MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl Preview

by Ryan Liss “The Sportmeister”

www.sportmeisters.com

Ok, another bowl, but does this one lose some luster because it’s a home game? Or we will already be burnt out by the first two Saturday to really care? There is only one way to find out as the Tigers and the Bulls square off in sunny Central Florida in the first ever St. Petersburg Bowl

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl

Memphis vs. South Florida

Dec 20, 4:30 PM, Tropicana Field

About Memphis: The Tigers, known better for their basketball prowress than their football skills, slide into a bowl game at 6-6. This is their second straight year in a bowl game (lost to FAU in New Orleans Bowl in 2007), and they are looking for their first victory since the Motor City Bowl in 2005 (def. Akron 38-31). As a whole, they are 4-2 in six appearances, and are working on their fifth this decade. Inconsistency plagued this team this year, as three straight losses were quickly followed by three straight wins, only to lead to two losses and two wins, into one loss and one win to make them an even 6-6. Junior transfer RB Curtis Steele had himself a nice season, finishing with 1175 yards on 206 carries and 7 touchdowns, which helped spearhead a running attack that was 18th in the NCAA (205.6 yards per game). However, the big story, and I use the term loosely, is 6-8 WR Carlos Singleton. Not only is he tall, he runs good routes, and had himself 759 yards and five touchdowns this year. The O-Line will have to matchup strong against a good front four of USF. OT Brandon Pearce is starting his 46th straight game, and C Philip Beliles holds his own very well in the trenches. If DT Clinton McDonald can work his quick first step in, he could force some bad throws from USF.

About USF: The Bulls are in their fourth straight bowl game, and are currently 1-2, after losing 2007s Sun Bowl 56-21. They had bigger games on their mind after starting the season 5-0 and reaching No. 10 in the polls, but losing four out of your next five games can put a damper on those plans, and instead they finished the year at 7-5. QB Matt Grothe equaled his passing performance of last year, throwing for 2675 yards and 15 touchdowns, but his running stats tailed off, and he only rushed for 508 yards, which still made him the team’s leading rusher. However, for success he will need to limit his interceptions, as 11 of his 14 came in the last five games, compared to only three touchdowns. DE George Selvie once again was the teams sack leader, but only at 5.5 this year, compared to 14.5 last year. The defense as a whole though stepped up well this year, finishing the season as the 13th best overall defense (291.8 ypg) and ninth run defense in the nation (97.7)

About The Bowl: It’s time for some old-school football! Memphis’s top runner in Steele, the team’s first 1,000 yard rusher since 2005, against a front four that stops the run very well. That front four, led by Selvie, is huge, because Memphis likes spreading the receivers out when running, forcing less guys in the box. The key matchup outside of this will be whether or not the Bulls defense can get pressure on QB Arkelon Hall. He had seven interceptions this year, and will have to throw quickly, but the seven-inch advantage by Singleton gives the Tigers an advantage if the pressure is on. The final matchup to keep an eye on will be Matt Grothe’s style as a running QB against the linebacker corps, led by MLB Winston Bowens. If Clinton McDonald and the rest of the front four can’t hold down Grothe, he will have a field day against the next level, especially because they too, run a spread style formation.

The Pick: USF 31-17. Pick your poison here. The home-field advantage for USF, the run defense stopping Steele, or the arm and leg combo of Matt Grothe all pose potential hazards for a Memphis team still looking for a victory.

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