South Florida at Houston preview & prediction
TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 28, 2022) – South Florida (1-6, 0-3 AAC) comes off a bye week to take on the Houston (4-3, 2-1 AAC) Saturday, for the final time as members of the American Athletic Conference, at TDECU Stadium in Houston Texas. The game will be carried by ESPN2.
This year has been nothing but ugly for the Bulls, as they have been riddled with losses and injuries. The Tulane game wasn’t any different. The Bulls lost the game and starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon to a shoulder injury that will require surgery and cause him to miss the remainder of the season.
Sophomore quarterback Katravis Marsh will take the mantle as the starter for the Bulls. Marsh saw action last week after Bohanon went down, completing seven passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, we’re on to Houston.
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HOUSTON OFFENSE
The Cougars boast an extremely balanced offense. With 249 attempts both rushing and passing, they find ways to split opposing defenses apart. Led by their seasoned quarterback Clayton Tune, the Cougars offense impresses Bulls head coach Jeff Scott.
“They have a very explosive offense, it’s the year of the quarterback,” Jeff Scott said. “Clayton Tune is an outstanding player and a winner. He does a lot of great things for their offense.”
Tune also leads the Cougars in rushing attempts with 75. He is second in rushing yards with 256 and matches running back Brandon Campbell with three rushing touchdowns.
The Cougars backfield shares the work load. Campbell is the top back with 334 yards, but running backs Ta’Zhawn Henry and Stacy Sneed also have just over 200 yards on the ground this season.
The receiving core is more of a one-sided street. Wide-out Nathaniel Dell is Tune’s number one target. Dell has 627 yards receiving – 400 more than anyone else on the team. Dell also excels in the red zone, with eight touchdowns on the season.
HOUSTON DEFENSE
The clear leader of the Houston defense is linebacker Donavan Mutin. A three-time captain, Mutin has recorded 45 tackles this season and is an inspiration for his defense.
The Cougars defensive front is powerful with 19 total sacks, which ranks third in the conference and ranks 29th in the Nation. This is due, in part, to defensive lineman D’Anthony Jones. The leader of the D-line, Jones has 21 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles and will look to wreak havoc on the Bulls offense.
There are a few ball hawks on the Cougars defense as well. Defensive backs Jayce Rogers and Art Green have two interceptions each, and Houston has seven as a team.
SHEWEY’S SUMMARY
We all hope the bye week has prepared quarterback Marsh with the confidence he needs going forward. The Bulls have a lot riding on this game against a conference rival; with only one win on the season, it’s not looking too hot.
Bulls sophomore star running back Brian Battie looks to mimic his game against Houston last year, where he tied an NCAA record with two 100-yard kickoff returns. Houston knows Battie now, but he hopes to make the most out of every opportunity.
“We did do a little bit of damage to them last year,” Battie stated. “If they do kick it to us, we just have to try to execute and do our job. Hopefully, we can get some big returns and touchdowns out of it.”
The only shot I see for the Bulls to win this game is execution like that - long touchdowns from returns or runs. The offensive play calling will have to be spot on to fake out this defense and keep them on their heels.
With all the hope I have for the Bulls, I think Tune and the Houston offense will be too much for the USF. I predict the Cougars win with a score of 42-24.