5 Reasons USF Could Win or Lose on Saturday

Game two of the 2011 season is tomorrow and the Bulls are looking to take on a Ball State team that is looking to bring the team down after its big win. USF has the speed and skill needed to win the game and could put up some points, but they could also sleep walk into this game and lose just as fast.

Here are 5 reasons the Bulls will win the game and 5 reasons they could lose this game.

5 reasons they will win this game.

Team Speed

There is no question USF has the speed advantage on the field. From the receivers to the secondary, USF will be able to swarm to any ball carrier and if they get into open space, expect big plays against a Ball State defense that is not loaded with burners. Also keep an eye on Lamar and Mitchell in the return game who are looking to break loose after a tough ND game.

No Fly Zone

The Bulls have one of their best secondaries in recent history and the No Fly Zone will be looking to shut down Wenning and the up-tempo Ball State defense. The Bulls gave up a lot of yardage to ND, but they made the big plays, getting turnovers, interceptions and stopping drives. Bending, no breaking. They will look to do the same and also make some corrections to stop the long drives that ND did have on them.

Rushing Attack

Scott and Murray showed flashes, but were quiet for the most part against ND. The Bulls will be facing a smaller defensive front in Ball State and will look to impose their size and get the running lanes open. Also watch for Tye Turner to come in at fullback and maybe get a few power runs in against the undersized Cardinal front.

Home Field

The Bulls always play well at home and coming off of the big win, the home crowd should be huge. Add in the cheap tickets sales, fireworks after the game, and the memorial to Lee Roy Selmon, a big crowd should be on hand and truly energize the team and get them the big win they are looking for.

B.J. Daniels

Might be a repeat on most of these lists. Daniels didn't turn the ball over vs. ND, made a few nice runs, got the game winning touchdown and didn't lose the game. This is what we need from him, the game manager type quarterback that doesn't turn the ball over. If he can do that, hopefully we can get the win here.

Here are 5 reasons we can lose this game

Sleep Walking

As much as the players and coaches have been saying there won't be a letdown and that they are focused, they could be overlooking or still not mentally ready for another game. If they are not hustling or paying full attention, Ball State will do all it can to get the win and try to come out fast, USF has to be ready.

Ball State Geared Up

USF is going to be ready for this game, but so will Ball State. After their upset win over Indiana, they are feeling great and would love to keep it going and beating another BCS team (they don't it very often) would be great for their new head coach Lembo who is looking to make an early statement in his coaching career.

Mistakes

The offense was full of mistakes last season and Daniels was the fault of many of them. He was sharp vs. Notre Dame because the offense was tailored to keep it simple and mistake free. If Daniels tries to do too much, tries to put on the superhero cape again, he could throw interceptions like he has done before making life hard for the Bulls all night.

Defensive Holes

Kind of beating a dead horse at this point, but the defense had a lot of holes in their coverage, allowing the ND receivers and running backs get a lot of yards on them. Ball State wants to play ball control and will run their tempo and keep the defense busy and try to wear them out. With a thin secondary and defensive line, this is something the Bulls will have to watch for.

Full Effort

Will there be a hangover? All this talk about mentally ready and prepared, is the team ready for this game? The last thing the Bulls need is a lack of effort on the field, overlooking Ball State, sloppy play, slow starts, and just not thinking. One mistakes could be a disaster for this team.