GoUSFBulls.com Johnston's Keys To The Game: Boca Raton Bowl

[Brad]

Johnston's Keys To The Game: Boca Raton Bowl

December 21, 2023

 

Joey Johnston   Athletics Senior Writer

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BOCA RATON BOWL
USF (6-6; 4-4 American) vs Syracuse (6-6; 2-6 ACC)
Thursday, Dec. 21 • 8:00 P.M. • FAU Stadium (30,000) • Boca Raton, Fla. 
SURFACE: Natural, Celebration Bermuda Turf Grass
TV: ESPN: Matt Barrie (P-by-P), Dan Mulllen (Analyst) & Harry Lyles (sideline)
AUDIO: 102.5-HD2 The Strike; 97X (97.1 FM) TuneIn (Bulls Unlimited); ESPN National (locally on 620 AM/95.3 FM WDAE): Chris Carlin & Harry Douglas 
SERIES: USF leads, 8-2
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 3-2
IN SYRACUSE: USF leads, 5-0
LAST TIME: USF won, 45-20, in Syracuse in 2016
BOWL GAME RECORD: 6-4, last, L, 2018 Gasparilla
USF GAME NOTES

BOCA RATON — In the vacation-like setting of tony Palm Beach County, the USF Bulls can discover their own version of paradise at Thursday night's RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

As the Bulls (6-6) prepare for the ACC's Syracuse Orange (6-6) in a standalone ESPN telecast that offers great exposure potential — college football's bowl games continue to generate magnificent ratings — there's much at stake.

* After the 1-11 season of 2022, USF can complete one of the nation's most significant turnarounds in the first season for head coach Alex Golesh.

* USF can earn its first winning record since 2018.

* It would be USF's first victory against a team from an autonomous "power'' conference since 2018 (when the Bulls defeated the ACC's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Big Ten's Illinois Fighting Illini). Between 2016-18, the Bulls had five such wins, including bowl victories against the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks and the Big 12's Texas Tech Red Raiders.

* Perhaps most significantly of all, USF can firmly pronounce itself as a team to watch in 2024 and one that could contend for the biggest goals in the American Athletic Conference.

"I think it certainly helps in recruiting and generates interest and buzz,'' Golesh said Wednesday after landing what was rated as the AAC's highest-ranked recruiting class by a wide margin. "I think it certainly shows that this is a really, really incredible place to go to.''

Considering USF's first full year operating its $22-million Indoor Performance Facility and plans for the $340-million on-campus stadium that is targeted for a 2027 opening, Bulls football fans have more favorable news than any other time in recent memory.

Beating Syracuse in a bowl game would punctuate that feel-good vibe heading into the holidays.

How can USF make it happen?

Here are four keys:

 

Bring The Energy

Motivation is usually the bottom line to any non-championship game. Who's there to win? Who's there to have a good time? Who's focused on the job at hand? Who's going through the motions?

It's easy to suggest Syracuse has less incentive since the firing of head coach Dino Babers, leaving interim Nunzio Campanile in charge. But the reality is Fran Brown, the former Georgia defensive backs coach hired as Syracuse's head coach, will be overseeing the Boca Raton Bowl while carefully watching the effort and intent of his newly inherited players.

USF and Syracuse are each playing for a winning record. It comes down to the energy and inertia both teams bring to the field. If the Bulls have the greater energy from the get-go — and some slow starts definitely occurred mid-season — that could become the bottom line for how the game progresses.

It's a chance to showcase USF's program before a national television audience and an expected large green-and-gold throng with USF moving nearly 6,000 tickets – including 700 students - through its ticket office and many more purchased tickets through other outlets. There's plenty of incentive for the Bulls to break out with authority.

 

Let Byrum Brown Do His Thing

USF's redshirt freshman quarterback is the most compelling player on the field.

As they have most of this season, the Bulls need to flaunt him, ride his talent, take advantage of his dual-threat excellence.

He's one of two quarterbacks (along with LSU's Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner) to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 700 yards this season.

It's possible that Brown will walk away late Thursday night with FIVE single-season USF records (he already has passing yardage and he's in strong contention for total offense, touchdown passes, completion percentage and 300-yard passing games).

If Byrum Brown brings his A-game, the Syracuse defense will be presented with major problems

 

Dee-fense! Dee-fense!

There's no universe where it's acceptable to allow 56, 56, 59 and 49 points in a game.

But here's the conundrum of USF's defense:

At times, it has struggled. At times, it has been effective, such as limiting CFP Playoff participant Alabama to 310 total yards in a 17-3 defeat, playing a clutch fourth quarter in a 24-21 comeback win at UConn and flexing its muscles in a bowl-clinching victory against Charlotte (allowing 298 yards and forcing three turnovers).

So which defense shows up against Syracuse?

Who knows what to expect from the Orange offense? Season-long starter Garrett Shrader is out with injury, so even the quarterback is a mystery. Will multiple players split the duties behind center? Will we see the Wildcat formation, which could include direct snaps to 1,062-yard rusher LeQuint Allen?

None of that will matter if USF's defense plays winning football.

"I thought this season was absolutely the craziest roller-coaster ride I've been on during my career,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "The more consistency we have with players understanding what we want, I think the roller coaster will start to climb this way (pointing upward).

"But you saw it (go downward) on those weeks where I didn't anticipate us playing poorly. Some of those were good teams where the match-ups were difficult. But there were also times when I felt the match-ups were neutral when we didn't play that well. It goes back to our process, our preparation. It's going to get better … much better. And that will all be reflected through our consistency.''

 

Get Some Takeaways

For USF, this category has been the key to everything all season, so it's the perfect walk-off.

In USF's six victories this season, it has 17 takeaways.

In USF's six defeats, it has just three.

However the formula works, it would be significant for USF to defeat Syracuse. It would affirm Golesh's 2023 turnaround, set the tone for the buildup to 2024 and provide a just reward for the likes of offensive tackle Donovan Jennings and nickel back Daquan Evans, the USF players who kept the faith.

"The whole thing means so much for our program,'' Golesh said. "It shows we're making progress. It's a reward for our players. We'll be ready to play and we can't wait.''

–#GoBulls–

[TheUpperHand]

Can't let Syracuse go up 14-0 in the first quarter...

[Cat941]

16 minutes ago, TheUpperHand said:

Can't let Syracuse go up 14-0 in the first quarter...

I concur.  It's the takeaway stats I look to.  We win when we can get the ball, lose when we give it away.  Simple enough LOL.  Let's do this.  

[GoBulls84]

GoBulls84's Keys to the Game:

• Score touchdowns on offense
• Don't let them score touchdowns on offense.
• Maybe score some touchdowns on defense (you know, for funsies)
• Have fun
• Don't die out there fellas

Chances are that the team that scores the most points at the end of the game will be the team that wins (unless we get hit with NCAA penalties for something and have to vacate wins, but that's not a now problem, that's a later problem)

[Outlaw]

The team  that scores the most wins today.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Outlaw