USF football is on the road this week in East Hartford, Connecticut to face the UConn Huskies for possibly the final time.
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The University of South Florida Bulls head to East Hartford Connecticut to visit the University of Connecticut Huskies for possibly the last time. The two teams have played 16 times since 2000, with the Bulls holding an 11-5 edge in the series, winning the last seven games.
Both teams have struggled early in the season, each of them with a 1-3 record. Each have their only win over FCS teams and have been embarrassed against conference foes. Last week, the Huskies were beaten by UCF, 56-21, while the Bulls fell to SMU, 48-21. One of them will get their first conference win on Saturday.
USF Offense
The Bulls offense has been very slow to start, this season. The coaching staff made a change from season starter, Blake Barnett, to freshman quarterback, Jordan McCloud, only to look exactly the same. Both quarterbacks were injured last week, thanks in part to getting sacked ten times. Only one other team in the country, Akron, has allowed more sacks of their quarterback than USF has, this season (20).
McCloud, who really had a bad time against SMU, passing for just 66 yards on 19 attempts with two interceptions and no touchdowns, will start against UConn. He will play with a sprained throwing wrist. Barnett is suffering from a high ankle sprain, and has been ruled out for the UConn game. He had his best game of the season in the second half against SMU, throwing for three touchdowns and 222 yards.
The running game for USF is almost non-existent, after being a top running offense for several years. The leading rusher for the team is McCloud, and he has just 82 total yards and two rushing touchdowns. The starting running back for the Bulls, Jordan Cronkrite, has just 76 yards, but he has been limited somewhat by minor injuries. Kelly Joiner Jr., his backup, is third on the team in rushing, with 75 yards.
Senior tight end, Mitchell Wilcox, leads the team in receiving, with 178 yards and three touchdowns. Wilcox holds the USF record for most touchdowns by a tight end in program history. Johnny Ford, who played running back last season, but lines up at slot on some plays this year, is the second leading receiver, with 149 yards and two touchdowns. Despite not starting at all this season and playing limited snaps, walk-on receiver, Bryce Miller is the number three receiver on the team, with 92 yards and a touchdown. Miller projects to earn his first start at UConn.
USF ranks 109th in scoring offense, averaging 22 points per game and 122nd nationally in total offense, averaging just 305 yards per game. Only eight teams in the country are worse in total offense. Their 98 yards of rushing per game ranks them 123rd. Passing the ball, they are #95, with just 207 yards through the air, per game.
UConn Defense
Looking to shut down that offense will be the 75th ranked in total defense, UConn defense. They’re allowing 395 yards of total offense per game. They’re closer to the bottom in scoring defense, however, averaging 37 points per game allowed, they’re 116th. The only opponent they have faced that hasn’t scored at least 30 points was FCS Wagner.
Linebacker, Omar Fort, leads the team in tackles, with 30. Defensive back, Tyler Coyle, and linebacker, D.J. Morgan, are third and fourth, with 25 and 24 tackles, respectively.
The one bright spot on the UConn defense has been Lwal Uguak. Uguak has a team-leading 3.5 sacks, and is tied for 31st in the country for sacks. What’s not-so-good for UConn is that he is that he also leads the team in tackles for loss, with the same 3.5 sacks. Morgan ties Uguak with 3.5 tackles for loss.
The Huskies rank 101st against the pass, allowing 202 yards per game. They have just one interception this season.
They’re a little better against the run, ranked 77th and allowing 160 yards per game.
UConn Offense
The Huskies rank just one spot above USF in total offense, 121st, averaging 312 yards per game. Scoring just 18 points per game, they rank 122nd.
Steven Krajewski had been the leader of that offensive unit until getting injured during the UCF game. His injured clavicle will possibly sideline him for the season. Replacing Krajewski is Mike Beaudry. Beaudry, a transfer from West Florida, started in the game against Wagner. Beaudry was reportedly replaced after the first game due to an injury. In total, the Huskies have started three quarterbacks through four games. Against Wagner, Beaudry completed passes for 158 yards with one interception. As a unit, the passing offense is ranked 101st, with 202 yards offense, on average.
Cameron Ross and Ardell Brown are getting nearly equal targets in the passing game, with Ross leading Brown, 206-140 in receiving yards. Each of them has a touchdown catch.
Junior running back, Kevin Mensah, leads the rushing offense with 328 yards and two touchdowns, and USF has had trouble with him in the past. Last season, Mensah rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulls, his third best rushing game of the season. Even as a freshman in 2017, Mensah ran for 95 yards and a score against USF. The UConn run game is ranked 114th in the nation, averaging 110 yards per game.
UConn ranks 121st in total offense and 122nd in scoring offense with 18 points per game.
USF Defense
The USF defense has struggled nearly as badly as the offense. They rank 105th in scoring offense, allowing 32 points per game.
Linebacker, Patrick Macon, is the team leader in tackles, with 30. He also leads the team in tackles for loss, with 6, and has logged one sack.
Defensive back, K.J. Sails leads the team in passes broken up (3). He’s also one of the six players to have a pick.
Six different Bulls have one interception apiece, ranking the team 8th in the FBS for picks. They have eight total sacks by eight different players.
The team ranks 123rd against the run with 98 yards per game given up on the ground. Against the pass, they rank 95th, giving up 207 yards per game.
Expectations
This is not going to be a pretty game in many respects. As indicated by their records, neither team is doing well. Expect USF to get a little offense going for a few touchdowns on a weak UConn defense. Also, expect the same from UConn. The Bulls have turnover ability in the secondary, so expect some of those. The game should be close throughout.
Summary
The Bulls are 11 point favorites on the road and ESPN’s Football Power Index computers predict a nearly 79% chance of a USF win. The kickoff for the game has been moved up to noon, EDT, due to a mosquito borne illness in the area. The game can be streamed from CBS Sports, who will also broadcast a recording of the game at the previously scheduled time slot. .
