Strength in Unity.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Will change at QB hinder Stone and Vincent's development?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

William Stone's career at USF got off to a slow start as Andrew Vincent seemed to be the favorite target but as the year went on, Stone became Michael Harrell's favorite target, going to him early and often, sometimes too much.

Harrell is gone and replacing him will likely be a lesser passer and certainly a lesser quarterback. The chemistry between the quarterback and his top two receivers will most likely take some time and given that USF projects to be a run-first team, will the production continue for Stone and Vincent?

A look at USF’s receiver situation:

Projected depth chart
X
#4 William Stone, So. | 6'0", 209lbs | 86 ovr, 96 spd, 93 acc, 75 cth
#81 James Ellison, Sr. | 5'11", 192lbs | 76 ovr, 96 spd, 87 acc, 69 cth
#80 Chad Hale, Sr. | 6'2", 190lbs | 78 ovr, 91 spd, 90 acc, 78 cth

Y
#3 Andrew Vincent, So. | 6'0", 178lbs | 84 ovr, 94 spd, 94 acc, 83 cth
#28 Brandon Burns, Jr. | 6'1", 199lbs | 81 ovr, 86 spd, 98 acc, 75 cth

Z
#85 Joel Bass, Fr. | 6'3", 220lbs | 77 ovr, 90 spd, 91 acc, 78 cth OR
#8 Benjamin Bright, So. | 6'6", 226lbs | 75 ovr, 90 spd, 81 acc, 77 cth

Expected starter: Stone and Vincent are the established starters with Vincent expected to move inside in the slot while Bass and/or Bright will battle for that second outside receiver role.

Major storyline: The staff was high on Bright coming out of camp last season and he showed promises with 29 catches for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He did have some drops, however, and they are even higher on Bass this off-season. He's not as tall but more athletic and a more natural receiver than Bright. Expect a heavy rotation at the outside receiver position.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Following sophomore slump, can Erik Bass bounce back?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

It's hard to call a season where all of Erik Bass' carries were for touchdowns and caught 23 passes a let down but that's just what his sophomore season was. After averaging 12.9 yards per reception as a true freshman, many expected Bass to make another leap as this uber athletic tight end that moonlights as a goal-line running back at 250 pounds.

Instead, Bass was an after thought in the passing attack and was relegated as a check down option in an offense that got vertical. With senior Joe Wayne gone, Bass' snap count should increase....unless a pair of senior tight ends themselves have sometime to say about it.

A look at USF’s tight end situation:

Projected depth chart
#26 Erik Bass, Jr. | 6'0", 250lbs | 80 ovr, 90 spd, 88 acc, 77 cth, 70 rbk
#86 Jonathan Lamb, Sr. | 6'6", 244lbs | 85 ovr, 77 spd, 76 acc, 73 cth, 81 rbk
#88 Brian Knox, Sr. | 6'4", 261lbs | 84 ovr, 78 spd, 76 acc, 75 cth, 79 rbk
#87 Martin Rushing, RS So. | 6'7", 269lbs | 75 ovr, 77 spd, 84 acc, 75 cth, 77 rbk
#83 Jacob Dickson, Fr. | 6'4", 244lbs | 70 ovr, 75 spd, 75 acc, 69 cth, 73 rbk
FB #40 Terrance Holland, Jr. | 6'1", 257lbs | 82 ovr, 82 spd, 87 acc, 71 cth, 74 rbk

Expected starter: Bass has come a long way as a run blocker, perhaps enough to be the unquestioned starter at tight end.

Major storyline: Similar to his older brother during his last two seasons, Holland has started taking snaps at tight end as well. He's not as athletic as Bass and he's not as stout in the run blocking department as his brother or any of the other tight ends but he's somewhere in the middle. He could be an interesting player to throw in the mix at tight end.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Right side? Strong side. Can USF patch up the left side of it's offensive line?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF will field arguably the best right guard-right tackle combination in the conference in third-year starters Brian Smith and Derek Charles. While both players got thrown into the fire as true freshman, the left side of the offensive line and it's center has had the opportunity to stew and learn the position. Are they now ready?

A look at USF’s offensive line situation:

Projected depth chart
LT - #75 Frank Lucas, Rs Jr. :: #73 Charles Joseph, Rs Fr. :: #71 Tanner Patton, Fr.
LG - #64 Maurice Williams, Rs Sr. :: #79 Brad Jones, So.
C - #61 Brian McBride, Sr. :: #60 Joel Dixon, Rs Fr. :: #62 Clay Smith, Rs Fr.
RG - #77 Brian Smith, Jr. :: #72 Bernard Livingston, Rs Fr.
RT - #78 Derek Charles, Jr. :: #66 Jimmie Hurd, Rs Fr. :: #74 Joe Payne, So.

