FSU Football: A First Look at South Florida

Florida State will be on the road for a second straight week, but the Seminoles will be closer to home on Saturday as they take on South Florida at Raymond James Stadium.

After making drastic improvements last season to finish 8-5, USF is off to a 3-0 start, which includes an impressive win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome last week. The Bulls will have a chance to make a major statement in Tampa on Saturday against the Seminoles and perhaps assert itself as a serious contender in the American Athletic Conference. FSU leads the all-time series 2-1 and beat the Bulls 34-14 in Tallahassee last season.

On South Florida

Record: 3-0
Offensive Ranks: 18th in yards per game (519), 34th in passing yards per game (271.7), 19th in rushing yards per game (247), seventh in points per game (49.7)
Defensive Ranks:70th in yards per game allowed (386), 70th in passing yards per game allowed (225.3), 82nd in rushing yards per game (161), 36th in points per game allowed (19)
Last Game: Won 45-20 at Syracuse on Saturday.

On Offense

Though South Florida hasn’t played the stiffest of competition yet, the Bulls have been hard to stop on offense. To this point in the season, five different rushers have at least 99 yards on the ground, including receiver Rodney Adams, who has 99 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries. Marlon Mack is the workhorse for the Bulls, but because South Florida has won its first three games so easily, Mack hasn’t really had to be used that much. Mack leads the team with 173 yards rushing on nearly 10 yards per carry to go along with three touchdowns.

Though he’s a big part of USF’s rushing offense, quarterback Quinton Flowers has really matured as a passer since last season’s contest in Tallahassee. Much like Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Flowers doesn’t boast a high completion percentage, but has a very good yards per attempt average at nearly 9.6 yards. Adams is Flowers’ top target with team-highs for receptions (11), yards (153) and touchdowns (2), but Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Ryeshene Bronson have really come on as compliments to Adams.

The USF offensive line comprised of two seniors, two juniors and a redshirt freshman, has allowed just three sacks so far this season.

On Defense

On the defensive side of the ball, Auggie Sanchez has been the guy to watch so far for the Bulls. Sanchez leads the team with 43 tackles and a pair of sacks. Sanchez has recorded 13 tackles in each of the last two weeks. Fellow linebacker Nigel Harris leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and an interception.

Up front, sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Bronson has been a load in the middle with three tackles for loss and a sack. Cornerback Deatrick Nichols is likely South Florida’s best player on the defensive side of the ball. Nichols, a 5-10, 190-pound cornerback from Miami, already has one interception this season, but has rarely been tested. Though USF doesn’t have the best yardage rankings defensively, much of that production has come in garbage time with the game already decided.

On Special Teams

Unfortunately for Florida State, who gave up two long punt returns to Louisville’s Jaire Alexander on Saturday, the Bulls have been good in the return game. D’Ernest Johnson has already taken a punt back 83 yards to the house while Adams is averaging 30 yards per kickoff return.

When it comes to punting, FSU will see a familiar face in transfer Jonathan Hernandez. Hernandez is off to a great start at USF, averaging better than 42 yards per boot with eight of his 15 punts being downed inside the 20-yard-line. Hernandez has also only allowed one return so far. Kicker Emilio Nadelman doesn’t have the biggest leg, but is 3-for-3 this season on field goal attempts with a long of 42 yards.

Summary

South Florida might be the underdog on Saturday, but the Bulls will arrive expecting to win. Adams and Mack are clearly South Florida’s biggest weapons, but Flowers’ ability to make plays with his legs could give FSU trouble. On defense, South Florida has a lot of team speed and if the Seminoles can’t improve in pass protection, it could be another long day for quarterback Deondre Francois. In its fourth season under head coach Willie Taggart, USF is a well-coached team and if FSU comes ill-prepared or sleepwalks through the first half, this is a game that South Florida could win.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson