Bowl Games 2006: Papajohns.com Bowl
South Florida (8-4) vs. East Carolina (7-5)
East Carolina has come on this season under coach Skip Holtz, who guided the Pirates to their first winning season in five years.
Pirates quarterback James Pinkney threw for 2,658 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tailback Brandon Fractious had 675 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Cornerback Trae Williams had seven interceptions, tied for sixth-most in Division I-A.
East Carolina is at its best controlling tempo and setting up the passing game with the run. On the defensive side of the ball, the front seven is relatively inexperienced and has been adequate at best against the run. In addition, the Pirates’ pass rush has been almost nonexistent.
East Carolina faces a tough South Florida squad. Freshman quarterback Matt Grothe has been as impressive as any young quarterback in the country. Grothe completed nearly 64 percent of his passes, racking up 2,495 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for 607 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Bulls have had problems developing a consistent running game and they are a team that gets penalized quite frequently. There are fewer concerns on the defensive side of the ball, as the Bulls have flashed the ability to shut down opposing running games and corner Trae Williams has intercepted seven passes.
Prediction: The Pirates are playing in their first bowl game since 2001. They beat two ACC teams this season, 31-21 over Virginia and 21-16 at North Carolina State. The Bulls upset West Virginia 24-19 and came within a dropped two-point conversion pass of tying Rutgers and forcing overtime. Both teams can be very good when they stay consistent with their game plans. South Florida has played a more difficult schedule and knows what it’s like to play in big games. In the end, the stingy Bulls defense should be the deciding factor. South Florida wins 27-20.
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