CFN.com Prediction:
Big East Game of the Week
Big East Thursday, Oct. 18
South Florida (6-0) at Rutgers (4-2) 7:30 EST, ESPNWhy to watch: The shell game that has become the weekly rankings now has South Florida No. 2 in the BCS standings, so its every move will be scrutinized, analyzed and criticized in the second half of the season. One week after getting pushed by Florida Atlantic, the Bulls trampled their critics and UCF, 64-12, to make more of a statement than it got credit for. Built primarily on defensive speed and the running game, USF unleashed its vertical attack on the Knights, getting five touchdown passes from three different quarterbacks in the rout. As long as the Bulls keep winning, they are the story of the 2007 season. Rutgers knows a little something about Cinderella stories, having authored a pretty memorable one just last year and thinking it’d be where USF is right now when the season started. After beating up Syracuse on Saturday to get back on the winning track, there’s still the problem of consecutive losses to Maryland and Cincinnati to change up the overall expectations. Basically, Rutgers has beaten the bad teams, and lost to the good. Beating USF offers a chance to change that troubling trend while jumping right back into the Big East race. The ingredients are in place for this to be a very chippy game that the officials will need to manage closely. Both teams like to chirp, the Scarlet Knights are earning a reputation as headhunters, and has 18 Floridians on the roster that would love to stick it to the Bulls. The world is watching USF now. Can the newcomer handle the pressure?
Why South Florida might win: The USF defense has been every bit as good as the numbers indicate, ranking No. 11 nationally in both total and scoring defense. It’s very fast, experienced, and creating takeaways faster than all but one Big East team. The linebackers will keep RB Ray Rice in check, forcing Mike Teel to win the game versus one of the best pass defenses in the country. The erratic junior has been good so far, but now he has to hold up against the pressure provided DE George Selvie and DT Aaron Harris. When Rutgers lost to Maryland and Cincinnati earlier in the fall, it was physically moved off the ball, so look for USF to establish a ball control offense that features the running of QB Matt Grothe, and backs Benjamin Williams and Mike Ford.
Why Rutgers might win: Don’t be fooled by South Florida’s 64 points a week ago. This is still an unsure offense that relies too heavily on Grothe as a runner and drops too many of his passes. Playing in its coldest venue of the season, the Bulls will have problems moving the ball consistently on a run defense that’ll be frothing at the mouth from the moment it gets out of the tunnel. While the Scarlet Knights need to begin opening more holes for Rice, they’ve been peerless in pass protection, allowing just four sacks all year with an offensive line that can neutralize that scary USF pass rush.
Who to watch: This game might come down to whether or not Rutgers can achieve offensive balance by getting Teel & Co. off the ground. It’ll be up to a very talented group of Knights receivers, including Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt, to make plays against two of the premier corners in the Big East, seniors Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins. If Underwood and Britt get the best of Williams and Jenkins, they’ll be the first tandem to do so in 2007.
What will happen: The 2006 Rutgers team could win this game, but can the 2007 edition? The Scarlet Knights are not the same team on defense or in the trenches, at least so far, but that’ll change in one big performance. From the coaching staff on down, Rutgers believes it hasn’t played anywhere close to its capabilities. That’ll change on Thursday night, as Rutgers will play like the team many expected it’d be with an opportunistic defense that’ll grab the momentum early and never let go.
CFN Prediction: Rutgers 27 … South Florida 20 ... Line: South Florida -2.5
Must See Rating: (5 Keeping Up with the Kardashians - 1 Ellen's dog plea) ... 4.5
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