(http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10921040)

We've created a vicious cycle in college football. Sure we all love the fact that just about every game is on TV nowadays. And because coaches and athletic directors want their teams to look good on TV, so they schedule a lot of limp fish opponents. Because wins beget bowl games. Bowl games begets job security. Job security begets more money. Thus, more money is insured by wins. You spin me right round baby right round, like a record.

No longer do college football teams across the country take chances. Or, well, rarely do they. Have you noticed how boring Septembers have become, except for the occasional Appy State upset of Michigan or Ohio State showdown with Texas?

Continue reading "2008: Grading the non-conference schedules" »

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - The Oregon Ducks (9-4) held a slim 18-14 halftime, but erupted for 28 third-quarter points en route to a record-setting 56-21 win over the South Florida Bulls (9-4) at the 74th annual Brut Sun Bowl.

Continue reading "OREGON MAULS USF 56-21 AT BRUT SUN BOWL" »

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 07:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - In what was a close 18-14 game at halftime, the Oregon Ducks exploded for 28 third quarter points, en route to a 56-21 win over South Florida in the 74th version of the Brut Sun Bowl.

Continue reading "" »

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Taking over the ineffective and shaken up Matt Grothe, USF's Grant Gregory hit A.J. Love for an 11-yard touchdown to cut Oregon's lead to 49-21 with 6:34 remaining in the game.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Matt Evensen added a 30-yard field goal to give Oregon a 49-14 lead with 12;14 left in the game.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - The Oregon Ducks are having their way with South Florida, not just on the scoreboard, 46-14, but in the Sun Bowl record book.

Though the game is only three quarters old, a number of records have been set in today's rout.

Continue reading "DUCKS REWRITING SUN BOWL RECORD BOOK" »

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - The Ducks keep piling it on.

Justin Roper is looking like anythig but a freshman, throwing his fourth touchdown pass of the game. This time it was an eight-yarder to Jonathan Stewart to make it 46-14 with 4:05 left in the third.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - When it rains, it pours. Ten seconds after Oregon took a 32-14 lead over USF, Ducks' cornerback Walter Thurmond III intercepted a Matt Grothe pass and returned it 25 yards for a TD to make it 39-14 with 7:25 to go in the third period.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Justin Roper threw his third touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yarder to Ed Dickson to give Oregon a comanding 32-14 lead over South Florida with 7:35 to go in the third quarter.

Roper, the Ducks' freshman replacement for Dennis Dixon, is now 13 of 23 for 145 yards.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - After taking a 25-14 lead, Oregon recovered a Taurus Johnson fumble on the USF 36-yard line. An unsportsmanlike penalty took the Ducks back to midfield, but they are now looking at a first down at the Bulls' 18-yard line.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Freshman quarterback Justin Roper hit Jaison Williams with a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Ducks a 25-14 lead with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

This was Roper's second TD pass of the game.

The key play of the drive was a 41-yard run by Jonathan Stewart, who is nearing the Brut Sun Bowl record for rushing yards. Stewart has 186, the record is 197, set by LSU's Charles Alexander in 1977.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - USF, down 18-14, opened the second half of the Brut Sun Bowl with the ball, but after a single first down, are forced to punt from their own 35 yard line.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - South Florida's Delbert Alvarado nailed a 35-yard field goal as time ran out to cut Oregon's lead to 18-14 at halftime.

In a half that featured as many yellow hankies as big plays, Oregon has been almost unstoppable on the ground while USF is having the better of it through the air

Continue reading "USF CUTS INTO LEAD AT HALF" »

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Jonathan Stewart exploded for a 71-yard touchdown run to give Oregon an 18-11 lead over South Florida with 3:17 to go in the second quarter.

Stewart, who started slowly, has now rushed for 141 yards on just 12 carries (11.8 yards per carry).

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Playing like they haven't been on the field for a month, Oregon and South Florida have already combined to tie the all-time Brut Sun Bowl record for most penalty yardage in a game with 162.

Oregon has been flagged 10 times for 102 yards, South Florida has seven penalties for 60 yards.

