Why USF Won't Be Better Than WVU This Year

[feardabull]

The article is right about Stewart saying White will throw more.......

because he knows that Pop Warner secondary is gonna give up 500 passing yards a game and 40+ points.  So White will be forced to throw!

[AUFan]

The way I view WVU is they base their team off of 2 household names (Slaton and White) One of them is gone now and we all know White is vulnerable.  Insert Devine, yeah he's fast, but all it takes is a few good angles from a LB who won't be happy with his speed antics and arrive with bad humor.

My question is if they are wanting White to pass more this year, how many shots can he take in the pocket before he gets his clock totally cleaned?

Sure, they'll be good, but I just don't see WVU being overall as good as USF.

[Carolina_Bull]

The article is right about Stewart saying White will throw more.......

because he knows that Pop Warner secondary is gonna give up 500 passing yards a game and 40+ points.  So White will be forced to throw!

Why is it agreed by all media that WVU throwing more will be a success.  Each "additional" pass play next season will replace a run play from last year that was most likely for positive yardage.  The media never admits that PW is not a strong armed QB and that ints. may result from the passing plays.

Why will WVU improve by taking the ball out of the hands of either (1) the best rushing QB in the nation or (2) Noel Devine and instead letting it float through the air to receivers nobody has ever heard of.

The more I type this post, the more I think WVU's coaching staff is blowing smoke and that their offense will not change.

They lost two games last year and they are changing their offense. . . . . idiotic if you ask me.

[Bullpride08]

Why South Florida Won't Be Better Than West Virginia This Year

It's mid-August, and most 2008 college football preseason rankings are out.  In the Big East, almost every single one has West Virginia winning the Big East and South Florida coming in a close second.  Why is this?

Their defenses are decent again, so let's go through some reasons while comparing the two teams' offenses.

Receivers

West Virginia might have lost Darius Reynaud, but they return Dorrell Jalloh, their No. 2 target, and big 6'8" Wes Lyons.  Sure, Jalloh only had 272 yards, but he also didn't have that many receptions due to Pat White's tendency to run instead of pass.

Bill Stewart's plan for White is to get him to pass more, and Jalloh and Lyons should have no trouble replacing Reynaud's stats.

South Florida, on the other hand has Jessie Hester Jr. and Carlton Mitchell, who each had four touchdowns last year, but both are inconsistent and are constantly beat out by defensive backs.

Quarterbacks

Although they are both great dual-threat quarterbacks, Pat White clearly has the edge, as he has more experience and is faster than Matt Grothe.  White is improving his passing every year while still having more rushing yards per season than Grothe.

Also, White has better decision making than Grothe, which is shown by their number of interceptions last season—White had only four interceptions to Grothe's 14.

Running Game

Or in South Florida's case, the lack of it.  West Virginia had Steve Slaton, a huge touchdown threat to compliment Pat White.  Teams were focused on not just stopping White but also stopping Slaton, and they risked getting burned.  When you focus on just the quarterback, a good running back will run all over you.

Although Slaton is gone, sophomore running back Noel Devine showed he could fill in for Slaton perfectly with 13 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-28 rout of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

When you put some of your focus on stopping the running back, the quarterback will find a way to score, and it will be very easy for him to do so.

In South Florida's situation, they are basically a one-man offense.  Grothe throws the ball, and Grothe runs the ball.  Although he is a threat at both, it is easy to just focus on him because South Florida running back Mike Ford isn't that big of a threat.

Although Ford was only a freshman last year, he did have 12 touchdowns on 138 carries.  He looks like he will improve, but it is never good when a team's quarterback has more rushing yards the previous season than a RETURNING STARTER at running back.

Teams still shouldn't expect much from Ford, and Grothe will still be one of the only playmakers in the backfield.  Their offense won't take off unless there is someone else to run the ball and take the pressure off Grothe to lead all of the offense in the USF backfield.

Unless the running game takes off and Grothe can make better decisions, the South Florida offense will not compare to West Virginia's.  Defense can't do everything.  Sorry, USF—maybe you can win the Big East next year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/46531-why-south-florida-wont-be-better-than-west-virginia-this-year

Ok, this article is pretty slanted.  What about WVU's defense, they lost more starters than we did from last years squad.  What about the coaching change, that means nothing...NOTHING??  Devine HAS NOT shown that he can have 20 carries a game and produce like Slaton.  They have no Schmitt this year also. 

They have been winning by running, yet this year they want to pass???  If it aint broke, don't fix it!  You can't tell me they will be better (for a fact) from passing more. 

Our positives:  Defense only lost 3 starters, our receivers have a LOT of experience from last year and we should have some sort of running attack from Talyor and/or Ford. 

Sorry, maybe WVU can win next year....

This is almost comical to read because the guy assumes that everything WVU is going to do or change, or improve will just happen like 'poof' we're better.

