USF Athletics

Bulls Look to Keep Takeaway Train Rolling After Bye Week

September 19, 2019

NEXT GAME: SMU at USF
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Sept. 28/4 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/RADIO: ESPNU/USF Radio Network (1250 AM), Bulls Unlimited
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
 

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, SEPT. 19, 2019 – The Bulls' defense continues to build momentum in productive bye week practices after getting the takeaway train rolling at Raymond James Stadium.

USF is currently the national leader in turnovers gained (11) and the Bulls are tied for the most fumbles recovered (7). USF also is ranked in the top 10 of three other stat categories – No. 2 in tackles for loss (11.0 per game), No. 6 in turnover margin (2.00) and tied for No. 8 in passes intercepted (4).

"I think for a lot of guys, it's starting to click and I think we're going to be a really good defense moving forward," said junior cornerback KJ Sails (Tampa), who has a team-leading three takeaways through his first three games as a Bull.

USF's defense showed it can rack up tackles for loss in the first two outings before skyrocketing up other national stat rankings in record-breaking fashion last Saturday night. Defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary's group set the program's top single-game marks with eight total takeaways and five fumble recoveries in a 55-16 rout of South Carolina State.

"We're rejuvenated, we feel good," Sails said Wednesday. "Coach BJ is putting us in the right positions."

No matter where they line up, USF defenders are having a friendly competition to see which Bull can get the next takeaway. So far, nine different Bulls have gotten their hands on at least one this season and the plan is to keep a great thing going.

"We always harp on getting turnovers," Sails said. "That's what we're going to keep doing."

USF's next opportunity to take the ball away is Saturday, Sept. 28. The Bulls' conference opener against SMU has been set for a 4 p.m. start at Raymond James Stadium and will be televised on ESPNU.

McCloud Makes It Happen in First Career Start
USF players will tell you that nothing fazes quarterback Jordan McCloud and the redshirt freshman proved it in first-career start against South Carolina State.

The talented Tampa native was recently named to The American's weekly honor roll after accounting for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and totaling 273 yards with zero turnovers to help the Bulls generate a season-high 459 yards.

"For him to just take the shots and go deep and do what he was doing, I think it was a great amount of poise for a younger guy," said senior right guard William Atterbury (Clearwater, Fla.).

Following USF's first two drives of the game, the former Plant High School standout sure settled in nicely.

McCloud capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Johnny Ford (Miami) with about five minutes to go in the first quarter. McCloud kept his foot on the gas from there, connecting with senior tight end Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) for a 20-yard touchdown and using his quick feet to sneak in a 9-yard score just before the break.  

"I was real excited to go into the game," McCloud said. "During the game, the vibe of the whole team was just great."

McCloud stayed in a groove during USF's 31-point second half, throwing another TD pass to Wilcox and rushing for one more score in the second-best scoring debut by a freshman in school history.

"It was good that Jordan came in and performed the way he performed," head coach Charlie Strong said.

Sure, he's happy with the result, but even-keeled McCloud is already focused on his encore.

"It was my first start, I just had to get it out of the way," he said. "After that, I've got to roll."

JPP Pays Bulls a Special Visit
Strong's Bulls got a big kick out seeing Tampa Bay Buccaneers star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul head back to USF for a special visit Wednesday.

"It was really cool. He's a great dude," said junior cornerback KJ Sails. "He actually knows a lot and I learned a lot from him."

Pierre-Paul became the highest-drafted Bull in school history when he went 15^th overall to the New York Giants in 2010. That was after his stellar, lone season with the program that earned him 2009 First Team All-America honors by Pro Football Weekly.

Now ranking 12^th among active NFL players with 71.0 career sacks, JPP made sure to give some wise words to the Bulls when he spoke to the whole squad.

"The biggest thing is play as a team. Whether things go right or go left, we've got to stay together," Sails said. "That's what I took away from it and a lot of guys on the team took that away, too."

Learn more about JPP and other former USF standouts by checking out the latest edition of Bulls in the NFL.
 
Bulls Bits

• SPECIAL NIGHT FOR SAILS: Playing in his second home game as a Bull, junior cornerback KJ Sails extended his team takeaway lead to three with a fumble recovery against SC State. The Tampa native celebrated the big victory in special fashion by taking his 2-year-old son, King, on a memorable Ray Jay tour of the field and USF locker room. "Postgame, I brought him in the locker room. They were playing music and he was just dancing," Sails said. "Everybody was recording and it was a beautiful thing. Man, I've never seen anything like it." After starting his collegiate career at North Carolina, Sails is super happy he's able to spend more time with his King while playing for his hometown team. "It was just a great feeling (Saturday) and great to see that I'm a dad and he's actually doing what I wanted to do when I was younger," said an emotional Sails.
• ATTERBURY BACK AT RIGHT GUARD: Following a two-game stint at left tackle, William Atterbury spent last Saturday lining back up at right guard, where he made 23 starts from 2017-18. "I think it's a good transition. It's something I've been comfortable with, playing there the last two years before this move," the senior from Clearwater, Fla., said. "Still there are things I need to work on to get back fully, but I think especially with this bye week, I feel pretty good." Since becoming a Bull, Atterbury has played three different positions on the line but he's always had one goal in mind. "I just want to be able to help out my team as much as possible in the best way that I can," he said.
• BIG RUSHING PERFORMANCE BY JOINER : Listed as a wide receiver, Kelly Joiner Jr. (Groveland, Fla.) gave the Bulls a big boost against SC State at a position where he racked up the yards as a prep star. As a running back, the freshman led the Bulls with a career-high 64 rushing yards (5.3 ypc) with a long of 51 yards late in the fourth quarter. "The thing about him, he's just a shifty runner," head coach Charlie Strong said. "He's very fast and if he gets a chance, he can find a hole and hit that hole quickly." Joiner did a lot of that with South Lake High School, rushing for 4,525 career yards and posting 44 touchdowns on the ground before joining the Bulls. "Once he gets in the open field, he can break people down and run past them," Strong added.

 
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.
 
Follow @USFFootball on twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.