Coach Strong and the Bulls kickoff practice coming off a bye week as they prepare to square off with Temple in primetime on Thursday night. An outstanding performance against East Carolina sparked a lot of momentum for the Bulls as they head into their toughest four game stretch of the season. With two Top 25 opponents in Cincinnati and Memphis on the horizon, followed by UCF, the Bulls need all the momentum that can get.
Coach Strong gave updates on some players that had been banged up. Jah’Quez Evans’ status still remains in question for Thursday’s game after suffering a blow to the head against ECU. Jordan McCloud is ready to go with his ankle injury that had been giving him some trouble. The rest of the team is healthy and ready to go.
“We’re a healthy football team right now, knock on wood,” Head Coach Charlie Strong said about the team after the game at ECU. “He (Evans) is coming along. He got hit from the side, I don’t think he ever saw it coming. But he’ll be okay.”
Marcus Norman and the O-line worked the ECU defense left and right as Jah’Quez Evans and the USF running attack carved them up all night. A repeat performance is going to be needed if the Bulls are going to win this game. The running attack has been the cornerstone of the offense this season.
“I think it was our drive,” OL Marcus Norman said in reference to the O-line’s improvements. “The offensive line as a whole was lack luster the first three games. I’ll take personal responsibility for that. I put it on them that we have to be better. We’re driving this team. We’ve got to start making the runs happen, open up the holes and hold up in the pass protection. Everyone on the offensive line has been stepping up and I think it’s been working out for us the last couple weeks.
Greg Reaves got his first career interception against ECU and led the defense to a dominating performance in Greenville. Reaves and the rest of the defense have been focusing on number 20 Davis and number 21 Gardner, Temple’s leading rushers and key offensive weapons, as they get ready to throw down under the lights.
Matchup: USF vs. Temple
When: Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 8 P.M. on ESPN
Where: Raymond James Stadium