Who do you think wins and why?

48-21 WKU

Totally love this matchup. It's one of those that the NCAA hoops tourney committee acts like they didn't rig, but they totally did to make for an extra storyline.

I already had tickets reserved.

 

The Bulls Club is looking to provide a game day bus trip from Tampa to Miami and back including pregame tailgate. Their thinking about $115 per person. That is a 9.5-10 hour round trip from the USF campus

 

If I drive it, gas would run me more than $100 round trip. There would have to be at least a pregame meal, if not a tailgate, $80 for me and the Mrs. S. I want to have adult beverages at the tailgate and game, so would not want to drive back after the game. That means there would have be a hotel room involved, so there is another $200, at least. I figure, with incidentals about $500 minimum to drive and a 2 day trip. The truck blew the tranny last week, so I'm thinking it's time for it and me to rest a bit.

 

The bus will be a luxury carrier, so it's not like well be on a school bus. I don't have to drive and take 2 days off work. The $230 sounds like a bargain. Mrs, S is all for it.

Totally love this matchup. It's one of those that the NCAA hoops tourney committee acts like they didn't rig, but they totally did to make for an extra storyline.

 

A little history. USF and WKU have played 6 times. USF leads the series 4-2.

 

Western won the first 2 meetings, USF all since. South Florida started their football program in 1997 and spent the first 3 seasons in Div. 1-AA. WKU's wins came in the first 2 years. Willie Taggart lead the Toppers at quarterback in both of those meetings.

 

In 1996, USF was having a hard time getting any D1-AA schools to schedule them home and home. Western stepped up and did so. When WKU moved to D1-A in 2008, USF returned the favor playing in Bowling Green in 2009 and hosting the Toppers in 2010 (Taggart's first year as HC at Western).

 

USF is set to visit Bowling Green in 2023 and Western is scheduled to play in Tampa in 2024.

From the USF web site...

 

USF Headed To Miami Beach Bowl - GoUSFBulls.com—Official Athletics Web Site of the University of South Florida

 

WESTERN KENTUCKY

 

Western Kentucky is making its second-straight bowl game appearance after posting a 49-48 victory over Central Michigan in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl. The Hilltoppers and quarterback Brandon Doughty rank fourth in the nation in scoring offense (44.2 ppg), sixth in passing offense (365.4ypg) and 10th in total offense (519.8 ypg). Doughty, a Taggart recruit to WKU, leads the nation in passing touchdowns (45), ranks second in passing yards (4,594), third in pass efficiency (176.7) and fifth in passing yards per game at 353.4. WKU downed Southern Mississippi, 45-28, to win the Conference USA Championship, its first conference championship at the FBS level. The Hilltoppers entered the Associated Press rankings this week at No. 25 and are one of 10 teams in the rankings with 11 wins on the year.

 

USF SEASON

 

USF finished the season with the 11th ranked rushing offense in the nation (242.9 ypg), 239 yards shy of the USF season offense record with more than 5,100 yards and 49 points off a new school scoring record after averaging 51 ppg in its last three outings. The Bulls defense also ranked 15th nationally in tackles for loss (7.5 tpg), 22nd in scoring defense (21.1 ppg) and 25th in pass efficiency defense (113.28). USF’s 6-2 mark in The American set a new program record for conference wins. USF enters the bowl as one of the hottest teams in America having won seven of its last eight games, including routs of No. 21 Temple (44-23), Cincinnati (65-27) and UCF (44-3) to close out the regular season. A program-record eight Bulls were named to the all-conference team led by two-time, first-team running back Marlon Mack who led the conference posting 115.7 ypg and eight 100-yard games. He brings a program record string of four-straight 100-yard outings into the bowl game.

 

USF BOWL HISTORY

 

USF will be making its seventh bowl appearance in just its 15th season of play at the FBS level. The Bulls are 4-2 in their previous six bowl trips, including a 31-26 victory over Clemson in their last bowl appearance in the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. This will be USF’s first trip to Miami to play in a bowl game and first game in Miami since playing at the University of Miami in 2012.

 

BULLS FROM MIAMI

 

Ten current Bulls hail from the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area including major contributors on the 2015 team in starting quarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami Jackson HS), cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Miami Central HS), cornerback Ronnie Hoggins (Monarch HS), running back Darius Tice (Northwestern HS), kicker Emilio Nadelman (Miami Central HS), safety Khalid McGee (Northwestern HS) and linebacker Danny Thomas (Amos P. Godby HS).

WKU by 6, something like 41-35.

The last time WKU and USF played. Willie Taggart on the other sideline, then. The man he eventually replaced, Skip Holtz was coaching the Bulls.

 

Gotta go with the Hilltoppers! By 13.

It appears the bowl didn't send the ADA tickets to USF. My account still says TBD (to be determined) and others have received their tickets. The USF ticket office is working the problem. We'll probably get e-tickets.

 

BTW, we get to take coolers on the bus. Glad these things have bathrooms. Wonder how much waste water they can hold?

Got our e-tickets. If anybody on here is coming down for the game, we're in section 16 row 27WC seats 11 & 12. Come by and say hi.

WKU by about 7.

 

Biggest WKU game since I-AA National Title game?

 

Hope Doughty goes wild!!!

C-USA Champ against AAC #4. WKU should win this.

 

It will come down to how well USF can hold WKU's passing attack and how well the Toppers can stop USF's rushing offense.

 

Obviously, I want Auggie Sanchez, Jamie Byrd, Deatri Nicoles, Eric Lee, and Bruce Hector to have big days. UC game type days. I have no way of predicting margin or score.

 

Uniendo Los Toros!!! Victoria!!!!

 

Olé!!!

Toppers pull out the victory over the Bulls. Have a hard time seeing USF slowing down Western's offense.