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Preview: Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. USF Bulls

The University of South Florida Bulls host the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane for a primetime matchup under the lights and on national television.

The Hurricane come to Tampa with a 1-1 record, fresh off a 34-26 upset over then #11 UCF. The 1-4 Bulls are far from ranked, this season, but were ranked #23 in their past two games against Tulsa, in 2017 and 2018. This will be the fourth game of the all-time series between the programs, and the Bulls have never lost.

USF Offense

The Bulls have started to show some signs of life on offense now that sophomore quarterback, Jordan McCloud, has been named the starter. McCloud is leading the #62 passing offense in the country with 749 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns in his last outing against Temple, a disappointing 39-37 loss. Despite not throwing an interception, McCloud was responsible for two of the team’s four fumbles.

DeVontres Dukes and Latrell Williams are the top receivers on the team, with 183 and 159 yards, respectively. Omarion Dollison has been coming on strong, recently, pulling down four catches for a team high 64 yards against Temple.

Johnny Ford, who is the #4 receiver, is also the #1 running back. In addition to his 126 receiving yards, he has run for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Kelley Joiner has split reps with Ford at running back, carrying for 205 yards and a touchdown. The coaching staff has also mixed transfer quarterback, Noah Johnson into the running game, situationally. The Bulls rank 50th in rushing offense.

Nationally, only nine teams rank below the Bulls in scoring offense (69th).

Tulsa Defense

The Hurricane rank 19th in scoring defense and 28th in total defense. Tulsa leads the country in tackles for loss yards (-79) and 9th in sacks per game (3.5). Linebacker, Zaven Collins is leading the team with three sacks through two games. He also leads in tackles for loss (7.5). He’s tied for 23rd, nationally, in total sacks and 8th in tackles for loss.

Collins trails defensive back, Kendarin Ray, in total tackles (16), who leads the team with 18. Collins also has one of the two interceptions that Tulsa has this season.

The Golden Hurricane rank 37th in passing defense and 29th against the run.

Tulsa Offense

The Tulsa offense is run by senior quarterback, Zack Smith. Smith has 438 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions through two games, this season. Last year, he averaged 273 yards per game, which exactly what he passed for against UCF, two weeks ago. In that game, he threw three touchdowns and was picked off one time. With Smith at the helm, the Golden Hurricane rank 47th in the nation in passing offense.

Kaylon Stokes, who caught passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against UCF, leads the team in receiving yards with 150. Josh Johnson and Sam Crawford Jr. round out the top three, with 132 and 97 yards, respectively. Johnson also has two touchdowns.

Deneric Prince is the top running back, with 123 yards on the season, but T.K. Wilerson was the leader against the Knights, with 86 yards and a touchdown. Tulsa ranks 55th in rushing offense, nationally.

USF Defense

The Bulls rank 31st in total defense, allowing nearly 380 yards per game, and 58th in scoring defense, allowing 34 points per game. The defense is led by defensive back, Nick Roberts, and linebacker, Antonio Grier, with 36 tackles apiece. Grier, who was banged up in the last game, leads the team with three sacks. Defensive back, Vincent Davis rounds out the top three with 30 total tackles. Lineman, Thad Mangum, trails Grier in tackles for loss, with three.

Five different Bulls have interceptions, led by Mekhi LaPointe, who has a pair, including one against Temple, last week. USF ranks seventh in interceptions, nationally, with six.

Expectations

Expect a defensive battle, with some offense. Both teams have turned the ball over a lot, so expect some of that. The Bulls offense has been progressively getting better and look like they’re about to get things working right this week. Tulsa has a size advantage on offense, and should be able to run the ball well against the Bulls, who have struggled, at times, against the run. Things look like they will align for a USF win at home.

Summary

The Bulls are 11.5 point underdogs. ESPN’s Football Power Index predicts a better than 89% chance that Tulsa leaves Tampa with a win. Kickoff is at 7:30 at Raymond James Stadium. ESPN will carry the game live on their flagship ESPN network.


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