Bulls charge into Miami to challenge Golden Panthers
Sports Network | September 17, 2008
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Intrastate foes are set to clash in the new FIU Stadium this weekend, as the 12th-ranked South Florida Bulls visit the Florida International Golden Panthers in a non-league bout. The Bulls enter the contest fresh off one of their biggest wins, as they pulled out a 37-34 victory over then 13th-ranked Kansas in a thriller last Friday.
"That is a good win," said head coach Jim Leavitt following the hard fought bout with Kansas. "That is an understatement. We had guys battle. I'm so proud of them."
It was the second straight narrow victory for USF, which upended UCF, 31-24, in overtime the prior week. With a 56-7 season-opening win over Tennessee- Martin, the Bulls are now off to a 3-0 start for the fourth time in the program's history.
As for FIU, it had the week off to prepare for the grand opening of its new on-campus stadium this weekend. The Panthers though, are off to a slow start, as they were defeated by Kansas (40-10) and Iowa (42-0) in the first two weeks of the season. FIU is certainly hoping a new stadium can reverse its fortunes, as the team has dropped 25 of its last 26 games overall.
This is just the second meeting ever between FIU and USF on the gridiron, with the Bulls capturing a 21-20 win in the prior encounter during the 2006 season.
USF rolled up 458 yards of total offense and freshman Maikon Bonani hit a game-winning 43-yard field goal on the last play, as it downed Kansas 37-34 last week. It was an exciting game and a big finish for the Bulls, who didn't turn the ball over once after committing six miscues through the first two games. Quarterback Matt Grothe was sensational once again, as he threw for 338 yards and two scores, in addition to rushing for 30 yards and another touchdown.
The leader of this team, Grothe is off to another great start, as he has completed 65.6 percent of his tosses for 780 yards with seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Taurus Johnson has been one of his favorite targets and he leads the team with 14 catches and 235 receiving yards for the season.
Last weekend, Johnson had his hand in the win, snaring seven passes for 82 yards and a score. Jamar Taylor also stepped up his performance, rushing for 72 yards and a score on 11 carries. It was a fine effort from Taylor, who had just 50 rushing yards heading into the game.
After three games, USF is averaging 41.3 ppg and 494.0 total ypg and those are some pretty impressive numbers.
USF's defense has been good through the first three games, but the unit does have room for improvement despite holding opponents to just 252.3 total ypg. Facing their toughest opponent last week, the Bulls were penetrated by Kansas for 434 total yards, including 373 through the air. The defense also gave up a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a second straight game and that is something that will need to be addressed. Jerome Murphy led the way with 8.5 tackles and he now tops the roster with 21 tackles for the year.
George Selvie also broke through and notched his first sack of the season. One of the top pass rushers in the nation with 14.5 sacks last season, Selvie was certainly happy to get his first one of the 2008 campaign.
"I got some pressure, and I finally got there. It was a shoestring sack, but I'll take them where I can get them. I was really happy that I got that out of the way and get over that hump."
The Panthers have yet to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball, as the unit has failed to score a touchdown in either of the team's first two games. After being held to 139 total yards in an opening loss to Kansas, FIU did show improvement in gaining 218 yards against Iowa, although those numbers are still not good by any stretch of the imagination. Hanging onto the ball has also been an issue for the Panthers, who have committed three turnovers in each game.
Paul McCall saw most of the action at quarterback in the opener, but he threw for just 73 yards and a pair of interceptions in that game. Against Iowa, Younger wasn't much better with only 55 yards and two more picks. Wayne Younger though, was a bit more effective in the last game, as he completed 11- of-20 pass attempts for 107 yards. With McCall struggling, don't be surprised to see Younger earn the start or at least a split of the snaps this weekend. The blame for the inept offense can also be passed on to the ground attack, which has totaled only 122 yards through two games.
The offense isn't the only problem for the Panthers, as their defense has had no luck stopping opposing clubs. After yielding 384 total yards to Kansas, FIU was burnt for an even higher 512 yards by Iowa. The defense has given up over 250 passing yards in each game and has allowed eight touchdowns in the first half alone. The unit has forced a pair of turnovers in both outings and that is about the only positive on this side of the ball.
Robert Mitchell has been one of the lone bright spots for the defense and he recorded six tackles and a forced and recovered fumble in the last game. It was a nice follow up for Mitchell, who led the team with 13 stops and a sack in the opener.
