"It wasn't enough that they had Devine, [Tavon] Austin and Sanders. But then all of a sudden you see Brad Starks comes back and has a hundred-yard game,'' Holtz said. "They've got three or four guys now who can turn and go the distance whenever they want.''

Perhaps nose guard Chris Neild put it best from WVU's standpoint, though, when he talked of how in the past perhaps the Mountaineers have overlooked South Florida. And that's not even something that has to be discussed.

"We don't have to talk about it. Everybody knows what's gone on in this game,'' Neild said. "We've overlooked them in the past. We won't overlook them this time.''

http://sundaygazettemail.com/Sports/201010131462

[Bull94]

yeah right they've overlooked us. 3 out 5 times.

our defensive speed matches up well against their offensive strength, speed.

it's the big teams we have a problem with not the fast ones.

[smazza]

that is why u play the game

usf is in their heads

maybe usf can pull it out tonight and surprise the masses

[Bulls On Parade]

Agreed spread teams aren't a problem.

Its the power teams that run it down our throats that kill us.

[Jihme]

we had a different offense and defense in those games.  don't expect anything similar to what has happened in the past.  at this point, just pray we don't help them win by beating ourselves.