USF BULLS
Head Coach: DJ Porter | 4-1 at USF | 4-1 Career
Schemes: Multiple | 3-3-5 Tite
2027 Season Schedule and Results
Sat, Aug 28 – at Northern Illinois – W 49-21
Sat, Sep 4 – vs Louisville – W 17-14
Sat, Sep 11 – at Boise State – L 7-14
Sat, Sep 18 – vs Florida A&M – W 41-20
Sat, Oct 2 – at Charlotte – W 28-21
Sat, Oct 9 – vs East Carolina – 7:00 PM
Sat, Oct 23 – at Florida Atlantic – 3:15 PM
Sat, Oct 30 – at Rice – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 6 – vs North Texas – 3:00 PM
Sat, Nov 13 – vs Navy – 12:30 PM
Sat, Nov 20 – vs UTSA – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 27 – vs Army – 1:30 PM
Stat Leaders
Passing | QB Locklan Hewlett | 1,074 Yds 8 TD 2 Int
Rushing | RB George Shembo | 327 Yds 4 TD
Receiving | WR Tyler Williams | 361 Yds
Tackles | FS Cedrick Hawkins | 45 Tkl
Sacks | DE Ira Singleton | 5.0 Sck
Interceptions | 4 Players | 1 Int
Injury Report
C Teriyan Morman | Compound Foot Fracture | 14 Weeks
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
Head Coach: Blake Harrell | 20-20 at ECU | 20-20 Career
Schemes: Veer & Shoot | Base 3-4
2027 Season Schedule and Results
Sat, Sep 4 – vs FCS Southeast – W 34-31
Sat, Sep 11 – vs Wake Forest – L 31-24
Sat, Sep 25 – at #14 Pittsburgh – L 31-23
Sat, Oct 2 – vs Georgia State – L 44-21
Sat, Oct 9 – at USF – 7:00 PM
Sat, Oct 16 – at Army – 8:00 PM
Sat, Oct 23 – at Charlotte – 5:00 PM
Sat, Oct 30 – vs Florida Atlantic – 8:00 PM
Sat, Nov 6 – vs Memphis – 12:00 PM
Sat, Nov 13 – vs Temple – 7:30 PM
Sat, Nov 20 – vs North Texas – 3:00 PM
Thu, Nov 25 – at UAB – 9:00 PM
Stat Leaders
Passing | QB Jackson Hamilton | 926 Yds 9 TD 5 Int
Rushing | QB Jackson Hamilton | 213 Yds
Receiving | WR Isiah Canion | 368 Yds 4 TD
Tackles | LB DJ Johnson Jr| 36 Tkl
Sacks | N/A | 0.0 Sck
Interceptions | CB Vanzale Hinton | 2 Int
Injury Report
HB Rocko Owens | Torn Labrum | 1 Week
HB Duncan Brune | Dislocated Ankle | 4 Weeks
DT Rion Roseborough | Torn Labrum | 3 Weeks
Coach Porter's Notes
East Carolina’s record isn’t indicative of how competitive they’ve been. They’ve played a tough schedule, they’ve been in striking distance in multiple games, and they’re better on film than 1–3 says. This is also their conference opener, so we’re expecting their best shot.
The biggest point of emphasis for us this week is tackling. Period. We’ve had stretches these last two games where we’ve let ball carriers slip out of tackles or turn three-yard gains into eight. Against a team that likes to spread you out and force one-on-one plays in space, that can’t happen. If we don’t tackle well, we’re going to be on the field a long time.
Even with their injuries at running back, they’re not short on threats. Their quarterback, Hamilton, is a dangerous runner. He’s their leading rusher for a reason. He’s physical, he’s decisive, and he’s got enough speed to get the edge if you lose contain. We can’t let him be the guy who picks up key yardage on scrambles or designed keepers. That’s back-breaking stuff if you allow it on third down.
Offensively, it’s about staying steady. They’ve had trouble generating pressure, but they mix their coverages well and they don’t give you a lot of freebies. We need to stay on schedule, trust our protections, and force them to defend the whole field. If we keep the chains moving, we give our defense the ability to stay fresh and keep their quarterback from dictating the tempo.
This is another opportunity to show growth. We’re 4–1, we’re at home, and we need to look like a team that understands how to stack conference wins. That starts with fundamentals, run fits, tackling, ball security, and playing with the detail and urgency this stage of the season demands.
