USF (3-4; 2-2 American) at UConn (1-5; Independent)
Saturday, Oct. 21 • 3:30 P.M. • Pratt & Whitney Stadium (40,642) • East Hartford, Conn.
SURFACE: Natural Grass
TV: CBSSN: Chris Lewis (PxP), Robert Turbin (Analyst) & Keian Martin (Sideline)
AUDIO: 102.5 FM & HD 2/ TuneIn - Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: USF leads, 12-5
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 7-1
IN HARTFORD: USF leads, 5-4
LAST TIME: USF won 48-22 in Hartford in 2019
STREAK: USF has won 8 straight dating to 2012
ROAD GAMES: 54-84, 1-2 on the season
NON-CONFERENCE: 52-33, 1-2 on the season
USF GAME NOTES
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — In the expected gathering gloom of a chilly, rainy fall afternoon, Saturday the USF Bulls are seeking rays of sunshine to break a two-game losing streak and gather feel-good vibes heading into the bye week.
When the Bulls (3-4) face the Connecticut Huskies (1-5) in a non-conference game at Rentschler Field — returning to a familiar stop when USF and UConn shared a home in the Big East and American Athletic Conferences — there are encouraging trends breaking through the clouds.
USF has eight consecutive victories against the Huskies — the last defeat was in 2011 — and a 5-4 overall record in games played at UConn.
But all of that is ancient history for head coach Alex Golesh, who is more concerned about reversing USF's poor performances against UAB and Florida Atlantic.
"We've gone back with the intention of rewinding to what got us here, what got us to the point where we were playing good football (when USF was 3-2 and winners of two straight games),'' Golesh said. "We have focused on fundamentals, techniques and simple things like finishing plays and running to the football.
"Let's overemphasize that. Let's simplify what we're doing on both sides of the ball and allow our kids to play really, really fast. That doesn't mean we're going to be ultra-vanilla. But we are super cognizant of allowing our kids to play really, really fast and be really, really confident. We want to fly around, so we can maximize our talent.''
Here are the keys to USF thriving and defeating UConn:
Down And Distance
Against FAU, the Bulls had 28 first-down plays. Half of them went virtually nowhere (runs of just 1-yard — or worse — and incomplete pass attempts).
"We did not execute well enough to get drives started in the right way,'' Golesh said. "When first down is an incomplete pass or a negative run and you're behind the chains, then you can't do what you want to do on second down. Second-and-10, second-and-11 … those are really terrible places to live.
The lack of first-down production showed up with subpar third-down conversions (3-for-15).
"Being good on first down, it means everything,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "It keeps the playbook as wide open as it could be. It keeps your offensive players confident that they're executing.''
In USF's best performance of the season, a 42-29 victory against Rice on Sept. 23, the Bulls were 6-for-11 on third-down conversions. What doesn't show up on the stat sheet was USF averaging 9.8 yards on first-down plays during the second half. On a few drives, the Bulls were so efficient, they never even got to a third-down play.
"Even if we got to third down in some of our games, it was third-and-short or third-and medium, so you're going to get a high percentage of those conversions,'' Gordon said. "Third-and-long … we've lived there (too much). And it's a hard place to live when you're putting a ton of pressure on the offensive line to pass protect and drop your quarterbacks doing things you don't necessarily want to do every single third down.''
The solution?
First-down efficiency.
Run … The … Ball
Rainy weather might automatically dictate a greater emphasis on the USF running game. And that means running back Nay'Quan Wright, a transfer from Florida, could be one of the game's biggest variables.
Against FAU, Wright had 15 carries for 106 yards (a 7.1-yard average, including a 41-yard gallop), his most productive outing since a 111-yard effort in the opener at Western Kentucky.
With the Owls pulling away, Wright got just three carries (for 4 yards) in the second half.
"When you're playing from behind, it's really, really hard to be balanced,'' Golesh said. "And we want to control the game offensively by running the football and being really balanced.''
In the give-and-take of a normal game, USF must commit to the run, getting Wright, K'wan Powell and Michel Dukes into the flow. Quarterback Byrum Brown, of course, has been USF's most effective rusher and many of those opportunities were created when Brown sprang from the pocket, often creating something out of nothing.
For maximum effectiveness, though, the Bulls can control a game with Brown handing off and utilizing his stable of runners.
That would be fine with Wright.
"The 100-yard game was nice — and shout out to the guys up front on the O-line — but you really don't get to enjoy what you do when you lose,'' Wright said. "It will mean a lot more when we get the win. I enjoy winning. Whenever the coaches call my number, I'm going to be ready.''
Tackle The Challenge
USF's defense took a major step backward by allowing 112 points and 16 touchdowns (one on special teams) in the past two weeks. It was a stark contrast to the big-play performance in a tense game against Alabama and the effective stops against Navy in a road victory.
Golesh said the Bulls have returned to basics, emphasizing fundamentals and proper techniques.
"We need to go back to the foundation of this defense, which is energetic, running and hitting, communicating,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "And then finishing plays. That's the most important thing.''
Missed tackles have been a problem. Orlando said he has noticed some hesitation, which goes against perhaps his biggest criteria for a USF defensive player. Orlando wants full-speed aggression at all times. He can live with correctable mistakes. But a lack of aggression? Hesitation? Not good.
"We've got to make sure our guys are pushing forward and playing free and loose,'' Orlando said. "That's a big thing of sitting down and evaluating the actual things we're asking guys to do.
"I'm really disappointed if our guys aren't aggressive and I'm super disappointed if at any point they would hesitate. I'd rather you just cut it loose. If you miss a tackle, the people behind you will cover it up. I want to see guys straining to make plays. Just pull the pin. If somebody is hesitating, we're looking to see what's causing that. We want the understanding that we're always aggressive and always running to the ball.''
Weather The Storm
No coach wants weather conditions to be an excuse. The Bulls must adjust to the expected chilly, rainy conditions — and that might also mean accounting for some wind at Rentschler Field.
"We're going to have to be tough for sure,'' Gordon said. "That's part of the culture we're trying to create within our walls. We want a football program that is physically tough and mentally tough.
"If we're worried about the weather, we're not going to be worrying about the things that we need to be focused on. If the football is slippery, we'll figure it out and adjust. If it's a game that forces you to do one thing or another, we'll adjust.''
On the positive side, Brown got his first USF start last season on a Friday night at Tulsa. Kickoff temperature was 30 degrees and it dipped into the low 20s. Brown completed his first 21 pass attempts.
The other factor is the Bulls must build back their confidence — and that would be true on a sunny day.
Golesh said he's "monumentally concerned'' about how two rough games have affected his team and how it can respond.
At the same time, he said, "You instill confidence by going to work. You build elite habits and an elite culture. So, if you follow your process the right way with a great week of practice, you're going to build confidence that way heading into any game.''
"The biggest thing we need to fix is our confidence,'' Gordon said. "We've got to hammer back into our process. When your intention is to get better every single day in practice, that mentality builds up and it plays into how confident that you play on Saturday. When you don't play confident, you're almost waiting for somebody to mess something up. There are times when we've played like that. So, we need to have a whole lot of confidence in each other when we take the field. That's what we need to have.''
–#GoBulls–
