South Florida Preview

[OSU8085]

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/co...asp?CID=825975

OFFENSE

THE SCHEME: The Bulls use a spread attack, and this season's offense – like last season's – will revolve around junior quarterback Matt Grothe.

Quarterback Matt Grothe returns to lead the USF offense.
STAR POWER: Grothe lacks ideal size – he's listed at 6-0, with the emphasis on listed – but he generally comes through. He is a good scrambler and seems to have an innate sense as to the last possible instant he can get rid of the ball. He has a nice arm as well, though he needs to understand he can't always fit the ball into a tight spot. He has thrown 29 TD passes in the past two seasons, but he also has thrown 28 picks. He has rushed for 1,494 yards and 19 TDs in the past two seasons, and is the Bulls' leading returning rusher. If he gets hurt, USF is in trouble.

[Whit Prowdy]

I'll tell you guys right now...South Florida scares the crap out of me.

They weren't #2 good last year, but look for them to run with West Virginia this year.

Leavitt's got a top-notch crew around him...keep them on your Big East radars kids.

[OSU8085]

I had faith in them but I don't know after that butt whooping in the sun bowl by a pretty bad duck team (the ducks suck in bowl games, they were playing horribly without dixon and roper had yet to have a good game)

[Whit Prowdy]

Originally Posted by OSU8085

I had faith in them but I don't know after that butt whooping in the sun bowl by a pretty bad duck team (the ducks suck in bowl games, they were playing horribly without dixon and roper had yet to have a good game)

They just tanked BIG TIME after losing to Rutgers and dropping the #2 label. As long as they don't cripple like that in the second half they'll be alright.

[RaidenDAWG2]

Should be an interesting team to watch this year. Grothe really intrigues me as a potential high end award candidate...

-RD

[Hawkeye]

I had faith in them but I don't know after that butt whooping in the sun bowl by a pretty bad duck team (the ducks suck in bowl games, they were playing horribly without dixon and roper had yet to have a good game)

I don’t agree that they suck in bowl games. They have done poorly when they have slid into lower-tier bowls (2006-Las Vegas, 2002-Seattle). However, they have done well in bowls in years when they fielded top 10 teams (2005-good in a loss to Oklahoma in the Holiday bowl, 2001-win over Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, 2000-win over Texas in the Holiday Bowl).

I don’t agree with the playing horribly after Dixon went down part either. They still rolled up 463 yards vs Arizona and Stewart almost single-handedly brought them back. Yes, they struggled against UCLA, but UCLA wasn’t much better. They still played pretty well in a loss to Oregon State as well. Roper was 13 of 25 for 144 yards and 2 TDs to 1 int, which isn’t bad.

[OSU8085]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I don’t agree that they suck in bowl games. They have done poorly when they have slid into lower-tier bowls (2006-Las Vegas, 2002-Seattle). However, they have done well in bowls in years when they fielded top 10 teams (2005-good in a loss to Oklahoma in the Holiday bowl, 2001-win over Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, 2000-win over Texas in the Holiday Bowl).

I don’t agree with the playing horribly after Dixon went down part either. They still rolled up 463 yards vs Arizona and Stewart almost single-handedly brought them back. Yes, they struggled against UCLA, but UCLA wasn’t much better. They still played pretty well in a loss to Oregon State as well. Roper was 13 of 25 for 144 yards and 2 TDs to 1 int, which isn’t bad.

The Arizona game was a tough one and I'll give 'em credit for coming back even slightly but that game was controlled by Arizona once Dixon went down. (They were down 31-17 at the end of 3rd and Zona won by 10) To say they played bad is the ucla game is an understatement, they were shutout by a team that allowed Notre Dame (ya the same notre dame with one of the worst offenses in the nation) to score 20 points. And they were without their QB as well.

As for the OSU loss, that game was terrible too, they were playing an OSU team that was without its best QB, best WR (and all american WR) and most importantly their starting RB (the guy that we've relied upon for three years now). The Ducks were also playing at home, which is a particular advantage for the Ducks as Autzen has a great record not to mention that OSU had not won there in over 10 years. They played better but that game cannot be compared to how GREAT they played in the sun bowl. They put up 56 points on South Florida in that game, 56 more points than they scored 2 games previously an against a South Florida team with a supposed great dline which should have been able to stop UO's only weapon, the run game. The most South Florida gave up all season was 38, then they give 56 up to a crippled offense?