Oh, and by the way, they tied the record with 5:25 to go in the second quarter.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Quarterback Matt Grothe escaped a heavy rush and hit Taurus Johnson with a 21-yard touchdown pass to get within 11-9. On the two-point try, Grothe hit Cedric Hill in the back of the end zone to tie Oregon 11-11 with 7:04 left in the second quarter.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - South Florida's Delbert Alvarado kicked a 29-yard field goal to cut Oregon's lead to 8-3 with 14:49 left in the second quarter.

The Bulls kept the ball for 16 plays and 6:39, but were unable to get it into the end zone.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - In an opening quarter that saw both teams combine for 12 penalties for 112 yards, the Oregon Ducks lead the South Florida Bulls 8-0.

Oregon has seven penalties for 67 yards, while South Florida has been flagged five times for 45 yards.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Freshman quarterback Justin Roper hit wide receiver Garren Strong with a seven-yard TD pass to give Oregon an early lead in the Brut Sun Bowl.

Oregon decided to roll the dice early and go for two. Roper pitced to Matt Evensen, who ran it in for the two-point conversion to give Oregon the 8-0 lead with 6:28 left in the first quarter.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - Oregon takes the opening kickoff and will go to work with freshman quarterback Justin Roper, filling in for the injured Dennis Dixon.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EL PASO, TX - The Brut Sun Bowl is a sea of green with both Oregon and South Florida fans donning their respective team's primary color - green.

Even the skydivers who dropped into the stadium with the game ball dropped in with green parachutes. The last skydiver dropped in with a huge American flag waving behind him to the delight of the 51,000 fans.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today's Brut Sun Bowl pits two teams who are still wondering what might have been.

Both the Oregon Ducks (8-4) and the South Florida Bulls (9-3) were ranked as high as second in the nation this season but were unable to sustain it due to a combination of injuries and bad luck.

Of course, Oregon's loss of (at the time) Heisman Trophy frontrunner Dennis Dixon quickly transformed the team from a national title contender to a very mediocre squad. After losing their quarterback, the Ducks have gone on to lose three straight games.

South Florida opened the season with six straight wins but also went on a stretch when they lost three straight games (by a combined 15 points).

However, the Bulls recovered to finish the season on a three-game wining streak and are ranked 21 in the BCS standings.

Oregon comes into the Brut Sun Bowl with wins over USC, MIchigan and Arizona State. South Florida registered victories over Auburn, West Virginia and Louisville.

Some of the players to watch in this one are Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart (1,469 yards, 10 TDs), wide receiver Jaison Willliams (51 catches, 804 yards, 7 TDs) and defensive end Nick Reed (60 tackles, 12 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss).

For South Florida, QB Matt Grothe (2,473 yards passing, 13 TDs, 832 yards rushing, 10 TDs), freshman RB Mike Ford (637 yards, 12 TDs) and DE George Selvie (14.5 sacks, 32 tackles for loss).

It is a great day for football! The Brut Sun Bowl will kick off at 2 p.m. eastern and will be played under sunny skies (60 degrees), there isn't a single cloud to be found. There is a slight 10-15 mph breeze though.

Posted by Steve Escajeda at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Darius Butler pointed to the stands as the final whistle blew, waving the fans to come down to the field and join in on the celebration.

And what a celebration it was, with the Huskies upsetting No. 11 South Florida 22-15 at Rentschler Field.

Continue reading "Huskies hold on to win major upset, shock bulls" »

Posted by James Merritt at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Rentschler Field is electric. That about sums it all up.

On Fourth and 12, Matt Grothe's pass was long to the end zone and, with only 50 seconds left, all it took was kneel downs from Tyler Lorenzen to lock up UConn's incredible upset of No. 10 South Florida.

The fans rush the field as players raise their helmets in excitement of the win.

The Huskies win 22-15, on an incredible goal line stop by the UConn defense, where they sacked Grothe and stuffed a potential scoring run with less than 3 minutes left.

Stats, quotes, and more still to come.

Posted by James Merritt at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Huskies lead by a score and the Bulls have the ball at their own 48-yard line.

Let's see what Matt Grothe and the South Florida offense can do with the game on the line.

