UConn 15, USF 10
For once I hope the Big Three bias in the state won out. Any Tampa fans that tuned in to see what all the fuss was about the Bulls may never watch again.
Today's game introduced USF fans to what will no doubt be a recurring issue playing in the Big East season to season.
The cold.
The average temperature, the only other southern school in the conference, in November is 47; in December it's 36. Syracuse mercifully plays in a dome, but every other road team we could play at the end of the year plays in brutal winter conditions.
USF receivers had issues with holding on to the ball as it is, but it was quite bad tonight. All in all, the team looked very out of sorts in the weather - afraid to get hit, slow, much too deliberate.
Still, despite four turnovers, a safety and the atrocious special teams coverage that led to a kickoff return for a touchdown, the Bulls had several chances to win this game. UConn gave USF fantastic field position on drive after drive, but USF could do nothing. The climax to this running theme came after Amarri Jackson's fantastic 37-yard punt return. USF had 1st and goal on the UConn 9. Four downs later, UConn had the ball on their 20.
There were plenty of plays that gave Bulls fans shivers, but to me the absolute came on 3rd down of the aforementioned drive. On 2nd down Pat Julmiste executed a fantastic bootleg, juking his way to the 2. Julmiste rushed the offense out of the huddle, apparently trying to catch the Huskies defense off-guard. Unfortunately the center John Miller caught Julmiste and the rest of the team off-guard, snapping the ball while Julmiste was still two steps away from set. The false start backed the Bulls five yards. The last two plays were a tipped pass and an ill-fated reverse.
Nevermind the execution of that snap - why would you ever rush that? It was no secret to anyone watching that this would be USF's best change to score - certainly not to Jim Leavitt, who went for it on 4th down. I have to believe Leavitt was thinking four downs from the beginning of that drive. Why not run another bootleg or play action on 3rd down? THAT'S the type of trickery we needed there, not whatever that was exactly. I am curious to know whose idea it was to rush that play.
But of course, like most games, it's unfair to pin everything on one decision when so many other plays and decisions led to the situation in which you find yourself. The running game disappeared - most of the credit should go to the UConn defense. The turnovers were disheartening. The dropped passes were maddening. Hey, at least we ONLY had 8 penalties.
The Jekyll/Hyde act this team exhibites between home and road is not getting any better. Hopefully we can at least keep it going for one more game. I think the USF defense is more than capable of keeping the frightening West Virginia in check. Hopefully Andre Hall will say goodbye to Raymond James in style, because the passing game still has not shown that it can do anything but stay out of the way.
And should fans feel that this game no longer matters with a BCS berth out of the question, consider that being bowl-eligible certainly does not mean we will get one. A loss to WVU would put USF below Louisville (as long as Louisville gets past UConn) and tied with Pittsburgh in the Big East standings. USF lost to Pittsburgh, meaning the team that had a chance to win the conference would finish fourth. If Notre Dame snags a BCS berth, USF should still manage a berth in the Insight Bowl in Arizona - not good for travel. If USF can beat the Mountaineers, they would still finish at least tied for second, more than likely landing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in North Carolina (a win and loss by Louisville might put us in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, but I wouldn't get my hopes up).
No matter. Tonight was a reality check, but this is still a good team. Let's hope we show it next week.
Posted by Joel at 11/26/2005 11:31:00 PM
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