Expected starters:
#75 Frank Lucas, Rs Jr. | 6'4", 331lbs | 80 ovr, 88 str, 75 pbk, 93 rbk
#64 Maurice Williams, Rs Sr. | 6'1", 304lbs | 82 ovr, 82 str, 89 pbk, 88 rbk
#61 Bryan McBride, Sr. | 6'5", 275lbs | 78 ovr, 81 str, 85 pbk, 81 rbk
#77 Brian Smith, Jr. | 6'4", 319lbs | 88 ovr, 92 str, 85 pbk, 94 rbk
#78 Derek Charles, Jr. | 6'6", 310lbs | 82 ovr, 89 str, 80 pbk, 90 rbk

Major storyline: Williams isn't the kind of athletic guard that USF typically wants for their offense as they love running counters and traps and screens and powers which get their athletic offensive line on the move but he might actually be an upgrade over Nic Haynes last season who graded out decently.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Can anyone replace Sanders' production? Probably not
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Chuck Sanders ended his USF career with a bang, breaking school records left and right before heading to the NFL. Sanders, a prototypical edge rusher, likely doesn't put those numbers up in the Bulls new 3-4 scheme. With less pass rushing responsibilities on the ends, can anyone remotely reach ten sacks on this defensive line?

A look at USF’s defensive line situation:

Projected depth chart
END - #94 Justin Barry, Rs Sr. :: #98 John Mansfield, Rs Jr. :: #90 Travis Scott, Fr.
NT - #99 Jeremy Daniels, So. :: #93 Daniel Elliott, So. :: #92 Josh Brown, Rs Fr.
END - #55 Mark Hawkins, Rs Sr. :: #95 Dale Bolden, Rs Fr. :: #91 Kelvin Davis, Fr.

Expected starters:
#94 Justin Barry, Rs Sr. | 6'4", 275lbs | 83 ovr, 68 spd, 83 acc, 87 str, 81 bsh
#99 Jeremy Daniels, So. | 6'2", 294lbs | 81 ovr, 83 str, 80 bsh
#55 Mark Hawkins, Rs Sr. | 6'2", 260lbs | 86 ovr, 77 spd, 96 acc, 80 str, 89 bsh

Major storyline: Technically, just one new starter on the defensive line in Justin Barry who made the switch from defensive tackle to defensive end in this 3-4 scheme. Daniels moves inside to nose from a three-technique while Hawkins goes from a pass rushing defensive end on the outside to playing inside at the five-technique. This is an athletic bunch that should be able to get after the quarterback as opposed to just eating up blocks.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Can the outside linebackers generate a similar pass rush as Hawkins and Sanders from last season?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

No position group looks more different this season than last season than the linebackers. The Jimmy's and Joes' have changed as well as what they're being asked to do. Losing someone like Scott Stewart was always going to have an impact but losing him just when there is going to be a major switch defensively and playing some green guys? That's a tough situation.

A look at USF’s linebacker situation:

Projected depth chart
SAM - #13 Ryan Fletcher, Rs Sr. :: #57 Matt Stewart, Rs Sr. :: #44 Matt Collins, Fr.
MIKE - #51 Nate Clark, Rs Jr. :: #52 Montrell Jennings, Rs So. :: #58 Calvin Franz, Fr.
WILL - #54 John Reed, Fr. :: #53 Skyler Wilson, Fr.
JACK - #11 Stephen Hill, Rs Jr. :: #56 Derrick Farris, Rs Jr. :: #50 Alex Miller, Fr.

Expected starters:
#13 Ryan Fletcher, Rs Sr. | 6'2", 240lbs | 85 ovr, 80 spd, 91 acc, 86 bsh, 90 zcv
#51 Nate Clark, Rs Jr. | 6'3", 249lbs | 76 ovr, 87 spd, 90 acc, 78 tkl, 75 bsh
#54 John Reed, Fr. | 6'3", 215lbs | 74 ovr, 80 spd, 77 acc, 84 tkl, 79 bsh
#11 Stephen Hill, Rs Jr. | 6'2", 258lbs | 84 ovr, 87 spd, 92 acc, 87 bsh, 78 zcv

Major storyline: Reed is handed the baton as the next great USF middle linebacker. He sports the same number as Stewart did, can he be as productive and reliable?

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Bulls football preview: Thompson and Garcia somehow lived up to the hype in 2021, can they do so again in 2022?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Five-star corner Jason Garcia and four-star safety Edgar Thompson began their USF careers with plenty of hype and they both somehow not only matched it but exceeded it. They were surrounded by NFL talent as true freshman but with the team's top two corners gone, USF must now ask even more from their talented sophomore duo.

