USF Athletics

Unbeaten Bulls Getting Ready for 'Big-Time Task' at Houston

October 22, 2018

GAME NOTES

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, OCT. 22, 2018 – One of only five remaining unbeaten teams in FBS football, No. 21/20 USF is getting ready to handle another opponent's best shot and it will be a big one this weekend.

Next up for USF (7-0, 3-0 in The American) is a battle with Houston (6-1, 3-0 in AAC) which is riding a four-game winning streak heading into Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at TDECU Stadium in Texas. The clash between two of The American's titans will be televised nationally on ABC and ESPN2 in selected markets.

"It's going to be a big-time task for us, but you love the excitement," said head coach Charlie Strong at Monday's weekly press conference. "We haven't had a game this big since Central Florida a year ago."

With a combined record of 13-1, USF-Houston is the best of all college football matchups this week. Strong's Bulls will look to add to the program's best-ever start to a season on the road, where USF has gone 13-2 the past three seasons.

"The thing for us as a coaching staff is getting our players prepared to go play," Strong said. "The right focus has to be there. We've got to concentrate, we've got to be locked in. We have to have a really good week of practice."

Fans should get ready for lots of fireworks with this week's game featuring two of the nation's most explosive offenses.

USF ranks 11^th nationally in total offense (505.0 ypg) and 15^th in rushing offense (207 ypg). The Bulls have averaged 40.8 points per game in their past 15 trips away from Tampa.

Houston currently sits second nationally in scoring offense (48.7 ppg) and third in total offense (555.3 ypg) after a 49-36 win over Navy last week. The Cougars have scored at least 41 points in every game this season.

"You look at a team that has played very well," Strong said. "The only loss they have is to Texas Tech (63-49 on Sept. 15)."

Winners of six of their last seven conference road games, the Bulls are 35-6 in their past 41 outings overall. That successful stretch is tied for the third-best in FBS football over the time span, behind only Alabama and Clemson.

"The bar has been raised," Strong said. "You look at the last 19 games, you're sitting here with a 17-2 (record)."

Bulls Pack an Impressive One-Two Punch at Running Back
USF is averaging 320 rushing yards in the past three games with two running backs doing a lot of damage against opponents.

Jordan Cronkrite has equaled the top program mark with five straight 100-yard rushing games and he's 140 yards away from posting USF's ninth 1,000-yard season. The junior from Miami ranks third nationally in rushing yards per game (143.3) and fourth in yards per carry (7.8).

"Jordan is a complete back," Strong said. "He can do so much."

Johnny Ford also is hitting his stride with 356 rushing yards (9.4 ypc) and five touchdowns in five games. The freshman from Miami was named to The American's weekly honor roll after rushing for a career-high 164 yards (23.4 ypc) and three touchdowns in a 38-30 win over UConn last Saturday.

"He has so much quickness to him," Strong said. "When the seam opens for him, he can hit the seam and he can get to the second level and make a guy miss."

Know the Foe
Houston (6-1, 3-0 in AAC) has won four straight and its offense is rolling with quarterback D'Eriq King at the helm.

King is tied for fifth nationally with 23 touchdown passes (only three INTs in 222 attempts) and he's tops in the country in points responsible for (194). The junior is averaging 323.6 yards per game (eighth nationally) and has rushed for nine touchdowns.

"This year, he's so comfortable in the pocket now. He can make the throws and then he's good enough where he can beat you with his feet," Strong said. "It's almost like playing against Quinton (Flowers)."

Houston also has a shining star on defense in All-American tackle Ed Oliver, who ranks third nationally with 1.9 tackles for loss per game. The 2017 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year totaled two tackles for loss and a sack in last season's USF-Houston matchup, a 28-24 Cougars victory in Tampa.

While with Texas, Strong once recruited Oliver and said the potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick in 2019 has become more of a dominant defensive force with each college season.

"He played like that in high school. A lot of times when guys leave high school to go to college, they take a step back," Strong said. "The only thing he's done with his game is he's improved and he's gotten better and better each and every year."

Bulls Bits

• ROBERTS EARNS CONFERENCE HONORS: Redshirt freshman safety Nick Roberts (Jacksonville, Fla.) earned a spot on The American's weekly honor roll after matching his career high with 10 tackles and returning his second interception of the season 61 yards against UConn. Roberts has started the past five games and has averaged nine tackles in the past three. "The thing about Nick Roberts is he just plays with so much energy and he can find the football," Strong said.
• LaPOINTE ALSO PRODUCING AT SAFETY: Much like Nick Roberts, fellow redshirt freshman Mekhi LaPointe is showing the future is bright for USF at safety. The Seffner, Fla., native has averaged 10 tackles in his past two games and set a new career high with 11 stops against UConn. "LaPointe made some big tackles and Nick made some," Strong said. "They're two guys that are still learning the position, but they're getting better game by game. It's just exciting to see how they've grown into the position."
• McCANTS RISING UP CAREER CHARTS: With 14 combined catches the past two games, Tyre McCants has moved up to third on USF's career receiving yards chart with 1,674 since 2015. The senior from Niceville, Fla., needs two more TD catches to match Andre Davis' USF career record (17). McCants is four receptions away from tying Taurus Johnson (112) for fifth place on the Bulls' all-time list.
• NEXT HOME GAME: USF's next home game at Raymond James Stadium is set for Saturday, Nov. 3 against Tulane (kickoff time, TV: TBA). Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.

 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF posted its second straight 10-win season in 2017 (10-2) by winning its second straight Birmingham Bowl with a 38-34 victory over Texas Tech. USF is one of just 15 teams nationally to win 20-plus games in the last two seasons (21-4) and posted a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the top 25, reaching as high as No. 13 in Week 8 of the 2017 season. The Bulls have won five of their last six bowl appearances and made nine (6-3) total bowl appearances in 21 seasons, including a current run of three straight bowls. USF won a program-record 11 games in 2016 (11-2) and has posted 14 winning seasons. The USF program, which first took the field in 1997, reached No. 2 in the rankings in 2007 and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and had 28 first-team all-conference selections.
 
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