USF (2-4; 0-2 American) vs UAB (1-5; 0-3 American)
Saturday, Oct. 19 • 3:30 P.M. (ET) • Raymond James Stadium (65,000) • Tampa, Fla.
SURFACE: Natural, Bermuda
TV: ESPN+: Jason Ross Jr. (P-by-P), Tyoka Jackson (analyst) & Maria Trivelpiece (sideline)
AUDIO: 102.5-HD2 The Strike & Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn)
SERIES: UAB leads, 2-1
IN TAMPA: UAB leads, 1-0, Won 22-19 in 2003
IN BIRMINGHAM: Tied, 1-1
LAST TIME: UAB won, 56-35 in Birmingham in 2023
- was the first meeting since 2004
STREAK: UAB, won one
LAST USF WIN: 2004, 45-20 in Birmingham
USF GAME NOTES
After a double dose of hurricanes in the Tampa Bay area, including a week of relocated training in Orlando, the USF football program is welcoming a normal schedule leading into Saturday afternoon's game against the UAB Blazers at Raymond James Stadium.
"It will be awesome to get back inside Ray-Jay,'' head coach Alex Golesh said during his Tuesday news conference. "The adversity that we went through is nothing compared to what other people endured. We had a lot of things we probably take for granted get taken away. But our guys were in a hotel, being fed and kept safe. Again, a lot of people went through so much more than we did.
"When we get back to Ray-Jay, we need our students back out. We need our fans back out. We need to create an incredible atmosphere and we need to generate a home-field advantage. I think the adversity will continue to build character within our program. Adversity is either going to be your prison — if you make excuses — or your platform to show people how you can handle it. Memphis didn't care about it. UAB ain't going to care about any of it. So, we've got to keep rolling.''
The Bulls (2-4, 0-2 American Athletic Conference) have a score to settle against UAB (1-5, 0-3), which is coached by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer. Last season, the Blazers blasted the Bulls 56-35 in Birmingham.
"We went up there last year as a really confident football team after a couple of wins and we got absolutely embarrassed,'' Golesh said. "I think that stuck with me. I think it certainly has stuck with our players. We played as bad as you can imagine.
"You look at UAB's record (1-5), but it's a team that has played a really, really tough schedule. They played Army and Navy the first six weeks and a gauntlet of Arkansas and Tulane and a (Louisiana) Monroe team that's apparently playing really good ball. I have a lot of respect for the guys on that UAB staff, so we have to be ready.''
USF has also played one of the nation's most difficult schedules, facing top 10-ranked opponents in No. 6 Miami and No. 7 Alabama, along with Tulane and Memphis, which were picked in the preseason as the AAC's top two programs. The Bulls schedule through the first six games was ranked No. 8 in the nation by the ESPN FPI.
The AAC schedule so far has been filled with adjustments. On the week the Hurricane Helene affected Tampa Bay's coastal areas, the Bulls traveled to Tulane and were defeated 45-10.
Following a bye week, Hurricane Milton began bearing down on the Tampa Bay area, causing USF football to shift its entire operation to Orlando. The Friday night home game against Memphis was shifted to Saturday afternoon at Orlando's Camping World Stadium and the Tigers prevailed 21-3.
"We had to look at each other and know that, regardless of what's going on, it's still going to be three hours of a football game,'' linebacker Jhalyn Shuler said. "We needed to lock in on what we have to do as a team. Ultimately, we couldn't control anything outside of us going out and performing.''
"We did a lot of bonding and I realized how much the players on this team really do love each other,'' center Mike Lofton said. "It was a blessing to be in a safe spot. The game (against Memphis) didn't go the way we wanted. We haven't scored (a touchdown) in six quarters, so we have to get that figured out. We have to play complementary football and help our defense.''
Last Saturday was USF's best defensive effort of the season. The Bulls limited Memphis to just 345 yards, the Tigers second lowest on the year, and two touchdowns (the Tigers scored a third TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone), holding the offense scoreless for the final 54 minutes of the game.
USF's offensive woes included 1-for-13 on third-down conversions, six dropped passes, eight three-and-outs (on 14 drives) and just 24 rushing yards (on 19 attempts).
Golesh said he thought quarterback Bryce Archie played a mostly effective game "under crazy circumstances.'' Archie was 22-for-41 with 234 yards and one interception, while being sacked once and rushing four times (for minus-5 yards).
"I thought Bryce did a really, really good job of never panicking, being under control and continuing to lead,'' Golesh said. "I thought there was some high-end stuff in terms of him throwing the football.
"The (pass) protection part was really good to where he took some hits, but he was able to deliver the ball like you'd want him to. He was poised and I think he was everything you'd want a quarterback to be, especially in his first start.''
Golesh said the availability of Byrum Brown, who was injured at Tulane, against UAB might be a game-time decision. Following UAB, the Bulls have another bye week, giving Brown more recovery time heading into the Nov. 1 game at Florida Atlantic.
"By the end of the week, we'll have a much better feel for how Byrum feels,'' Golesh said. "But it's hard if he's not totally healthy for him to be able to do what he does. He's healing. He's mentally and physically in it. We'll see what it looks like at the end of the week.''
Regardless of whether it's Archie or Brown under center, it's clear that the Bulls must perform better on offense.
"We've been a very ebb-and-flow football team up until this point,'' Golesh said. "We've played six games. We've had really high points and we've had really low points.
"We are where we are. We're a 2-4 football team. We have six games left, and there's no focus beyond getting better today. We're not hiding from any of it. We're totally aware of where we are on both sides of the ball and we've got to continue to push.''
–#GoBulls–