A look at USF’s defensive back situation:

Projected depth chart
CB - #2 Jason Garcia, So. :: #23 Ronnie Gay, So. :: #30 Cody Johnson, Fr.
CB - #5 Ray Hill, Fr. :: #27 Dan Ross, So. :: #22 Cedric Whaley, Fr.
S - #17 Sam Peterson, Jr. :: #35 Chris Wade, Rs So. :: #21 Malcolm Francois Jr., Fr.
S - #7 Edgar Thompson, So. :: #6 Ray Thompson, Fr. :: #20 Pierre Hodge, Rs So.

Expected starters:
CB - #2 Jason Garcia, So. | 6'1", 189lbs | 85 ovr, 99 spd, 95 acc, 89 mcv, 89 zcv
CB - #5 Ray Hill, Fr. | 6'0", 180lbs | 72 ovr, 89 spd, 89 acc, 83 mcv, 78 zcv OR Ronnie Gay, So. | 6'3", 176lbs | 71 ovr, 94 spd, 84 acc, 80 mcv, 84 zcv
S - #17 Sam Peterson, Jr. | 6'1", 181lbs | 86 ovr, 96 spd, 93 acc, 79 tkl, 81 zcv, 75 hit power OR #6 Ray Thompson, Fr. | 6'1", 187lbs | 79 ovr, 88 spd, 88 acc, 87 tkl, 75 zcv, 82 hit power
S - #7 Edgar Thompson, So. | 6'0", 203lbs | 85 ovr, 89 spd, 90 acc, 90 tkl, 79 zcv, 84 hit power


Major storyline: Garcia moves from a nickel corner to the top corner while either a true freshman in Ray Hill or a special teams guy in Ronnie Gay will move into that CB2 role. Expect the Bulls to use less nickel looks than they did last season when they had Marcus Hines, Ben Lewis and Garcia as well as a reliable guy in Michael Walker.

Another thing to look out for is true freshman Ray Thompson, no relation to Edgar. Thompson is a physical safety that could get some snaps on short yardage situations as Peterson is more of a pure cover safety.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

2022 USF Football Preview
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF rode it's defense to a national championship in 2021 and coupled with an offense capable of scoring over 40 points on any given Saturday, it was the perfect recipe for an exciting campaign.

The Bulls then sustained losses all over their roster, which is the norm when you're a program at the level of which Malcolm Francois has elevated the former AAC cellar dweller. They lost their starting quarterback, one of their top two running backs, their starting tight end, the left side of their offensive line including their center, their leading pass rusher, their top defensive tackle, their top linebacker and their two top corners. Oh and their superstar defensive coordinator for good measure.

Nevertheless, the Bulls field a talented team in 2022 that will certainly have all the opportunities in the world to recapture the nation's imagination.

Ten Best USF Players
1. HB Troy Henry, Junior [AL]
2. G Brian Smith, Junior [FL]
3. WR William Stone, Sophomore [FL]
4. DE Mark Hawkins, RS Senior [FL]
5. S Sam Peterson, Junior [WY]
6. S Edgar Thompson, Sophomore [FL]
7. CB Jason Garcia, Sophomore [GA]
8. T Derek Charles, Junior [CA]
9. WR Andrew Vincent, Sophomore [FL]
10. OLB Stephen Hill, RS Junior [TX]

Specialists
#39 K Ricky Turner, Senior :: 91 ovr, 92 kp, 91 ka
#43 P Allen Carrington, Senior :: 85 ovr, 84 kp, 88 ka

Schedule
OPEN
at #25 Florida :: A Overall, A+ Offense, A- Defense
vs. Louisville :: B- Overall, B Offense, B- Defense
at #12 Oklahoma :: B+ Overall, B+ Offense, B Defense
at #6 Ohio State :: A+ Overall, A+ Offense, A+ Defense
OPEN
vs. UCLA :: B+ Overall, A- Offense, B+ Defense
vs. Iowa State :: C+ Overall, B- Offense, B- Defense
vs. Texas Tech :: B Overall, B Offense, B Defense
vs. Baylor :: B Overall, B Offense, B- Defense
at Texas Christian :: B Overall, B- Offense, B Defense
vs. West Virginia :: B Overall, B- Offense, B Defense
at #11 Texas :: A Overall, A+ Offense, A- Defense
at Central Florida :: B Overall, B+ Offense, B- Defense

Preseason All-American
WR William Stone, Sophomore (first team)
DE Mark Hawkins, Rs Senior (first team)
OLB Stephen Hill, Rs Junior (first team)
CB Jason Garcia, Sophomore (first team)
S Edgar Thompson, Sophomore (first team)


