USF (1-6; 0-3 American) at Houston (4-3; 2-1 American)
Saturday, Oct. 29 • 12:00 P.M. • TDECU Stadium (40,000) • Houston, Texas
SURFACE: Turf
TV: ESPN2: Beth Mowins (PXP), Kirk Morrison (Analyst) & Stormy Buonantomy (Sideline)
RADIO: 102.5 FM/102.5 HD 2
AUDIO STREAM: TuneIn - Bulls Unlimited 1
SERIES: UH Leads, 6-2;
STREAK: UH won last 6
IN TAMPA: UH Leads, 3-1
IN HOUSTON: UH Leads, 3-1, last, UH, W, 56-21
LAST USF WIN: 32-14 at Houston in 2002
LAST AT HOUSTON: UH won 56-21 in 2020
LAST YEAR: UH won 54-42 in Tampa
USF GAME NOTES (PDF)
 
HOUSTON — Most teams keep track of their 15-yards-plus plays by rushing or passing. They are known as "explosive plays.'' USF's offense has been on a nice run in its past three games, generating 24 explosive plays — eight by Jimmy Horn, seven by Xavier Weaver and five by quarterback Gerry Bohanon.
 
But problems have occurred on USF's defense, which has allowed nine rushing plays and five passing plays of 30-yards-plus, including nine touchdowns over that distance.
 
"I don't deem those explosive plays,'' defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. "Those are catastrophic plays.''
 
After a bye week, as the Bulls (1-6, 0-3 AAC) contend Saturday afternoon with the powerful Houston Cougars (4-3, 2-1 AAC), Shoop said the first step for USF defensive improvement is shutting down the catastrophic plays and making it more challenging for opposing offenses to operate.
 
"In seven games, those (catastrophic) plays have accounted for 600-some-yards or about 90 yards per game,'' Shoop said. "If you take 90 yards total offense per game out of our season, we're talking about a little different situation.''
 
Of course, Shoop said he knows those yards can't just vanish from history. But in the larger picture, as USF prepares for its final five games, there's a lesson to be learned.
 
"Approximately two percent of our plays are accounting for a large part of the yardage allowed,'' Shoop said. "Stop them on first down, stop them on second down, then allow a big play on third down … and the first two plays are rendered (moot) because it's a catastrophe.
 
"The challenge is for our guys to give two percent more. We have to do better on third down. We have to do better in the red zone. And we absolutely have to eliminate those explosive and catastrophic plays. We're doing good things. Sacks are up. Tackles for loss are up. Turnovers are OK. But we're making a conscious effort — whether it's scheme or execution or fundamentals — to get better (at shutting down big plays). If we can do that, I think you'll see a world of difference.''
 
It will be challenging because Houston's offense has produced 27 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or greater, including seven passes from Clayton Tune to explosive wide receiver Nathaniel Dell. Overall, Houston's offense has posted 400-yard games against Kansas (446), Rice (427), Memphis (463) and Navy (441).
 
Conversely, Houston's defense has allowed five 400-yard games to opponents, which suggests that Bulls-Cougars could be a shootout.
 
USF's offense appears up for that task.
 
If its defense can improve — whether it's through improved technique or getting back injured players after the bye week — the Bulls could be positioned for a much-needed road victory.
 
Houston was picked to win the AAC in the league's preseason poll, but has endured what most observers would describe as an underachieving season. In reality, the Cougars have dropped a pair of games in overtime (33-30 at Texas Tech and 27-24 against Tulane), while running into a 48-30 buzzsaw against much-improved Kansas.
 
USF has suffered a pair of heartbreakers at Florida (31-28) and Cincinnati (28-24), while also falling at home against Tulane (45-31) in a game that was 17-17 in the third quarter.
 
As Halloween approaches, head coach Jeff Scott said all teams still have an opportunity to make a lasting mark — including the Bulls.
 
"They remember November,'' Scott said. "There are a lot of teams in our league, all over the country and in the NFL right now that aren't having the kind of seasons that people expected. Now you're going to see which ones can finish strong, which ones can get out of that rut. We have five games guaranteed remaining on our schedule. For us, that means a great opportunity to get this turned around. And that's what we're concentrating on.''
 
Marsh Gets The Start
 
With Bohanon suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Tulane, sophomore quarterback Katravis Marsh will get the start against the Cougars. Scott hinted that true freshman Byrum Brown could also see action down the stretch, maybe as soon as Saturday's game against the Cougars.
 
 "Tray has to get out there and be ready to go because that's the expectation,'' offensive coordinator Travis Trickett said. "If you have injuries, a bunch of five-star guys out for the season, no one cares. You have to keep going on offense, produce and go win the game.
 
"It stinks for Gerry because he was really clicking and I thought the Tulane game was going to be that game for him (where it all came together). He'll come back ready to go next year, ready to pick it up where he left off. It's a shame, but that's life and that's football. We've got to make sure Tray is ready to roll.''
 
Trivia Time
 
Saturday's game will be played at TDECU Stadium, but USF has faced the Cougars at two other Houston stadiums. Can you name them? (Answer below).
 
Looking Ahead
 
Next Saturday, the Bulls travel to Philadelphia for a 2 p.m. game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Temple is 2-5, 0-3 in the AAC heading into this Saturday's game at Navy.
 
Temple has defeated Lehigh (30-14) and UMass (28-0), but has dropped three consecutive AAC games by a combined 121-32 score.
 
The Owls are led by quarterback E.J. Warner, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame Kurt Warner, who has completed 54.2 percent of his passes for 1,236 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Temple's ground game has been a struggle (averaging 2.7-yards per carry as a team).
 
USF defeated Temple 34-14 last season at Raymond James Stadium, when the Bulls had a program-record 421 rushing yards. The Bulls are winless (0-4) in Philadelphia, losing games in 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2020.
 
Trivia Answer
 
In previous seasons, USF has faced the Houston Cougars at the on-campus Robertson Stadium and also one game at Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, on Halloween night 2013.