USF MBB Falls 46 to 69 to VCU

We feel the same way Coach.

Talk about a rough night for the Bulls. USF (5-3) came off of a solid win over FAU over the weekend and was looking to get a solid win on the road, but the VCU rams had another idea in this game as they beat the Bulls down 46 to 69 after being tied at 28 at half time.

The real story of the game was the turnovers by the USF guards in the second half and the injury to Toarlyn Fitzpatrick that hurt the Bulls inside depth and led to their demise in the second half.

Key Matchups for USF vs. WVU

There are a lot of match-ups in this game against WVU. The Mountaineers, they have a lot of weapons that the Bulls will have to deal with on the field, but here are a few of the biggest match-ups as the Bulls try to get a huge win in the final game of the season.

USF MBB takes on VCU

Fitzpatrick and company face a tough road test at VCU (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

The USF Bulls, 4-2, fresh off of a win over FAU are on the road this time as they travel to Virginia to take on Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) (game starts at 7:30PM).

The Bulls are making a change in the backcourt, going with freshman Anthony Collins and Blake Nash at the guard positions.  Collins has made a strong impression with his play at the point position while Nash can pass and also create his own shot, giving the Bulls a fast and dangerous tandem. Collins and Nash will have to come up big with big man Augustus Gilchrist still questionable with a shoulder injury. 

VCU enters the game with a 3-3 record and looking to get a big win at home.

Know Thy Enemy: WVU

As the Bulls prepare for the final game of the season, there are a lot of questions they face as they take the field for what could be the last time this season. WVU is a powerful team loaded with weapons all over the field, but yet, despite all of our research, there are still questions that remain about the WVU team. To get a better understanding of what the Bulls are facing, I asked our good friend Jim over at www.HailWV.com for his take on the WVU team and what they bring to the field.

Scouting WVU: Offense

Geno Smith is putting up video game numbers, hope the Bulls defense is ready for him.

This is one of the most high powered offenses USF will face all season long and the Bulls secondary better find itself quickly or it could be an ugly night for them. WVU loves to throw all over the field, but have found a running game and will look to spread the field all day against USF.

Five Ways USF can Win/Lose to WVU

Darrell Scott and the running game have to get going in this game.

It is the final game of the season as the Bulls. USF is 5-6 and is facing a losing season, the first time since 2004. If the Bulls want to win the game against WVU, they will have to dig deep in order to do so. Here are 5 ways the Bulls can win or lose this game.

Scouting WVU: Defense

Bruce Irvin will be chasing down Daniels all evening (or whoever the starter is for USF)

The Mountaineers bring the unique 3-3-5 scheme to the field, going with only 3 down linemen, 3 linebackers, and loading the secondary with 5 players to play both zone and man coverage, causing a lot of issues for opposing offenses. Whether Daniels or Eveld gets the start, it will be a hard test throwing into that secondary.

Scouting WVU: Special Teams

Tavon Austin is one of the most dangerous return men in the Big East.

Special teams will be a key factor in this game. With the Bulls offense struggling at times to get anything going down the field, field position becomes a huge factor in the game as well as the return game. Let's see who the Mountaineers bring to the field in their special teams unit.

USF WBB Gets Big Win Over Stetson 77 to 62

The USF ladies returned home and got a huge victory over instate rival Stetson, 77 to 62. The Bulls were down 35 to 34 at the end of the first half, but the offense, led by Jasmine Wynne and Andrell Smith came to life and got the Bulls a huge win, improving their record to 5-3 on the season.

Jasmine Wynne continues her great start to her senior season. She had 22 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Kaneisha Saunders, quiet in the first half, went off for 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Caitline Rowe had a quiet 8 points and 4 rebounds. Andrell Smith, after being shut out in the first half, had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Akila McDonald had 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 blocks as she and Rowe continue to dominate the paint for Fernandez this season.

The Bulls needed this win after a tough loss to Miami in Alaska. At 5-3, the ladies now hit the road as they take on Idaho State in the Air Force Classic on Friday night at 7PM. We will have the full pregame and post game coverage right here.

Notes from Skip Holtz Press Conference 11/28/2011

Sterling Griffin could be available for the game on Thursday night.

Here are some notes from the Skip Holtz press conference today.