Preseason All-Big 12
HB Troy Henry, Junior (first team)
WR William Stone, Sophomore (first team)
DE Mark Hawkins, Rs Senior (first team)
DT Jeremy Daniels, Sophomore (first team)
OLB Stephen Hill, Rs Junior (first team)
CB Jason Garcia, Sophomore (first team)
S Edgar Thompson, Sophomore (first team)
K Ricky Turner, Senior (first team)
KR Greg Johnston, Rs Senior (first team)
S Sam Peterson, Sophomore (second team)

Big 12 Conference Outlook
1. USF
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Oklahoma State
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. TCU
8. Texas Tech
9. UCF
10. Baylor
11. Iowa State
12. Kansas

What to watch for on offense: Who will be the starter at quarterback? Whichever way it goes, USF figures to be a run heavy team, setting the stage for a prolific junior season for running back Troy Henry.

What to watch for on defense: USF had to reshape it's entire defense and will rely heavily on it's safeties and edge rushers.

The team will be far better if... the quarterback position is stabilized. The defense (should) will eventually return to form once the new guys get some reps and they're talented enough offensively to make some big plays IF the quarterback isn't a liability.

The Schedule: The start to the season is brutal, with three road games in the first four games, all against ranked opponents. If USF can come out above .500 after the Ohio State game, it should be smooth sailing with a bunch of home games against less than stellar competition.

It ramps up a little bit with a road trip to Texas but outside of that, USF should be able to survive even if they stumble out the gates.

Best offensive player: It's either Troy Henry or William Stone. Given the questions at QB, it will most likely be Henry.

Best defensive player: From a numbers perspective, Jason Garcia or Edgar Thompson is the common choice but from a performance standpoint, Mark Hawkins was absolutely USF's fourth best defensive player behind Ben Lewis, Scott Stewart and Chuck Sanders.

Key players to a successful season: Whoever is named quarterback.

Defensively, it's true freshman Ray Hill who wasn't some highly touted recruit and is now their starting corner opposite of Garcia.

The season will be a success if...the Bulls can compete for the Big 12 championship and don't get embarrassed in any of their big road games.

Key game: at Ohio State. Many questioned USF's campaign last season due to a weakened Big 12 slate and then an easy national championship against SMU. If they march into Ohio State and win, huge statement for the Bulls.

Game by Game Predictions
at #25 Florida :: W
vs. Louisville :: W
at #12 Oklahoma :: L
at #6 Ohio State :: L
vs. UCLA :: W
vs. Iowa State :: W
vs. Texas Tech :: W
vs. Baylor :: W
at Texas Christian :: W
vs. West Virginia :: W
at #11 Texas :: L
at Central Florida :: W

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Run of the Bulls ‣ USF Football News
Andrew Lake -- 247 Sports Staff Writer

‣ Could Thomas' lack of weight-loss hamper his prospects as starting QB?

As a three-star prospect out of Calhoun, Georgia, Thomas' weighed in at a whopping 242 pounds during his true freshman season. The coaching has always wanted Thomas, who is only six-foot-one, to get his weight under control. Six semesters and three summers later, Thomas weighed in at officially 246 pounds on the team's 2022 roster.

"The coaching staff wasn't excited about that," said 247 Sports Run of the Bulls Insider David Ivins, "They've always wanted Jeremy [Thomas] to take better care of his body, get his weight under control and probably come in more closer to 225 so for him to not just not lose weight but gain weight, I don't think it's a good sign for him."

While it's hard pressed to imagine that the scale is where the decision on who the starter is going to be will be decided, it certainly doesn't help Thomas' case.

‣ Speaking of QBs.....Pittman's cryptic social media post potentially provides insight into QB race

Quarterback James Pittman isn't your typical South Florida player. Pittman, a country boy at heart from the state of Texas, barely has any football related posts on his Instagram page. Instead, it's typically him and his family at a church gathering or hunting pictures with his brother.

On Monday, Pittman posted a rare picture of him on the practice field with the caption: "let's ride boys". While the tweet in of itself might seem innocuous, the timing is certainly noteworthy. The team had a scrimmage on Sunday which was closed to the media and no stats were released. With the season right around the corner, it stands to reason that the coaching staff has to be near naming a starter.

Pittman rushed for 62 yards last season and out of the quarterbacks, he's the more athletic one and most adept at running the offense in a similar fashion that Michael Harrell did. With that being said and coupled with Pittman's rare football social media post and it's timing, could this be that behind closed doors, he's been named the starter?

