Bulls Turn Page Quickly to Georgia Tech
NEXT GAME: USF (0-1) at Georgia Tech (0-1)
DAY/TIME: Saturday/2 p.m.
LOCATION: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta
TV/RADIO: ACC Network/95.3-FM, 620-AM, Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: USF leads, 1-0 (49-38 win in 2018)
GAME NOTES: USF
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, SEPT. 2, 2019 – After falling in the season opener, head coach
Charlie Strong's Bulls know they have to turn the page quickly because there's no time to waste.
Coaches and players were eager to jump back into action Monday in preparation for Saturday's game at Georgia Tech (0-1) that will feature two teams hungry to get into the win column.
"I still have confidence and I believe in this football team, and I know that we're going to take care of our business," said Strong during his weekly press conference.
Following a busy work week on the practice field, the Bulls will make the six-hour drive up to Atlanta, where they'll try to go 2-0 all-time against the Yellow Jackets. Last season's series opener saw USF erase a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter of a thrilling
49-38 victory over Georgia Tech at Raymond James Stadium.
Starting quarterback
Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.) produced two pivotal rushing touchdowns to lead the fourth-quarter comeback in USF's first-ever meeting with Georgia Tech and the senior will look to get the offense going again Saturday. On the other side of the ball, USF will attempt to slow down Georgia Tech's new spread, pro-style offense that had a tall task in the Yellow Jackets' 52-14 loss to No. 1 Clemson last week.
"The game is still about fundamentals and technique. It's about blocking and tackling, and it's about us improving," Strong said. "We've got to improve from game 1 to game 2. This can't be a setback for us."
Macon Plays Well in the Middle
Graduate transfer
Patrick Macon made his presence known immediately in USF's season opener against No. 19/17 Wisconsin.
Starting at middle linebacker and playing in his first FBS game, Macon made noise often with 15 total tackles, USF's most stops in a game in seven seasons (DeDe Lattimore, 18 vs. Rutgers, 2013). The Memphis, Tenn., native racked up 10 solo tackles, grabbed a share of the national lead with 4.0 tackles for loss and forced a fumble recovered by fellow upperclassman transfer
KJ Sails in the second quarter.
Not bad for his first game since 2016 and very good for a USF defense that now includes a 6-foot-3, 245-pound linebacker with a high motor.
"Macon had a really big night," Strong said. "… He's got a good body on him. He's heavy, so he's able to take on guys and he can get guys off of him. He can sit down and work behind his pads."
Tons of Transfer Talent
Linebacker
Patrick Macon, the 2016 NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year, is one of 12 players on the 2019 roster the program has welcomed in as transfers from Power 5 schools.
Against Wisconsin, Macon (formerly at Oklahoma St.) and six others started – QB
Blake Barnett (Arizona State), RB
Jordan Cronkrite (Florida), WR
Eddie McDoom (Michigan), CB Sails (North Carolina), DE
Darius Slade (Arizona State) and S
Devin Studstill (Notre Dame).
Macon, Sails, Slade and Studstill all made their USF debuts last Friday and impressed Strong with their efforts. Sails recovered Macon's forced fumble and made two tackles (1 TFL) as a lockdown corner and also had a 17-yard punt return.
"I don't even know if they threw one pass at KJ," Strong said. "I think KJ did an unbelievable job."
Studstill did his part with five tackles while Strong liked what he saw during Slade's three-tackle performance.
"When you look at those four guys, what they added to our defense was really good," Strong said. "They played really well for us."
Kick Return Hero Horne 'Getting There'
Terrence Horne and Georgia Tech should still ring a bell well for USF fans after his game against the Yellow Jackets last fall.
The speedster from Miramar, Fla., matched an NCAA record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns on back-to-back attempts of 97 and 98 yards in the opening quarter. Horne set a USF game record with 264 kickoff return yards and ignited USF's fourth-quarter rally with a 3-yard touchdown reception.
Unfortunately, shortly after his huge game, Horne suffered a season-ending knee injury and worked his back into action for this year's season opener.
"I think he's getting there," Strong said. "… With him now, it's a confidence (thing).
The redshirt freshman didn't catch a pass against Wisconsin, but Strong noted he's still in the plans on offense for Georgia Tech despite not being 100 percent yet.
"He'll play a major role in this game," Strong said. "We've just got to find a way to put the ball in his hands because he has a lot of speed."
When it comes to the kick return game, it's a wait-and-see situation for Horne, who was protected from possible big hits on special teams in the season opener.
"I think that once we feel more confident and he feels more confident, then we will put him back there," Strong said.
Bulls Bits
- PRACTICE PLAN: As of Monday afternoon, meteorologists remained confident that the Tampa Bay region would feel minimal effects of Hurricane Dorian. Rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast for Monday/Tuesday with conditions improving Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. With that in mind, Coach Strong moved Monday's practice to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' indoor facility, which hosted the Bulls once in fall camp. "We've just got to work around the weather," he said.
- 'X-MAN' MAKES HIS DEBUT: Receiver Xavier Weaver (Orlando) was one of three true freshmen who saw action in the season opener, joining LB Damaurez Bellamy (DeLand, Fla.) and DE Jason Vaughn (Auburndale, Fla.). Prior to USF, Weaver totaled 110 catches, 2,124 yards and 32 touchdowns in four seasons at Orlando Christian Prep. "X-Man had a really good camp and we knew we were going to play him some. He's been working hard, so he deserves it," Strong said. "Our guys understand that if they work hard enough, then they're going to get their opportunity to go play."
- RECORD WATCH: NFL Draft prospect Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) is three catches away from owning the USF tight end career receptions record currently held by Sean Price (72, 2012-15). Wilcox already owns USF tight end records for game receptions (8), season receptions and receiving yards (43 rec., 540 yards in 2018), along with career receiving yards (987).
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 –
