Week Six Big East Feature Game
South Florida Bulls (2-3, 0-1) vs. Temple Owls (1-2, 0-0)
Saturday, October 6 • 12 p.m. ET • Big East Network
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa. (68,532)
Line: USF -4
Besides being Temple’s Big East opener, this game did not have much notoriety on the schedule before the season began. The Owls had a previous Big East opener in 1991 and played 14 previous seasons in the Big East, winning just 16 conference games. As it returns for round two in the Big East, Temple is planning to make a greater impact.
USF won two games to start the season, but has dropped three straight, to Rutgers, Ball State and Florida State. A team with veteran leadership and talent (including 15 returning starters), the Bulls were considered by many, including Phil Steele, among the top contenders to win the Big East conference. Their current trajectory makes it highly unlikely that the team will claim its first title in 2012. Many look to head coach Skip Holtz for as a part of the problem. In the middle of his third season, he has managed just a 15-15 record.
Temple is under the direction of second‐year head coach Steve Addazio. The team fell to 1‐2 after a 24‐13 loss at Penn State on Sept. 22. With only 11 games on the schedule, Temple has already had two byes, including one last week. This is Temple’s homecoming game. It has never played USF before.
Junior quarterback Chris Coyer leads the Owls. In the loss to Penn State, Coyer completed 13 of 26 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown while leading the team in rushing with 64 yards on 13 carries. He was also sacked three times.
Boston College transfer Montel Harris has yet to be a factor for the Owls, but will need to combine with Coyer and Matt Brown to rack up yards and keep the game within reach. The Owls don’t have the depth to get into a scoring contest.
Look for a closer contest than most would anticipate, but expect the Bulls to outlast the Owls.
Pick: USF 24-20
Other Big East games this week:
Friday, Oct. 5
Pittsburgh (2-2, 0-1) at Syracuse (1-3, 0-0)
Saturday, Oct. 6
UConn (3-2, 0-0) at Rutgers (4-0, 1,0)
Miami (Ohio) at Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0)
———–
Big East Week Five Recap
Saturday, Sept. 29
UConn 24 vs. Buffalo 17
Louisville 21 at Southern Mississippi 17
Cincinnati 27 vs. Virginia Tech 24 (Landover, Md.)
USF 17 vs. FSU 30
Conference Players of Week 5:
Offense: Munchie Legaux, QB, Cincinnati
Defense: Maalik Bomar, LB, Cincinnati
Special Teams: Pat O’Donnell, P, Cincinnati
Pete’s Power Rankings:
1. Louisville #19 (5-0)
2. Rutgers #25 (4-0, 1-0)
3. Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0)
4. Pitt (2-2, 0-1)
5. UConn (2-2)
6. USF (2-3, 0-1)
7. Syracuse (1-3)
8. Temple (1-2)
Pete Sonski is a contributor to College Football Zealots. Follow him on Twitter @29sonski and check out his work at Big East Coast Bias. and his Three Point Stance show every Tuesday at 9 PM on Blog Talk Radio.
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