WVU escapes South Florida
Published 2:02 am Friday, December 2, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tavon Austin returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, Pat Miller scored on a 52-yard interception return and Tyler Bitancurt kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired, helping No. 22 West Virginia clinch a share of the Big East championship with a 30-27 victory over South Florida on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers (9-3, 5-2) pulled even with Louisville in the conference standings and likely will receive the league’s automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series if Cincinnati beats Connecticut on Saturday to create a three-way tie for the title.
USF (5-7, 1-6) finished its season on a three-game losing streak and failed to qualify for a bowl bid for the first time in seven years.