Holtz announced a few updates to the battered USF secondary. Both Kayvon Webster (concussion) and Quenton Washington (concussion, shoulder) should be ready to play on Thursday night. Webster missed the Louisville due to the concussion symptoms. The Bulls will need their starters to be at their healthiest for this game, especially with so many reserves were injured.

Who are the WVU Coaches?

Dana Holgorsen and his receding hairline come to Tampa for the season finale.

The WVU Mountaineers are led by first year head coach Dana Holgorsen. Dana took over after WVU let Bill Stewart walk, allowing the great offensive mind take over the entire show at WVU. Last season, he was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, leading one of the best offenses in the country. He is known for his passing offense, spreading the field out and slinging the ball all over the field, lighting up the scoreboard and the secondary of teams. Before he went to OSU, he was the offensive coordinator at Houston for two years, again leading a huge passing offense.

Before he took that job, he was the wide receivers coach at Texas Tech, passing offense is in the blood of Dana. WVU has been off and on this season, throwing well, but finding it hard to get the running game going. The Bulls are thin at corner (Webster likely out for this game) so the Bulls defense will be tested the entire game. Louisville found a way to pick apart their zone coverage so they have to find a way to either pressure Geno Smith (Quarterback for WVU) or stay disciplined in the secondary and attack. (Note, Holgorsen is calling the plays for WVU this season, so he takes over as the offensive coordinator).

The defensive coordinator for WVU is Jeff Casteel. Casteel has been with the Mountaineers for years and still uses a unique 3-3-5 defensive scheme at times, allowing the linebackers to make all the plays on the field. He was the linebackers coach from 2003 to 2009, so his experience with that unit allows them to roam all over the field thanks to his play calling. Casteel likes to call pressure, but has to rely on the nose tackle to anchor the line. If the defensive line can hold, the linebackers are able to come off the edge and anchor the middle of the field for WVU. The secondary is very fast (a few athletes from Florida on this team) which will make life hard for the USF offense.

USF WBB Takes on Stetson

The USF ladies, going 1-1 on their road trip to Alaska (4-3 on the season) are back home as they host Stetson in a key in-state battle. The Hatters are 5-1 on the season and are looking for a key win over the Bulls. USF has a size advantage inside, but will need their guards to come up big for them if they want to get the win in this game.

Who is WVU?

No caption is needed here.

The WVU Mountaineers, 8-3 (4-2) on the season, are making their way to Tampa for the season finale on Thursday night (not again!) The Bulls are coming off of a heart breaking loss to Louisville last Friday afternoon, but now have to focus. They are 5-6 on the season, so there is a snowball's chance in heck that they could win and get to a bowl game, but more importantly, it's senior night for the Bulls. They will have to dig deep in order to find the energy to win this game against a high powered WVU offense.

USF Soccer Gets Huge Win on PK Kicks over New Mexico!

The USF soccer team battled into double overtime and into penalty kicks, coming away with a huge win over once undefeated New Mexico, winning 6 to 5 on penalty kicks.

USF battled hard with New Mexico the entire game, pushing the tempo in the first half. Dom Dwyer had 6 shots on the night, coming close to the goal on several tries, but just short. The Lobos had their chances late in the game, but could not convert anything on net, sending the game into double overtime, where neither team could not get close either.

USF Finding Production from Point Guards Early

The season is young, but the Bulls are 5-2 to start and are finding production from the point guard position, something the team lacked all of last season. Last year, Anthony Crater ran the point guard position, but struggled to move the offense and could not score a basket to save his life. He averaged just 3.9 points a game, had 137 assists on the year, but turned the ball over 76 times, not the way to win in the Big East. This season however, the Bulls have a new look in the backcourt.

USF Soccer to Host New Mexico in Third Round of NCAA Tournament

Chris Blais and company need you to pack Corbett once more!

The soccer season continues after the Bulls came away with an overtime win over UCF on Sunday night. The Bulls, 13-3-3, battled and got the huge win in front of a crowd of over 3000 at Corbett Field. They will get a chance to advance to the next round but face a steep challenge with the Lobos of New Mexico coming to town (game is at 6PM - Fans, the game is free again! Everyone needs to pack Corbett, they need another huge crowd for this game!)

