UCFinsider.com

Jim Leavitt, formerly known as The Muppets 'Beaker'

It’s here. The last of the 4 game football series between the University of Central Florida and the University of South West Central Florida. You’re only as good as your last game, and this could be the last match up between these schools until The Jim runs off to re-join his former colleagues for an all new Muppets on Broadway.

We all know the way the last three games have turned out. If you don’t, then congratulations. You’ve successfully been able to accomplish what many of us simply can not — purging any and all memory of the horrible on field debacles that this rivalry has produced.

Since the founding of these two schools, there has been a steady stream of on and off the field (not necessarily football field) trash talking. Animosity between students, facility and administration seems to persist regardless of scoreboards, most recently with the unsuccessful lobbying by South Florida to block UCF’s new medical research facility and the constant barrage of Tampa’s finest tattooing “64-12″ above their tramp stamps.

So what about the game? You may be asking “Does it really matter? After all, it’s an out of conference game and likely doesn’t effect whatever bowl game we’re looking to go to.” And to that we say, Yes, Coach. It does matter. It matters the same way Georgia vs. Georgia Tech used to matter back in the good ole’ days.

This is the week for Tim Salem to prove his playbook has more than two pages.  This is the week for Greco to start trusting his receivers, and this is the week for our secondary to make their case for the NFL. Anything less may cause UCF fans serious health conditions, flooding our local health care infrastructure. My god, Coach, think of the children.

Background on USF

USF is a BCS program playing in the Big East. Last year, they rose as high as #2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll before ending their season with a series of losses, ultimately falling out of the top 25. The school is located in Tampa, Fl in a series of trailers just behind the Busch Gardens parking lot. USF currently has an enrollment of 42,700 students. USF’s mascot is the Bull, and their colors are green and gold. They enter this game ranked #19 in the country. USF leads the series with an all time record of 3-0.

NFL Alumni

Frank Davis (Lions), Bill Gramatica (Cardinals), Anthony Henry (Cowboys), Mike Jenkins (Cowboys), Kenyetta Jones (Patriots, Redskins), Stephen Nicholas (Falcons), Kawika Mitchel (Giants)

Players to Watch

Matt Grothe (QB) - He’s one slippery quarterback. Hit him hard early and often, or pay the price early and often. That seems to be the difference in USF winning or losing.
George Selvie (DE) - Selvie may very well “SuperFly” Jimmy Snuka Greco’s ass if our O-line isn’t careful.

USF Fan Forums

The Bulls Pen
USF Bulls Eye

Game Thoughts

This is an incredibly emotional game. BHNS will be a heck of a venue — the type of place you probably won’t want to bring a small child or your elderly grandmother to. Expect fights and obnoxious drunken behavior from both sides. Will it effect the game? We sure as heck better hope so. There should be plenty of bulletin board material for the players to get fired up over with last years whole running-up-the-score nonsense.

Our defensive could keep this thing close, at least in comparison to last year. If we want to walk away with a W, it’s going to have to come from the “Smoking Aces” forcing a few turnovers. Offensively, Greco’s going to have to play considerably better than he did against SCSU. He’s got a complete game under his belt so hopefully the jitters have calmed down a bit. Injuries leave us without our full roster of wide outs, but we still must get the passing game going. 9 in the box shuts us down.

And for the love of god, don’t poke Grothe. That didn’t work out to well for us last time around.

UCF and USF bands playing together after the game. See? We can all get along……. I think I just threw up a little bit.