Bye Week Report: Lack of running game a concern for Bulls' championship aspirations
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
Despite having already played Oklahoma and Alabama on the road and hosting Texas, UCLA and Florida, the meat of USF's schedule is out in front of them with #13 Clemson, #16 Ohio State, #4 Notre Dame, #12 Georgia Tech, #9 Navy and #18 Penn State still on the schedule.
The Bulls are once again atop the AP Top 25 which is essentially meaningless in the Champions Divisions Era of college football but nonetheless, it's an impressive feat for a team that is still breaking in several true freshmen along its our starting units on offense and defense as well as a rushing offense that's ranked 111th in the country.
USF was completely unable to run the ball against Texas in their near loss to the Longhorns and if not for Charlie Cooke's miraculous performance in just his second ever college football game, the Bulls might have been in big trouble.
Entering last week's game, both Derek Young and Dionte McCarthy were averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry but a couple of long runs has both of them sitting above the five-yard mark. Nevertheless, USF has struggled to consistently run the ball with left tackle Kyle Everett, a true freshman, struggling heavily against Texas and even against UCLA in the team's blowout win.
Team Schedule
at Oklahoma (2-3) -- W 49-9
at #7 Alabama (3-2) -- W 34-20
vs. #21 Texas (1-3) -- W 34-30
vs. UCLA (1-3) -- W 77-14
vs. Florida (2-3) -- W 56-20
OPEN
at #13 Clemson (3-1)
vs. #16 Ohio State (1-2)
at #4 Notre Dame (2-1)
vs. #12 Georgia Tech (2-2)
OPEN
vs. #9 Navy (2-1)
vs. #18 Penn State (1-2)
at UCF (0-4)
Biggest positives from first half of the season
Wallace on pace to become first ever three-time Mackey Award winner
Chris Wallace has been a key player since he was a true freshman, catching 91 passes as part of a record breaking offense with Jeff Jones at quarterback. After dealing with injuries last season, he posted career numbers with a brand new quarterback in Joey Spence and this season, he's been just as good, averaging 106.6 yards per game with thirteen touchdowns on the season already.
If USF makes it to the Champions Divisions Finals and plays a thirteenth game this season, he's on pace to have 117 receptions, 1386 yards and 34 touchdowns this season, which would break the NCAA's record for not only single season receiving touchdowns but he'd also set the record for most career receptions and most career receiving touchdowns.
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The quarterback recruiting has been elite as of late
It wasn't that long ago when USF was forced to run a very one dimensional offense due to poor recruiting at the quarterback position. Since then, USF has landed Jeff Jones who rewrote the record books, Spence who is on his way to doing so and then there's Cooke, who looks just as good as his predecessors.
All signs point to Spence declaring for the draft after this season and if he does, USF is in very good hands with Cooke as the next man up. USF is also in the hunt to land another talented quarterback in Jett Millines, a four-star, in-state prospect that they're battling Florida and Mario Greer for.
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Derek Young thriving in modified role
It hasn't been too much for Young who on any drive can go from lining up on the outside, in the slot or in the backfield. The former five-star is having his best season to date with 35 receptions for 582 yards on top of his 280 rushing yards with five total touchdowns.
The dropped passes are a concern with five this season after having eight last season. He likely won't be a true receiver at the next level so this is the perfect rehearsal and audition for NFL scouts as they see him utilize as a gadget.
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The true freshmen are showing up
Whenever you start a season with several true freshman on the two-deep, you're a bit worried especially when you play the type of schedule that USF does.
While Everett has had his struggles at left tackle, for the most part, he's been serviceable which is what you're looking for when you start a true freshman at such a key position.
Eric Valentine and William Sapp haven't had many opportunities but Sapp is averaging 5.4 yards per carry with Valentine scoring twice as a short-yardage back. The Bulls also seem to have stumble onto a real player in Cody Fuller, the walk-on freshman at corner with 15 tackles, a pass breakup and an interception as the team's fourth corner.
Julius Hughes has also been their best cover corner as a true freshman.
Biggest concerns heading into the second half of the season
The lack of playmaking on defense
USF's defense is still top ten in scoring defense under Gary Prince but they've definitely taken a step back from last season.
There are legitimate questions about how they will fare against more elite offenses as they struggled to contain Texas' offense with a backup quarterback and even UCLA had moments despite not having a very talented unit.
