Bulls Too Much
October 30, 2009 09:52 PM | Football
Daniels and the USF offense used a bevy of big plays to explode for 421 yards of offense. Daniels passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns, and led the Bulls with 104 yards on the ground. He accounted for plays of 69, 49, 45, 25 and 23 yards.
"That was a hard fought game," said West Virginia coach Bill Stewart. "I don't fault our effort but sometimes I can fault our intelligence on some plays."
WVU managed to get three sacks on Daniels, and pressured him with inside and outside blitzes on several occasions, but Daniels was able to make big plays out of the pocket whether it was tucking the ball for large gains or hitting open receivers on scrambles.
Meanwhile, Jarrett Brown completed 19 of 32 passes for 205 yards with one interception for West Virginia. Brown accounted for both of WVU’s offensive scores with 11- and 3-yard rushing touchdowns.
WVU’s running game was held in check throughout the night. Noel Devine tallied 17 carries for 42 yards, and Brown gained 39 yards on 11 carries. Alric Arnett led the WVU wideouts with six receptions for 84 yards, followed by 39 yards on four catches for Wes Lyons and 33 yards from Devine.
"I don't think we blocked very well and they did a really nice job," said Stewart. "When you don't hit passes and get people back that's what happens."
USF receiver Carlton Mitchell posted a game-high 132 yards receiving with one touchdown, followed by A.J. Love’s 71-yard performance with a score.
West Virginia began the game with an 80-yard drive that ended with a Brown 3-yard touchdown run. Brown found wideout Arnett for gains of 32, 9 and 8 yards, and converted two third downs to put the Mountaineers on top early. The scoring drive was the fifth time this season that WVU has scored a touchdown on its opening possession.
USF (6-2, 2-2) countered with an immediate score on a 49-yard touchdown reception by Mitchell to tie the game at 7-7. The TD was set up when USF gambled and went for it on fourth and one on its side of the field. Moise Planchar converted the fourth down attempt on a two-yard gain to set up the touchdown.
Eric Schwartz connected on a 30-yard field goal with 2:55 left in the first quarter to give USF a 10-7 advantage. On the last play of the quarter, after an illegal block on a punt return forced USF to start at its own 1-yard line, linebacker JT Thomas, defensive end Julian Miller and nose tackle Chris Neild teamed up to stuff Jamar Taylor in the end zone for a safety. It was the first time the Mountaineer defense recorded a safety since Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike took a knee in the end zone in last season’s 26-23 overtime loss.
Daniels and Mitchell connected for another big play, this time for 69 yards, as Mitchell got behind cornerback Keith Tandy before stepping out at the WVU 9. Then, after rolling out of the pocket to his right side, Daniels hit a wide open A.J. Love for a 12-yard score to extend the USF lead to 17-9.
Tyler Bitancurt alleviated some of the USF momentum with a 33-yard field with 3:34 left in the first half, cutting WVU’s deficit to 17-12. But the Bulls responded with 54-yard drive that was capped by a 26-yard field goal from Schwartz to make it 20-12 with 23 seconds left before halftime.
Just like it did in the first half, WVU got another touchdown on its opening possession after the break. Brown notched his second rushing TD of the game, taking a direct snap and rushing around the right side for an 11-yard score to make it 20-19. Jock Sanders’ 16-yard catch on the drive extended his streak of at least one reception to 23 games, tying Anthony Becht and Steve Slaton for fourth place on the list.
Daniels led another efficient possession for the Bulls that was culminated by a 6-yard TD catch by Sterli Griffin on a key third and 4 play to give USF a 27-19 lead. Griffin caught the ball in the left flat and extended his arms to the pylon for the score. A 28-yard run by Planchar put the Bulls at the 12 to set up the score.
After a dropped pass by Arnett forced WVU to punt, Schwartz nailed his third field goal of the game, this time from 44 yards out to give USF a two-score advantage at 30-19. The Bulls gambled once again on their side of the field at the 41 on fourth down to keep the chains moving. Daniels then ran for 23 yards down the right sideline on a third and 5. Strong safety Sidney Glover nearly made a game-changing play by almost picking off Daniels in what could have been a defensive touchdown.
The Mountaineers dug themselves into a deeper hole later in the second half. Needing any type of score to make it a one-possession game, fullback Ryan Clarke was stuffed for a one-yard loss on third down at the WVU 28.
On its next drive with 8:27 left in the game, WVU once again crossed midfield before sustaining drive-killing penalties. A holding penalty and an ineligible man downfield on consecutive plays put WVU back to USF’s 35. That led to four straight Brown incomplete passes.
"We had a chance to really shine tonight and we didn't," said Stewart.
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) returns to action with a noon matchup against Louisville next Saturday afternoon in Morgantown. The game will be televised as the Big East Game of the Week.
"It's a four-game season," said Stewart. "That's what we have awaiting us and it all starts with Louisville. I don't know what we have after that and I don't care."
