USF (0-0; 0-0 American) vs Bethune-Cookman (0-0; 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, Aug. 31 • 7:00 P.M. • Raymond James Stadium (65,000) • Tampa, Fla.
SURFACE: Natural, Bermuda Turf Grass
TV: ESPN+: AJ Ricketts (P-by-P) & Patrick Murray (Analyst)
AUDIO: 102.5 FM, 102.5-HD2 The Strike; TuneIn (Bulls Unlimited);
SERIES: First Meeting
IN TAMPA: NA
IN DAYTONA BEACH: NA
LAST TIME: NA
VS SWAC TEAMS: 2-0
VS FCS DIVISION TEAMS: 32-1
SEASON OPENERS: 19-8, lost last 3, Last: L, 41-24 at Western Kentucky Home: 16-3, Last: lost to BYU in '22
USF GAME NOTES
HERD HERE FIRST (Pregame Show Podcast)
Welcome to Season 28 of USF football, when a bowl-game appearance (and maybe a whole lot more) is expected of the Bulls. That's realistic. As head coach Alex Golesh begins his second USF season, the Bulls appear to have the goods for American Athletic Conference contention.
It has to start somewhere and that's the cue for Saturday night's season opener against the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats, a Football Championship Subdivision program and a tradition-laden member of the HBCU ranks (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).
USF is a 40 1/2-point favorite — the largest margin (either way) in program history. If an avid USF fan was writing this "Keys to Victory'' story, it might be awfully short.
USF's primary key: Show up?
Of course, college football is never that easy.
Favored teams are routinely dispatched at all levels. In his first game as Iowa State's tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator in 2016, Golesh saw the Cyclones beaten 25-20 by FCS member Northern Iowa. The likes of Appalachian State can beat the likes of Michigan. We've seen it happen.
Undoubtedly, the numbers are solidly in USF's favor. The Bulls are 32-1 against FCS competition since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2000. B-CU, meanwhile, is just 2-16 against the FBS (with both victories coming against Florida International University).
The keys for USF against B-CU? They are the same tenets USF must employ against any opponent this season — whether it's B-CU, Alabama, Miami or any AAC foe.
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency
It's not about them. It's about us.
How many times have you heard a statement like that by coaches in all sports? It makes sense. If you can put on the blinders and deliver the same level of performance — regardless of the opponent — then your chances for success should expand. And if you can do it every single week? That's usually a main ingredient for any championship team.
"The highs and lows … man, you don't want to live in that world,'' Bulls offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "You want to live in the world of being consistent with guys consistently doing their job.
"It doesn't mean that every single play is going to wind up being perfect. But guys doing their job consistently gives you a chance. You don't want negative plays and the things that kill you on offense, so 100-percent consistency is the name of the game.''
Bulls defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said he felt last season's team showed some physical fatigue, which contributed to inconsistency. He saluted the work of George Courides, the head strength and conditioning coach, and staff. Orlando said he sees players who are stronger and more fit.
"I think we've established a standard of consistency,'' Orlando said. "We had our moments where we didn't play well, but the standard was always the standard. As long as you play consistently and adhere to the standard, it doesn't matter what the actual result is, although it probably works in your favor.
"Instead of looking at things like, 'Why are we doing this?' … or 'This is kind of hard' … they're just doing it because they know it's necessary to become elite. If you haven't done anything, everything seems hard. Now it's the routine for these guys and they're constantly polishing that routine. They know if you go out to practice, drop your hands, waddle around … somebody can take your job.''
Defensive Improvement
With quarterback Byrum Brown and eight other returning offensive starters leading the way, the Bulls figure to build upon last season's success (No. 17 nationally in total offense and 451.6 yards per game).
On defense, though, the Bulls mostly struggled last season and ranked 115th nationally. There were occasional flashes (the havoc-creating performance against Alabama, the 45-0 win against Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl), but Golesh said there's defensive optimism because of personnel additions and a year's worth of experience.
Golesh provided detailed reasoning on the season-opening edition of BullsEye, the weekly USF coaches show.
"I feel like in a lot of ways, we left a ton out there on offense a year ago and traditionally in this scheme, you take a jump in year two when you can bring back a quarterback who understands it and knows it,'' Golesh said. "I think defensively, it's exactly the same.
"We don't hide behind what we inherited defensively. It was rough. It wasn't a personnel issue as much as there was a lack of belief, a lack of camaraderie and a lack of effort at times. The first thing you've got to do is learn to believe in a system, believe in a coaching staff, believe in each other and build trust.
"We had high moments where the defense won the game for us and lows as well. So, you sit down and say, 'Man, how do we fix it?' Just like on offense or special teams, we recruited like crazy. … The guys are a year older and more confident. They brought resounding energy into camp. There's a ton of trust within the group. They truly feel like they're playing for each other.''
Golesh said it's all theory until seeing how the defense responds to game-day adversity. But more than ever, he said he believes that USF's defensive personnel can stop the opposition.
On the back end, the most targeted area for improvement, Golesh said he's particularly excited about new secondary players such as DeShawn Rucker (Tennessee), Kajuan Banks (South Carolina), D'Marco Agustin (Youngstown State) and Brent "Paco'' Austin (James Madison).
"We feel like we've added some big-time pieces in our secondary and I can't wait for our fans to see that,'' Golesh said.
The Situation Room
Red zone. First down. Third-and-short.
Football coaches think in terms of "situations'' — down-and-distance scenarios, protecting a lead, running out the clock, hurrying up in a desperate circumstance, setting up for a potential game-winning field goal.
"We work on two-minute drills, four-minute drills, a bunch of things that could show up in the course of a football game,'' Gordon said. "You make sure you brush up on those things, even if they don't show up a lot. You make sure to check all those boxes to be prepared for when they do happen.''
In the red zone (the 20-yard-line to the opponent's goal), USF converted those opportunities into touchdowns just 73.2-percent of the time, which ranked 119th nationally. Not nearly good enough. (Oregon State was No. 1 with an obscene 97.6-percent).
The Bulls converted 37.7 of their third-down situations into first downs, which was 79th nationally. Again, not nearly good enough. (The national third-down conversion leader was Georgia at 55.2-percent).
USF scored 50 offensive touchdowns last season. Fifteen of them covered 26 yards or greater (including scores of 84, 49, 88, 60, 50, 62 and 60 yards), so explosive plays were everywhere. But it was extra frustrating when USF drove down the field, got within striking range, then had to settle for a field goal (or even worse, nothing).
"We've got to punch it in a lot more often … simple as that,'' Golesh said.
It's All In The Details
How do upsets happen?
Drip by methodical drip.
A receiver runs a 10-yard pattern on third-and-12.
A running back has an open lane, but fails to secure the ball properly and it slips from his grasp for a turnover.
A linebacker has the ball-carrier stopped, but fails to wrap up, and second effort allows the offense to get a first down and continue a scoring drive.
The offense doesn't get set on the first play of a drive and is whistled for delay of game.
The defense jumps offside on third-and-4.
It's all in the details. Yes, the boring, mundane details. The things that often determine who wins and who loses.
"First game and there's going to be nerves,'' Gordon said. "It's about getting these guys going and getting them off to a good start so they can get some confidence, not overthinking anything, get their cleats in the ground and get in the flow of the game. I think any coach will tell you this. First game … you want to play well.''
"If we get into the details and play with consistency, that's what you're looking for in the first game,'' Orlando said. "You want to be at your best in the fourth quarter. We don't want to go from a super high to a super low. You can't play that way. We're looking for a steady climb. And we'd like to see it begin in the first game.''
–#GoBulls–
