LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -For the last four seasons, South Florida and Louisville have been alternating blowouts, with the home team always getting the advantage.
The Bulls last two trips to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium have resulted in losses by a combined 72-17, including 31-8 in 2006, when USF quarterback Matt Grothe was a freshman.
Grothe and No. 14 South Florida (6-1, 1-1) will be looking for some redemption, as well as a crucial victory for their Big East title hopes, Saturday at Louisville (4-2, 0-1).
“Last time that we went up there it was miserable,” Grothe said. “We didn’t play well. It showed on the scoreboard. … We want to go up there and show everyone that we can win on the road.”
t end of a lopsided score. The Bulls beat their former Conference-USA rivals 55-17, behind Grothe’s two TD passes and a touchdown run.
The do-it-all quarterback is again leading the team in rushing (316 yards), and has thrown 12 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.
The Big East championship was shared by two teams with two conference losses last season (West Virginia and Connecticut), but a second league loss for either the Bulls or the Cardinals would be tough to overcome.
“Whoever wins this game, the loser is probably out of the Big East race,” Grothe said. “We need to go up there and win, and win without a doubt.”
Pittsburgh and West Virginia are the Big East leaders with 2-0 records.
“I think it’s wide-smokin’ open,” Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe said. “There’s not really been a team that’s jumped out to the forefront yet and there has not been a team that has really fallen off yet either.”
The Cardinals will likely try use their running game to try to control the time of possession and keep the ball away from Grothe and Co.
That strategy worked for Louisville in it last game. Louisville got behind 14-0 to Middle Tennessee after a couple of early turnovers, but then scored four touchdowns in the second half and held the ball for more than 19 minutes for a 42-23 win.
dinals are averaging 210 yards per game on the ground, led by redshirt freshman Victor Anderson (110 ypg).
South Florida counters with the No. 1 run defense (77 ypg) and overall defense in the Big East.
The road to the conference championship gets no easier for the winner between South Florida and Louisville. The Cardinals still have to host West Virginia, and travel to Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
South Florida has to turn around and play Cincinnati five days after the Louisville game, with Rutgers, Connecticut and West Virginia down the road.
But coach Jim Leavitt isn’t thinking that far ahead.
“We have one game. That is against Louisville,” he said. “That is all that I am thinking about.”
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