USF (0-0; 0-0 American) at Western Kentucky (0-0; 0-0 C-USA)
Saturday, Sept. 2 • 3:30 P.M. (ET) • L.T. Smith Stadium (22,113) • Bowling Green, Ky.
SURFACE: Field Turf
TV: CBSSN: Alex Del Bario (PXP) & Malik Zaire (Analyst)
AUDIO: 102.5 FM & HD 2 & TuneIn - Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: USF leads 4-3; STREAK: WKU, 1
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 2-1
NEUTRAL: WKU 1-0
IN BOWLING GREEN: USF leads, 2-1, Last: USF, W, 35-13, in 2009
LAST TIME: WKU won, 45-35, at 2015 Miami Beach Bowl
VS C-USA TEAMS: 13-11
SEASON OPENERS: 19-7, lost last 2, Last: L, 50-21 to BYU in Tampa last year,
ROAD SEASON OPENERS: 2-5, last at NC State IN 2021
USF GAME NOTES
As Hurricane Idalia drew closer to Florida landfall on Tuesday, the USF football team adjusted its schedule, kept a watchful eye on the proceedings and expected no tangible changes to its preparation for Saturday's season opener at Western Kentucky.
"It shouldn't affect us,'' Bulls coach Alex Golesh said. "Maybe it creates a different wrinkle in our scheduling. We've actually talked about making it into a positive. We don't have school (Tuesday or Wednesday).
"I feel like we got a bunch more (additional) time to continue to prepare and get treatment. I challenged the guys to use the time wisely, watch more film and spend more time in the building. Hopefully we're mature enough that it becomes (a positive).''
With the most severe weather passing through the Bay area late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, the Bulls shifted their Wednesday morning practice to the afternoon. Other than that, USF will maintain on its normal schedule through its planned departure for Western Kentucky on Friday afternoon.
Kickoff is Saturday afternoon at 3:30 on the CBS Sports Network.
"The leaders on our team can take it on the chin, ride with it and show the team that we won't flinch, hurricane or no hurricane,'' Bulls offensive tackle Donovan Jennings said. "If our plans need to change, we'll adjust and go full speed ahead. None of this is going to faze our preparations.''
"It's not going to be anything crazy at all,'' Bulls cornerback Aamaris Brown said. "We understand what we have to get done as a team. We're going to get in our reps, make whatever adjustments we need to make and we're going to get ready for Saturday. We're excited for it and we can't wait.''
BULLS OPEN FIRST SEASON UNDER ALEX GOLESH ON THE ROAD
USF will look to snap a two-game losing streak in season openers when it opens the first season under first-time head coach Alex Golesh on the road at WKU. It will mark just the eighth road season opener for the program (2-5) and first since USF opened the 2021 season at NC State (L, 45-0). Named the sixth head coach in program history on Dec. 4, 2022, the 39-year-old Golesh will look to become the fifth USF head coach to win their debut and the third straight.
ROAD OPENERS: USF's two wins in road season openers came at #16 Notre Dame (2011) and at San Jose State (2017) in Charlie Strong's USF debut, the only other road debut for a USF head coach. The Bulls' losses include at NC State (2021), Penn State (2005), Alabama (2003), Northern Illinois (2001) and San Diego State (1999).
OLD FOES: USF and WKU faced each other every year from 1997-2000, splitting 2-2, during USF's first four seasons as a program when both were FCS programs. WKU won an FCS national title in 2002. USF's third head coach, Willie Taggart, was a standout QB at WKU and took the USF job in 2013 after leading the Hilltoppers for three seasons.
TENNESSEE OC TIES: Both USF head coach Alex Golesh and WKU head coach Tyson Helton served as offensive coordinators at Tennessee immediately prior to taking their current position. Golesh worked under Josh Heupel for two seasons and led the Vols offense to nation leading marks in yards (538) and point per game (47.33) while UT went 11-2 in 2022. Helton served under Jeremy Pruitt for the 2018 season as UT went 5-7. He took the WKU head post in 2019.
NEW LOOK BULLS: USF will hit the field with 56 new players, 38 of those scholarship players. Among the positions Alex Golesh and his staff brought in the most new scholarship players are on the offensive line (8), wide receiver (7), defensive tackle (5) and secondary (5). The Bulls have 24 of those players appearing in the depth chart for Week 1, including 13 on offense, nine on defense and two specialists.
CIRCLE SEPT. 16 FOR TOP 5 CLASHES
Both teams have a big date on their schedule in their third game of the season on Sept. 16.
• USF welcomes AP preseason No. 4 Alabama to Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 16.
• WKU travels to AP preseason No. 3 Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio on Sept.16.
FAMILIARITY
USF defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, defensive line coach Kevin Patrick and linebacker Jamie Pettway all faced WKU last year when they were at FAU. WKU won a 32-31 OT thriller. Pettway had 11 tackles.
DOLPHINS QB MIKE WHITE STARTED FOR BOTH USF & WKU
Current Miami Dolphins quarterback Mike White started 14 games for USF in 2013 and 2014, but transferred to WKU in 2015 when then head coach Willie Taggart shifted to a spread offense led by Quinton Flowers. White went on to standout seasons for WKU in 2016 and 2017. He returned to Tampa this summer and worked out with fellow pros in the USF Indoor Performance Facility.
LAST TIME VS WKU: Miami Beach Bowl, Dec. 21, 2015 • Miami, Fla. • WKU won, 45-35
In USF's first bowl appearance in five seasons, the teams clashed in the Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park. The Bulls led by head coach Willie Taggart, a former WKU quarterback and most recently the programs head coach, saw quarterback Quinton Flowers strike first with a 62-yard touchdown drive capped by a Flowers run and led 14-0 when Rodney Adams ran for a 34-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was 14-10 USF at the half, when WKU came out firing with a 28-point third quarter to seize control of the game. USF outscored WKU 14-7 in the fourth quarter but came up short in a 45-35 loss. WKU running back Anthony Wales ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Brandon Doughty passed for 461 yards and three touchdowns, with a pair of 100-yard receivers. For USF, Marlon Mack ran for 108 yards and Flowers for 108 and two touchdowns while passing for 273 yards and a touchdown. Auggie Sanchez led the Bulls with 11 tackles. WKU posted 612 yards or offense to top the Bulls 597 - with the teams passing for 461 and 307, respectively.
– #GoBulls –