Big East Week 13 Results

Another week is in the books and the contest for the best Big East game picker is coming to an end. Mike is still leading the way in the contest, but Jim is closing in. I am sitting in third place and most likely out of it by now, but you never know what might happen. Let's see how we did on our picks.

USF MBB Gets Win Over FAU 68 to 55

Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had a huge night as the Bulls got win number 5 on the season.

The Bulls continued their strong play at "home" tonight as they notched another victory, this time over FAU 68 to 55. The Bulls led by over 20 points in the second half, but the Owls rallied to make it a little bit closer, but the USF lead never went below 12 points on the night. They were without Augustus Gilchrist again in this game, but the Bulls would not need him as they improve to 5-2 on the season.

USF MBB Faces FAU

Blake Nash is ready, are you?

The Bulls, fresh off their 66 to 46 win over Georgia Southern, change venues (moving over to UT for this one) as they welcome FAU to town. The Owls, coming off of a win over Hofstra (had to rally in that win) are 3-3 on the season and are looking for a big upset win on the road (game is at 7PM on the campus of UT).

The Bulls are looking to get another key non-conference win as they continue to play well at home. Coach Heath was impressed by freshman guard Anthony Collins in the last game and will need the guards to continue to play well for him.

Anger Growing Among USF Fans

Even old Lou is angry about this season.

5-6, yes, the Bulls are 5-6 as they dropped another game, this time a game to Louisville in which they had the lead for the first half and had more than enough chances to win. So, what happened to this season? After the 4-0 start, the fan base was excited, energy was at an all time high, but now after this loss, the fans are looking for Black Friday deals on pitch forks.

As V5 pointed out yesterday in their post we don't hate the players, we watch every game, support the team and the effort they put out there, but as a fan, the results are frustrating on so many levels.

Inside the Numbers: USF Falls to Louisville 24 to 34

The Cardinals offense dominated the day as the Bulls continued to fall apart (Picture: AP)

Where do we start after this game? The Bulls dropped another bad game where all aspects of the team failed to do their job. The defense, special teams, and offense failed to get the win as the Bulls drop to 5-6 (1-5) on the season and are most likely out of bowl contention unless they can pull off a miracle against WVU (don't hold your breath on that either).

USF Drops Game 24 to 34 to Louisville

Eveld couldn't get it done as the Bulls fell to Louisville (Picture: Getty Images)

Where do we begin? The Bulls, on an early kick off with the stands empty, lost the game 24 to 34 to the Louisville Cardinals. The Cards had not won in Tampa since 1972, but they changed that history as USF killed themselves with bad special teams, fumbles, no offense and were beaten up in the secondary. The Bulls are now 5-6 (1-5) on the season and will have the WVU game for their last desperate chance to try to get to bowl eligibility.

Halftime Report: USF vs. Louisville

For the USF fans that made it to the game today, the Bulls are taking care of business. The Cards controlled the first half of the game, missing one field goal and getting the second to start the second quarter, but the Bulls are taking control now as they lead the Cardinals 17 to 10

Eveld has made some nice passes, including a big 4th down throw to Lindsey Lamar for a touchdown as the Cardinals continue to have issues on special teams and mental mistakes. The Bulls are also using some wild cat running and taking a few chances with Daniels out for the game. The team is starting to play a little bit better, at least better than last week. The running game is doing better, Murray had a touchdown and Scott is showing some nice power and speed getting solid yardage. The defense is doing very well, although Bridgewater is getting open down the sidelines for the big runs, they have to contain him more and sure up their tackling. The last minute score by the Cardinals was bad way to end the game, all set up by a huge return by the Cardinals.

The Bulls get the ball to start the second half, so it will be interesting to see how they come out after the break. If Eveld can continue to make solid throws, the running game continues to get up field, and the defense continues to hold and not give up huge plays, the Bulls can control the clock. They need this and have to come out focused and take care of business.

Game Day: Louisville

Rise and shine, game day is here! After gorging on turkey and battling the Black Friday crowds over the night, the USF Bulls are hoping they have enough energy for this strange 11AM kickoff. The Bulls, sitting at 5-5, are battling for a bowl game. They are trying to run their bowl streak to 7 straight years, but they face a steep challenge in this one.

