USF HEALTH, Making Victory Possible: Bulls Look To Handle A Loud and Raucous Atmosphere
SURFACE: Natural Grass
TV: ESPN2: Beth Mowins (p-by-p) & Kirk Morrison (analyst) & Dawn Davenport (sideline)
RADIO: 1250 AM WHNZ
AUDIO STREAM: iHeartRadio - Bulls Unlimited1
SERIES: USF leads, 1-0
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 1-0
IN PROVO: NA
LAST: USF won, 27-23, in 2019
VS RANKED: 11-31, last win 2016 vs. #22 Navy
GAME NOTES
By Joey Johnston
PROVO, Utah — When the USF Bulls (1-2) face the No. 15-ranked BYU Cougars (3-0) in Saturday night's game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, there are several keys to victory.
USF's offensive line must protect freshman quarterback Timmy McClain and generate openings for the running game. The Bulls' defense must stop the run and create pressure in the backfield. USF must play a mistake-free game and avoid costly penalties.
But none of that matters if the Bulls can't maintain their composure and process their assignments in BYU's traditionally frantic and ear-popping atmosphere.
"It could be the loudest environment we play in all year,'' USF coach Jeff Scott said. "When we looked at the copy of the (scouting) video they provide to the football team, the end-zone view, the camera was shaking the whole time.''
Last Saturday, when Arizona State was beaten at BYU 27-17, the Sun Devils were whistled for seven false-start penalties.
Seven!
That includes four in one drive.
"We know it's going to be noisy,'' center Brad Cecil said. "We're going to embrace every situation we face, whether it's the environment, the time change, the climate, the later kickoff time, all of it. Regardless of what we're faced with, we have to do our jobs.''
BYU would be a formidable opponent in any atmosphere. The Cougars were 11-1 last season while defeating UCF 49-23 at the Boca Raton Bowl. Now BYU is off and running again after opening the season with victories against three Pac-12 Conference teams (Arizona, Utah and Arizona State).
The Cougars are led by quarterback Jaren Hall (60 percent passing, 561 yards, seven touchdowns, 8.3-yard rushing average in three games), running back Tyler Allgeier (265 yards, 4.1-yard average) and wide receiver Neil Pau'u (14 catches for 190 yards, three touchdowns).
BYU coach Kalani Sitake (41-26, sixth season) oversees one of college football's most familiar brand names. The Cougars have one national championship (1984) and one Heisman Trophy winner (quarterback Ty Detmer, 1990).
Then there's the facility, LaVell Edwards Stadium, which is named for the legendary head coach, who won 19 conference titles, seven bowl games and one national title. Even more, though, there are the spirited BYU fans.
"It's going to be as loud as you'll ever hear,'' said USF offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. "One thing with Timmy (McClain), the external factor haven't really affected him so far. He has to be mentally prepared, but he has had some good experiences to prepare for this moment.''
"The distractions of the crowd noise, honestly, I think it gets you juiced up,'' USF defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said. "They can play off the mentality that everyone is against us. I don't think the moment is going to be too big for them.''
The previous meeting
USF scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to defeat BYU 27-23 on Oct. 12, 2019 at Raymond James Stadium.
Running back Jordan Cronkrite had 123 of his game-high 158 yards in the second half, including a 3-yard go-ahead touchdown with 7:37 remaining.
USF's defense had two fourth-down stops in its own territory on BYU's last two possessions. On the final drive, Bulls' linebacker Antonio Grier collected a sack on third-and-10. Overall, linebacker Dwayne Boyles had 2.5 of the team's 13 tackles for a loss.
The 2019 BYU Cougars finished 7-6 and played in the Hawaii Bowl. That season, BYU defeated Tennessee, USC and Boise State.
As part of the double home-and-home contract, USF will host BYU in the 2022 season-opener next Sept. 3. The Bulls will return to Provo on Oct. 28, 2023, the season when BYU is scheduled to join the Big 12 Conference. BYU's football program has been a Football Bowl Subdivision independent since 2011.
Connections
* BYU freshman wide receiver Maguire Anderson played at Pasco County's Mitchell High School. He's the son of former USF receiver RJ Anderson, who had 61 receptions for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Bulls in two seasons (1998-99) after transferring from BYU (and playing high-school ball at Gainesville Buchholz).
* USF doesn't have any players from Utah. In fact, in 25 seasons, the Bulls have never had a Utah player.
* In 2001, the Bulls traveled to face the Utah Utes and were defeated 52-21. Saturday night is the fifth time USF has ventured west of the Rocky Mountains, including games at San Diego State (1999), Utah (2001), Nevada (2012) and San Jose State (2017).
* USF's men's basketball team is scheduled to face BYU on Dec. 22 in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at Honolulu. BYU defeated USF 77-75 in double overtime at the 2010 South Padre Island Invitational, when Cougars scoring legend Jimmer Fredette had 32 points. Fredette, who finished with a school-record 2,599 career points, will be honored at halftime Saturday night as part of his induction into the BYU Hall of Fame.
Trivia time
When USF defeated BYU in 2019, it was the 12th time the Bulls have defeated a program with an NCAA-recognized FBS national championship. Can you name the others? (Answer below).
Looking ahead
Next Saturday (Oct. 2), USF opens its American Athletic Conference schedule on the road against the SMU Mustangs. SMU (3-0), coming off a 39-37 road victory against Skip Holtz's Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, faces the TCU Horned Frogs in the 100th edition of the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday.
USF is 3-2 all-time against SMU, including a pair of victories in Dallas (2014, 2016), but the Mustangs won the last meeting (48-21 in 2019 at Ray-Jay).
Coach Sonny Dykes' Mustangs lead the AAC in passing offense (341.3), while quarterback Tanner Mordecai set the SMU single-game record with seven touchdown passes in the season-opener. Heading into the weekend, Mordecai led the nation in passing touchdowns (16) and points responsible for (96), while ranking third in passer rating (194.4).
SMU's defensive coordinator is Jim Leavitt, USF's first head coach (95-57, five bowl games in 13 seasons from 1997-2009). After stints with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, Colorado, Oregon, Florida State, Florida Atlantic and now SMU, Leavitt is facing the Bulls for the first time.
Trivia answer
In addition to BYU, USF football holds victories against Army, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Miami, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and TCU — each of which has captured an NCAA-recognized FBS national championship.
