By Dave Morrison
Everyone knows the success No. 20 West Virginia has had from its recruits from Florida.
Friday night some of this year’s most prolific players from the Sunshine State get to go home.
The Mountaineers (6-1, 2-0 Big East) travel to South Florida for a Big East contest at 8 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN at 8 p.m.
Running back Noel Devine, quarterback Jarrett Brown and linebacker J.T. Thomas all hail from Florida. And all are looking forward to playing in their home state.
“It’s most definitely going to make me play harder going back to Florida to play,” said Devine, who has rushed for 913 yards this year and is third nationally in yards per game at 130.3.
“It is like a homecoming and half the people that I played against and my old teammates are there so it is exciting.”
Brown said he expects a good number of Floridian WVU fans in the crowd.
“If I am not mistaken, I think that my mom said she is bringing two buses,” Brown said. “J.T. (Thomas) has more people coming, though. I think he has about 80 tickets. West Virginia is going to travel well this game.”
But Brown will take the same approach he has taken in every game, calm, cool and collected.
“I always told myself that I would never try to do something to impress the crowd,” he said. “I want to stay within myself and do everything correct. Making the right reads and everything will take care of itself.”
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On the injury front, coach Bill Stewart said linebacker Reed Williams will be a game-time decision.
“Sometimes he gets nicked up and sometimes he doesn’t, it just depends on how hard he hits it when he hits it,” Stewart said of the senior, who has battled injuries all season. “He is good to go but for how long.”
Receiver Bradley Starks, injured in the Connecticut game, should play.
“We need both Reed Williams and Bradley Starks in the lineup Friday night.”
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Stewart was asked about games being played on any day but the traditional Saturday.
“Thursday and Friday night football, to me, is exactly what Monday night is to America,” Stewart said. “You are the game on Thursday night and Friday night we are the game. You know how many young people get to lie around and watch WVU and USF this Friday night. It is colossal for our program. I would not want to do it every week but it has been very advantageous.”
Of course, with high school football being played, not many prep football players with games will be watching.
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Stewart praised freshman South Florida QB B.J. Daniels and noted some similarities with his own quarterback, Brown.
“B.J. Daniels is a Division I basketball player just like our No. 16 (Brown),” Stewart said. “I think those guys are probably some of the best athletes in the world. If you can play Division I basketball then you are special.”
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West Virginia beat South Florida 13-7 last year in Morgantown. West Virginia led 10-7 at the half, and added a Pat McAfee field goal in the third quarter.
South Florida won at home in 2007, 24-19.
