ShareThisCapsule previews for Thursday and Friday's top college football games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.
THURSDAY:
No. 23 SOUTH FLORIDA (6-2) at RUTGERS (6-2), 7:30, ESPN.
FAVORITE: The game is even.
COACHES: Jim Leavitt (93-24 in 13th year at South Florida) and Greg Schiano (52-53 in 9th year at Rutgers).
LAST GAME: South Florida beat West Virginia, 30-19, on Oct. 30. Rutgers beat Connecticut, 28-24, on Oct. 31.
SERIES HISTORY: Rutgers leads, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: Rutgers won, 49-16, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: In beating Bulls last three seasons, Scarlet Knights have held USF to average of 93 yards rushing per game while piling up 13 sacks and forcing 9 turnovers.
GAME FACTS: Bulls return to site of crushing 28-25 defeat two years ago that sent then second-ranked USF spiraling to 3-4 finish. After struggling mightily in losses to Cincinnati and Pitt, freshman QB B.J. Daniels found his rhythm (13-of-26, 232 yards passing, 3 TDs, 104 yards rushing) in big win over West Virginia. Mostly a backup during his career, senior RB Moise Plancher added 86 tough yards on ground and will need to do it again. Outside of win over emotionally drained UConn, Knights haven't beaten anybody with a pulse (Army, Maryland, Florida International. I-AAs Howard, Texas Southern), so they really need this in push for school-record fifth straight bowl trip. Just like Daniels, freshman QB Tom Savage was terrific in his last game vs. UConn (13-of-24, 236 passing, 3 TDs), hooking up with senior WR Tim Brown five times for 162 yards including game-winning 81-yard TD pass with 22 seconds left. Opportunistic Knights lead nation in turnover margin (25 forced, 7 given up). But thanks to soft schedule, run defense is no where near as good as advertised (25th in nation vs. run, 106.7 ypg) especially after giving up 391 yards rushing, 5 TD runs in home losses to Cincinnati and Pitt.
FRIDAY:
WEST VIRGINIA (7-2) at No. 5 CINCINNATI (9-0), 8, ESPN2.
FAVORITE: Cincinnati by 9.
COACHES: Bill Stewart (17-6 in second year at West Virginia) and Brian Kelly (31-6 in third year at Cincinnati).
LAST WEEK: West Virginia beat Louisville, 17-9. Cincinnati beat Connecticut, 47-45.
SERIES HISTORY: West Virginia leads, 14-2-1.
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won, 26-23 in overtime, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Mountaineers are 7-0 vs. Bearcats all-time at Nippert Stadium.
GAME FACTS: Upset here would keep WVU in control of own destiny in Big East race. Stewart knows his team must improve on lethargic effort last week that included only 273 total yards, five penalties and two turnovers. Despite spraining ankle vs. Louisville, star RB Noel Devine (second in Big East with 1,010 rushing, 10 TDs) is expected to play. QB Jarrett Brown has struggled with poor protection lately (28-of-49, 299 passing, TD, 2 ints. in last two games). That's bad news considering Bearcats pressure defense (leads nation with 80 tackles for loss, third with 30 sacks by 12 different players) had 4 sacks and forced 3 turnovers in last year's win in Morgantown. Despite sophomore QB Zach Collaros' phenomenal play (29-of-37, 480 passing, TD, 2 TD runs last week), Kelly says senior Tony Pike will also play with his forearm injury now healed. Senior WR Mardy Gilyard (leads Big East, fifth in nation with 1,659 all-purpose yards) is nation's most versatile talent (has caught, run and returned punt for TDs this season) and had season-high 12 catches last week. Instead of harping on defense giving up 35 points in second half and season-high 464 total yards for game vs. UConn, Kelly instead focused on UC's 15th consecutive regular-season win. "... It's hard to win. Sure we have some things to work on. But, sometimes you have to tell your kids to enjoy it."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