USF WBB Drops Game to Miami

The USF ladies dropped a rough game to Miami tonight, falling 72 to 92. The Bulls, now 4-3, could not handle the guard play of Miami as the Canes controlled the tempo of the game, opening a huge lead and never looking back. The ladies had some foul trouble early in the game, but battled until then end.

Jasmine Wynne had 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists as she continues to anchor the backcourt for the Bulls. Kaneisha Saunders had 11 points and 5 assists. Saunders had to deal with early foul trouble and played less than 30 minutes the entire game. Caitlin Rowe had 8 points and 4 rebounds in a quiet game for her. Andrell Smith had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 rebounds. Akila McDonald had 10 points and 4 rebounds on the day.

Scouting Louisville: Defense

The Louisville defense runs the similar 4-3 system that USF runs.  They are great athletes that can get to the ball quickly, so the Bulls will have to find a way to pound the ball and get the ball to the athletes on the perimeter.  Here are the players on the defensive side for the Cards. 

USF WBB takes on Miami

The USF ladies, after a huge overtime win over Central Michigan, now face #9 Miami in the Great Alaska Shootout.  The Bulls, 4-2, had to rally late to win but now must face a tough Miami team that had to overcome a physical battle with Alaska Anchorage the other night in their win.  Miami, 3-1, is a balanced lineup that will pose a huge challenge for the Bulls. 

What I am Thankful For

It's Thanksgiving Day! While everyone is feasting on turkey, watching football, and falling asleep in a food coma, we all should be thankful for everything and everyone we have in our lives. As a USF fans, there are a lot of things to be thankful for. Here are five things I am thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Coach Heath is demanding you gorge on turkey, can't argue with that.

Happy Thanksgiving USF family! We hope everyone is enjoying this day with family and friends, gorging on turkey and dressing and passing out in front of the TV. We hope everyone has a great day, a safe day, and enjoys every second of it.

We are very thankful for everyone that continues to follow and read the site. We have grown a lot since day one, reaching over 100,000 views on the year, our first year in existence, and the best is yet to come. We will have plenty of coverage later today of the scouting reports for the Louisville game and for the women's basketball game vs. Miami later tonight, but until then, enjoy your holiday.

Five Ways USF can Win/Lose to Louisville

If Bobby Eveld gets the start, he will have to move the offense down the field.

There are a lot of ways USF can lose this game (the list seems endless) but there are also ways they can win the game as well. Let's take a look at the top 5 ways they can win or lose.

USF MBB Beats Georgia Southern 66 to 46

Ron Anderson Jr. had a team high 17-points as the Bulls beat Georgia Southern.

The Bulls, without Augustus Gilchrist, put on a show in the St. Pete Forum as they handled Georgia Southern 66 to 46, displaying hard nose defense and balanced scoring. Gilchrist, battling a shoulder strain, sat out this game (will be back Saturday) but the Bulls would be just fine without him.

USF WBB Rallies in Overtime to Beat Central Michigan

Kaneisha Saunders led the Bulls with 23 points as they rallied in overtime to get win number 4. (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

The USF ladies got their Alaskan trip started in dramatic fashion as they came from behind to beat Central Michigan 86 to 80 in overtime. The ladies, now 4-2, got a buzzer-beating 3-point shot from Andrell Smith as time expired to send the game to overtime. The Bulls were able to take command and get another win, their 4th straight.

USF Volleyball Notches Win in Season Finale

Coach Claire Lessinger was all smiles today as the Bulls beat FAMU to put a cap on the 2011 season.

The Bulls ended the 2011 season on a high note as they beat FAMU in 4 sets to improve their overall record on the season to 12-16 and send the seniors out on a high note. USF dominated the entire match, barely losing the second set. They were able to get production out of all their key players and put on a show in the final match of the season.

USF MBB Takes on Georgia Southern

Heath and company are back home as they take on Georgia Southern.

The Bulls return home after losing two games on the road to ODU and Penn State. They will now try to get back on the winning track as they take on Georgia Southern (game is at 7PM, St. Pete Times Forum).

Georgia Southern, 1-2, is the underdog in this game, but will come out fighting. The Bulls could be without big man Augustus Gilchrist (shoulder) so the front line for the Bulls will be thin. Let's see who GS brings to the court.

