Strength in Unity.

[Soapy]

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

[Soapy]

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

[Soapy]

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.

[Soapy]

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

[Soapy]

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

[Soapy]

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."

[Soapy]

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

[Captain Canada]

Two decent wins, sucks losing your starting guy right away.

[Soapy]

Two decent wins, sucks losing your starting guy right away.

yeah, i was looking forward to playing with him. funny enough, i was going to go with Pittman but I had a practice session where I just wanted to test some of the DBs down the field and i kept falling short with him and jeremy. put mike in there and he was able to hit a few of them.

[Soapy]

Week 3 Top Stories
1. Oxford is celebrating after a sweet victory over SEC rival #20 Tennessee.
2. A visit to Gainesville knocks off #1 Aggies back to earth.
3. #2 Buckeyes fail to put Minnesota away, losing 35-32.
4. Longhorns win their conference opener against West Virginia.
5. USC holds on to beat Washington 38-31.
6. South Carolina pulls a rabbit out of a hat vs. Georgia.

Week 4 Notable Games
#3 South Florida (2-0, 0-0) at #18 Oklahoma (2-1, 0-0)
#23 Wisconsin (1-0, 0-0) at #10 Michigan (0-1, 0-0)
#4 Michigan State (2-0, 0-0) at #16 Notre Dame (2-0, 0-0)

NCAA Players of the Week
Sheldon Robertson (HB, LA Tech) :: W at North Carolina :: 19 carries, 149 yards, 5 receptions, 58 yards, 4 total touchdowns.
Nate Clark (LB, USF) :: W vs. Louisville :: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, interception.

Big 12 Players of the Week
Doug Williams (QB, Texas) :: W vs. West Virginia :: 22 of 37, 300 yards, 17 carries, 99 yards, 5 total touchdowns.
Nate Clark (LB, USF) :: W vs. Louisville :: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, interception.

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