As for UO's bowl record...first, since when did you start classifying the bowl games beyond BCS??? Second, lets looks at the past -

2006: BYU: 38-8 LOSS (a season where the ducks lost 4 consecutive games to end the season and BYU had opened the season with a loss to Arizona - a team that failed to reach a bowl game that year)

2005 Oklahoma: 17-14 LOSS (a quality game but still a LOSS)

2004: Failed to reach a bowl and end their season losing to OSU 50-21 along with 3 straight losses (any of which would have sent them to a bowl game)

2003 Minnesota: 30-21 LOSS (Does the this sun bowl loss not count like the sun bowl win over south florida?)

2002 Wake Forest: 38-17 LOSS (Another blowout loss in which they had no business losing or getting blown out)

2001: Victory over Colorado....the last win in a bowl game until 2008...what happened after this year? Joey Harrington left as did offensive genius Jeff Tedford...Tedford has since taking his bowl winning success to Cal where they have gone 4-1 in bowl games, with the only loss against Texas Tech in a heartbreaking season where they failed to get the Rose Bowl nod)

You can say they win bowl games when its a top bowl or when they are top 10 team...but guess what...most top 10 teams should win their bowl game. And if you want to look an hour north to Corvallis, we have won both low tier bowl and top tier bowls and have won our last 4 and 5 of 6. The Ducks not only have sucked in bowl games they have sucked towad the end of almost every season (IE why you see them in thepreseason top 25 not postseason (an exact opposite of OSU but I digress)

I'm sure the Ducks played great against South Florida, but with UO's bowl record and recent performance I hae to question South Florida on this one

[ruuuuudiii]

Hehe, it took 6 posts to turn a USF thread into a Ducks debate. Take that stuff back out west, damnit.


I don't foresee another collapse like last years', but I wonder if the team will take a small step back with Jenkins and Williams gone. I suppose as long as Selvie does his job, the secondary will be fine.


I also agree with Raiden. A good season is contingent on Grothe, and if the Bulls have a good season, Grothe will probably be on the short list for a few awards.

[Hawkeye]

Neither option is pleasing but I'd go with Moevao, not as much raw talent but the team plays behind him (lots of somoans on that team and I'm guessing we all know how they stick together) not to mention he is 4-0 as a starter

As for UO's bowl record...first, since when did you start classifying the bowl games beyond BCS??? Second, lets looks at the past

I didn’t classify bowls beyond BCS, I came in and based it on what kind of year they had.

2006: BYU: 38-8 LOSS (a season where the ducks lost 4 consecutive games to end the season and BYU had opened the season with a loss to Arizona - a team that failed to reach a bowl game that year)

Yes, they lost four in a row, but three of those losses were to teams that won 10 or more games that year. Not exactly weak competition. If you want to say that BYU was bad because they lost to Arizona to start the season, you would vastly underrate them that year.

I can understand animosity for Oregon from a rival, they aren’t exactly a garbage school. I can’t however, feel too sorry for OSU in that game against the Ducks. Sure, they were without their best WR, but they still had a 145 yard rusher and I doubt Bernard would have been a lot more productive than that. I can’t understand how you can say they were without their best QB though. Moevao played that whole game and you told me he was the better option at QB in another thread.

Neither option is pleasing but I'd go with Moevao, not as much raw talent but the team plays behind him (lots of somoans on that team and I'm guessing we all know how they stick together) not to mention he is 4-0 as a starter

Really considering that neither was truly impressive last year, I can’t see that there was a clear better option, but you yourself said he was 4-0 as a starter which would make Canfield 5-4.

Even so, USF having a bad day does not mean that they are a suspect team. If that were true, Oklahoma losing to WVU should make them suspect and they are far from that.

I agree with ruuuuudiii that USF will struggle with two new CBs, and Grothe has a lot on his shoulders, but Ford could take some of the burden himself if he lives up to the hype.