USF WBB takes on Central Michigan

The USF WBB team is on a long and cold road trip as they head to Alaska for the Carry/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout (Yes, basketball in Alaska). The Bulls have won 3 straight and are hoping to keep it going as they face Central Michigan in the first round (game scheduled for 6PM EST).

Allstate Tailgate Tour Coming to Tampa!

The Allstate Tailgate Tour is coming to Tampa, let's Mayhem is not coming too!

USF fans, for those who are not waiting in line for Black Friday shopping or in a food coma, we encourage you to check out the Allstate Tailgate Tour that will be at Raymond James Stadium this Friday, right before the Louisville game.

USF Volleyball to Take on FAMU for Season Closer

The Bulls missed the Big East tournament after going 7-7 in conference play and dropping the tie breaker to Pitt (they are 11-16 overall). Despite missing the tournament, the ladies had a strong year with a young team that is only getting better.

Valerie El Houssine destroyed everyone in her freshman season, being named Big East 2nd Team. J'beria Davis had 238 kills and 111 digs on the season. Janice Rivera had 50 assists and led the team with 423 digs. Shelbie Dailey had 835 assists to lead the way as well, so the team had a great year and can end on a high note as they welcome FAMU to the Rec Center for the final game of the season.

The Rattlers, 13-13 (9-1) were ousted in the third round of the MEAC Conference. They are just 5-6 away from home this season, so this will be a tough game for them, but expect a hard fought match (game starts at 1PM).

Scouting Louisville: Offense

Teddy Bridgewater is a dynamic athlete at the quarterback position.

The Louisville offense brings a spread system that will look to spread the ball out all over the field. The Cardinals have a young quarterback, but talented skill players that have a lot of speed that can pressure the Bulls defense. Let's see what we are up against in this game.

Big East Shows us Exactly how NOT to Expand

In the past months, there has been plenty of rumors and movement of teams around the country jumping around from conference to conference. The SEC, Big XII, and ACC have all made some additions during the season, and it appears that they're all just as happy as can be. The SEC snatched up Missouri and Texas A&M from the Big XII, who filled the void with TCU and West Virginia. The ACC grabbed Big East teams Syracuse and Pittsburgh, leaving the Big East conference at the short end of the stick.

This is nothing new to the conference, though, because in 2004 the ACC poached Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College from the Big East. To fill the spaces left by those teams, the conference snatched up South Florida before expanding west to Louisville and Cincinnati. Read on about this horrible conference's expansion decisions after the jump.

Key Match-ups for USF vs. Louisville

Andre Davis has to come up big in this game (Picture: www.tampabay.com)

The Bulls are battling for a bowl game right now and trying to get something going on offense. Here are some of the key match-ups that could decide the game for either side.

Scouting Louisville: Special Teams

Victor Anderson can be a dangerous return man for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals bring a solid special teams unit into this game. They have several dangerous returners, both in punt and kick returns, so USF has to be ready to cover kicks and keep the battle for field position on their side (JBK may be kicking 10 times in this game).

Who are the Louisville Coaches?

The coaching staff of Louisville is doing a great job this season.  Charlie Strong in his second season is building a strong team and doing everything right.  He is trying to get his team back to a bowl game and has the staff necessary to do it.

Time to Question Coaching Staff?

Fans are a little upset after the last loss.

The loss on Saturday was a painful one. The defense played a great game, getting 6 sacks on the afternoon and stopping the Miami run game. The pass defense was half-way decent, but came up short in the last drive of the game. The offense on the other hand was awful, failing to convert on 3rd down and failing to get anything done (even when Daniels was in there).

Who do we blame for a loss like this? Is it the players? Maybe the opponent (Miami) just held us down and we aren't that good, or could it be the coaching staff that needs to be questioned after the game!

Notes from Skip Holtz Press Conference 11/21/2011

Here are some notes from the Skip Holtz news conference today (we are avoiding the UNC talk for now).

Holtz stated that B.J. Daniels has a bruised AC joint in his right shoulder. He will miss practice today and is questionable for the game on Friday. The injury is not good news for USF, but there is some chance he could be ready for the game, but time will tell and if he can practice.

Bobby Eveld will get the snaps with the first team offense, although Holtz was not happy with his play in the game with Miami. Matt Floyd will get the second team snaps. If Eveld got injured (and Daniels out) Holtz said he would use the redshirt from Floyd if it meant the Bulls had a chance to win the game and get to a bowl game.