It doesn't help that they don't force turnovers and outside of Clint Parker and Wesley Adams, no one else has more than one takeaway which has historically been a key piece of USF's defense.
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Where is Maurice Bennett?
Arguably their best receiver before he got hurt last season, Bennett averaged 62.1 yards per game last season as a true freshman on 16.9 yards per reception. This year? He's got just eleven passes for 128 yards, averaging 11.6 yards per catch and just 25.6 yards per reception.
Even backup Jarod Green has more receptions (17) despite Bennett playing the second most snaps at receiver behind only Jason McDowell. They'll need Bennett to pick it up as teams will hone in stopping Wallace and Young more, leaving Bennett and McDowell on one-on-one matchups on the outside.
Navy lands commitment from former USF target Wilson as Bulls recruiting ramps up
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Top 10 defensive end prospect Jason Wilson has committed to the Naval Academy over USF, Memphis and Oregon. In his commitment interview, Wilson stated that he hadn't heard much from USF coaches over the weeks which led to his commitment to the Midshipmen.
The Bulls appear to be prioritizing defensive end Jesse Berrong who has USF in his top three along with Western Kentucky and Louisville. Berrong will be on campus in two weeks for his official visit along with safeties Kyle Locher and Michael Robinson along with cornerback K.J. Waters and offensive tackle Cole Britton.
The trio at defensive back -- Locher, Robinson and Waters -- are the absolute top of USF's recruiting board. Georgia Tech is going to be tough to beat out for Locher while Ohio State has led Robinson's recruitment for the past two years. It's considered a Miami - USF battle for Waters, the Orlando native.
2038 USF Recruiting Class
WR Joseph Moses [WR #1]: 6'2", 210lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.50 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 225 Squat Max
ILB Noah Webster [ILB #1]: 6'2", 220lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
G Woody Humphrey [G #1]: 6'1", 268lbs | North Druid Hills, GA | 4-star | 4.68 40-yd dash, 455 Bench Press Max, 680 Squat Max
2038 USF Recruiting Board
S Michael Robinson [FS #1]: 6'2", 179lbs | Belle Glade, FL | 5-star | Ohio State, USF, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss
S Kyle Locher [SS #1]: 6'3", 204lbs | Goodland, KS [IMG] | 4-star | Georgia Tech, USF, Kansas
CB Bryan Carter [CB #3]: 6'1", 171lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | Oregon, Colorado, USF
CB K.J. Waters [CB #5]: 6'1", 161lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, Florida
QB Jet Millines [QB #5]: 6'3", 225lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida, FIU
T Wally Bayless [T #5]: 6'4", 275lbs | Milpitas, CA [IMG] | 4-star | Oregon, Michigan State, USF
DT Rahmod Carter [DT #4]: 6'5", 298lbs | Kenosha, WI [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Oregon
T Cole Britton [T #10]: 6'6", 288lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Florida Atlantic, USF
DE Jesse Berrong [DE #14]: 6'2", 265lbs | Northridge, OH | 4-star | USF, Western Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Notre Dame
TE Landon Wile [TE #11]: 6'3", 227lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | Southern Miss, USF, UCF
OLB Jackson Gold Jr. [OLB #22]: 5'11", 210lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Oregon, USF
FB T.J. Dawson [FB #6]: 6'1", 236lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Nevada, Duke, Oregon, USF
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DE Jason Wilson [DE #9]: 6'2", 263lbs | Laurel, VA | 4-star | Committed to Navy
Week 6 Top Stories
1. No upset was more surprising than Army's loss against Arizona.
2. #9 ranked Navy loses a stunner to rival Air Force in Annapolis.