‣ Starting CB Ray Hill to miss season opener due to suspension

USF will be without starting cornerback Ray Hill for the opener against Florida as he's been suspended for one game due to breaking team rules.

Head coach Malcolm Francois declined to go into details of the suspension, simply stating that Hill broke team rules and did not live up the code of conduct that he expects from his player. He did not share when the infraction occurred as well but if you choose to read between the tea leaves and social media posts -- sorry -- Hill can be seen as not being on campus for the last week and instead appears to be back home.

This will thrust sophomore cornerback Ronnie Gay into the starting lineup and put sophomore CB Dan Ross as the team's nickel corner.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Bulls land a couple of three-star recruits, four-star ATH Jake Lott at beginning of cycle
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

USF was able to wrap up most of it's recruiting by November last season and they're on pace to do so again this season.

Not even a week into the regular season and the Bulls got several key targets to shut down their recruitment in four-star ATH Jake Lott, three-star OT Darryl Williams, three-star C Craig Williams, three-star DT Gary Griffin and three-star OLB Brandon Walker.

The Williams twins were often seen as a combo and one that USF will be glad to include in it's class as it gets ready to reload it's offensive line once more. Griffin is a high school defensive tackle but in the Bulls 3-4 scheme, he might end up making the move to defensive end as a five technique while Walker could project as a pass rushing outside linebacker if he can put some good weight on.

Out of the bunch, Lott is the most likely to be a potential day-one contributor. A versatile athlete that projects to be a defensive back at the next level, Lott could play both safety positions or even corner, although he lacks the top end speed that USF typically looks for in it's corners. The Bulls, however, do plan on starting him at corner and taking it from there.

2023 USF Recruiting Class
DB Jake Lott [ATH #21]: 6'1", 205lbs | Dyersburg, TN | 4-star | 4.42 40-yd dash, 255 Bench Press, 325 Squat
T Darryl Williams [T #14]: 6'8", 287lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 455 Bench Press, 595 Squat
DT Gary Griffin [DT #35]: 6'6", 265lbs | Marathon, FL | 3-star | 5.14 40-yd dash, 370 Bench Press, 610 Squat
OLB Brandon Walker [OLB #34]: 6'1", 224lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press, 610 Squat
C Craig Williams [C #32]: 6'4", 289lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 5.18 40-yd dash, 405 Bench Press, 555 Squat

2023 USF Recruiting Board
HB Derrick Green [HB #4]: 5'11", 205lbs | Schriever, LA | 5-star | Texas A&M, USF
OLB Travis Hughes [OLB #1]: 6'5", 211lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Nebraska
CB Sid Robinson [CB #4]: 6'1", 181lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Clemson, Pittsburgh, USF, Penn State, Stanford
QB Nick Williams [QB #4]: 6'5", 205lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | USF, Auburn, Florida State, Clemson, Oklahoma
ATH Troy Bell [ATH #19]: 6'0", 187lbs | Delaware, OH | 4-star | Syracuse, USF, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Temple
CB Corey Johnson [CB #11]: 5'11", 179lbs | Winter Haven, FL | 4-star | Vanderbilt, Indiana, USF, FAU, Mississippi State
ILB Dallas Gross [LB #22]: 6'0", 234lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Florida, USF, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Alabama
G Bobby Davis [G #8]: 6'2", 309lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | FIU, USF, FAU, Florida, Miami
WR Shane Peterson [WR #26]: 6'0", 183lbs | Pensacola, FL | 4-star | USF, Mississippi State, Clemson, Florida, Virginia Tech
WR David Ryan [WR #31]: 6'1", 208lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, FIU, UCF, FAU, Mississippi State
ATH Ryne Fox [ATH #51]: 6'5", 265lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | USF, FAU, UCF, FIU, Florida
ILB Dan Miller [ILB #41]: 6'2", 235lbs | Naples, FL | 3-star | USF, FAU, UCF, Florida
DT Marcus McCauley [DT #99]: 6'2", 270lbs | Sebring, FL | 3-star | USF, FAU, Troy, Memphis, UAB
G Victor Carpenter [G #83]: 6'0", 282lbs | Jacksonville, FL | 3-star| USF, UCF, FAU, FIU, Mississippi State
P Marcus McClelland [P #11]: 6'0", 208lbs | Redlands, CA | 3-star | USF, Oregon, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Clemson
P Darryl Adams [P #13]: 5'10", 161lbs | Hoffman Estates, IL | 3-star | Tulsa, USF, BYU, FAU, South Alabama

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Week 1 Top Stories
1. Alabama's high hopes are dismantled on opening weekend vs. Georgia.
2. Wisconsin wins impressively at home against Oklahoma.
3. South Carolina is sitting pretty after conference opener against LSU.