Holtz said in an extreme emergency, Evan Landi or Victor Marc could become a back-up quarterback. Let's pray that does not happen.

Holtz stated that defensive tackle Luke Sager is likely out with concussion like symptoms. Linebacker Curtis Weatherspoon is questionable with a knee injury.

A big shocker was the suspension of sophomore running back Marcus Shaw and defensive back Spencer Boyd. Both did not play in the Miami game and Holtz said he is unsure if they will rejoin the team before the end of the season (not good news for the depth).

We will keep you updated if more news comes out this week on the status of Daniels or anyone else.

Who is Louisville?

The Cardinals come into the game with a record of 6-5 (4-2) playing their last game of the season, hoping to get another win to improve their bowl chances and finish the year with momentum. They beat UCONN last week 34 to 20, showing their offense can come to life at any point, so the defense has to be ready (at 11AM, let's see how awake they are in this game).

Volvo Biggest Big East Fan Contest

Hello USF fans, as you know The Bull Rush is competing in the Biggest Big East Fan contest sponsored by Volvo. Volvo has selected 16 fans to compete in a social media and blogging contest to see who is the biggest fan of their team and for the conference.

The official Volvo site has been launched!! That's right USF fans, it is time to start voting for yours truly and help win the contest for USF!!

Click the Link here!!!

After you go to the main page, take a look at the poll on the left hand side of the screen, there you will see me, Matthew Staton (aka @usfmatt) who is competing in the contest. Please vote for us as we compete in the contest against the other Big East opponents.

The first contest, selecting your own dream team, 12 of the greatest players of the Big East conference, has been launched, so make sure to take a look at that as well. Thank you for voting and thank you to Volvo #VolvoBigEastFan #VolvoS60 for making us part of this exciting contest.

Results from Big East Week 12 Picks

Another weekend is in the books and talk about a wild one. There were upsets all over the place and the Big East had its own mini-upset that will now change the conference standings. Let's see if any of us were able to improve their records after this weekend.

USF Soccer Notches Big Win Over UCF 2 to 1

The Bulls battled UCF into overtime but came away with a huge win in front of 3000 fans as they advance into the third round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bulls scored first on an own goal by the Knights, giving USF the lead in the 70th minute. UCF answered right back with a goal in the 72nd minute to pull even as the Bulls struggled to keep the pressure up and control the ball. They battled into overtime where USF was able to seal the game. Wesley Charpie headed in the game winner to give USF the huge win. After a long win of losses for most of the athletic teams, it was great to see USF come away with a big time win.

The Bulls will face the winner of #9 New Mexico and Duke on Sunday in the Sweet 16 of the tournament. Huge win, keep it going men!

USF MBB Drops Game to Penn State

We feel the same way Coach.

This has been a rough weekend for USF sports. The men's basketball team dropped their second straight game as they fall 49 to 53 to Penn State. USF scored only 17 points in the first half, battling Penn State the entire game. While the loss is bad, Augustus Gilchrist injured his shoulder and missed the second half. This is the worst news to hear.

USF Takes on UCF in the 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament

The Bulls are home to host UCF in the second round of the NCAA tournament. USF finished the season at 12-3-3, winning the Big East Red Division and earning the 7th seed in the NCAA Tournament. UCF comes in at 12-5-3, beating FGCU on Thursday night in double overtime. Let's take a look at what the Knights bring to the field.

Inside the Numbers: USF Drops Ugly Game to Miami

The anger is still boiling inside after this game, but now that we have had some time to calm down, time to look at what happened or lack there of. The USF offense simply failed to do anything in the game. Whether Daniels or Eveld was taking snaps, the execution and the playcalling was horrible. With Daniels in, the Bulls failed to take any shots down the field, instead tried the short passing game and zone runs, against a team like Miami, it won't work. Eveld came in after Daniels injured his shoulder and the defense knew he would not run the zone read, so the running game became a joke and they continued to use short passes for the air attack, failing to move the ball except on the 9 punts by JBK.

