Bulls to Salute Record-Setting Senior Class Before Big War On I-4 Clash
PURCHASE WAR ON I-4 TICKETS
GAME NOTES
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 19, 2018 – After saluting the winningest senior class in program history, pride will be on the line when USF takes on UCF in the 10
th War on I-4 installment Friday at Raymond James Stadium.
Kickoff has been set for 4:15 p.m., when ESPN viewers nationwide will watch the follow-up to last season's rivalry clash that was deemed the top regular season college football game of 2017 by numerous media outlets. The Bulls and Knights combined for 91 points and 1,186 yards in the epic War on I-4 episode that UCF won, 49-42, after getting a big special teams play with just 1:28 remaining.
"It was really an outstanding game," said head coach
Charlie Strong during Monday's press conference. "You had two teams that were evenly matched and it came down to a kickoff return."
This season, USF (7-4, 3-4 in AAC) is motivated to flip the script on its rival that's ranked No. 8/9 nationally and is on a 23-game winning streak. The Bulls have won two of the past three meetings with UCF (10-0, 7-0 in AAC) and have a 6-3 lead in the all-time series.
"If you're not hyped for this game, you shouldn't be out there on the field," defensive end
Josh Black said.
Black (Tampa) said Friday's game will be "emotional" because of the fact that he's one of 18 seniors being honored prior to the kickoff of their final regular season game at Raymond James Stadium. One day, Black and the rest of the senior Bulls can proudly look back at their time at USF and say they made history.
This class of seniors has experienced 36 wins, the Bulls' most in a four-year period, while the program has qualified for four straight bowl games and posted the first two double-digit win seasons in school history. USF defeated Power 6 opponents in its past two bowl appearances and the seniors helped the program rank in the top 25 for a record 20 straight weeks.
"It's going to be very special for me and special for this senior class just to know what we've done the past four years," said defensive back
Ronnie Hoggins.
Joining Black and Hoggins during Friday's Senior Day festivities will be fellow defensive players DB
Chris Barr (Jacksonville, Fla.), DT
Kevin Bronson (Delray Beach, Fla.), DE
Juwuan Brown (Tampa), LB
Jeffery Farrar (Pasadena, Calif.), DE
Derek Hintze (Bradenton, Fla.), DE
Vincent Jackson (Tampa), LB
Khalid McGee (Miami), S
Jaymon Thomas (Immokalee, Fla.) and DB
Mazzi Wilkins (Tampa).
USF also will honor six seniors on offense – WR
Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, Fla.), , WR
LaDarion McBride (Oakland Park, Fla.), OL
Eric Mayes (Sarasota, Fla.), WR
Tyre McCants (Niceville, Fla.), TE
Riley Sheehan (Sarasota, Fla.) and RB
Davion Sutton (Tampa) – along with senior kicker
Jake Vivonetto (Naples, Fla).
"This game means everything for the whole team," Wilkins said. "Our seniors, we want to go out with a bang and just leave a legacy behind."
Know the Foe
Facing its highest ranked home foe since 2012 on Friday, USF is looking to take down its highest-ranked opponent at Raymond James Stadium since defeating No. 5 West Virginia, 21-13, in 2007.
The Bulls know it won't be easy with UCF (10-0, 7-0 in AAC) on a streak of 23 straight games with 30-plus points, one game shy of USF's AP Poll era record set from 2015-17.
"It's a lot of home run balls for them. We can't allow them to take the ball and pitch it over our head for 60, 70-yard plays," Strong said. "If anything, you've got to make them drive the ball and you've got to be great in the red zone."
Defensively, the Knights are surrendering 419.1 yards per game (83
rd in FBS) but they're tied for ninth nationally with 24 total takeaways. UCF also ranks second nationally with a 1.60 (+16) turnover margin and has had at least one takeaway in 29 straight games.
"Offensively, we can't turn the ball over," Strong said. "We've got to take advantage of what they give us and we've got to be able to move the ball. If we generate first downs, then it's going to help lead to touchdowns."
Bulls Bits
- WAR ON I-4 TICKETS GOING FAST: Late last week, USF announced lower bowl seating at Raymond James Stadium, consisting of more than 44,000 spots, is sold out for USF-UCF on Friday. Seats in the 300 level continue to sell at a rapid pace. Reserve seats while they last at USFBullsTix.com.
RIVALRY NOTABLES: Four of nine games in the War on I-4 series have been decided by seven points or less after the heart-pounding 2017 finish in Orlando. USF won the first four meetings with the Knights by an average of 20 points, including a 64-12 home victory in 2007. USF is 3-1 against UCF in Tampa with a 48-31 victory the last time they met at Ray Jay in 2016.- SUNSHINE STATE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: Friday's showdown at Raymond James Stadium will feature two teams with a combined 183 players from Florida. Ninety-eight of USF's 108 players on the 2018 roster hail from the Sunshine State and 36 Bulls are from the Tampa Bay area.
- SANDERS STELLAR ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Redshirt freshman defensive back Bentlee Sanders has performed well as USF's primary kickoff return man over the past four games. The Tampa native is averaging 26.8 yards on 13 attempts this season after racking up 141 kickoff return yards (28.2 ypr) at Houston on Oct. 27. Sanders had a career long 62-yard return two weeks ago at Cincinnati and went 46 yards on a kickoff return at Temple last Saturday. "You have to be a special player to catch the ball and feel the blocking and see the tunnel, and that's what Bentlee does. He sees the tunnel and hits it," Strong said. "Once you catch the ball, you have to get vertical and that's what Bentlee does."
'WARRIOR' WILCOX: Junior Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) is in the midst of a career year with USF tight end records for receptions (35) and receiving yards (468) that have helped him take over the Bulls' tight end career receiving yardage record (904). The Mackey Award candidate is 11 catches away from USF's tight end career receptions record (75, Sean Price, 2012-15) after missing the second half of last week's game with an ankle injury. Strong is confident the setback won't stop Wilcox from playing against the Knights. "Mitch is a warrior," Strong said. "… He'll find a way to play this game."
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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