3. In the top 25, Alabama walks away with a conference victory against Ohio State.
4. Who would have predicted that Florida State would upset Tennessee?
5. USC notches a conference win against Michigan State behind the arm of Nash.
6. The Ducks outgun fellow top ten team Notre Dame 43-41.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 6 Champions Division Results
GT 35 - MICH 28 | PSU 35 - CLEM 13 | ALA 35 - OSU 16
STAN 34 - TAMU 14 | ORE 35 - ND 41 | USC 45 - MSU 28
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 7 Champions Division Schedule
#1 USF (5-0, 3-0) at #18 Clemson (3-2, 1-2)
#19 Texas (2-3, 0-3) at #25 Oklahoma (3-3, 2-3)
#3 Oregon (4-0, 2-0) at #16 Navy (2-2, 1-1)
#6 Stanford (5-0, 4-0) at #9 Michigan State (3-2, 1-2)
Michigan (1-4, 0-3) at #5 USC (4-1, 3-1)
#7 Notre Dame (2-2, 1-1) at #12 Penn State (2-2, 2-1)
#22 Ohio State (1-3, 0-2) at Texas A&M (1-3, 0-2)
#4 Alabama (4-2, 4-2) at #8 Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Champions Division Bottom Six
11. Clemson, 3-2, 1-2
12. Georgia Tech, 3-2, 1-2
13. Texas, 2-3, 0-3
14. Ohio State, 1-3, 0-2
15. Texas A&M, 1-3, 0-2
16. Michigan, 1-4, 0-3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contenders Division Top Six
1. Ole Miss, 5-1, 5-1
2. Tennessee, 4-1, 4-1
3. Miami, 4-1, 3-1
4. NC State, 4-1, 2-1
5. Missouri, 3-1, 2-1
6. Minnesota, 2-2, 2-1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Sidney Jones (ARK): 17 of 21, 277 yards, 30 carries, 167 yards, 5 total touchdowns
CB Donald Williams (BAY): 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, 3 interceptions
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QB Edward Downing (Oregon): 16 of 21, 264 yards, 22 carries, 111 yards, 6 total touchdowns
LB Terrence Smith (STAN): 10 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, forced fumble, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Joseph Moses [WR #1]: 6'2", 210lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | University of South Florida
#2 Javi Avissey [ATH #1]: 5'10", 187lbs | Rosenberg, TX | 5-star | University of Texas
#5 Andre Sylvestre [C #1]: 6'1", 261lbs | Oak Harbor, WA [IMG] | 5-star | University of Alabama
#6 Brandon Bresee [DT #1]: 6'2", 290lbs | Auburn, WA | 5-star | University of Oregon
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#1 Joseph Moses [WR #1]: 6'2", 210lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | University of South Florida
#101 Felipe Hickey [ATH #13]: 6'3", 265lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | University of Miami
#214 Jacob Lopez [CB #11]: 6'0", 188lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | University of Miami
#216 Cre'Von Tecklenburg [DT #17]: 6'3", 274lbs | Wekiva Springs, FL | 4-star | Florida State University
Bulls survive first half scare against Clemson
USF quarterback Joey Spence delivered the perfect deep ball to his favorite deep ball target only for junior receiver Jason McDowell to drop the pass.
McDowell would make it up to his quarterback, catching two long touchdown passes to help put away Clemson in USF's 56-17 win over the Tigers on Saturday night to remain undefeated on the season.
A second quarter interception by the Clemson defense helped keep the game competitive heading into halftime with Clemson scoring ten unanswered points in the final three minutes of the half to cut USF's lead to four points after Clemson was stopped on goal to go and were forced to settle for a field goal with less than a minute left in the half.
USF opened the second half with two long touchdowns to McDowell while USF's defense shut out the Tigers in the second half.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[USF] D. McCarthy, 3 Yd run (2:18)
[CLEM] M. McIntyre, 4 Yd pass from L. Morris (0:28)
Quarter 2
[USF] C. Wallace, 35 Yd pass from J. Spence (7:33)
[USF] C. Wallace, 0 Yd pass from J. Spence (4:26)
[CLEM] G. Johnson, 16 Yd run (3:13)
[CLEM] P. Jackson, 21 Yd FG (0:42)
Quarter 3
[USF] J. McDowell, 30 Yd pass from J. Spence (5:34)
[USF] J. McDowell, 62 Yd pass from J. Spence (2:40)
Quarter 4
[USF] D. Young, 5 Yd pass from J. Spence (7:44)
[USF] D. Young, 27 Yd pass from J. Spence (4:17)
[USF] J. Green, 1 Yd pass from J. Spence (3:36)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #1 South Florida Bulls
QB Joey Spence: 35 of 51, 525 yards, 7 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
HIM Derek Young: 13 carries, 75 yards, 8 receptions, 96 yards, 2 touchdowns
HB Dionte McCarthy: 10 carries, 82 yards, touchdown
TE Chris Wallace: 9 receptions, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns
WR Sam Washington: 5 receptions, 75 yards
WR Jason McDowell: 3 receptions, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns
WR Maurice Bennett: 3 receptions, 75 yards
LB Brian Robinson: 9 tackles, tackle for loss
LB Clint Parker: 8 tackles, tackle for loss
S Wesley Adams: 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
CB Tyler Matthews: 2 tackles, interception
Clemson Tigers
QB Lewis Morris: 23 of 32, 156 yards, touchdown, interception, sacked once
HB Gerald Johnson: 21 carries, 108 yards, touchdown, 6 receptions, 35 yards
