College football

Key matchups

By GREG AUMAN
Published December 31, 2005

1. USF OFFENSIVE LINE VS. MARIO WILLIAMS AND MANNY LAWSON: Both Wolfpack defensive ends earned first-team All-ACC honors, with the 6-foot-7 Williams totaling 13 sacks and the 6-6 Lawson getting 10. They combined for 43.5 tackles for loss, and containing them is the challenge for USF left tackle Thed Watson and his right-side counterpart, likely redshirt freshman Marc Dile. The Bulls have handled the nation's best pass rushers before, holding Louisville's Elvis Dumervil and Rutgers' Ryan Neill without a sack.

2. USF'S ANDRE HALL VS. WOLFPACK RUN DEFENSE: Hall led the Big East with 1,256 rushing yards, but he has averaged better than 5 yards a carry just once in his past eight games. He's the key to USF's offense, good for 25 carries and a few screen passes, and the best way to beat N.C. State has been to establish a ground game. The Wolfpack is 0-4 when allowing a 100-yard rusher, and 6-1 when they don't.

3. USF SPECIAL TEAMS VS. DARRELL BLACKMAN: USF punter Brandon Baker didn't travel with the team due to academic problems, but was cleared Friday and joined the Bulls, easing what would have been a major concern. Blackman ranks fifth nationally in kickoff returns but hasn't fared as well on punts, totaling 122 yards on 21 returns. His speed isn't the only concern the Bulls face: N.C. State has blocked three punts, with each of their towering defensive ends blocking one.

[Last modified December 31, 2005, 00:48:13]