Posted by James Merritt at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- With a chance to tie the game at 19, the South Florida offense was stalled, resulting in a 27-yard field goal.

The initial outcome was a two-yard touchdown run by Mike Ford, but that was called back after a holding call.

Two dropped passed then followed, the second being an easy score but Cedric Hill couldn't hang on.

The Huskies now lead 19-15 with 7 minutes left in the game.

Posted by James Merritt at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Fifteen minutes stands in between the Huskies and their best win in school history.

But the Bulls are in position -- at UConn's 48-yard line -- to make a surge to get back into this game.

At the end of the third quarter, the Huskies pulled out to a 10-point lead when Tony Ciaravino put in a 27-yarder.

If the Huskies want an upset, it won't be a walk in the park, because we've seen what Matt Grothe can do with the Bulls' offense.

Posted by James Merritt at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- There's the good news and then again there's the bad news.

Just after Robert McClain intercepted Matt Grothe's pass in the endzone, the ensuing drive for the Huskies resulted in a safety.

The next drive, Grothe shows everyone at Rentschler Field why he is so dangerous.

Grothe tallied 63 rushing yards on the drive, capping it off with a 10-yard touchdown run of his own to get the Bulls back within seven points.

Posted by James Merritt at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Huskies defensive tackle Dan Davis took his helmet off and raised his arms to the fans in the student section before walking to the locker room at the half.

Like the fans weren't charged up already.

UConn has a chance to create quite a stir in the college football party, as this would undoubtedly be the biggest win in school history.

It's halftime in the South Florida-UConn game, and the Huskies now lead 16-0, thanks in a huge part to play of Huskies running back Andre Dixon, who has put the entire offense on his back with over 100 yards in the first half already.

On the other side of the ball, the Huskies defense has stalled most every South Florida offensive drive - their only chances on offense came in the form of two missed field goals.

Halftime stats coming up.

Posted by James Merritt at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Huskies linebacker Scott Lutrus just returned Matt Grothe's pass attempt 23 yards for a touchdown, extending UConn's lead to 16 just after a touchdown pass to tight end Steve Brouse one minute earlier.

Lutrus crossed over the field after intercepting the pass, which was tipped by the Huskies' Julius Williams, and ran the ball to the right side, breaking a tackle in the process and he dove into the endzone.

Posted by James Merritt at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- UConn's offense continues to role in the first half, adding a touchdown to a wide-open tight end Steve Brouse from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen.

Lorenzen floated the pass over two South Florida defenders, and Brouse snagged it in the back left half of the endzone.

The extra point was missed, however, and UConn's lead is now nine with less than 10 minutes in the half.

Posted by James Merritt at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- New kicker, same result for South Florida after the first quarter at Rentschler Field, as a switch from kicker Delbert Alvarado to Justin Teachey, who is normally the kick-off man, delivers another missed field goal.

The 45-yard attempt missed wide right after the Bulls were faced with a fourth and one.

The score remains 3-0 in favor of the Huskies, with a 22-yard field goal by Tony Ciaravino being the only score of the game.

After the first frame, UConn's Andre Dixon and South Florida's Jamar Taylor are leading their respective team's rushing attacks, as they combine for yards on the ground.

The Huskies start the second quarter with the ball on their own 20, and head right to left toward the east end zone.

Posted by James Merritt at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- After a very impressive opening drive, the Huskies settle for a 22-yard field goal by Tony Ciaravino, and now lead the Bulls 3-0 with 9:37 left in the first quarter.

The Huskies ran straight through the South Florida defense, as running back Andre Dixon rushed for 53 yards on eight carries on the drive.

After failing to convert on their first two plays of the game, the Huskies offense converted two straight first downs with a 21-yard pass from Tyler Lorenzen on third down. The next play, Dixon broke away for 19-yards.

The rain has picked up now, as the Bulls get ready to return the kick from Desi Cullen.

Posted by James Merritt at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Less than 10 minutes away from kickoff, the rain has just began to fall on Rentschler Field this Saturday afternoon as UConn (6-1, 2-0 Big East) is getting ready to host No. 11 South Florida (6-1, 1-1) at 3:30 p.m.

