Bulls looking to climb to the top of the Big East

TAMPA, Fla.-Ask the Mountaineer players which team they most want to beat in 2008 and the results will be divided almost equally between "Backyard Brawl" rival Pittsburgh and the Bulls from the University of South Florida.

If any team has had the gold and blue's number over the last two years it is USF, which owns s 2-1 mark in its short history in the Big East.

So important has this game grown in recent years that the league itself elected to make it one of the final matchups of upcoming season. And, based on the last two campaigns, it could decide if the Mountaineers will be playing on New Years Day-or later-or in one of the many minor bowls that dot the holiday season.

What follows is a position-by-position breakdown of WVU's final regular season opponent of the 2008 season:

Quarterback: Junior Matt Grothe returns and so does his 2,670 yards and 14 touchdown passes.

A two-year starter Grothe completed 232-of-392 attempts with 14 interceptions. With 25 starts under his belt the 213-pounder was also the Bulls' leading rusher in 2007 with 872 yards and 10 touchdowns on 198 carries.

Depth is still a concern even though senior Grant Gregory (6-1, 205) is back.

Wide Receivers: Leading pass catcher Carlton Mitchell (6-4, 210) is back after hauling in 37 passes for 537 yards and four touchdowns. Also back is Jessie Hester (6-0, 174) and his 35 catches, 418 yards and 4 TDs.

It doesn't end there, however.

Seniors Taurus Johnson (6-1, 204) and Benjamin Williams (5-7, 200) are also back.

Running back: Grothe was the team's leading rusher, but sophomore Mike Ford (6-2, 225) returns as well.

Ford only started five games last season, but played in all 12 to finish with 645 yards and 12 TDs on 138 carries. Williams chipped in with 425 yards and six scores. Sophomore Ashton Samuels (5-10, 176) added 167 yards on 21 carries.

Tight end: Senior Cedric Hill (6-3, 230) will again be the starter at this position. And, why not following his 23 catches and 264 yards in 2007.

The Bulls also possess some depth at this position with the return of junior Ben Busbee (6-3, 242), who has five starts under his belt.

Offensive line: The only starter missing from USF's 9-4 team will be tackle Walt Walker.

Sophomore Jacob Sims (6-5, 290) went into spring drills atop the depth chart at Walker's old position. Redshirt freshmen Chaz Hine (6-4, 289) and Thomas Edenfield (6-6, 297) are also in the battle for the right tackle slot.

Anchoring the front line will be senior center Jake Griffin (6-4, 307) with sophomore Zach Hermann (6-3, 313) and senior Ryan Schmidt (6-4, 327) at the guards.

The starting left tackle will again be senior Marc Dile (6-4, 309).

Defensive line: The defense lost five starters, but one of those isn't Big East Defensive Player of the Year George Selvie (6-4, 242).

Rejoining Selvie on the Bulls' front four will be junior tackle Aaron Harris (6-4, 264). The remaining two slots should be held down by senior Jarriett Buie (6-4, 249) and sophomore Terrell McClain (6-3, 306).

Also look for junior Matt Aycox (6-2, 240) and sophomore Sampson Genus (6-1, 308) to see action.

Linebackers: Last year's hero Ben Moffit is gone, but that doesn't mean the Bulls will be weak at the linebacking position.

Seniors Tyrone McKenzie (6-2, 235) and Brouce Mompremier (6-1, 227) return at the Sam and Will positions, respectively. Look for sophomore Alonzo McQueen (6-1, 255) to hold onto the other starting slot with junior Kion Wilson (6-2, 235) also getting plenty of playing time.

Secondary: Senior Carlton Williams (6-4, 214) and junior Nate Allen (6-2, 200) return at the strong and free safety positions, respectively.

Senior Tyller Roberts (6-1, 185) went into the spring as the player to beat at the boundary corner while junior Jerome Murphy (6-1, 176) sat atop the depth chart at the field corner.

Special teams: Junior Delbert Alvarado (6-0, 196) returns after connecting on 19-of-29 field goals and 52-of-53 PATs a year ago.

Like WVU's Pat McAfee, Alvarado also serves as the Bulls' punter, where he averaged 41.6 yards per attempt in 2007.

2008 Outlook: Only the Panthers, who have played WVU longer than any other Big East member, had a winning edge over the Mountaineers until USF's 21-13 victory last season.

With the Sunshine State serving as one of the hotbeds in college football recruiting you can bet head coach Bill Stewart and his staff want to reverse WVU's fortunes against this Big East rival.

Next up: Season predictions.