South Florida vs. Memphis

                                                                                         

Bulls -11 1/2 vs. Tigers

Normally teams would love to be going to Florida for a bowl game, however when your expectations were so high and you are playing a postseason contest only 32 miles from your campus, the game is not that illustrious after all. Thus is the case for the South Florida Bulls.

After two season of 9-4 records and a brief flirtation as the number two team in the country a season ago, South Florida expected a lot more before the season, they garnered a pre-season ranking for the first time, than heading to the inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl, which will be held at Tropicana Field.

The St. Petersburg Bowl is one of four contests on Saturday which will kick off the bowl season. South Florida (7-5) will play host to Memphis (6-6) in this almost home game for the Bulls. For South Florida's current program, this bowl may be a disappointment, but if you examine the program's brief history, it is an accomplishment because it will be the fourth straight bowl for the Bulls.

South Florida appeared to be matching expectations when they won their first five games and once again ascended into the top ten for the second straight season, but the bottom cam out when they lost five of their last seven contests.

Memphis won two out of their last three to become bowl eligible, including a 45-6 pasting of Tulane. By virtue of their 6-6 mark, the Tigers made a bowl game for the fifth time in six years.

The Tigers got by this season on their rushing attack led by junior transfer Curtis Steele. Accounting for 1175 yards and seven touchdowns, Steele became the first back to gain 1000 yards for the Tigers since DeAngelo Williams in 2005. The rushing game was offset nicely by another junior transfer, this time at quarterback Arkelon Hall, who passed for 2121 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Technically this is a neutral site contest, but by Memphis' standards it is a road game where they went 2-3 during the regular season. South Florida may also have another advantage in that the Tigers have not beaten a team with a winning record this season.

These teams have met in the regular season during a series of four games spanning from 2001-2004. The teams split the contests, with Memphis winning the most recent game 31-15 in Tampa.

Memphis is 3-2 in their five all-time bowl games. They lost last season 44-27 in the New Orleans Bowl to Florida Atlantic. South Florida is 1-2 in their three previous bowl games, losing 56-21 to Oregon last season in the Sun Bowl.

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