Oct 8, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls linebacker Auggie Sanchez (43) is congratulated after he made a stop against the East Carolina Pirates during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
South Florida gets an opportunity to make an early statement in its quest for a major bowl game (or, dare we say it, a College Football Playoff spot) when the Bulls visit San Jose State on Saturday.
The Bulls and Spartans are among a handful of teams getting off to an early start by virtue of an NCAA rule change that allows teams with a 13-game regular-season schedule (like San Jose with its trip to Hawaii in October) to start the season a week early.
For the Bulls, it’s a chance to dominate and show voters they are worthy of their No. 19 national ranking, their highest preseason ranking ever, and maybe more.
With a veteran lineup that returns 18 starters from an 11-2 team, the Bulls don’t want to waste such an opportunity.
“Now it’s that time,” senior quarterback Quinton Flowers said at the end of preseason camp. “You have to go out and make everything count. You have to make every moment count, every play count, every minute count.”
Flowers is the triggerman in an offense that averaged 511.5 yards a game in 2016, 11th best in the country. He loses his top running back (Marlon Mack) and top receiver (Rodney Adams) but returns enough firepower and front-line strength to make the Bulls one of the most productive units in the country again.
If the Bulls are to take advantage of a relatively soft schedule, however, they are going to have to shore up a defense that allowed opponents an average of 482 yards a game.
They have the makings for success on defense with a solid linebacker corps headed by senior Auggie Sanchez and an experienced and talented secondary. They also are deeper at the tackle spots up front with returning starters Deadrin Senat and Bruce Hector, which should help bolster a run defense that was shredded for 196.5 yards a game.
New line coach Sean Cronin is working a five-man rotation up front to give Senat and Hector more opportunity to go full bore all the time.
“I don’t expect them to play like normal,” Cronin said. “When you turn on the film, I don’t want them to look like every D-lineman. I want them to look like they have exceptional effort.”
The Bulls also return starters at defensive end with Mike Love, whose sack secured the bowl in over South Carolina, and Kirk Livingstone. Livingstone started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman last season but sat out the spring with a shoulder injury.
The good news for the Bulls is that Livingstone had a banner fall camp.
“He’s showing me a lot of good things right now,” defensive ends coach Damon Cogdell said.
–RB D’Ernest Johnson becomes the primary ball carrier with Marlon Mack’s departure for the NFL, but he will have help with the return of Darius Tice from injury. Johnson rushed for 543 yards last year and also is an excellent pass-catcher (28 receptions for 293 yards) and return man (11.8 average on punts, 28.9 on kickoffs).
–WR Tyre McCants leads all returning wide receivers in receptions with 25 for 384 yards and four touchdowns. He has beefed up to a reported 235 pounds on his 5-11 frame and will work as a slot receiver.
–DE Greg Reaves has been put on scholarship after earning a spot in the rotation for the opener. Reaves played in eight games as a walk-on freshman last year. He figures to be a factor in the pass rush.
