Bulls Getting Ready for 'Big Game' at ECU
NEXT GAME: USF (3-4, 1-2) at East Carolina (3-4, 0-3)
DAY/TIME: Saturday/3:45 p.m.
LOCATION: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, N.C.
TV/RADIO: ESPNU/USF Radio Network:
Over the Air: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM &
Digital: Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: USF leads, 8-1, and has won four straight
GAME NOTES: USF
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, OCT. 21, 2019 – USF is trying to get back on even ground in the conference standings and knows continued success against East Carolina is crucial on Saturday.
In their second straight road game, head coach
Charlie Strong's motivated Bulls will chase after the program's fifth consecutive victory over the Pirates. Bouncing back at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium would give USF renewed confidence heading into a bye week and then a three-game home stretch that begins Thursday, Nov. 7 with a test against Temple.
"I told our guys yesterday, I said 'We need to go win this game and then when we get to November, it's when some seasons really begin," head coach
Charlie Strong said Monday. "Everybody remembers November. That's why this game is so critical for us. This is a big game for us."
USF has an 8-1 lead in its all-time series with ECU and has never lost in Greenville (4-0). Last September, the Bulls became the fastest Florida FBS team to reach 150 program wins with a
20-13 victory over ECU in Tampa.
The Pirates (3-4, 0-3 in AAC) have returned 17 starters and 45 lettermen this fall, including sophomore quarterback Holton Ahlers, who completed 23 of 37 passes for a season-high 313 yards and a touchdown in last week's 41-28 loss at UCF. ECU outscored the Knights, 22-6, in the second half.
"A lot of that team is back from last season," said Strong of ECU. "The quarterback last year, he was their third-down quarterback. He's big and physical. The receivers make the catches downfield and defensively, they're still very aggressive and they give you a lot of different looks on defense."
Quarterback Update
Redshirt freshman
Jordan McCloud is on a run of five straight starts and showed his toughness in the past two while playing with injuries to his shoulder and wrist.
McCloud (Tampa) was replaced late in the loss at Navy last Saturday but will be back on the field this Saturday if he's physically able to go.
"If Jordan is healthy, he'll be the starter," Strong said.
When McCloud has exited two of the past three games, sophomore
Kirk Rygol has proven to be a reliable option, completing 5 of 8 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown without an interception.
"When he makes up his mind to throw the football, he's gonna throw it," Strong said. "He has a really strong arm and has a lot of confidence."
Rygol (Fort Mill, S.C.) has made the most of opportunities he has garnered as senior
Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.), who started the first two games, suffered an ankle injury that cause him to have season-ending surgery on Oct. 18.
Sails, Defense Keep Delivering Takeaways
USF currently ranks second nationally with 18 takeaways after totaling three at Navy last Saturday.
The aggressive Bulls have collected at least one takeaway in every game this season and have the third-most fumble recoveries (10) in the FBS.
Ten different Bulls have gotten their hands on a turnover this year while junior cornerback
KJ Sails leads the way with four. The talented Tampa native hauled in his second interception of the season against Navy and had a touchdown return wiped out by a penalty.
"KJ, he's been great for the defense," Strong said. "He's a guy that comes with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. The interception he made there Saturday was good."
After transferring from North Carolina, Sails said he's
"blessed" to be back in the Bay and the first-year Bull is being embraced by teammates while he gives all-out effort on a consistent basis.
"One thing I like about him, he comes out there every day and he comes out there ready to work," Strong said. "Guys really respect him because they respect the way he works."
Sails has helped USF make notable progress in the takeaway department this year. With five games to go in the regular season, the Bulls need just three more turnovers to match their entire 2018 total of 21.
Bulls Bits
- MORE ON USF-ECU SERIES: USF has averaged 34 points in nine games against ECU, failing to score at least 20 just once in a 28-17 setback in 2014. Saturday will mark USF's final scheduled trip outside the state of Florida this season. The final road game of the regular season is the next War on I-4 series installment at UCF on Friday, Nov. 29.
CRONK FINDS HIS RHYTHM: Senior back Jordan Cronkrite has gotten into a groove with 382 yards on the ground in the past three games. The Miami native averaged 4.5 yards per carry last week and registered consecutive 100-yard rushing games against UConn and BYU. Following the three-game surge, Cronkrite ranks ninth in The American with 459 rushing yards this season.- MACON KEEPS PRODUCING: Senior linebacker Patrick Macon is sixth in the conference with 7.9 tackles per game after totaling a team-high 13 at Navy. The Memphis, Tenn., native has led the Bulls in tackles in three games of his debut season with the program, including a season-best 15-stop performance in the opener against Wisconsin.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22nd season of football, and 19th 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 150th 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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– #GoBulls –
