South Florida Bulls Find a Cure Against West Virginia

The South Florida Bulls were bleeding badly, their 2009 season was slipping away as they stared across the field at the West Virginia Mountaineers Friday night.

More than 56,000 fans were staring as well, wondering if these Bulls could find a cure for their ailments—their losing ailments, their "get blown out" ailments of the past two weeks.

The cure was discovered under the lights of Raymond James Stadium, and it was a multiple layer of cures that laid the groundwork for a convincing 30-19 win over the boys from Morgantown.

First, the Mountaineers got a large dose of B.J. Daniels. Not the B.J. Daniels of the past two weeks, but the B.J. Daniels that was there in Tallahassee, the B.J. Daniels that led his team to that huge win over Florida State.

Second, the Mountaineers got a large dose of USF defense. Not the defense that was on vacation against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but the defense that pounced on Christian Ponder and the Seminoles.

Put them together and South Florida (6-2, 2-2) has put itself back on track. Perhaps not in time to compete for the Big East title, but at least in time to put together a decent season. West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) is not out of the Big East picture, but it surely appears to be a weaker team than Cincinnati or Pittsburgh.

There was nothing weak about USF under the Friday night lights of the nationally telecasted game.

After giving up an 80-yard opening drive to the Mountaineers, Daniels and Co. stormed back with an 80-yard drive of their own to tie the game at 7-7 and never trailed again.

Daniels threw and ran all over the Mountaineers. He had 232 yards in the air and 104 with his flashy feet. Combined, his 336 yards total offense outpaced the entire West Virginia effort (323). In the air, wide receiver Carlton Mitchell was Daniels' favorite target. Mitchell hauled in five passes for a massive 132 yards and a touchdown before he was forced from the game with an ankle sprain.

Daniels also hit A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin for his other touchdown throws.

But the most amazing feat of the night was Joe Tresey's defense putting the clamps on Noel Devine. Devine, the nation's third-leading rusher, came in averaging 130 yards per game. On this night, he was tackled, pounded and harassed and held to a measly 42 yards.

"Forty-two yards? That's unbelievable," exclaimed coach Jim Leavitt after the win.

It was unbelievable considering how badly this USF defense was battered by Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

USF also cured itself by eliminating two of its most serious game-day diseases—penalties and turnovers. The Bulls had no turnovers and only 21 penalty yards.

When Leavitt looks back at that, he might as well declare those to be unbelievable as well.

But on this night, the stage belonged to Daniels, and Leavitt said that perhaps he made a mistake by putting the clamps on Daniels against Pitt. Friday, he was determined to just let Daniels play his game.

And it was a heck of a game.

West Virginia fought, but had no answer.

It also had no answer for the "born-again" defense.

"That was a hard-fought game," Mountaineer coach Bill Stewart said afterward. "I cannot fault their (his team's) effort.

Hard-fought?

Absolutely.

It was hard for West Virginia, and USF has fought back from what ails it.