Post by dehayes35 on Sept 26, 2007 10:19:54 GMT -5
This from the St. Petersburg Times...
Bulls brace for Round 3 with W.Va.'s dynamic duo
Playmakers Steve Slaton and Pat White have had mixed results against USF.
By GREG AUMAN
Published September 25, 2007
TAMPA - If any team in college football has proven itself capable of containing West Virginia's deadly one-two punch of Steve Slaton and Pat White, it would be the No. 18 USF team saddled with trying to do it again Friday night.
To remember how it's done, the Bulls need only look back to November, when both Heisman hopefuls were bottled up in USF's huge upset at then-No. 7 West Virginia.
To remember how easily one of those two can break loose, the Bulls need only remember the last time the Mountaineers came to Tampa.
"It's going to be a tremendous challenge. They have two of the best athletes in the nation," defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. "If we can get our game plan in and they can execute it, we'll have some things we feel like we can do against them. We're going to have to change some things. They know what we did last year."
What they did was hold Slaton and White to a combined 60 rushing yards, easily the lowest in their two-plus years together at West Virginia. In Slaton's last 20 games, he's been held under 100 yards just three times; two are against USF, including his two lowest career games in yards per carry. White gained just 17 yards on 15 carries last year, with three turnovers.
"You don't stop those guys," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "We'll see if we can tackle them every once in a while."
Last year's loss to USF knocked West Virginia out of contention for a BCS bowl and is one of only two losses that Slaton and White have taken at home. A desire to avenge that loss motivated the Mountaineers in the offseason.
"It was a big win for them, a horrible loss for us," White told the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette. "We just want to get that corrected."
As good as West Virginia's offense was last season, they've looked that much better in 2007. Last year, the Mountaineers scored more than 45 points just once; they've already done three times in their first four games. One reason is a new speed threat to go with West Virginia's big two: freshman Noel Devine of North Fort Myers, who has averaged 15.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns in his first four games.
The challenge with West Virginia is that you can defense a play perfectly nine times in a row, but if you miss on the 10th, it's a long touchdown. Two years ago, USF was playing West Virginia close in Tampa, trailing 14-6 in the third quarter, when White broke free for long touchdown runs of 65 and 76 yards, putting the game out of reach with two plays.
Avoiding another night like that requires trusting USF's defensive game plan and not trying to make plays on your own, defensive tackle Richard Clebert said.
"The thing is not being nosy. As soon as you get nosy, they'll break for 80 yards," he said. "It's being focused and staying on your assignment."
Asked what USF was able to do to limit West Virginia's offense last year, Slaton pointed to the Bulls' athleticism and their execution of a solid defensive scheme.
"In overall team speed, they're one of the fastest teams we'll face," Slaton told the Gazette. "They tackle well, and any time you tackle well, you're going to do good things."
USF's defense might be just as improved. In two home wins, they've held Elon and North Carolina out of the end zone until the final four minutes. Their defense is ranking seventh nationally in total yards (237 per game), 13th in scoring defense and third in pass efficiency defense.
White has become a more multidimensional quarterback, which is why he's ranked ninth in the nation in pass efficiency. As a freshman in 2005, he never attempted more than 16 passes in a game; in the past year, he's thrown at least 13 in his last 11 games. In last week's win against East Carolina, he was near-perfect, completing 18 of 20 passes.
"He can run, he's smart, and he's in a system that fits his abilities," Leavitt said. "They know what they're doing and they play with confidence. They've got a lot of weapons on offense.... The quarterback is as good as it is. He's up for the Heisman. The running back, he's up for the Heisman too."
Bulls brace for Round 3 with W.Va.'s dynamic duo
Playmakers Steve Slaton and Pat White have had mixed results against USF.
By GREG AUMAN
Published September 25, 2007
TAMPA - If any team in college football has proven itself capable of containing West Virginia's deadly one-two punch of Steve Slaton and Pat White, it would be the No. 18 USF team saddled with trying to do it again Friday night.
To remember how it's done, the Bulls need only look back to November, when both Heisman hopefuls were bottled up in USF's huge upset at then-No. 7 West Virginia.
To remember how easily one of those two can break loose, the Bulls need only remember the last time the Mountaineers came to Tampa.
"It's going to be a tremendous challenge. They have two of the best athletes in the nation," defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. "If we can get our game plan in and they can execute it, we'll have some things we feel like we can do against them. We're going to have to change some things. They know what we did last year."
What they did was hold Slaton and White to a combined 60 rushing yards, easily the lowest in their two-plus years together at West Virginia. In Slaton's last 20 games, he's been held under 100 yards just three times; two are against USF, including his two lowest career games in yards per carry. White gained just 17 yards on 15 carries last year, with three turnovers.
"You don't stop those guys," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "We'll see if we can tackle them every once in a while."
Last year's loss to USF knocked West Virginia out of contention for a BCS bowl and is one of only two losses that Slaton and White have taken at home. A desire to avenge that loss motivated the Mountaineers in the offseason.
"It was a big win for them, a horrible loss for us," White told the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette. "We just want to get that corrected."
As good as West Virginia's offense was last season, they've looked that much better in 2007. Last year, the Mountaineers scored more than 45 points just once; they've already done three times in their first four games. One reason is a new speed threat to go with West Virginia's big two: freshman Noel Devine of North Fort Myers, who has averaged 15.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns in his first four games.
The challenge with West Virginia is that you can defense a play perfectly nine times in a row, but if you miss on the 10th, it's a long touchdown. Two years ago, USF was playing West Virginia close in Tampa, trailing 14-6 in the third quarter, when White broke free for long touchdown runs of 65 and 76 yards, putting the game out of reach with two plays.
Avoiding another night like that requires trusting USF's defensive game plan and not trying to make plays on your own, defensive tackle Richard Clebert said.
"The thing is not being nosy. As soon as you get nosy, they'll break for 80 yards," he said. "It's being focused and staying on your assignment."
Asked what USF was able to do to limit West Virginia's offense last year, Slaton pointed to the Bulls' athleticism and their execution of a solid defensive scheme.
"In overall team speed, they're one of the fastest teams we'll face," Slaton told the Gazette. "They tackle well, and any time you tackle well, you're going to do good things."
USF's defense might be just as improved. In two home wins, they've held Elon and North Carolina out of the end zone until the final four minutes. Their defense is ranking seventh nationally in total yards (237 per game), 13th in scoring defense and third in pass efficiency defense.
White has become a more multidimensional quarterback, which is why he's ranked ninth in the nation in pass efficiency. As a freshman in 2005, he never attempted more than 16 passes in a game; in the past year, he's thrown at least 13 in his last 11 games. In last week's win against East Carolina, he was near-perfect, completing 18 of 20 passes.
"He can run, he's smart, and he's in a system that fits his abilities," Leavitt said. "They know what they're doing and they play with confidence. They've got a lot of weapons on offense.... The quarterback is as good as it is. He's up for the Heisman. The running back, he's up for the Heisman too."
