Bulls Look For Bounce Back In Front of Big Ray Jay Crowd
GAME NOTES
By Joey Johnston
Bulls senior tight end Mitchell Brinkman said the players are determined to not let the NC State game "define our season.''
"As a team, we can't let one game be the definition of our season,'' Brinkman said. "I'm definitely satisfied with our response. We're all extremely disappointed in how we played. We expected better. But everyone was willing and open to learn. We accepted the criticisms. There wasn't a player on the field who played to their standard.''
Jeff Scott said he has stressed the need for grit and resiliency as the Bulls navigate a front-loaded schedule that includes NC State, Florida and a Sept. 25 trip to BYU.
"We've got to learn from every situation,'' Scott said. "If we had won (at NC State), we still would've had a lot of corrections to fix. We have to take each opportunity as a learning experience, keep moving forward, keep showing up. What I believe is if you keep showing up and you remain consistent day-in and day-out, you'll eventually see that success.
"This season wasn't going to be built around the first two games. If that was the case, it was going to be a pretty difficult deal. We're building toward a 12-game season. It was a great opportunity last week, but it was only that one opportunity. Now we have another opportunity. We've got to be consistent in our approach throughout.''
Fortin To Start
Sophomore Cade Fortin will again start at quarterback when the USF Bulls face the No. 13-ranked Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. But Scott said true freshman quarterback Timmy McClain will definitely play.
"We're not playing both quarterbacks because we think it's the best thing to do for us to win the game,'' Scott said Tuesday. "We're playing both quarterbacks because we're trying to figure out who are starter is.''
Scott said he hopes to name a definitive full-time starter when the Bulls begin American Athletic Conference play on Oct. 2 at SMU — if not before. Until there's separation at the position, Scott said it will likely be a shared duty and the ultimate decision will be based on game performance.
"I want to have one guy right now and we don't,'' Scott said. "Knowing where we are and knowing going into this season that neither Cade not the other guys had played a whole lot (is why the starter is not yet established).
"I would love for that to be established Saturday (against Florida) because one of those guys plays well and it's obvious who we're going to move forward with. We did not come out of the (opening) game feeling confident that we know for sure who our No. 1 is for the season.''
Scott compared it to his experience at Clemson University, where he was co-offensive coordinator, when All-Americans and future NFL first-round draft picks such as Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence were not declared full-time Clemson starters until the season's fourth week.
Fortin, a transfer from North Carolina who played in two 2020 games before suffering a season-ending injury, started Thursday night's season-opener, a 45-0 defeat at NC State. He played the first five series before McClain entered with 10:26 remaining in the second quarter.
After McClain moved the ball at times and played five series — two that ended with interceptions in the red zone — Fortin finished the game. Fortin took the Bulls on a 15-play, 71-yard drive that ended with an end-zone incompletion from the NC State 4-yard line.
Scott said the plan all along was for McClain to play in specialized packages against NC State. But when the Bulls' offense bogged down in the first half with no first downs in the initial five possessions, McClain was inserted to get something going. Scott said he thought there was value in Fortin watching from the sideline and felt he "had settled down'' when he was re-inserted during the second half.
"Nobody was more disappointed in a slow start than he (Fortin) was,'' Scott said. "He had an outstanding fall camp. As coaches, we look at him as an older player (22 years old), but we have to remember that he hasn't played much ball (in college, including two starts as a UNC freshman in 2018). He showed better decision-making (in the second half) and hopefully it's a good learning experience. It isn't like he was the only one (who didn't play well).
"Timmy did a good job with a lot of things. He made some nice throws and he can add some things with his feet. The biggest disappointment was turnovers. We drive down into the red zone and he forced some throws. That can't happen. The message for him is to get back out there and finish those drives. He and Cade are both talented players with a lot of pride in what they do. We're confident they will continue to learn and get better.''
About the Gators
The Gators began last Saturday night with a home 35-14 victory against Coach Willie Taggart's Florida Atlantic Owls. Backup quarterback Anthony Richardson (160 yards on seven carries) and running back Malik Davis (104 yards on 14 carries) became UF's first pair of 100-yard rushers since 2018. Overall, the Gators rushed for 400 yards against the Owls, UF's highest total since 2011.
"If you sit there and stare at them, they're going to win the beauty contest for sure,'' Scott said. "The pregame on the field, the size and athleticism their guys have, we can't get distracted by that. We've got to focus on us. We've got to be able to do that every week, regardless of who we're playing.
"Our guys have been through a lot in the last three years. There's frustration and you want to get over the hump. The way you do that is getting better at what we're doing and not getting distracted with other things. The only way to change our team and program is inside out. Everybody has to do a better job and focus on what's important.''
Injuries
Scott said sophomore cornerback Christian Williams, a transfer from Miami and one of the defense's fastest players, will be out "for a while'' with a high ankle sprain. It further depletes the USF secondary, which lost safety Will Jones II (torn ACL) with a practice injury on Aug. 31. Scott said he's not certain if defensive tackle Kelvin Pinkney (knee), who missed the NC State game, will be ready to go against the Gators.
Bulls sophomore safety Matthew Hill, who replaced Jones in the starting lineup last week, said he played for his fallen teammate and got an interception against the Wolfpack.
"I was next man up, but I played for Will because I knew how much he was looking forward to the first game,'' said Hill, a transfer from Auburn. "Since I've been here, Will was one of the first people I really connected with. We have a relationship that's unbreakable.
"Christian (Williams) and I are roommates. We live together and we talk every night about our situations. All three of us came down here for the same reason — to make plays. I know it's a minor setback for Christian and it's going to make him work even harder. With those guys (Jones, Williams) both being down, it makes me want to work harder for them.''
