A Final Look Back at USF-Miami

Posted Nov 29, 2009 by Scott Carter

Updated Nov 29, 2009 at 03:06 PM

The Miami Hurricanes came to town for the first time in 25 years on Saturday, and the ‘Canes looked like some of those big-and-bad Miami teams of the ‘80 and ‘90s.

They dominated USF in every facet of the game, leaving the Bulls in their wake as they headed back to Miami with a chance for their first 10-win season in six years with a bowl win.

Meanwhile, the Bulls must quickly refocus and try to end the regular season on a positive note with a Big East game at Connecticut on Saturday. Before we look ahead to UConn, let’s take a final look back at USF’s 31-10 loss to Miami on Saturday:

** Miami is clearly the second-best team in the state behind No. 1-ranked Florida. USF would have made a strong statement for that honor with a victory yesterday, but Miami’s depth and size up front on offense and defense revealed how much work the Bulls have to close the gap. I rank USF third, UCF fourth and FSU fifth in the state at this point.

** B.J. Daniels is going to be a big-time player, but right now he has to take better care of the football. He committed the game’s only two turnovers, one a fumble that led to a Miami TD. In watching Daniels, I’ve noticed he scrambles in the pocket often holding the football with one hand far from his body. I’m sure opposing defensive coordinators see that and tell their players to look for opportunities to knock the ball from Daniels as he runs.

** USF’s pass rush was non-existent except for Jason Pierre-Paul’s sack of Jacory Harris. George Selvie and Pierre-Paul give the Bulls a nice tandem at end, but if they get blocked well, the Bulls struggle on the defensive line. Head coach Jim Leavitt pointed out afterward how USF must recruit more physical players on the offensive and defensive lines to compete with the Miami of the worlds.

** After Miami took the 21-3 lead at halftime, you just never felt the Bulls really had a chance to come back. While USF did gain some momentum in the third quarter, Miami’s depth at running back began to take a huge toll on USF’s defense. Also, USF never seemed to make the necessary adjustments to slow down the running game. It looked like the plan was not to get beat by the pass, and instead, Miami used the run to put the Bulls away.

** Saturday served as a good reality check for Leavitt and USF officials. USF will eventually beat Miami and compete with the state’s other top programs on a regular basis, but for now, the Bulls simply don’t have the size or the depth to win these kind of games consistently. When they won at FSU, Daniels made two big plays and USF won the turnover battle. But when it comes to pure talent, USF still needs to add to the roster to catch up with the Big 3.

** It was nice to see seniors such as Selvie, QB Matt Grothe and DB Nate Allen receive loud ovations during Senior Day festivities prior to the game. In 20 years, if USF is firmly positioned alongside Florida, Miami and FSU, this group of seniors will be the ones remembered as the launching point for the Bulls’ rise to prominence.

** Last, but not least, I picked the winning score of yesterday’s game. I told you I’m not a sports gambler, and I showed why. I picked USF to win a close game, 31-28. I picked the wrong team, but picking the right score has to count for something, right?

Time to start looking ahead to Connecticut.