Week 2 Notable Games
#8 South Florida (0-0, 0-0) at Florida (0-0, 0-0)
#5 Ohio State (0-0, 0-0) at #10 Texas (0-0, 0-0)
#24 Notre Dame (0-0, 0-0) at #17 Florida State (0-0, 0-0)

NCAA Players of the Week
Kyle Wheeler (QB, Minnesota) :: W vs. Marshall :: 28 of 35, 475 yards, 18 carries, 28 yards, 4 total touchdowns.
Greg Lewis (LB, South Alabama) :: W vs. Bowling Green :: 4 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, forced fumble.

Big 12 Players of the Week
Darrius Mitchell (HB, Texas Tech) :: W vs. Vanderbilt :: 12 carries, 40 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Mark Amos (OLB, Texas Tech) :: W vs. Vanderbilt :: 9 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble.

Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#6 Brett Griffin [WR #2]: 6'2", 198lbs | Lockport, NY | University of Michigan

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Mike McFarland named the starting quarterback vs. Florida
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Malcolm Francois has always kept his quarterback competitions close to the vest and this time was no different, waiting until just a few days before the season opener to name it's starting quarterback.

The USF program announced the decision via social media.

Redshirt freshman Mike McFarland has won the starting quarterback competition and is set to start the week two match-up against in-state rival Florida Gators.

"All three guys showed tremendous improvement and development, which is a credit to their hard work and the work of Doc Holliday and his offensive staff," Francois said in a statement provided by UM. "We believe we can win with all three guys, however, we feel like McFarland has the greatest upside due to his passing ability, his instincts and his determination."

McFarland is excited to get the opportunity to start.

"It means the world," McFarland said. "This is something that I've always strived for growing up. It's been my dream since I was a kid. When I was six years old, I used to sit in front of the TV and watch Tom Brady play. That's a dream I have always had and I've strived for it. Having the opportunity to lead this team is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am going to take full advantage of it."

McFarland redshirted in 2021 during the Bulls national championship run and served as QB4.

The announcement of McFarland wraps up an eight-month-long quarterback competition that featured returning backup Jeremy Thomas and redshirt sophomore James Pittman. The three quarterbacks have been taking an even amount of reps with the first-team offense since the month of spring football and it was the youngest of the bunch that emerged as the winner of the competition.

What were the traits that Francois was looking for from his starting quarterback? He made it clear going into USF's second scrimmage of fall camp.

“Who can avoid the critical errors? That guy touches the ball on every play, so he has the greatest chance to lose your team a game just by making a crazy thing happen,” Francois said. “Then it comes down to decision making. The great thing about this offense is that there is going to be an outlet for the quarterback. Do you understand what we have called, what the defense is doing, and where the ball should go? Then finally, do you have the accuracy to get the ball there?”

Francois said he wanted to find a starting quarterback that would take ownership of being the type of leader that the position demands at a place like USF. Earlier this camp, McFarland made it clear that he understood that expectation and was working hard to show he could be that guy.

“That means that without a doubt, you got to every day have that passion,” McFarland said. “You have to make [coach Francois] think that it is me. There is no other choice. I have to be the guy. I have to just keep working and take it a play at a time and coach will put the best man on the field.”

Coming out of high school, McFarland, who is a native of the El Toro, California area, ranked as one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. The 247Sports Composite ranked McFarland as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the nation.

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Bulls start their 2022 campaign with a win over Florida but lose QB McFarland to injury in first quarter
September 3rd, 2022 -- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, Florida)
#8 South Florida Bulls (0-0, 0-0) at Florida Gators (0-0, 0-0)



---------------------------
USF - 7 / 3 / 7 / 14 // 31
UF - 0 / 3 / 3 / 0 // 6
---------------------------

Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
4:17 (USF) J. Pittman, 6 Yd run

