Deal with it.
This was a beautiful game to watch if you're a Pitt fan, but painful if you root for the Bulls. South Florida is actually a pretty talented team, boasting tremendous team speed, but they constantly kills themselves with penalties (9 for 71yds in this game, compared to just 2 for 20yds for Pittsburgh). It also doesn't help that they're dealing with the growing pains of a talented but raw freshman QB (B. J. Daniels).
College: Pittsburgh Conference: Big East Columnist: Erik Sandelin
Oderick Turner 88 6' 3.0" 205 4.60 WR 2011 - very quiet day, with just one catch for 15yds. Wasn't looked at much, given that his teammate, Jonathan Baldwin, had the hot hand. Needs to stay inschools for one more year. Grade - incomplete
Nate Byham 80 6' 3.0" 255 4.76 TE 2011 - never caught the ball this day. In fact, I don't think he even had a ball thrown his way. Held up decently as a blocker, though. Doesn't blow his man off the ball, but walls off effectively and holds his ground. Grade - neutral
Aaron Berry 17 5' 11.0" 175 4.48 CB 2010 - had two solos and a pick. On the negative side, I saw him shy away from contact on occassion. On the plus side, he covered decently and played the ball in the air very well. Can be a nickel back at the next level. Grade - slightly positive
Ernest Williams 95 6' 1.0" 285 4.93 DT 2010 - three solos and a TFL. Looks like he'd just be a guy in the NFL. Give him credit for heart, but he's not big enough, strong enough, or quick enough to be a starter in the pros. Grade - slightly negative
Dorin Dickerson 2 6' 2.0" 230 4.67 FB 2011 - very intriguing prospect here. Can be a FB, a TE, an H-back, lined up in the slot on occassion, and I bet he could be a big tailback in spots, too. That kind of versatility will make him an attractive option to a lot of coaches in the pros. Caught five passes for 58yds and a score, with a long of 20yds. Faster than you'd think. Good hands. Decent body control. Blocks at least as well as Byham. Grade - positive
Joe Thomas 56 6' 5.0" 300 5.00 OT 2011 - lined up a LG. Held up decently. QB Bill Stull generally had time to throw and the Panthers rushed for 223yds at better than 5yds a clip, and Thomas had some part in that. Not dominating, though. A backup in the NFL. Grade - slightly positive
Robb Houser 64 6' 2.0" 285 5.00 C 2010 - see Thomas above.
Shane Murray 15 6' 1.0" 220 4.75 LB 2010 - never saw his number or heard his name called. Is he even on the team? If he is, he's buried on the depth chart. Grade - incomplete
Bill Stull 11 6' 3.0" 215 4.85 QB 2010 - he's not pretty, but he gets the job done. Accurate. Godd decision-maker. Senses the rush well. Knows when to step up in the pocket. Can throw on the run. Doesn't look like he has a strong arm, but can get the ball deep and to his targets quickly. Could be a quality backup at the next level due to his intangibles. Grade - positive
Greg Romeus 91 6' 5.0" 265 4.75 DE 2012 - three solos, an assist, a TFL, and two hurries. Looked alert and instinctive. Disciplined, staying at home when others likely would have been suckered in by misdirection or play-action. Doesn't give up. Looked like the player Selvie's often hyped as being. Needs to develop a greater repetoire (sp?) of pass rush moves, though. Grade - positive
Jonathan Baldwin 82 6' 5.0" 220 4.60 WR 2012 - player of the game. Six catches for 144yds and a score. Huge target. Great hands. Good body control. Deceptively fast. Absolutely looks like a #1 NFL WR. Grade - very positive
Jason Pinkston 77 6' 4.0" 300 5.00 OT 2011 - shut down Selvie. Not pretty, but effective. Maybe better as a LG at the next level, but can play in the pros. Grade - positive
Jabaal Sheard 97 6' 4.0" 250 4.75 DE 2011 - quieter than Romeus, with just a solo and an assist. Given that the Bulls ran at least twice as much as they threw, though, those stats are a tad misleading. He din't play poorly, he just didn't blow me away. Grade - neutral
College: South Florida Conference: Big East Columnist: Erik Sandelin
Matt Grothe 8 5' 11.5" 213 4.70 QB 2010 - dnp due to injury. Grade - n/a
George Selvie 95 6' 3.7" 242 4.78 DE 2010 - another USF game viewed by me, another game that makes me think, "Why do people think this kid is a first-rounder?" One tackle and one QB hurry, folks - that's it. And it's not like he was double- or triple-teamed all that much, if at all. I'd also hasten to point out that in all the games I've watched of this guy, it's not as if he's going up against elite LT prospects. He's overrated. Period. Done. End of story. Full stop. If anybody takes him in the first round come April, mark my words, they will have the next Mike Mamula on their hands. Grade - very negative
Nate Allen 5 6' 2.0" 200 4.50 S 2010 - six solos and six assists, but no big plays. No TFLs, pass deflections, or picks. There's no questioning his athleticism or talent, but I saw him get turned around a bit this day. grade - slightly negative
Jason Pierre-Paul 90 6' 5.0" 261 4.70 DE 2011 - two solos, an assist, and a TFL. A bit more productive than Selvie, but not much. GIven that he's not hyped as much, though, I'll cut him a bit more slack. Grade - negative
Jerome Murphy 3 6' 1.0" 185 4.48 CB 2010 - did not help his stock in this game. Started off the contest with an illegal block in the back penalty on the opening kickoff. Proceeded to get schooled by Jonathan Baldwin for the rest of the day. On the plus side, he's not shy about hitting and is actually a fairly decent tackler for a corner. Grade - slightly negative