Game 12 Player to Watch: Tyre McCants
NEXT GAME: No. 8/9 UCF (10-0, 7-0 in AAC) at USF (7-4, 3-4 in AAC)
DAY/TIME: Friday/4:15 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV: ESPN
RADIO: 820-AM, 98.3-FM,
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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 23, 2018 – UCF defender-dragging, pass-catching machine
Tyre McCants is ready for his War on I-4 encore.
The USF senior looks to do more damage against the Knights after setting a program record with 227 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches in last year's epic War on I-4 battle in Orlando.
"I'm just ready to go out and make big plays for the team," he said. "If it happens again, it happens again."
No matter what happens Friday, McCants has already been immortalized in the form of a pair of billboards on I-275, just north of downtown Tampa, depicting his most memorable play from last year's game. The first quarter started in explosive fashion with the 240-pound powerhouse dragging a Knight through the red zone to cap off his 47-yard touchdown reception.
"It's a special moment to honor," McCants said. "I've seen it a couple times. It still gives me a smile every time I pass it."
McCants has made USF fans smile often since last season's game in Orlando. McCants' 26-yard touchdown catch with only 16 seconds remaining made the difference in USF's 38-34 Birmingham Bowl victory over Texas Tech last December and much more production has followed.
This season, McCants has a career-best 56 receptions for 604 yards and three touchdowns. He needs 12 more catches in the next two games to break Rodney Adams' USF season record of 67 set in 2016. One more touchdown reception would tie McCants for tops in program career history with Andre Davis (17, 2011-14).
"With what he's able to do with the ball in his hands, you continue to get him the football through this game and the bowl game," offensive coordinator
Sterlin Gilbert said.
Throughout his awesome USF career, McCants has hauled in 124 passes (fourth in USF history) and ranks third in the Bulls' record book with 1,838 receiving yards. On top of posting USF's first 200-yard receiving game last season against UCF, McCants is tied for fifth in school history with three career 100-yard games.
"I try to make plays for the quarterback, for the offense and for the team," he said. "That shows they have trust in me."
All eyes will be on McCants, USF and the Knights when they take the field Friday at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN and the second-largest crowd in the series' history is expected for the 10
th installment of the War on I-4.
McCants can't wait to take the stage.
"It's something that you dream of as a kid growing up," he said. "You want to play in that big environment. You want to play in that big-time moment."
McCants and the Super Senior Class
McCants and 17 other USF seniors will be honored prior to Friday's 4:15 p.m. kickoff. Expect the crowd to be roaring because of what they've already accomplished.
This special senior class helped the Bulls post 36 victories, the program's most in a four-year period, after consecutive double-digit win seasons the past two years. Since the seniors suited up for the first time, USF has qualified for four straight bowl games, including wins over Power 6 foes the last two years, and ranked in the top 25 for a school record 20 consecutive weeks.
The rest of USF's senior class includes: WR
Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, Fla.), WR
LaDarion McBride (Oakland Park, Fla.), OL
Eric Mayes (Sarasota, Fla.), TE
Riley Sheehan (Sarasota, Fla.), RB
Davion Sutton (Tampa), K
Jake Vivonetto (Naples, Fla), DB
Chris Barr (Jacksonville, Fla.), DE
Josh Black (Tampa), DT
Kevin Bronson (Delray Beach, Fla.), DE
Juwuan Brown (Tampa), LB
Jeffery Farrar (Pasadena, Calif.), DE
Derek Hintze (Bradenton, Fla.), DB
Ronnie Hoggins (Coconut Creek, Fla.), DE
Vincent Jackson (Tampa), LB
Khalid McGee (Miami), S
Jaymon Thomas (Immokalee, Fla.) and DB
Mazzi Wilkins (Tampa).
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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