UConn is currently on top of the Big East, with a 2-0 record while South Florida sits third behind Rutgers at 1-1.

Just as it did in the Huskies 21-17 upset victory against Louisville Oct. 19, the weather will play a factor in today's game. The forecast for the central Connecticut area shows precipitation on and off during the first half of the game.

Fans will likely be charged up for this afternoon's game, as it is the first time in school history that the Huskies hold a top-25 ranking in any poll. They currently sit 23rd in the Bowl Championship Series Standings.

But currently, Rentschler Field is at only 20 percent capacity, but such is the normal case for Huskies fans. The stadium will most likely fill rapidly as the game is underway.

Today will see a match-up of two of the best defenses in the nation -- the Bulls and the Huskies rank 12th and sixth in total defense, respectively.

Coming of a strong effort against one the nation's top quarterbacks in Louisville's Brian Brohm, who threw two interceptions and was held in check for the majority of the game, UConn's defense will have to switch gears a bit as they must account for a double-threat in South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe.

Grothe's legs have been just as much a weapon as his arm this season. Coming into today's game against the Huskies, Grothe leads the Bulls in both passing and rushing with five touchdowns on the ground and eight through the air.

The Huskies will likely pay more attention to Grothe, as he ran all over the UConn defense Oct. 7 of last season. Grothe ran for three scores, leading the Bulls to a 38-16 win.

UConn's counterpart behind center is Tyler Lorenzen, a junior college transfer that has given the Huskies some stability in the passing game.

The Huskies come onto the field in all-blue uniforms while South Florida sports white jerseys with dark green pants and gold helmets.

Stay tuned for further updates as the game progresses.

Posted by James Merritt at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Rutgers has developed a reputation for spoiling the hopes of national champions to be, and Thursday night, the Scarlet Knights upheld that reputation in front of the whole nation. In front of 44,267 screaming fans, the largest crowd ever assembled at Rutgers Stadium, the Scarlet Knights played an uncharacteristically brilliant defensive game to put out the flame of the red-hot South Florida Bulls, handing the nation's No. 2 team their first loss of the season, 30-27, and dashing their title hopes on the largest stage imaginable for these two Big East powers. With special teams stealing the show, it was a wild ride, but Rutgers relied on old faithful running back Ray Rice to burn the stout USF defense for 181 yards rushing and in a back-and-forth battle of trickery and out-of-nowhere skill showcases, Rutgers was left standing as the giant in the Big East.

Continue reading "Another One Bites The Dust" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - The Bulls had one final chance to win this game. With 1:33 on the clock, no timeouts and the ball at the Rutgers 49, Matt Grothe went to work. And got sacked. The relentless Rutgers defense got to this team once again, dropping Grothe for a costly 12-yard loss. On 4th and 22, Grothe appeared to have it, connecting with Amarri Jackson for a huge gain that would have been a first down, but the Jackson was called for offensive pass interference, sending the Bulls back to their own 24 with a 4th and 37. Grothe launched one, but this time Rutgers came down with it, sealing a huge win for the Scarlet Knights, who would not be denied.

Continue reading "Just Call Them The Scarlet Spoilers" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Matt Grothe may have just given the ball away. On a third and 15 from the Rutgers 45, he and wide receiver Jessie Hester were on two very different pages and as a wide open Hester watched the pass intended for him sail off the fingertips of a nearby Rutgers defender, he must have seen the ballgame slipping away, too. Hester was all alone in the middle of the field with plenty of room to turn and get the first down - what route Grothe thought he was going to run is anyone's guess, but it's clear from the wild gesticulations of Hester as he approached Grothe on the sideline and he thought the QB in the wrong and himself in the right.

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - The USF defense picked an excellent time to force its first turnover of the game. With just over 4 minutes remaining on the clock, linebacker Brouce Mompremier got his helmet right on the ball cradled in Ray Rice's arm and forced the fumble, which Ben Moffit was in perfect position to recover. The turnover gives the Bulls a first down at the Rutgers 40 down three points with 4:09 on the clock, more than enough time to tie the game or go downfield and win it, as long as they remain turnover free and find a way to run through the suddenly stout Rutgers defense. All of that, however, is easier said than done, especially after having played a tough, rough-and-tumble 56 minutes of football already.

