USF Athletics

Miller, Macon Making Plays in First Run With Bulls

October 01, 2019

NEXT GAME: USF (1-3, 0-1) at UConn (1-3, 0-1)
DAY/TIME: Saturday/noon
LOCATION: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Conn.
TV/RADIO: CBS Sports Network (live stream at noon, TV air time 7 p.m.)/USF Radio Network: Over the Air: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM & Digital: Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: USF leads, 11-5 (Bulls won last meeting, 38-30, in 2018)
GAME NOTES: USF | UConn
 
 

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, OCT. 1, 2019 – Walk-on receiver Bryce Miller is catching on quite well to the Division I level in his first season with the Bulls.

The sophomore slot man from St. Petersburg, Fla., is averaging 13.14 yards per catch through four games after an impressive performance against newly ranked No. 24 SMU last Saturday.

Miller really made things happen in the fourth quarter, starting with a 37-yard reception that took the Bulls into Mustang territory. One play later, Miller sprinted downfield, made a quick move on a defender and hauled in his first-ever touchdown catch with USF from 13 yards out.

"Sitting out last year and being able to get in the zone again, that adrenaline rush is a good feeling," said Miller, who finished with three receptions for 57 yards.

Technically, Miller has been in the zone for a while now at USF, which gave him the opportunity he was looking for close to home last August. After playing as a freshman for Southeastern University, an NAIA program in nearby Lakeland, Miller joined the Bulls at the start of fall camp in 2018.

Teammates took a liking to the new Bull right away while Miller shined on the scout team as he sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. Reps increased during a spring campaign he capped off nicely with a 10-yard touchdown reception in the spring game at Corbett Stadium.

"After making plays, you just build," he said. "I kept wanting to do it every day going out there."

Once fall camp rolled around this August, Miller was back to being a first-down machine with an all-out style that kept catching the attention of the whole team.

"I take pride in going out there and going 100 percent every play," said the 5-foot-10, 187-pound spark plug on offense. "That's who I am and that's what I have to do because I'm not 6-4 and run a 4.3. I gotta do the little things right."

Miller's repertoire includes the ability to be incredibly detailed. Once the ball is snapped, he's exactly where he needs to be throughout his path to the pass, much to the enjoyment of coordinator Kerwin Bell during fall camp.

"We run so many sharp, disciplined routes," Bell said. "We like guys who can get in and out of routes, so he fits exactly what we're looking for. We're going to give him a lot of opportunities."

Sure enough, Miller got his hands on three passes in the season opener against Wisconsin (now ranked No. 8/9). Heading into Saturday's clash with UConn, Miller has recorded a reception in three of four games and more are sure to follow, according to his teammates.

"I feel like he's really good," starting linebacker Patrick Macon said. "He's gonna be a big help on offense."

Not bad for a player who was overlooked by lots of college programs despite being an all-state receiver in the talent-rich Bay for East Lake High School.

Now, it's finally his time to shine at the D-I level.

"After having to redshirt and sit out, it feels good to be back on the field after a couple years," Miller said.

Patrick has been Macon Plays Often as a Bull
Linebacker Patrick Macon became a popular Bull at the same pace he uses to pursue the ball carrier – fast.

The graduate transfer produced right away with 15 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, a sack and forced fumble in the season opener against Wisconsin. Macon's tackle total was the highest by a Bull in seven seasons and his TFL count in the game was the most by a USF player since current Atlanta Falcon Deadrin Senat had four against Houston in 2017.

"Really, I didn't know I had 15 tackles. I was just so tuned into winning the game," he said. "… One of the safeties, Vincent Davis, told me."

The hits have kept on coming for the man in the middle of the USF defense who currently ranks third in The American with 7.5 stops per game. Macon also is tied for third in the league in tackles for loss average (1.5 per outing).

"I'm actually having a lot of fun making the tackles," he said. "I'm going out there playing ball and doing what I love to do. I'm happy I'm able to come to South Florida to do that."

Macon's college path to USF has been an interesting one.

The Memphis, Tenn., native played his first two seasons for Arizona Western College and earned National Junior College Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in 2016. Macon made noise often that season with 122 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and nine forced fumbles.

From there, Macon went to Oklahoma State, where he redshirted in 2017 and missed the next season with a foot injury. The graduate was searching for his next destination and found more than the defensive scheme he was looking for at USF.

"The main thing that really put my eye on USF totally is the coaching staff," he said. "… Once I sat down to talk with Coach Strong and saw how genuine of a person he is, (I was like), 'This is the place I need to be.'"

Macon officially joined the program for the start of fall camp and was immediately embraced by the team. That type of support gave him extra motivation to make his lone season as a Bull a memorable one.  

"I put my head down and just put in the work," Macon said. "Now it's just playing football and doing what I like to do."
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22^nd season of football, and 19^th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150^th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
 
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