Mountaineers seek way through tough USF run defense

By Jack Bogaczyk

Bill Stewart says that Wally Burnham has "had our number."

Stewart only hopes Burnham doesn't hit the West Virginia lottery a third time on Saturday night.

What the WVU football coach meant Sunday was that Burnham, the veteran South Florida defensive coordinator, is the guy most responsible for increased success by Big East Conference opponents against the Mountaineers' vaunted running game.

The numbers that have really counted, however, are 24-19 and 21-13, the scores by which the Bulls have downed WVU in the past two seasons.

USF visits Mountaineer Field on Saturday at 8 p.m. (ESPN2), trying to become the first Big East foe to whip West Virginia three straight years since former conference member Miami took its final four with WVU from 2000-03.

If the Big East preseason poll is the gauge, it's been a disappointing season for both teams, picked to finish 1-2 in the league. Preseason favorite West Virginia (7-4, 4-2) is tied for second with Pitt and Rutgers.

USF (7-4, 2-4), picked as runner-up, is in sixth place and overall has won only two of its last six games after a 5-0 start and climbing as high as No. 10 in the national polls.

When the Big East scheduled this game for so-called "Championship Saturday," it had designs on it being a title-decider in the eight-team league.

Instead, Cincinnati (picked fifth in the preseason poll) already has clinched the title outright and the Bearcats' first Bowl Championship Series berth following WVU's 19-15 loss to Pitt in the 101st Backyard Brawl on Friday.

While West Virginia will say goodbye to a significant senior class -- including quarterback Pat White, kicker Pat McAfee, tackle Ryan Stanchek and linebacker Mortty Ivy -- Stewart is concerned most about sending them out as winners in their final home date.

"Wally is sharp, cagey," Stewart said of a longtime coordinator who formerly worked for Bobby Bowden at Florida State before moving from Tallahassee to Tampa. "We're going to have to pitch-and-catch the ball ... they stuffed us (the WVU run game).

"What they did is match up on the outside, took their corners and locked us down, and then loaded up in the box ... We've had no answers. They've made life miserable for us, because we can't run the football (with eight or nine Bulls in the box)."

USF's plan was adopted by East Carolina and Cincinnati -- two teams that downed West Virginia this season -- and, to a lesser extent, Pitt, in its two-year success against the Mountaineers.

South Florida ranks eighth nationally in rushing defense (93.9 yards per game), while West Virginia is 12th in rushing offense (224.3). Both lead the conference in those categories.

Stewart said West Virginia's loss at Pittsburgh included solid protection for White by the offensive line, in particular by Stanchek and guard Greg Isdaner. White was victimized by two interceptions and key drops by several receivers.

"We pass blocked very well (allowing no sacks), but we didn't run block as well," Stewart said.

As for running back Noel Devine, who had by far his worst game of the season (12 carries, 17 yards, and 10 of those on one play), Stewart said, "He's just got to run the football. We've got to get the little guy on track. He just could not get going."

***

THE USF-WVU game features two of the top four career total offense producers in the Big East's 18-year football history.

White needs only 39 yards to reach 10,000 for his career, after taking the Big East total offense record from former Syracuse great Donovan McNabb on Friday. White's 9,961 yards are 11 more than McNabb posted from 1995-98 for the Orange.

Destined to pass White eventually is USF junior QB Matt Grothe. He's in fourth place for his career already, with 9,670 total yards. In third is former Louisville star quarterback Brian Brohm, who had 9,919 yards from 2005-07.

***

STEWART SAID starting middle linebacker Anthony Leonard, who didn't dress for the loss at Pitt due to a high right ankle sprain, would be ready to go against the Bulls.

Leonard had posted 58 tackles and an interception in his six starts. Asked if Leonard were missed against Pitt, Stewart said, "He's our third starter at middle linebacker, so if I'd answer that, they'd say I'm whining."

Actually, when redshirt freshman Najae Goode got the start in the Backyard Brawl, he was WVU's fifth starting middle linebacker in 11 games, following Pat Lazear, Mortty Ivy, Reed Williams and Leonard.

***

THE 183 rushing yards by Pitt's LeSean McCoy at Heinz Field on Friday was the most by a running back against the Mountaineers since Leon Washington of Florida State ran for 195 in the Seminoles' Gator Bowl victory on Jan. 1, 2005.

McCoy's ground day was the best against WVU in a regular-season or Big East game since William Green had 204 for host Boston College in former WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez's first game on the Mountaineer sideline, on Sept. 1, 2001.

It was the Pitt sophomore's career high, too. The Big East has had six better ground games this season -- three by Connecticut's Donald Brown, two by Devine and one by White.