Quarter 2
3:30 (USF) R. Turner, 52 Yd FG
0:01 (UF) L. Hogan, 39 Yd FG

Quarter 3
4:51 (UF) L. Hogan, 30 Yd FG
0:00 (USF) J. Pittman, 18 Yd ru

Quarter 4
5:14 (USF) J. Pittman, 2 Yd run
0:07 (USF) T. Henry, 2 Yd run

#8 South Florida Bulls (1-0, 0-0)
QB Mike McFarland, Rs Freshman: 5 of 6, 29 yards (left game in first quarter).
QB James Pittman, Rs Sophomore: 9 of 13, 36 yards, 2 interceptions, 13 carries, 99 yards, 3 touchdowns, fumble.
HB Troy Henry, Junior: 22 carries, 147 yards, touchdown.
HB Gerald Mitchell, Freshman: 6 carries, 53 yards.
WR Joel Bass, Freshman: 4 receptions, 32 yards.
LT Frank Lucas, Rs Junior: 1 sack allowed, 2 run stuff allowed, 40.3 grade.
LG Maurice Williams, Rs Senior: 1 pancake, 2 sacks allowed, 3 run stuff allowed, -24.8 grade (benched).
LG Brad Jones, Sophomore: 1 run stuff allowed, 51.4 grade.
C Brian McBride, Rs Senior: 2 run stuff allowed, 48.4 grade.
RG Brian Smith, Junior: 1 QB hurry allowed, 81.2 grade.
RT Derek Charles, Junior: 1 run stuff allowed, 1 penalty, 1 pancake, 65.1 grade.
LB Nate Clark, Rs Junior: 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack.
LB John Reed, Freshman: 5 tackles, tackle for loss, interception.
S Sam Peterson, Junior: 2 tackles, interception.

Florida Gators (0-1, 0-0)
QB Chad Galloway, Rs Junior: 21 of 32, 167 yards, 2 interceptions.
HB Ryan Hunter, Junior: 15 carries, 20 yards.
WR Ben Medlock, Senior: 7 receptions, 59 yards.
WR Lance Mitchell, Sophomore: 5 receptions, 47 yards.
S Orlando Graham, Junior: 11 tackles, tackle for loss.
S Ira Diggs, Rs Sophomore: 7 tackles, 2 interceptions.

Next Game: vs. Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 0-0) :: B- Overall, B Offense, B- Defense

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Week 2 Top Stories
1. This wasn't how the season was supposed to start for Nebraska as they lose to Arkansas State.
2. Ole Miss takes care of Missouri in conference opener.
3. Jones is honored to top off a wild weekend for Bowling Green as they beat #6 Tennessee.

Week 3 Notable Games
#10 Mississippi State (2-0, 0-0) at #7 Auburn (1-0, 0-0)
#22 Oklahoma (1-1, 0-0) at #11 Nebraska (0-1, 0-0)
#21 Notre Dame (1-0, 0-0) at #5 Michigan (0-0, 0-0)
#3 Virginia Tech (1-0, 0-0) at #24 Florida State (0-1, 0-0)

NCAA Players of the Week
Nate Jordan (QB, Bowling Green) :: W vs. Tennessee :: 12 of 25, 277 yards, 13 carries, 104 yards, 6 total touchdowns.
Nick Jones (CB, North Texas) :: W vs. FCS :: 8 tackles, forced fumble, 3 interceptions.

Big 12 Players of the Week
Ryan Poole (QB, Kansas State) :: W vs. Ball State :: 19 of 30, 212 yards, 17 carries, 86 yards, 4 total touchdowns.
Chad Johnson (DE, Oklahoma) :: W vs. FCS :: 5 tackles, forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries.

Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#6 Brett Griffin [WR #2]: 6'2", 198lbs | Lockport, NY | University of Michigan

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

Run of the Bulls ‣ USF Football News
Andrew Lake -- 247 Sports Staff Writer

‣ McFarland to miss several games with abdominal tear

Just six pass attempts into Mike McFarland's stint as the starter for the South Florida Bulls, he found himself on the ground, writhing in pain.

Maurice Williams's defender had just gotten past him and sacked McFarland, pining the 200 pound redshirt freshman on the ground and reportedly tearing his abdominal muscle. McFarland left the game and did not return and is expected to be out for around two months.

"We'll take it week by week, day by day," said head coach Malcolm Francois, who also refused to announce a starter for the Louisville game.

‣ Jones ahead of Williams at left guard in latest two-deep depth chart

USF offensive lineman Maurice Williams had about as bad of a first half that an offensive lineman can have. Sophomore Brad Jones replaced him in the second half and was an improvement, although that is not saying much.

When the team released the two-deep depth chart -- which is unofficial -- Williams was one of two changes as he fell down to the #2 spot at left guard while Jones jumped him. While the coaching staff has also yet to name a starter at left guard, it seems clear that Williams stint, after waiting five years, as a starter is over.

True freshman Ray Hill showed up on the depth chart this week as well after serving his suspension last weekend. He was not listed as a starter, however, but as a backup to Ronnie Gay who started last week and fared pretty well.

‣ Schramm: 'Bush league antics' is what led to post-game scuffle between teams, refusal to shake hands with USF HC Francois

Don't expect any Christmas post-card exchanges between the Schramm's and the Francois'.

