Bowl Season is upon us! As 2015 nears an end, the college football season winds down, as well as the NFL. Today, we are back with an intriguing, yet under-appreciated matchup between Western Kentucky and South Florida. Both teams are on the brink of being called elite by some, so a much-needed win for either school could make this a statement game.
Miami Beach Bowl - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. South Florida Bulls
Game Time: 11:30 PT
Channel: ESPN
Live stream: WatchESPN
South Florida got off to a slow start, but then soon escalated their quality of play, drastically. USF had marquee wins over Temple, East Carolina, Syracuse and Cincinnati. The Bulls also had a "good" loss to Memphis, 24-17. Head Coach Willie Taggart is his 3rd year leading the team, totaling a record of 14-22 (.389). Not so great, right? His first two seasons down in Florida were embarrassing. Nonetheless, he did steer USF to their first winning season since 2010, in his 2015 campaign. There is still a good chance Taggart could be exiting quickly if they cannot pull out a win in Miami.
USF draft prospects
- #31 Darius Tice, RB, 5'10", 206 lbs
- #87 Rodney Adams, WR, 6'1", 190 lbs
- #12 Sean Price, TE, 6'3", 252 lbs
- #2 Jamie Byrd, DB, 5'11", 185 lbs
- #91 Eric Lee, DE, 6'3", 260 lbs
Western Kentucky is as hot as any team in the country, right now. The Hilltoppers finished with a record of 11-2, with notable wins over Marshal and Vanderbilt. Jeff Brohm's team is averaging a jaw-dropping 44.2 points per contest, fourth among FBS teams. WKU has a mediocre defense, at best. Therefore, the run-heavy Bulls should be looking to gash Western Kentucky with stud sophomore running back, Marlon Mack. Western Kentucky should be looking to get their high-octane offense firing, especially against a defense that is not much superior to their own.
WKU draft prospects:
- #12 Brandon Doughty, QB, 6'3", 220 lbs
- #20 Anthony Wales, RB, 5'10", 195 lbs
- #2 Taywan Taylor, WR, 6'1", 195 lbs
- #31 Brandon Leston, DB, 6'3", 205 lbs
- #10 Nick Holt, LB, 6'1", 230 lbs