LOUK'S LOOK: GAME 2 PREVIEW

bullsmeanbusiness · September 6, 2018

GAME 2 PREVIEW: BULLS READY FOR FIRST-EVER TEST AGAINST GEORGIA TECH

September 06, 2018

USF GAME NOTES (PDF)

By JIM LOUK
Voice of the Bulls

TAMPA, SEPT. 6, 2018 - We had everything we hoped for last Saturday; a solid win, good weather, and an outstanding performance from USF's new quarterback. Now, Georgia Tech comes to town with its unique triple-option offense.

There are some Bulls who have gone up against a variation of this offense in the past when playing Navy, and Bulls defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Marysaw it firsthand as a Georgia Tech linebackers coach under head coach Paul Johnson from 2004-2009. Still, it's a difficult defensive assignment. We learned this week that the Bulls have been practicing defending it since all the way back in spring ball.

In the early days of USF Football, the Bulls ran up against Johnson's offense twice when he ran the Georgia Southern program. The Bulls lost two heartbreaking games to the Eagles, 24-23 in 1997 and 28-23 in 1998.

Georgia Tech will be the first of two consecutive Power Five programs on the schedule, and it will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Bulls will visit the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on Sept. 7, 2019.

USF is not unfamiliar with playing ACC opponents, however. The Bulls are 7-10 all-time against the ACC, and against teams currently in that league, they are 22-24.

Here are a few bits of trivia for week 2, starting with the game landing on what has been a happy day for us over the years:

This game will be played on the anniversary of two of the greatest USF wins ever. On Sept. 8, 2001, USF beat Pittsburgh, 35-26, at Heinz Field. On Sept. 8, 2007, USF beat Auburn, 26-23, in overtime. There's one more USF win on Sept. 8, the 32-31 victory over Nevada in 2012. All in all, it's a pretty good precedent for our game this week.
The Bulls have won five of their last six games against Power Five opponents, including bowl wins over South Carolina and Texas Tech.
USF is 29-6 in its last 35 games.
Expect to see two great ground games. Both USF and Georgia Tech rushing offenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in each of the last three seasons. Air Force and Navy are the only other programs that can make that claim.
The Bulls are 17-3 in their last 20 games at Raymond James Stadium.

Saturday's game will be telecast nationally, with parts of the nation receiving it on ABC and parts on ESPN2. Our radio broadcast begins at 10 a.m. You can hear it on AM 820, as well as 96.7 FM in Hillsborough County and 98.3 FM in Pinellas County. And, of course, we're available worldwide on USF Bulls Unlimited through the free iHeart app.

Games against Power Five teams are crucial for a number of reasons, and there are a number of ways for USF to excel. Certainly the field of play is the main one, but a full stadium is critical, too. Let's all do our part, so USF can put on a great nationwide show Saturday.

Horns up!

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