My pick: UNC 24-14 (Picks Contest Wk 7)

Posted Oct 9, 2006 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Oct 13, 2006 at 11:33 PM

Break out the James Taylor 8-tracks, uh albums, uh never mind. Anyway, “In my mind I’m goin’ to Carolina” and so are the Bulls. And be sure to set those alarm clocks early Saturday for the noon kickoff at North Carolina. Entries are due at 11 a.m. Saturday. If USF wins - and with upcoming games against Cincinnati and Syracuse - the Bulls would all but guarantee that they’ll become bowl eligible.

The fine print: To enter respond to the “comments” link below and answer the questions. First and last names (no initials), hometown and a valid E-mail address are required. Your E-mail address will NOT be published and only will be used to contact the winners. The deadline for entries is one hour before USF’s kickoff. Remember when posting your comment/picks it won’t post immediately and may take an hour or so, so be patient. Only one entry per person per week is allowed. The top three finishers at the end of the season will win gift certificates to Bulls Heaven worth $100, $50 and $25. For a 5-point bonus pick the winner and exact score. Good Luck.

1-Will USF beat North Carolina by more than 3½ points?
2-Will USF score more than 29½ points?
3-Who will have more yards rushing? RB Ricky Ponton, RB Walt Smith or RB Ben Williams.
4-What amount will be greater? QB Matt Grothe’s rushing yards or USF’s penalty yards.
5-Pick the winner: Rutgers at Navy.
Bonus: Pick USF-UNC winner and exact score (worth 5 points).

Of the first 57 individuals making their predictions, only four don’t think USF will win by more than 3½ points. Sorry to say, but I’m going to make it five. Hey, the good news is when I’m wrong, there will be several of you to remind me what a lousy pick it was.
1-North Carolina defeats USF 24-14. The Tar Heels have been tough at home as an underdog, pulling off several upsets of nationally ranked opponents the past three years. With the heat increasing on John Bunting, look for a focused effort out of the Tar Heels before what should be a sold out Kenan Stadium. UNC’s tougher early schedule pays off against USF.
2-USF will not score more than 29½ points. With QB Matt Grothe not at 100 percent, the Bulls’ offense can’t be as productive as past weeks, can it? The return of RB Ricky Ponton will help, but Grothe is the Bulls’ offense. 
3-Ponton will have more rushing yards. Benjamin Williams is expected to get the start, but Ponton should see plenty of action. Ponton is obviously eager to return and make a good showing in his season debut.
4-USF’s penalty yards will be greater than Grothe’s rushing yards. With Grothe playing with his right foot injury, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Bulls limit his carries. If so, he’ll be hard pressed to reach 50-60 yards rushing and the Bulls are averaging almost 80 yards a game in penalties.
5-Rutgers will beat Navy. Last year, Rutgers’ defenseless defense held Navy to 21 points. So this year, the improved RU defense should be able to keep the Middies to three TDs again as the Scarlet Knights roll to 6-0.