USF Athletics

Bulls Look to Bounce Back Saturday at No. 15 Cincinnati

September 30, 2020

GAME 3 MATCHUP: USF (1-1, 0-0 in AAC) at No. 15 Cincinnati (2-0, 0-0 in AAC)
DAY & TIME: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: Over the Air: 95.3 WDAE & Digital: Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: Cincinnati leads, 10-7
GAME NOTES: USF | Cincinnati
 
 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, SEPT. 30, 2020 – Season one of the program-building project for Jeff Scott's Bulls requires "learning lessons" like last game against newly ranked No. 5 Notre Dame.

USF's always optimistic first-year head coach also feels strongly that "high moments" are ahead for the hard-working team and Saturday could develop in to one of them.

Fresh off an open date, the Bulls can rebound in a remarkable way if they can pull off a road upset against No. 15 Cincinnati (2-0) in the conference opener at Nippert Stadium.

"We're hired as assistants to get it figured out quick and to have solutions," defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said Wednesday. "That doesn't mean it's gonna happen all the time, but that's what I put on my shoulders is, 'Let's find the solutions right now and let's find ways to win games."

Bulls on both sides of the ball have done a lot of self-evaluation since their trip to South Bend, which Spencer called a "bitter pill to swallow." The veteran coordinator noted his defense has responded by practicing well in preparation for a new opponent that's quite similar to the Irish offensively.

Explosive Cincinnati is averaging 39.5 points per game with an experienced quarterback running the show in dual threat Desmond Ridder. The junior now has more than 5,000 career passing yards after a 258-yard, two-touchdown performance in last week's 24-10 win over then-No. 22 Army.

Ridder operates behind the Bearcats' big O-line that's packed with 300-plus pound starters. Add in numerous talented backs, tight ends and receivers, and you have another massive challenge for a USF defense looking to bounce back and establish its identity.

"You gotta play better than you did. You gotta tackle better than you did. The physicality of what we have to bring to the table has really gotta improve," Spencer said. "Those are kind of the points of emphasis going into this thing."

Offensively, coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. said a week off from game action was a "really good" opportunity to evaluate several positions, particularly quarterback, and make progress as a whole. Scott's plan is to play multiple quarterbacks in the mission of solidifying a starter moving forward.

"We've got to continue to get better and improve in the passing game and make some of those throws down the field work," Weis said. "That's gonna be really important this game."

Success through the air would certainly help the Bulls reestablish their run game, which racked up 302 yards in the season opener. Aside from being balanced, Weis wants to see the Bulls keep taking care of the ball (zero turnovers so far) against Cincinnati's multiple defense that totaled two takeaways and dominated Army up front last week.

"They're good across the board – D-line, linebacker, secondary," Weis said. "It's gonna be really important for us to do what we do and execute. We can't make mental mistakes."

O-Line's Solid Play, Depth on Display
Scott saw the "silver lining" of the loss at national title contender Notre Dame when he watched video of the Bulls' versatile offensive line.

"They gave us time and protected well," said Scott, who noted the O-line gave up just one sack, while the other "was on the quarterback."

Strong play against the stout Irish is an impressive achievement, especially when USF was once again without two usual first-team players up front.

Freshman Joshua Blanchard (Miami) made his second career start at right tackle after starting at left tackle in the season opener.

Fellow freshman Dustyn Hall (Punta Gorda, Fla.) also was solid once again in his second straight start at center. Hall made the first snaps of the season when USF was without three starters on the line and still rushed for 302 yards against The Citadel.

Going back to the Notre Dame tape, Scott also noticed some "nice pictures" of senior right guard Michael Wiggs (Lakeland, Fla.) "one-on-one blocking his guy for about four or five seconds."

"Out of all the position groups right now, I'm probably the most pleased with where our offensive line is," Scott said last week. High praise for a unit that has yet to put its top five coming out of fall camp together on the same field in a game.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is pretty happy as well.

"There's been multiple players that have had to step up with certain people being out. That's really encouraging," he said. "I'm really looking forward to when all those guys are finally back in action. We can play eight, nine guys, let them roll, keep everybody fresh and feel good about them."

Whatever the starting O-line combination is this Saturday, the Bulls will try to keep making their coaches proud against another formidable opponent.

Last week, Cincinnati limited Army's potent triple-option rushing attack to 182 yards – more than 200 yards below its season average. The Bearcats' D-line totaled four of the team's 10 tackles for loss while a defensive back picked off a pass for the second straight game.

"It's certainly a big task this week, especially for our wideouts and quarterbacks going against a good secondary," Weis said.

Bulls Bits

• MEKHI KEEPS TRENDING: Defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer has been pleasantly surprised by Mekhi LaPointe's savvy play in USF's new scheme. Through 56 snaps, the junior from Seffner, Fla., is still ranked by Pro Football Focus as the highest-graded FBS safety in the nation in overall defense (89.9) and coverage (91.1). LaPointe followed up his interception in the season opener with a pass breakup and tackle for loss at Notre Dame and has totaled seven tackles (five solo) so far. "He has been one that you're in those camp days and like, 'Yeah, he's gonna be all right. A little time, let him just kinda ripen up a little bit. He's a little green,'" Spencer said. "And then all the sudden, it seems like just the last couple of weeks - practices, vision, communication. We're in there watching tape and it's like, 'Hey, this kid's getting it a little quicker than what we thought.'"
• HOMECOMING GAME TIME ANNOUNCED: USF's homecoming game against East Carolina has been set for a 7 p.m. start on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Raymond James Stadium. Purchase tickets to the Bulls' first home game since the Sept. 12 HERE or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
• BULLS' HISTORY AT CINCINNATI: USF has won just twice in eight games at Nippert Stadium, but the Bulls split the past two meetings with the Bearcats in Cincinnati. USF posted a 45-20 win in 2016 and fell, 35-23, to the No. 25 Bearcats in the programs' last matchup at Nippert Stadium in 2018. Bulls fans attending the 2018 road game braved a frigid November night when the kickoff temperature was 28 degrees. Weather.com's forecast for Saturday in Cincinnati is partly cloudy with a high of 61 degrees and a low of 45.

 
About USF Football
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 23^rd season (20^th at the FBS level) in 2019. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 14 All-America selections and 29 first-team all-conference selections and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl games appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
                                                                                
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