For example, Reynaud was their best receiver, but poof now that he's gone Jalloh and Lyons will be better?  Because WHY?  Everything I've always read has talked about how inconsistent Jalloh has been over the years.  So they're going to triple their output just because Reynaud is gone?

Or take Mitchell and Hester, sure I agree they're inconsistent a bit last year, but both were sophs too, but to just chalk it up as getting swallowed up by DB's is a bit outrageous.

Then there is White as being so eggregiously better than Matt?  He says White is improving his passing while still having more rushing yards then Matt.  Well how about we wait and see White improve his vertical passing game before we annointed him.  White is a senior and to date he has shown absolutely no vertical passing ability.  Sure he's good at hitches, or throwing outs, or screens, or chuking a deep ball, but let me see him stand in a pocket consistently and hit the TE on an inside drag route, or to WR's crossing.  He can't do it, never has, never even proven to have that moxie....so for the reporter to automatically give him some advantage there is ignorant, and stupid.  I will not say Matt is better than White either, that's not my point.  I still think White is the most dynamic athlete in college this upcoming year, but he also runs way more than he passes and has fumbled more than twice as much as Matt, and makes lots of stupid decisions running the ball.

Anyway, the point is the reporter might be spot on, but all he's basing his reasoning on is pure personal assumptions and nothing of any concrete proof.

I'll give you something that's more concrete.  Jalloh longed more minutes, and started more games last year than Carlton Mitchell, and unlike this bonehead's analysis, last year Mitchell was also a #2-3 option, like Jalloh, but Mitchell still managed about 600 yards receiving....hell he managed Reynaud numbers.  And he totally ignores Taurus Johnson.

Here's another concrete fact....the reporter just assumes Devine will be awesome and pickup where Slaton left off, even though Slaton was nearly 30lbs heavier and 3 or more inches taller than him.  Let me see Devine run 10 types up the middle against a BCS defense before annointing him as an every down back like Slaton.  But the reporter also assumes that we're just 'Grothe running the ball'....even though White had more rushing yards for WVU last year.

Fact, Ford had more rushing yards, td's, carries, and about equal ypc average to Devine.  Ford is also WAY BIGGER and stronger, so USF possesses a change of pace option to Grothe or Taylor...does WVU really have a option if it's 3rd and 3 on the 3, to go to if 185lbs White, and 180lbs Devine become ineffective in the middle?  There is no Owen Schmidt so has WVU found that battering ram or are they only going to have an effective rushing game between the 20's or when they break a long TD with the two mini scat-backs they've got running the ball.  Point being, WVU has a really huge questionmark in rushing, they don't have a 220lbs Slaton, or 250lbs Owen Schmidt to get the hard yards this year.  Maybe this true frosh is it, but that makes a HUGE difference for teams.  It's the 3rd and 3, 3rd an 2's that define a season.

[RicanBull]

White should of left to go play baseball.

[Jake_Ryan]

That was the most assinine, biased article I have ever read.  He completely ignores the defense, which will be the reason WV drops off this year, losing all those starters.  Their improved D last year was the reason they were poised to play for the Nat'l Championship, before they crapped their pants against Pitt. 

Also, for WV's offense to be hailed as so prolific, and USF's to be pedestrian, they both averaged 34.2 ppg iin Big East play last year.  No one in the media (except Phil Steele) seems to know that nifty little fact.

Don't drink the WV Kool-Aid!

[BDYZR]

... because [south Florida running back Mike Ford isn't that big of a threat.]"

Hell, he's third string for cryin'-out-loud! Why would the mighty 'neers worry about a third string back?

Man I love football!      Can you say "Bulletin Board"?

GO BULLS!

[WVstatechamp1990]

USF didnt beat WVU last year, like a few of the above mis-stated.

WVU only beats WVU by putting the ball on the ground with careless turnovers.  Bad snap over Whites head, lost a score.  White throwing the ball into Moffets chest from 5 yards away when he got hit, a fluke and 7 points for USF... Had the ball been anywhere else, Moffet would have lacked the athletisicm needed to make the pick.

WVU has injury to White, Grothe miraculously avoid falling down after being hit/near sacked and throws up a duck bomb for a TD.

That game last year was a classic of lopsided badluck and everything going in USF's favor.... with everything AGAINST WVU. 

That stated, luck is against USF this year.  Odds of beating WVU 3 in a row?  Odds of having all that luck of the ball bouncing the Bulls way yet again?  Highly Doubtful.  Prepare for a schalacking in Morgantown, beeeeeeyatches!

STATECHAMP is back... 2 weeks BABY!

[BDYZR]

And the year before that?

[WVstatechamp1990]

And the year before that?

You got in under the radar.  I didnt even bother watching that game because, "who the hell was South Florida?"

Yeah, you guys got some talent and snuck up on WVU after a hard loss to UofL that year... last year was a lop sided fluke/badluck fest in USF favor.  This year, payback will be THE ***** to pay.