The University of South Florida Bulls return to football action on the road against the University of Memphis Tigers on Saturday. The 1-5 Bulls are coming off an open week while the 3-2 Tigers are looking to bounce back from a 49-10 beating at the hands of #7 Cincinnati. USF will be looking for their first win against an FBS team this season, which has been one of the worst in program history.
This game will be the 11th meeting between the teams, with Memphis holding a 6-4 all-time lead in the series. Interestingly, in their last meeting Tampa, the Tigers beat the Bulls 49-10, the same score that Memphis just lost to Cincinnati by. The Tigers have won 12 straight home games and 15 straight against unranked opponents. Like the Bulls, they are in their first year with a new head coach, Ryan Silverfield, who already had a win over UCF under his belt, this season.
USF Offense
The Bulls have named Jordan McCloud as the starter, but lack of success has forced the staff to change up from time to time, using Noah Johnson situationally and Cade Fortin in relief. Fortin is dealing with an injury and is unlikely to be available for this game. Under the McCloud led quarterback committee, the Bulls rank 93rd in passing offense with an average of 184 yards per game, and 102nd in scoring offense, with 18 points per game.
USF has a talented wide receiver corps who will be ready when the offense finally comes together. Freshman receiver, Omarion Dollison, has shot up the productivity charts with 202 yards on the season on just 13 catches, ten of which came in the past two games. Dollison leads DeVontres Dukes (196 yards, 2 TD) and Latrell Williams (167 yards) at the receiver position. Rolling in at fourth place is tight end, Mitchell Brinkman, who has 148 yards. Also likely to show up in the passing game are Bryce Miller (138 yards, 1 TD) and running back, Johnny Ford (125 yards, 1 TD).
Ford leads the running back roup with 285 yards and three touchdowns. He’s splitting carries with Kelley Joiner, who has 222 yards and a touchdown.
Memphis Defense
The Tigers’ 90th ranked scoring defense, which gave up 49 to Cincinnati in their last game, will try to improve against the Bulls. Despite their penchant for allowing points, they do have some difference makers on defense. O’Bryan Goodson, for example, is fourth on the team in total tackles (22), but his team-leading 4 sacks ties him for 23rd, nationally, in the category. He also ranks 32nd in country in tackles for loss with 7. Defensive backs, Quindell Johnson, Tyrez Lindsey, and Rodney Owens are the top three in tackles, with 38, 33, and 33, respectively. Owens and fellow defensive back, Jacobi Francis, lead the team with two interceptions apiece.
Tulsa Offense
The Tigers rank 37th in scoring offense and 13th in total offense, which includes a 703 yard game against UCF earlier in the season. That high powered offense is led by senior quarterback, Brady White, who has 1,691 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. White is the fourth ranked quarterback in the nation in yards per game and 12th in total yards.
Calvin Austin III has been White’s favorite target thus far, with 31 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns. With almost half as many catches, Tahj Washington is second on the team in receiving yards with 330 and four touchdowns. Also with four touchdowns and third in total receiving is tight end, Sean Dykes.
Rodrigues Clark leads the 63rd ranked running game with 437 and one touchdown. He’s backed up by Kylan Watkins, who has 240 yards and a touchdown.
USF Defense
The Bulls have the 85th ranked scoring defense and are ranked 53rd in total defense. There has been a lot of movement with players due to the pandemic, but one of the most consistent players when he’s in the game is linebacker, Antonio Grier, who leads the team in total tackles (40), sacks (3), and tackles for loss (4). The number two tackler, Nick Roberts, has entered the transfer portal. Vincent Davis is third on the team with 32 tackles.
Expectations
The Bulls have an uphill battle in this one, with a very good quarterback in White matched up against a capable but inconsistent USF defense. This game has the potential of quickly getting out of hand for the road team.
Summary
USF are 17.5 point underdogs and ESPN’s Football Power Index computers give the Tigers an 87% chance of victory. Kickoff is at noon and broadcast is only available on ESPN+.
