USF Bowl Preview

The Bulls make their second consecutive appearance in a Bowl game on Saturday. This year USF will be facing East Carolina in the Papa Johns.com bowl which is played in Birmingham's historic Legion Field, which I must say is one of the better venues for what is a relatively meaningless bowl. (Playing at a historic stadium like Legion Field beats playing in a Baseball Stadium where the seats don't align properly with the Football field for example, which FSU will deal with next week or playing on blue frozen tundra turf like Miami on New Year's Eve.)

East Carolina has recovered from a few subpar years and is once again bowling this season thanks in large part to Skip Holtz, the Head Coach. Holtz inherited a program that had been very good from the late 1980s through the early part of this decade but that had totally collapsed in the pathetic two year tenure of John Thompson, the former Defensive Coordinator for Ron Zook's Gators. Holtz cleaned house, brought in some JC transfers and now has the Pirates back in the postseason.

Former Olympic Heights HS QB (Boca Raton) James Pinkney has had an excellent season and he will lead ECU against a Bulls defense that is one of the best in the nation. ECU runs a modified option attack, but Pinkney can throw the ball downfield. His best target is Philip Henry a former walk on who Coach Holtz absolutely loves. Chris Johnson, from Orlando is among the Pirates best running backs, although Pinkney himself in the option tucks the ball under and runs quite a bit. Pinkney will have beware of USF's superb DB Trae Williams who has seven INTs on the season.

USF's offense we have covered much of the year on this site. As everybody knows I absolutely love Matt Grothe, and ECU's defense doesn't have the speed in the secondary or the pass rush to shut him down. Grothe is not only the best passing QB starting in the state of Florida (note I said starting so Tim Tebow is not included) but he leads the Bulls in rushing. Ean Randolph, Amarri Jackson and Taurus Johnson all have quickness advantages over their respective opposition on ECU so look for Grothe to establish a deep passing game early and then work on developing the option later in the game when USF has a comfortable lead.

As much as Jim Leavitt's program has accomplished the last few years some unfinished business remains before the big three becomes the big four. First, USF must take care of business and record the program's first bowl victory Saturday. Then USF must not embaras itself the next time it plays a big three program like it did in a blowout loss last season versus Miami. I am betting both will happen.

PREDICTION: USF 27 EAST CAROLINA 10