Bulls Embracing Challenge of Late Road Game Against Top 15 Foe
By Joey Johnston
This week at practice, USF coach Jeff Scott asked a player what he knew about playing in a high altitude.
"That means it's windy, right?'' the player said.
Scott chuckled at the memory.
"There's a little bit more science to it than that,'' Scott said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "I'm not sure if a lot of our guys know exactly where we're going yet.''
Saturday night, the Bulls (1-2) will play at No. 15-ranked BYU (3-0), which is located in Provo, Utah (4,551 feet above sea level). Game-time temperature is expected to be about 60 degrees (and falling into the 50s) — or about 30 degrees cooler than USF's customary September practice conditions.
After Thursday's practice, the Bulls will leave a day earlier than normal for a road trip, navigating the four-hour, 15-minute plane excursion, so players can acclimate to the time change. Saturday's kickoff (ESPN2) is at 10:15 p.m., so the game will drift into early Sunday morning for East Coast viewers.
USF will return home immediately after the game and the charter flight is scheduled for touchdown on Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Tampa time. Scott said he hopes to get a few hours of quick shut-eye before attending the early afternoon birthday party of his daughter, Savannah, at Chuck E. Cheese, perhaps not the ideal sensory assault for any adult after a cross-country journey.
"She has been counting down the last month and a half,'' Scott said.
USF, coming off a 38-17 home victory against Florida A&M, will then have a rapid turnaround to prepare for its American Athletic Conference opener against SMU in Dallas on Oct. 2.
Scott said the upcoming schedule will provide a needed test.
"At the end of the day, they're going to spot the ball, it's 11 on 11, it's a 100-yard field,'' Scott said. "It goes back to the challenge of (it not mattering) who we play, what time we play, what uniforms we're wearing. Playing at our best regardless (of the circumstances), that's where we want to be as a program.
"At the school I was at (Clemson), that's where we took the next biggest step. I felt like early on, it was all about who we were playing or was it a night game? Or was it a day game with somebody not very good? That's where the focus was and we play that way. We got to the point where none of that stuff mattered. We played the same way, regardless of the circumstances. That's how you build consistency.''
It's a grind going from Tampa to Utah back to Tampa then on to Dallas over two weeks.
But Scott said the Bulls need to embrace such a grind.
"We've talked a lot about grit and mental toughness and adversity,'' Scott said. "With where we are as a team and program, we need all of that. You don't get better having it really easy. We need to not just get through it, but we need to move forward and get better through the difficulty. Sometimes when you're uncomfortable and out of the comfort zone, that's when you grow the most.''
Respect for BYU
Scott said none of his teams have played against BYU. In his mind, he always pictured the Cougars as a big, tough, mature, physical program. And that is still true.
"The thing that has surprised me is how fast they are,'' Scott said. "They have really improved their team speed and they have a lot of athleticism. They are playing with a high level of confidence and they know their scheme, inside and out. It's probably the most difficult scheme to prepare for because they do so many things.
"I haven't really known their coaches very well and we haven't run in the same circles, but I have great respect for what they do. I tip my cap to them. They are extremely well-coached and present a lot of challenges. They are like grown men. But they've also got linebackers beating running backs to the edges and you just go, 'Wow!' ''
The Cougars, an FBS independent program that is headed to the Big 12 Conference in 2023, went 11-1 last season with quarterback Zach Smith, who became the NFL draft's second overall pick (to the Jets). But it doesn't appear BYU has lost a beat on offense with sophomore quarterback Jaren Hall, who is completing 60 percent of his passes and averaging 8.3 yards per rush.
"When the guy (Smith) graduated last year and they lost the quarterback, people were saying, 'Oh, you're fine (playing BYU),' '' Scott said. "This guy (Hall), Coach (Glenn) Spencer (defensive coordinator) describes him as a faster Baker Mayfield. He runs it and throws it very well.''
BYU already has victories against three Pac-12 schools — Arizona (24-16), Utah (26-17) and Arizona State (27-17).
"I think BYU is further ahead than others expected them to be,'' Scott said. "Watching the video, this group is going to challenge you. That's what we need, playing guys to give you a big challenge. We need to show progress against teams like this.''
McClain to get second start
For the second straight game, Bulls' true freshman Timmy McClain will start at quarterback. Scott again stopped short of naming McClain as the season-long starter, maintaining his plan to use the first four non-conference games as evaluation time before definitively naming a QB heading into AAC play. Sophomore Cade Fortin started the season's first two games, but did not play against FAMU. Freshman Katravis Marsh was McClain's backup against Rattlers and played during the second half.
Injuries
Junior wide receiver Latrell Williams suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury against FAMU. Scott said the injury occurred when Williams got his foot suck in the ground after a 40-yard completion. This is Williams' sixth year of college football, but with the COVID bonus year, he has the option to return in 2022.
Freshman Omarion Dollison figures to move into a starting role, while sophomore Yusuf Terry, a transfer from Baylor, should become a primary backup on the outside.
Scott couldn't commit to the game-time status of senior slot receiver Bryce Miller, who injured his ankle during the first half against FAMU. If Miller is unavailable, a pair of freshmen, Sean Atkins and Jimmy Horn Jr., will line up in the slot.
Meanwhile, the injury riddled secondary could be without Mekhi LaPoint, who is "50-50'' for BYU, according to Scott. Sophomore cornerback Christian Williams is at least a month away from availability, while freshman safety Will Jones II suffered a season-ending injury two days before the opener at NC State.
