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Mountaineers Run Into Rock-Solid 'Dee-Fense'

By JOEY JOHNSTON

Published: Sep 29, 2007

TAMPA - The noise began in the lower bowl, in the green-and-gold student section, almost as a primal chant.

Dee-fense! Dee-fense! Dee-fense!

It drifted to the upper reaches of Raymond James Stadium, where it reverberated from side to side, onto the field, into the night.

Dee-fense! Dee-fense! Dee-fense!

For most of Friday night, it hardly resembled a contest. No, this was more like a clinical suffocation, an open-and-shut statement by the No. 18-ranked South Florida Bulls, who swatted away the No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers 21-13.

There were some anxious moments at the end. West Virginia, in various stages of desperation, actually finished with 437 yards of offense. But USF held on.

Thanks to the Dee-fense!

"Our defense played as well as it can play," USF coach Jim Leavitt said.

Now all things seem possible after this intoxicating evening. USF (4-0) stamped itself as the Big East Conference's team to beat. The school's first top-10 ranking is close enough to touch. By Sunday afternoon, it might be reality.

And those bowl representatives, wearing the emblems of Fiesta, Sugar and Orange? It wasn't just for window dressing. They were taking notes. They were impressed.

Surprised? You shouldn't be.

Neither should the Mountaineers.

Heroes Were Everywhere

West Virginia fought against eardrum-splitting decibels from that great sellout crowd. It was under constant duress from Matt Grothe's playmaking ability. But mostly, the Mountaineers kept running into that USF defense.

Excuse me.

That USF Dee-fense!

Where do you start?

With the overall excellence of a swirling, unforgiving unit that forced six West Virginia turnovers and held a unit averaging 47.25 points to a pair of field goals and a late touchdown?

With the two-interception night by linebacker Ben Moffitt (he dropped a third), whose 26-yard return for a score gave USF a lead it wouldn't lose?

With the relentless pressure from Jarriett Buie, Richard Clebert and George Selvie?

With the rock-solid presence of Tyrone McKenzie and Brouce Mompremier?

With the shutdown pass coverage of Nate Allen, Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins?

Give them all game balls.

And save one for USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, who again found a way to throttle West Virginia's Heisman Trophy candidate twins, Patrick White and Steve Slaton. Oops. Better make that former Heisman candidates. White exited with a thigh injury. Slaton (13 carries, 54 yards) never got rolling.

Rutgers Looming On Oct. 18

West Virginia has the nation's fastest backfield, reminiscent of the 1970s-era Oklahoma units that routinely roared to 600-yard afternoons.

But USF's defensive speed might be without peer, the type you normally see in the SEC, a sideline-to-sideline intensity that serves as the ultimate difference-maker. West Virginia was green-and-gored.

So what's next?

USF entering the national title picture?

"Not so fast, my friend," said ESPN analyst Lee Corso (and yes, he really said that).

The Big East has been turned upside down. We're still in September, and consensus top-10 selections West Virginia and Louisville already have one conference loss.

Ask any of the thousands of fans pouring into the postgame celebration. They'd tell you. USF is the favorite. But looming even larger than Friday night's victory is an Oct. 18 trip to Rutgers, a Thursday night game on ESPN that will come on a short week following a Saturday night home game against UCF.

Meanwhile, no one is talking about unbeaten Cincinnati, which squashed Oregon State, a decent Pac-10 team. The Bearcats roll into Tampa on Nov. 3.

It's far from over.

"USF becomes the hunted, not the hunter any longer, and there's a big difference," Corso said. "Will it be a cakewalk? No way.

"But boy oh boy, they've got a nice situation. Really nice."

How nice? Well, there were thousands of jubilant USF fans, gathered at midfield, not wanting to leave. But the public-address announcer instructed them to exit through Gate C.

"That's Gate C - as in conference championship."

Nice touch.

And no exaggeration.