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Well that's one way to do it. The Bulls offense just showed up and in no-nonsense style, marched 70 yards downfield in 8 plays and 2:37 of game time, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mike Ford. The Bulls just pulled themselves to within three, as the score stands at 30-27 in favor of the Scarlet Knights. If you were thinking of going anywhere, don't. With 9:16 of gametime left, this is going to be one frenzied finish.

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Jeremy Ito just lined up for a 51-yard field goal attempt and, much to the surprise of most people in the stadium, actually swung his leg on the kick. Ito's 51-yard field goal attempt split the uprights cleanly, making him as good a kicker as he is a passer (he is 1-for-1 for 36 yards passing tonight). And the Rutgers defense has yet to let up, sacking Grothe five times tonight through three quarters and three minutes of football.

Continue reading "He Can Kick, Too" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Maybe Rutgers should keep fumbling their returns. Following a USF field goal, Rutgers returnman James Townson fumbled the ball, only to scoop it up and scamper free for a huge return, giving the Scarlet Knights excellent field position in USF territory at the 49. This game has become far more of a special teams battle than anyone anticipated.

Continue reading "Stay With What Works" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - When Rutgers' field goal unit came on to attempt a chip shot field goal halfway through the third quarter, if USF did not realize that the play would be a fake, they were probably the only ones that were caught unawares. Holder Andrew DePaola grabbed the ball, stood up and dropped back to pass, and as a USF defender sailed by, unable to wrap him up, DePaoloa threw his first career pass, a 15-yard TD toss to tight end Kevin Brock. The score gives Rutgers a much more comfortable 27-17 lead late in the third quarter.

Continue reading "Fake Out, Again" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Special teams have certainly been special tonight. Rutgers fumbled another punt return in the third quarter, giving the Bulls a first down from the Rutgers 24 yard line. But the Rutgers defense continues to impress in this second half, pressuring Grothe far more than they could in the first half, and making USF give up the ball twice. On this last possession, the Scarlet Knights forced a field goal, only to block it and then attempt to shuffleboard-style push the ball toward the end zone and pull off what USF could not do earlier. Their attempt, too, was foiled, but the score remains 20-17 in favor of the Scarlet Knights.

Continue reading "Really Special Teams" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Here's some excitement. after holding USF to a 3-and-out on its first possession, Rutgers came out ready to roll. Teel found Tiquan Underwood for a 69-yard catch-and-run TD less than three minutes into the second half. Underwood's catch gave him 102 yards on the day, marking his fifth 100-yard game this season. And you can be sure he's not done yet.

Continue reading "You Wanted Excitement?" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - So far, this game has been the Big East battle most people expected to see out of these two teams. Ray Rice is running effectively, Matt Grothe is directing his offense like a pro, and both teams have come up with some off-the-board brilliance (see fake punt and blocked field goal, respectively). Grothe’s 18-yard touchdown run was matched only by Hester’s 28-yard touchdown catch, although Rutgers’ 3-yard strike from Teel to Underwood wasn’t so bad, either. The 17-13 halftime score tells the story of this one very accurately – it’s a skin-of-their-teeth battle, and these fans are in for two more good quarters of football.

Continue reading "Halftime On Exit 9" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Well that was interesting. Jeremy Ito just lined up to kick a field goal and the craziest play of the day has just graced Rutgers Stadium. The field goal was blocked and Mike Jenkins picked it up and ran with it, only to cough the ball up somewhere around midfield. Tyrone McKenzie, who originally blocked the punt, then scooped up the bouncing ball and ran with it before he too was brought down, coughing up the ball again in the process and tossing an illegal forward pass as he did so. Trae Williams then picked up the ball and ran it in for a score, but despite Jim Leavitt's vehement protests, the Bulls were called for an illegal forward pass on the second exchange of that "what-exactly-was-that" play, and the Bulls will take over from the Rutgers 44 yard line.

