USF hoping for another Dog Day Afternoon

Posted Sep 22, 2009 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Sep 23, 2009 at 05:47 PM

While not many folks nationally, especially those in Vegas, are giving USF a shot Saturday at Florida State, if past history is any indication, Saturday could be a Dog Day Afternoon for the Bulls.

With the loss of senior QB Matt Grothe and with freshman B.J. Daniels making his first start, USF is now up to a 14 or 14-1/2 point underdog.

In the past seven seasons since USF’s first season in Conference USA, the Bulls have been an underdog of at least seven points in 16 games.  In those 16 games, however, the Bulls have pulled off the upset a remarkable seven times, including three of the last four times. 

On Saturday can USF make it No. 8?

Here’s a look at USF’s past 16 games when the Bulls were at least a TD underdog:

2008 at West Virginia (+7) L 7-13
2007 West Virginia (+7) W 21-13
2007 at Auburn (+7) W 26-23
2006 at West Virginia (+21) W 24-19
2006 at Louisville (+17) L 8-31
2005 West Virginia (+8) L 13-28
2005 at Miami (+21) L 7-27
2005 Louisville (+20) W 45-14
2005 at Penn State (+21) L 13-23
2004 at Cincinnati (+12) L 23-45
2004 at UAB (+19) W 45-20
2004 at Louisville (+30) L 9-41
2004 at TCU (+10) W 45-44 OT
2004 at South Carolina (+12) L 3-34
2003 at Memphis (+10) W 21-16
2003 at Alabama (+15) L 17-40