The Florida head coach was very animated during his post-game press conference when asked about what happened at the end of the game with the South Florida Bulls. As time expired, Schramm and his staff attempted to make an immediate exit to the locker room while trying to corral and lead their players away from the South Florida bench. A small scuffle erupted at the middle of the field before both teams were eventually separated.

The game had gotten chippy in the second half and when USF called three straight timeouts to preserve some time in order for Troy Henry to score a touchdown late in the game, Schramm viewed it as the final nail in the coffin.

"It was bush league antics if you ask me," Schramm said in the presser, "Take a knee, end the game, go home, celebrate with your team. I don't see the point, it's quite idiotic and moronic. They could have gotten someone on our team hurt, someone on their team hurt for plays that don't really matter. Okay, you score 31 instead of whatever, does that make you feel big? When you do minor league stuff and all of that bull crap, it's bound to lead to something and that's what happened. I'm glad that we don't have guys on our staff like those guys."

Francois took the high-road on Saturday, refusing to comment on the post-game scuffle but when presented with the quotes on Wednesday's press availability, it was too good to pass up for a smiling Francois.

"That's interesting," said Francois of Schramm's comments, "That's certainly one way to look at it. You know, we had asked [Henry] to run the ball against some tight defenses and some tough yardage situations that typically in the past, we've had bigger backs to do so. He did it, didn't complain, really went to him a lot in that first half. We were able to sort of ease different guys into the game in the second half but in that first half, it was all him so we wanted to reward him with a touchdown. I don't know, it was pretty clear that's what we were trying to do and if you ask me, if you do know that, why are you lining up with three down-linemen? It's not like we waited for them to run off the field, thinking the game is over and snuck in a play. We ran it like five straight times and they kept lining up with three down linemen, that's pretty idiotic and moronic if you ask me."

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: Strength in Unity.

South Florida overcomes slow offensive start as defense's impressive performance continues in win over Louisville
September 10th, 2022 -- Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 0-0) at #6 South Florida Bulls (1-0, 0-0)



---------------------------
UL - 3 / 3 / 0 / 0 // 6
USF - 7 / 14 / 14 / 2 // 37
---------------------------

Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
6:13 (UL) O. Madison, 40 Yd FG
3:02 (USF) G. Mitchell, 1 Yd run

Quarter 2
5:37 (UL) O. Madison, 48 Yd FG
1:00 (USF) T. Henry, 2 Yd run
0:09 (USF) J. Ellison, 0 Yd pass from J. Thomas

Quarter 3
7:03 (USF) J. Pittman, 58 Yd run
2:55 (USF) A. Vincent, 2 Yd pass from J. Thomas

Quarter 4
5:26 (USF) Team Safety

#6 South Florida Bulls (2-0, 0-0)
QB Jeremy Thomas, Rs Sophomore: 17 of 24, 147 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.
QB James Pittman, Rs Sophomore: 4 of 7, 11 yards, 2 interceptions, 4 carries, 86 yards.
HB Troy Henry, Junior: 25 carries, 149 yards, touchdown.
WR Andrew Vincent, Sophomore: 6 receptions, 70 yards, touchdown.
LT Frank Lucas, Rs Junior: 1 QB hurry allowed, 2 pancakes, 81.6 grade.
LG Brad Jones, Sophomore: 5 run stuffs allowed, 1 penalty, 1 pancake, 30.7 grade.
C Brian McBride, Rs Senior: 5 run stuffs allowed, 3 pancakes, 41.3 grade.
RG Brian Smith, Junior: 3 run stuffs allowed, 1 pancake, 54.2 grade.
RT Derek Charles, Junior: 1 QB hurry allowed, 1 pancake, 78.3 grade.
LB Nate Clark, Rs Junior: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, interception.
DE Mark Hawkins, Rs Senior: 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack.
S Edgar Thompson, Sophomore: 5 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, sack, interception.
LB Montrell Jennings, Rs Sophomore: 2 tackles, tackle for loss, interception.

Louisville Cardinals (1-1, 0-0)
QB Stephen Holt, Rs Senior: 7 of 12, 47 yards, 2 interceptions (left in third quarter).
QB Jerry Duncan, Junior: 4 of 7, 26 yards, interception.
HB Andrew Sanders, Rs Junior: 15 carries, 46 yards.
WR Quinton Gschwend, Senior: 3 receptions, 26 yards.
S Patrick Gaither, Freshman: 12 tackles, tackle for loss, interception.
S Ryan Clemens, Sophomore: 9 tackles, tackle for loss, 2 interceptions.
CB Tony Robinson, Junior: 4 tackles, interception.

Next Game: at #18 Oklahoma Sooners (2-1, 0-0) :: B+ Overall, B+ Offense, B Defense