TE Maurice McIntyre: 8 receptions, 40 yards, touchdown
TE Thomas Frazier: 3 receptions, 49 yards
S Logan Walden: 9 tackles, tackle for loss
LB Wendell Fitch: 6 tackles, interception
LB Marshall Morris: 5 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
CB Chad Stewart: 2 tackles, interception
Week 8 Preview: vs. #15 Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 2-3, 1-2 Champions Division
Head Coach: Luke Fickell (41-17 at Ohio State, 5th year, 168-130)
Offensive Coordinator: Andy Goddard (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Isaac Kramer (4-3)
Team Leaders
Passing: Drew Holland (916 yards, 11 TD, INT, 172.8 rating)
Rushing: Randall Gonzalez (301 yards, 5.4 ypc, 3 TD)
Receiving: Richard Archer (24 receptions, 321 yards, 4 TD)
Defense: Nathan Young (33 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.5 sack)
Team Rankings
Points Per Game: 34th
Total Offense: 53th
Rushing Offense: 21st
Passing Offense: 98th
Total Defense: 79th
Rushing Defense: 14th
Passing Defense: 118th
Turnover Differential: 66th
Team Schedule
vs. Youngstown State: L 31-28
vs. Wisconsin: W 45-24
vs. #5 Michigan State: L 34-24
at #3 Alabama: L 35-16
at Texas A&M: W 59-28
Team Injuries
tOSU HB Michael Little, Junior | 82 ovr, 93 spd, 85 acc, 87 btk, 67 car, 82 elu
Bulls get an early win over Ohio State with Top247 DE Berrong's commitment
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Ohio defensive end Jesse Berrong has committed to the University of South Florida over offers from Louisville, Western Kentucky, Notre Dame and hometown Ohio State.
The nation's 14th ranked defensive end, the Dayton native announced his commitment on Friday night after arriving on campus earlier in the day for his official visit. Berrong will be in attendance for Saturday's game against Ohio State and will likely be in the ear of fellow visitors Michael Robinson, Kyle Locher and K.J. Waters, the three elite defensive backs that are also taking official visits.
Listed at six-foot-two and 265 pounds, Berrong is a bit of a tweener which the Bulls coaching staff instead view as added versatility. He currently plays on the edge at the high school level although some schools, such as Ohio State, were recruiting him to be a defensive tackle. Berrong prefers to stay on the edge and says that Bulls coaches have told him that he'll cross train at both positions which was one of the reasons he picked USF.
While his body type favors that of a defensive tackle, Berrong's skill set is more in line with a five-technique as he does a good job of getting off blocks and chasing plays from behind. He'll need to work on his gap discipline if he moves inside as he has a tendency to get washed out of plays when he does come inside.
Berrong is USF's fourth commitment of the class and the Bulls staff is confident that more are on the way.
2038 USF Recruiting Class
WR Joseph Moses [WR #1]: 6'2", 210lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.50 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 225 Squat Max
ILB Noah Webster [ILB #1]: 6'2", 220lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
G Woody Humphrey [G #1]: 6'1", 268lbs | North Druid Hills, GA | 4-star | 4.68 40-yd dash, 455 Bench Press Max, 680 Squat Max
DE Jesse Berrong [DE #14]: 6'2", 265lbs | Northridge, OH | 4-star | 4.72 40-yd dash, 390 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max
2038 USF Recruiting Board
S Michael Robinson [FS #1]: 6'2", 179lbs | Belle Glade, FL | 5-star | Ohio State, USF, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss
S Kyle Locher [SS #1]: 6'3", 204lbs | Goodland, KS [IMG] | 4-star | Georgia Tech, USF, Kansas
CB Bryan Carter [CB #3]: 6'1", 171lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | Oregon, Colorado, USF
CB K.J. Waters [CB #5]: 6'1", 161lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, Florida
QB Jet Millines [QB #5]: 6'3", 225lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida, FIU
T Wally Bayless [T #5]: 6'4", 275lbs | Milpitas, CA [IMG] | 4-star | Oregon, Michigan State, USF
DT Rahmod Carter [DT #4]: 6'5", 298lbs | Kenosha, WI [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Oregon
T Cole Britton [T #10]: 6'6", 288lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Florida Atlantic, USF
TE Landon Wile [TE #11]: 6'3", 227lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | Southern Miss, USF, UCF
OLB Jackson Gold Jr. [OLB #22]: 5'11", 210lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Oregon, USF
FB T.J. Dawson [FB #6]: 6'1", 236lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Nevada, Duke, Oregon, USF
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DE Jason Wilson [DE #9]: 6'2", 263lbs | Laurel, VA | 4-star | Committed to Navy
Undefeated USF is celebrating following a 66-20 thrashing of Ohio State
As soon as Derek Young reached the endzone, he pointed to the area reserved for visiting recruits near the student section. He was soon joined by the rest of the offense, undoubtedly recruiting the visiting top high school prospects to come wear the green and gold.
