I thought about just copying and pasting the reviews of South Florida's 2007 and 2008 seasons here and seeing if anyone noticed.
You know the drill by now: fast start, crummy ending. The Bulls' 2009 season is almost eerily reminiscent of 2008, with a 5-0 beginning followed by a 2-5 Big East record.
The circumstances, however, were different this time. Star quarterback Matt Grothe was lost for the season with a knee in the third week, pressing redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels into duty. Daniels was brilliant in a momentous win at Florida State, but his inexperience showed at other times during the season as he often tried to do too much.
The defense, despite having star pass rushers George Selvie and newcomer Jason Pierre-Paul, still got chewed up in losses to Cincinnati, Pitt, Rutgers and Connecticut. An Oct. 30 upset of West Virginia provided one of the few highlights from the second half of the season.
Bottom line: The Bulls came into the year talking about finally winning the Big East. They'll end it with a bowl game in Canada against Northern Illinois.
Offensive MVP: Daniels. Yes, he made his share of mistakes. But like Grothe before him, Daniels carried the bulk of the offense on his shoulders -- or more precisely, his legs. He led the team in rushing with 798 yards and nine touchdowns while passing for 1,766 yards and 12 scores. It's going to be fun to see what he can become as he matures.
Defensive MVP: Kion Wilson. Pierre-Paul was spectacular at times, and Selvie was a solid leader, but Wilson was the heart of the defense. The senior middle linebacker battled through injuries to lead the team with 98 tackles.
Turning point: South Florida was 5-0, had Cincinnati at home in front of a packed house on Thursday night and knocked Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike out of the game. If ever the Bulls were to announce themselves as legitimate Big East contenders, this was the time. Instead, Pike's untested backup, Zach Collaros, stunned them into submission in a 34-17 loss. It was mostly all downhill from there.
What's next: The International Bowl is about as insignificant a postseason game as you can find. The Bulls lose several key players, including Wilson, Selvie, safety Nate Allen and probably Pierre-Paul, who's being projected as a high-round draft pick. But this is still a team loaded with promising young players such as freshmen Daniels, receiver Sterling Griffin, linebacker Sam Barrington and safety Kayvon Webster. The talent is there; will the ability to stay consistent throughout the season ever develop?
You know the drill by now: fast start, crummy ending. The Bulls' 2009 season is almost eerily reminiscent of 2008, with a 5-0 beginning followed by a 2-5 Big East record.
The circumstances, however, were different this time. Star quarterback Matt Grothe was lost for the season with a knee in the third week, pressing redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels into duty. Daniels was brilliant in a momentous win at Florida State, but his inexperience showed at other times during the season as he often tried to do too much.
The defense, despite having star pass rushers George Selvie and newcomer Jason Pierre-Paul, still got chewed up in losses to Cincinnati, Pitt, Rutgers and Connecticut. An Oct. 30 upset of West Virginia provided one of the few highlights from the second half of the season.
Bottom line: The Bulls came into the year talking about finally winning the Big East. They'll end it with a bowl game in Canada against Northern Illinois.
Offensive MVP: Daniels. Yes, he made his share of mistakes. But like Grothe before him, Daniels carried the bulk of the offense on his shoulders -- or more precisely, his legs. He led the team in rushing with 798 yards and nine touchdowns while passing for 1,766 yards and 12 scores. It's going to be fun to see what he can become as he matures.
Defensive MVP: Kion Wilson. Pierre-Paul was spectacular at times, and Selvie was a solid leader, but Wilson was the heart of the defense. The senior middle linebacker battled through injuries to lead the team with 98 tackles.
Turning point: South Florida was 5-0, had Cincinnati at home in front of a packed house on Thursday night and knocked Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike out of the game. If ever the Bulls were to announce themselves as legitimate Big East contenders, this was the time. Instead, Pike's untested backup, Zach Collaros, stunned them into submission in a 34-17 loss. It was mostly all downhill from there.
What's next: The International Bowl is about as insignificant a postseason game as you can find. The Bulls lose several key players, including Wilson, Selvie, safety Nate Allen and probably Pierre-Paul, who's being projected as a high-round draft pick. But this is still a team loaded with promising young players such as freshmen Daniels, receiver Sterling Griffin, linebacker Sam Barrington and safety Kayvon Webster. The talent is there; will the ability to stay consistent throughout the season ever develop?
Brian Bennett | email
College Football- ESPN.com Big Ten blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008
- Wrote for The Courier-Journal
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
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