South Florida (0-0; 0-0 American) vs Boise State (0-0; 0-0 MWC)
Thursday, August 28 • 5:30 P.M. • Raymond James Stadium (65,000) • Tampa, Fla.
SURFACE: Natural, Bermuda Turf Grass
TV: ESPN: Matt Barrie (P-by-P), Tom Luginbill (Analyst) & Harry Lyles Jr. (Reporter)
RADIO: Q105 FM & BullsUnlimited (TuneIn Radio)
SERIES: First Meeting
IN TAMPA: First Meeting
IN BOISE: N/A
LAST TIME: First Meeting
SEASON OPENERS: 20-8, won 2 of last 5, Last: W, 48-3 vs. BCU
HOME OPENERS: 24-4, won 4 of last 5
VS RANKED: 11-40, lost last 18
LAST VS. RANKED: L, 50-15 to #8 Miami, 9/21/24
USF GAME NOTES
On a recent sun-splashed day in Boise, Idaho, practice was halted for the Boise State Broncos. Coach Spencer Danielson ordered his team to the locker room because there was a "lightning delay.'' When the Broncos returned, coaches were prepared with water hoses to soak the players and the practice field.
Monday morning, in the shadow of the program's perfectly insulated Indoor Performance Facility, the USF Bulls practiced in a torrential downpour provided by Mother Nature.
"The great thing about coaching here is you don't have to create any situations,'' head coach Alex Golesh said. "Rain, heavy rain, thunder, lightning … we get it all. We chose to stay outside. We're going to be ready for any situation that presents itself.''
We're not trying to jinx it, but there's a fair chance that Thursday's season-opener — the Bulls face the No. 25-ranked Broncos at Raymond James Stadium before an ESPN audience — could have weather complications or even a delay. It wouldn't be the first time (three USF home openers in the last decade have been delayed). If it occurs again, clearly the Bulls and Broncos have made allowances.
"It's going to be about football,'' Golesh said. "Two good teams going at it.''
Barring any rain, lightning or delays, there will be football Thursday night and a chance for the Bulls to earn the program's first victory against a ranked non-conference opponent since 2011 (Notre Dame). It's a huge opportunity.
Here are the keys to USF getting an enormous tone-setting win in the season-opener against Boise State:
1. Finish Strong: Why was Boise State 12-2 last season and a participant in the College Football Playoff? The Broncos consistently finished strong. They came from behind in the fourth quarter of three different games, while holding on to rescue a handful of other one-score games in the late going. USF, meanwhile, is remembered for pulling within 21-16 of Alabama with six minutes to play, only to surrender a three-touchdown flurry that transformed that drama into a rout.
"Boise has really executed in critical situations,'' Golesh said. "From covering kicks to punting in situations where you're supposed to punt, to executing field goals, to being able to methodically drive the ball, putting together four-minute drills to where you're not giving the ball back to the opponent. And that all starts with running the football effectively.
"You look at what we've done the last two years, I would tell you it has been really inconsistent in terms of the ability to come back and win a football game. You look at the Alabama game … and it unravels in every imaginable way. That's the example of what not to be in terms of giving the ball up on offense and then defensively you can't get another stop. That's where we've had to grow.''
Have the Bulls grown?
"Every game is a four-quarter game,'' quarterback Byrum Brown said. "The intent, the focus, the details from the first snap to the last snap is going to be extremely critical. That's what we've been harping on all offseason.''
If it's tight in the fourth quarter, the Bulls must finish the job.
2. Run — And Stop The Run: The Bulls will first look to run. "That's where we hang our hat,'' Golesh said. "Run effectively, then build to some explosive plays. That's how we operate.''
This season, USF's running game will operate with new players, including Oklahoma transfer Sam Franklin and Charlotte transfer Cartevious Norton, plus holdover Alvon Isaac, who's expected to play a key role. All of USF's backs will work behind a veteran offensive line, which is a major plus.
"There are no egos on our offensive line and they have been consistent throughout camp,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "Now it's real and they have to play against a good defensive line. At running back, there's a bunch of new faces. We know what we're getting into and it's about getting the ball north and south, taking care of the ball and doing it for four quarters.''
The Bulls also must stop the run. As the Broncos seek to replace Ashton Jeanty, last season's Heisman Trophy runner-up, they will look to sparingly used Sire Gaines (6-foot, 217 pounds) and Fresno State transfer Malik Sherrod (5-8, 177), who rushed for 966 yards and caught 44 passes during the 2023 season.
Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said he's confident that USF will become more stout against the run, touting new defensive linemen such as Josh Celiscar (Texas A&M), Jacob Merrifield (Florida Atlantic) and Devin Lee (Vanderbilt).
"Boise State has a culture of running the football and a toughness piece that has been done for the last 25 years of that program,'' Orlando said. "That sets up everything else they'd like to do, the moving pocket stuff, the play-action. So, it's definitely a challenge.
"From our standpoint, it's the expectation that they're going to come in here and want to run the football. We've got a lot of guys, especially in the front seven, with a lot of banked (game) reps. I don't think there's going to be anything that trips them up. First game of the year, you might get nerves with some of the younger people, but I don't see it being an issue with the older guys that we have.''
3. Play A Clean Game: It's the first game. That usually means some mistakes, maybe some miscommunication, missed assignments and poor execution.
The Bulls can't allow that to happen. They must be crisp and efficient. As coaches like to say, a team's biggest improvement usually occurs between the first and second games.
"It comes down to who wins the one-on-one matchups and who does the really simple things at a better level,'' Orlando said. "Under the lights in the first game, some people lose their minds. That's where you need that veteran experience. There will be plays that — I can promise you — will be a lack of focus or over processing something. You've got to stay away from that and play as clean as possible.''
"It's a bunch of new players on the field for the first time together,'' Gordon said. "But that's why we practice and work at this so hard. The expectation is to play clear. For us, that's everything. We've got to eliminate the unforced errors on ourselves, take care of the football and not make it harder on ourselves.''
4. Win In The Margins: It's always a Golesh favorite — and it certainly applies here.
Play the field-position game. Be sound with kicking. Don't allow any special teams catastrophes. Stay away from penalties.
All the little things that could add up to a big victory.
"We want to be a sound football team that executes and plays efficiently,'' Golesh said. "Those are the teams that win.''
If the Bulls can successfully operate in those margins, it will greatly increase their odds of upending Boise State and setting an eye-opening tone for the 2025 season.
–#GoBulls–