USF MBB Takes on Penn State

Victor Rudd will have to come up big against Penn State today. (Picture: www.tbo.com)

The Bulls suffered their first loss of the season as they dropped an overtime decision to ODU. USF, 3-1, now takes on Penn State as they try to get back on the winning track. Penn State got rolled over by Kentucky in their last game, so they enter the game at 3-1 as well (game starts at 2PM).

USF Falls to Miami 3 to 6...

B.J. Daniels gets injured as the Bulls lose an ugly game to Miami. (Picture: Getty Images)

This game was tough. The defense played their hearts out in the game, allowing some yardage, but came up with 6 sacks on Jacory Harris and stopped them for the entire game until the final drive. Miami was able to drive down the field, taking time off the clock and winning the game in the last few seconds.

USF MBB Falls in OT to Old Dominion

The undefeated streak is over for the USF Bulls as they drop the first game of the season, 66 to 68 in an overtime loss to Old Dominion. The Bulls had the lead in the first half, but ODU battled back and were able to come ahead in the overtime period to get their second win over the year.

Ron Anderson Jr. had a rough game, only getting 2 points and 5 rebounds. He also had 5 turnovers in the game, struggling with the size with ODU. Victor Rudd had 16 points and 7 rebounds in another strong game. LaVonte Dorit had 2 points, 1 assist and 1 turnover, not doing too much at the point in this game. Augustus Gilchrist had 18 points and 4 rebounds, finding his range from outside and working well inside. Hugh Robertson had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, doing a solid job in his start. Blake Nash had 9 points and 1 assist. Shaun Noriega had 5 points in the game as well (did not get the start in the game).

USF had this game in the first half, but the offense couldn't come up in the second half and ODU were able to get enough to pull off the win in the game. USF will face Penn State tomorrow afternoon as the Bulls look to get a win on the road.

Halftime Report: USF vs. Miami

We are at half time for USF. The Bulls are doing a solid job getting pressure on Jacory Harris, especially off the edge with Giddins, but they have not been able to bring him down for the big losses. Harris is moving around well and making throws down the field. The Bulls stopped Miami late in the second quarter to stop what could have been a big play going into the half, but the Bulls came up big there. USF gets the ball to start the second half, so it will be interesting to see what they can do in the second half.

USF Takes on ODU

LaVonte Dority will have to have to run the offensive effectively in this game if USF wants to get the win.

The Bulls, 3-0 on the season, head to Connecticut to participate in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tournament. They will play Old Dominion in the first match-up (game starts at 2PM).

ODU is 2-1 on the season, beating Howard in their last game. ODU is replacing a lot of players from last seasons' squad, but has plenty of playmakers in its lineup. Let's take a look at who the Bulls will be matching up with.

Game Day: Miami

Darrell Scott returns to the USF backfield (Picture: www.baynews9.com)

Game day is here.  The Bulls, fresh off of their win over Syracuse, are looking to get bowl eligible, but have to take down in-state foe Miami to do it.  Miami lost a rough game to FSU last Saturday, but is loaded with talent and could break out at any point on both sides of the ball. 

The offense, led by Daniels, will have to find a way to create and get down field.  Darrell Scott is back, but with Love injured, the receivers are young and inexperienced facing a loaded Miami secondary.  On the other side of the ball, Miami has speed, but has been inconsistent at times.  Coach Al Golden has been praising the USF defensive line and their ability to rush the passer, he is right.  Ryne Giddins and others will have to get to Jacory Harris and make sure to get in his face.  Miller is the workhorse of the offense, so the run defense (linebackers) have to be at their best. 

This is going to be a very intense game.  Both sides know each other very well (each side has players that grew up together).  There is state bragging rights on the line, recruiting implications, and of course the never ending recruiting battle that is going on.  This will be fun to watch and hopefully USF comes away with  a huge win.

The Verdict: Is USF-Miami a Rivalry?

All week, the Bulls have been preparing for a game that has more than just bowl eligibility implications. USF and Miami have a short history together with recruiting battles and an on-field thriller last season, so many fans have come to have the Miami date circled on their calendar. As many of you have probably seen, I spent the week going around to different outlets asking "Do you consider USF-Miami a rivalry?". I went to Facebook, Twitter, USF forums, and even a Miami message board to get what the fans think about the annual (for now) showdown. It's always interesting to hear what people with different perspectives have to say about things like this.