Continue reading "Did You See That!?!" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Even Grothe is capable of imperfection. The USF QB has now thrown his first - and second - incomplete passes of the game, in quick succession, giving this Rutgers crowd a reason to stand up and cheer again. The first pass was a bit low for its intended receiver, but the second was a clear drop. If USF is going to win this game in some way other than the feet of Matt Grothe, the Bulls receivers are going to have to stop dropping passes.

Continue reading "Imperfection, And The Lead" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Ray Rice is keeping Rutgers alive in this game. The running back is breaking tackles and finding holes in this supposedly impenetrable USF defense. Helped along by an egregious face mask penalty called on the Bulls for dragging Rice down by the untouchable part of the helmet, the Scarlet Knights just drive right downfield and tied the game at 10. The scoring play was a three-yard TD pass from Mike Teel to Tiquan Underwood after a first and goal from the 3 turned into a second and goal from the 6 and then into a third and goal from the three.

Continue reading "All Tied Up" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - USF has had enough of this playing around. It's time to quiet this crowd and the Bulls only needed five plays to do so, and the final one was quite the highlight.

Continue reading "No More Mr. Nice Bull" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 08:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - USF's first play from scrimmage was not a pretty one. Quarterback Matt Grothe lined up in the shotgun, snapped his foot, then moved up to audible to the line, then dropped down under center, then clearly not knowing what exactly he was supposed to do, took a timeout.

Continue reading "Inauspicious Beginning" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - It appeared as though the USF defense would bend, but not break on Rutgers' first drive of the game after the Scarlet Knights failed to convert a 3rd down and 8 from the USF 49. But then Rutgers pulled an LSU.

Continue reading "Faked Out" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Rutgers won the toss and elected to start on offense first. After a touchback, It was a dirty first play, with offsetting penalties for holding and a face mask negating a big run by Rutgers. Hopefully this is not the sign of a dirty game to come.

Continue reading "Dirty Jersey?" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 07:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Tonight's game is the third-ever meeting between these two Big East teams (the series is tied, 1-1) ... Ray Rice is Rutgers' all-time leader in career rushing yards (3,536) and career rushing touchdowns (35) entering his sixth game of the season ... Rice is tied for second in the NCAA in scoring (13.2 ppg) ... USF currently holds the nation's longest winning streak, at 8 games ... During that 8-game stretch, no team has scored more than 23 points against the Bulls defense...

Continue reading "RU-USF Quick Hits" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PISCATAWAY, NJ - The kickoff hour has arrived, and the chants of "RU! RU!" can be heard miles away. Rutgers-USF is on tap here at Rutgers Stadium and the fans are ready for the biggest game these Rutgers fans have seen since, well, last year.

Continue reading "Welcome To Beautiful Piscataway" »

Posted by Carolyn Braff at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "South Florida holds on to upset No. 5 WVU" »

Posted by Bob Hertzel at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "Big game, big crowd, maybe a big upset" »

Posted by Bob Hertzel at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "Mountaineers on a slippery slope" »

Posted by Bob Hertzel at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- As play began, Raymond James Stadium was filled with electricity, which was a good thing, considering it had already turned dark and they needed the lights on.
After watching No. 5 West Virginia and No. 18 South Florida perform before a sellout crowd, it might have been kinder if they had left the lights off.
No one could hold the ball.
By the time the first quarter was over, South Florida had turned the ball over three times.
And the No. 18 Bulls were in front.
It turns out that they weren't the only team turning things over.
The USF defense had the Mountaineers totally stymied, recovered a fumble of their own by Steve Slaton after a killer hit by linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and then got the game's first score when quarterback Patrick White's third-down pass was deflected bydefensive end Jarriet Bowie and intercepted by linebacker Ben Moffitt and run 27 yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Posted by Bob Hertzel at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- This is a city that has hosted the Super Bowl and a Final Four, you'd think a regular season college football game would draw nothing more than a yawn from the populace, but the entire Sun Coast area has gone ga-ga over No. 5 West Virginia invades the Ray J. to face the No. 18 University of South Florida Bulls.

Continue reading "USF enters the big time, and that's no Bull" »

Posted by Bob Hertzel at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)