The Bulls did a fine job enticing recruits on the field as well, thoroughly dominating Ohio State from start to finish to the tune of a 66-20 blowout victory for the Bulls on Saturday.
After a sack on the first offensive play for USF, the Bulls would convert a 3rd-and-22 with a completion to Chris Wallace which led to four straight completions of 20-yards or more by Joey Spence to set up Young's first touchdown of the game.
Spence finished the game 30 of 40 for 437 yards and four touchdowns while Young rushed for 179 yards and caught four passes for 52 yards and five total touchdowns. Wallace led the game in receptions with 12 catches for 144 yards and the score.
It was a tough day for the Buckeyes defense and quarterback Drew Holland who threw six interceptions, including a pick six to Kenny Fowler in the second quarter that completely broke the game open.
On the next offensive possession, USF would score on a 80-yard touchdown to Jason McDowell that sent Raymond James Stadium into a fever pitch that lasted for the rest of the game.
USF was without their best defensive player, all-world safety Wesley Adams, who missed most of the game with a head injury after a collision in the first quarter. Adams was replaced by true freshman Joey Bailey who finished the game with six tackles and two tackles for loss.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[USF] D. Young, 1 Yd run (5:07)
[USF] D. Young, 5 Yd run (3:15)
[tOSU] A. Ralph, 45 Yd FG (0:24)
Quarter 2
[USF] C. Wallace, 8 Yd pass from J. Spence (6:09)
[USF] K. Fowler, returned interception 48 Yds (2:38)
[USF] J. McDowell, 80 Yd pass from J. Spence (1:21)
[tOSU] R. Archer, 43 Yd pass from D. Holland (0:50)
[USF] M. Pleasant, 23 Yd FG (0:00)
Quarter 3
[tOSU] R. Gonzalez, 3 Yd run (5:37)
[USF] E. Valentine, 14 Yd run (3:58)
[tOSU] A. Ralph, 25 Yd FG (1:28)
[USF] D. Young, 17 Yd pass from J. Spence (0:01)
Quarter 4
[USF] J. McDowell, 3 Yd pass from J. Spence (3:52)
[USF] D. Young, 73 Yd run (0:00)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #1 South Florida Bulls
QB Joey Spence: 30 of 40, 437 yards, 4 touchdowns, sacked once
HIM Derek Young: 17 carries, 179 yards, 3 touchdowns, 4 receptions, 52 yards, touchdown
HB Dionte McCarthy: 7 carries, 34 yards
TE Chris Wallace: 12 receptions, 144 yards, touchdown
WR Jason McDowell: 4 receptions, 117 yards, 2 touchdowns
WR Sam Washington: 4 receptions, 58 yards
WR Jarod Green: 3 receptions, 49 yards
CB Kenny Fowler: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, touchdown
LB Brian Robinson: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, interception
S Mark Robinson: 6 tackles, 2 interceptions
S Joey Bailey: 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
CB Tyler Matthews: 4 tackles, interception
#15 Ohio State Buckeyes
QB Drew Holland: 33 of 45, 374 yards, touchdown, 6 interceptions, sacked 2 times
HB Randall Gonzalez: 19 carries, 77 yards, touchdown, 6 receptions, 34 yards
WR Garrett Wilson: 7 receptions, 68 yards
WR Richard Archer: 5 receptions, 93 yards, touchdown
WR Keenan Campbell: 4 receptions, 66 yards
TE Frank Tate: 4 receptions, 41 yards
WR Marcus Day: 3 receptions, 46 yards
LB Terrell Bobo: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
CB David Roberson: 4 tackles, tackle for loss
