The University of South Florida Bulls find themselves in the familiar position of underdog this week, despite the 1-9 (0-6) record of this week’s opponent, Tulane University Green Wave. The 2-8 (1-5) Bulls have the slightly better record and it could be argued that they have the better body of work, albeit in losses, but some close losses to good teams. In any case, the oddsmakers have spoken and that means expectations are that USF will have an uphill battle. These are fighting Bulls, though, and they have more than enough fight to win this game. Here’s how they do it:

1. Sack that back. Tulane’s offense has allowed their quarterback to be sacked 28 times in ten games. That’s 105th in the nation and a golden opportunity for guys like Antonio Grier, who leads the Bulls with three sacks, and Blake Green, who is second on the team with 2.5. Here’s a much more alarming statistic, though, USF ranks dead last in the nation in sacks, with eight, averaging less than one per game. This is more to do with defensive strategy than defensive ability, and if the coaching staff want this win, they will need to send guys into the backfield to put some dirt on Michael Pratt’s uniform.

2. Pick that pass. Pratt is a very good passer and he has thrown just five interceptions all season. Two of those came in a one touchdown loss to UAB and the other three came at the hands of East Carolina, who put 52 points on the Green Wave in their win. Points 1 and 2 are complimentary. In those same games, Tulane gave up 12 tackles for loss, two of those being sacks.

3. Contain the quarterback. Pratt is far from a run first guy, but his 100 yards and four touchdowns show that he’ll take what’s given. USF can’t give him anything. Play soft, way off the line defense, and he’ll make this game long and painful. The Bulls are definitely thin on defense, but they will have no choice but to dedicate someone to keep eyes on his feet.

4. Get in the zone. Tulane’s opponents score 90% of the times they get in the red zone. That’s not automatic, but anything with a 90% success rate is something to try, especially when it results in points scored against a relatively weak opponent.

5. Pound the rock. This matchup presents a great opportunity to get the three headed rushing monster that is USF’s running game a chance to get crazy. ECU and Mississippi ran for over 300 yards in blowout victories against the Green Wave. Establish the run early and Jaren Mangham and company could beat those totals.