Post by cviller on Sept 28, 2007 23:46:08 GMT -5
By Christopher Marshall for MSNsportsNET.com
September 28, 2007
TAMPA – No. 18 South Florida forced 21 turnovers and turned one of those into a touchdown to knock No. 5 West Virginia from the ranks of the unbeaten, 21-13, Friday night at Raymond James Stadium in South Florida.
Quarterback Matt Grothe wasn’t great Friday night, but he didn’t have to be letting his aggressive defense take care of things. The sophomore completed 11 of 20 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown and the South Florida offense finished the game with just 280 total yards. But South Florida held onto the football in the second half and West Virginia didn’t, committing two more turnovers including a back breaker in the South Florida end zone late in the third quarter.
Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown played the entire second half for injured starter Patrick White, who was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a deep thigh bruise. Brown finished the game completing 11 of 18 for 149 yards and a touchdown. Brown was also the game’s leading rusher with 61 yards on 15 carries.
Junior Steve Slaton managed just 54 yards on 13 carries. In three games against South Florida, Slaton has managed just 183 yards on 59 carries for a 3.1 yards-per-carry average.
Patrick White was 12 of 18 for 100 yards with an interception before exiting the game.
SCORING SUMMARY
USF - Moffitt 26 interception return (Alvarado kick)
USF - Mitchell 55 pass from Grothe (Alvarado kick)
WV - McAfee 36 FG
USF - Taylor 19 run (Alvarado kick)
WV - McAfee 35 FG
WV - Reynaud 9 pass from Brown (McAfee kick)