South Florida @ Connecticut on Saturday, December 5th

By Totals 4 U

South Florida: The Bulls (7-4, 3-3 Big East) have been claiming a rivalry with Miami but were clowned by the Hurricanes last week 10-31 while getting pushed around for 240 rush yards at Raymond James Stadium with SFA quarterback BJ Daniels managing just 6 completions for 77 yards with a couple of turnovers, leaving the ‘Canes the right to not just knock the idea of rivalry but also the notion that Tampa is somehow ‘south” Florida. Imagine applying for a job as a Geography Major graduate from South Florida!

Offense: One can’t help but wonder if things would have been different if Head Coach Jim Leavitt (94-56 in 13th season at Tampa) hadn’t lost the Big East’s all-time career total offense leader, QB Matt Grothe, who was on the Maxwell, O’Brien, and Unitas Award watch lists when he tore his ACL back in September but 6’1” 215 freshman QB BJ Daniels (97 of 189 for 1606 yards, 12 TD, 9 INT) has done a decent job of filling the run/pass role by adding 710 yards and 6 scores on the ground. Ryan’s offensive line (4.3 yards per rush, 30 sacks) has been shuffled continuously this season but he has spread the ball effectively to receivers 6’4” 212 junior Mitchell (30 for 563 and 4 TD), 6’3” 205 junior Love (23 for 433 and 2 TD), 6’1” 185 junior Bogan (21 for 287 and 4 TD), 6’1” 174 freshman Griffin (13 for 250 and 2 TD), and Hester (11 for 117 and TD) – especially in the Red Zone where the Bulls have racked 23 TD and 8 field goals in 34 trips. Daniels in the primary rusher but 5’9” 200 senior Mo Plancher (117 for 539 and 5 TD) has finally been able to display his ability after a career hamstrung by injuries. By the numbers, this crew has scored 26.4 points on 167.3 yards rushing and 195.8 yards passing per game while junior K Eric Schwartz has been sharp with 7 makes in his last 8 field goal tries.

Defense: Much is always expected from Coach Leavitt’s stoppers and this group has lived up to most of them with 20.5 points per game allowed on 138.7 yards rushing (3.9 per carry) and 187.9 yards passing but there has been one glaring disappointment – the production of George Selvie. The 2-time All American 6’4” 245 senior RDE Selvie has faced relentless double teaming and avoiding his side in the run since seizing the national spotlight with 14 ½ sacks and 31 ½ tackles for loss in 2007, tumbling his numbers (and draft day stock) all the way to 34 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 3 ½ sacks this season. The positive byproducts have been that undersized 5’11” 269 Keith McCaskill (19 T, 1 ½ TFL) has been able to survive next to him while 6’6” 265 junior LDE Jason Pierre-Paul (40 T, 14 ½ TFL, 5 ½ S, INT) has thrived in single blocking. A fine set of linebackers have also taken advantage of the game planning against Selvie, led by 6’2” 235 senior MLB Kion Wilson (98 T, 9 TFL, S, INT) with double digit tackles in each his last 4 contests, while 6’2” 206 senior FS Nate Allen (72 T, TFL, 4 INT) and the versatile 6’1” 190 senior RCB Jerome Murphy (64 T, 3 INT) have been conference standouts. P Delbert Alvarado has booted 11 punts of 50+ yards in 2009.

Connecticut: The Huskies (6-5, 2-4 Big East) followed up their 33-30 double overtime victory over Notre Dame with an opportunistic 56-31 win over 4-8 Syracuse last week, earning bowl eligibility for the 3rd-consecutive season, in which they gave up a whopping 489 yards including 296 passing yards and 2 scores to Orange QB Greg Paulus.

Offense: The departure of RB Donald Brown and his 2083 rush yards in 2008 is tough to replace but 5’11” 230 sophomore RB Jordan Todman (210 for 1079 and 14 TD rushing, 17 for 166 receiving) and 6’1” 202 senior RB Andre Dixon (193 for 917 and 11 TD) have been up to the task, combining for 198 rush yards and 4 touchdowns against ‘Cuse. The Husky line of Ryan, Olivier, Petrus, Hurd, and Hicks (6’5” and 307 pounds per man) have been superb, generating 176.9 ground yards per game at 4.3 yards per carry with 27 scores while yielding 20 sacks for a squad that has racked up 32.4 points per game in 2009. Over the last 2 seasons, Head Coach Randy Edsell (64-65 in 11th season at Storrs) has had to start whichever quarterback is standing and the current upright body is 6’4” 225 junior QB Zach Frazer (87 of 167 for 1129 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT in 6 games) after Cody Endres (98 of 154 for 1354 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT) was knocked out of the Rutgers game. Freshman tight end Ryan Griffin (20 for 243) and receivers Kanuch (27 for 325 and TD), K. Moore (17 for 292 and 2 TD), and I. Moore (21 for 255) have been contributors but keep your eye on 6’1” 192 senior WR Marcus Easley. Entering the 5th game of the year, Easley had managed just 130 career yards (26 this season) without a TD and since has piled up 705 receiving yards at 20.3 yards per grab with 7 TD. Three different Huskies have returned kickoffs to the house over the last 4 weeks.

Defense: Coach Edsell’s defensive crews have earned a reputation for stoning opponents and graduating members to the NFL but this group just hasn’t been the same since the stabbing death of CB Jasper Howard. Three consecutive losses followed his death and over their last 3 tilts, this group has been scorched for 36.0 points per. 6’5” 260 senior RDE Lindsey Witten (36 T, 11 ½ TFL, 2 FF) ranks 5th in the nation in sacks and 6’1” 220 junior WLB Lawrence Wilson (130 T, 10 TFL, 4 S) leads the Big East in tackles but this front 7 just isn’t as deep or as fierce as one has come to expect with team totals of 27 sacks and 59 tackles for loss. Seniors 6’0” 200 SS Robert Vaughn (58 T, 2 TFL, 4 INT) and 5’9” 198 RCB Robert McClain (52 T, 4 ½ TFL, S, 4 INT) put together good individual numbers in the defensive backfield but haven’t been able to hold up freshmen 6’0” 180 LCB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (31 T, INT) and 6’1” 212 FS Jerome Junior (44 T, INT) and the overall results have been poor with 252.5 pass yards allowed per game at 8.0 yards per attempt. McClain is one of the best punt return men in the country at 14.8 yards per and an 87-yard score.

FREE SELECTION: The Connecticut return game is a major wildcard but so is the big play ability of BJ Daniels – despite last week’s failures. Daniels racked up 445 total yards against Louisville, has 9 pass completions of 40+ yards, 7 rushes of 25+ yards, and is averaging 16.6 yards per completion in 2009. Take South Florida + 7 at Renschler Field Saturday Night and pick up your free daily selections at Freeplays.com

-TD at Totals 4 You