The South Florida Bulls come out of a much needed bye at 5-2 and 1-2 in conference play, fresh off a 29-2 win over Kent State. The UAB Blazers arrive at 4-3 and 2-1 in the American after an overtime comeback win against East Carolina, making this a meaningful Halloween showdown for both teams.
The Bulls need to blackout on the field and show signs of improvement after another slow first half against Kent State.
Let’s get spooky.
5 Keys to Victory: USF vs. UAB
1. Get the offense rolling early
The defense dominated Kent State, but USF’s offense started slow once again and didn’t find any rhythm until the second half. The Bulls mustered just 101 yards in the first half and failed to score an offensive touchdown until late in the third quarter. Slow starts have hampered Tim Beck’s offense all season long.
Michael Van Buren eventually settled in, completing 22 of 27 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, but USF cannot afford another sluggish offensive start in conference play. The slow starts have kept teams like Temple and UTSA in games late and led to two conference loses.
Tim Beck needs to establish tempo early, get Van Buren comfortable and put together sustained drives before UAB settles in defensively. The key word is sustained.
2. Bottle up UAB’s ground game
UAB wants balance and will lean on a ground attack that’s averaging 168 rushing yards per game, which equates to 4.0 yards per carry. The rushing attack allows UAB to control possession and keeps the Blazer’s offense out of obvious passing situations.
USF’s defensive front must make stopping the run the priority and force quarterback Ryder Burton to carry the offense through the air.
3. Pressure Ryder Burton, don’t give up explosive plays
Burton showed against East Carolina that he can make timely throws when UAB needs them the most. Burton finished 19 of 37 for 262 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, including a 93-yard game tying drive in the final 62 seconds of regulation.
Sound familiar? Temple? UTSA?
USF needs to collapse the pocket while keeping coverage disciplined down field behind the pressure. C.J. Hicks, Michael Williams II and the Bulls’ defensive line have an opportunity to wreak havoc and make Burton force throws. Pressure will be crucial in the contest.
4. Finish drives with TOUCHDOWNS!
This will be the biggest difference in the game.
Field goals can seal a victory, but aren’t the recipe for shootout wins. This has been evidenced all season long for the Bulls.
UAB has scored on 16 of 19 red-zone trips, but only seven of those possessions have ended in touchdowns. On the other side, the Blazers’ defense has allowed opponents to score on every trip to the red-zone (21) this season, for a total of 16 touchdowns allowed.
USF must exploit the Blazers’ weakness. Once the Bulls cross the 20, field goals are missed opportunities. Seven points must be the expectation.
5. Win the turnover battle
USF’s defense finally created the game changing play it had been searching for against Kent State, with C.J. Hicks grabbing a 96 yard scoop and score touchdown to tie Kayvon Webster (No. 16 Notre Dame 2011) for the program record for longest fumble returned for a touchdown. The Bulls also kept Kent State out of the end zone entirely. I’d be more impressed if it wasn’t a 2-5 MAC team.
UAB has been vulnerable with the football, losing five fumbles and throwing five interceptions through seven games. The Blazers also just won a game on an 80-yard interception return in overtime.
USF cannot give UAB the same type of short field or give up defensive scores. The Bulls must play clean on Halloween.
The Bulls must get Van Buren and Co. rolling from possession one, stuff the Blazers’ rushing attack, flush Burton from the pocket, finish drives with touchdowns not field goals, and get takeaways.
UAB is better than its overall record suggests, which is eerily similar to how I felt about Temple. The Blazers are 2-1 in conference play, with wins over Navy and East Carolina, and have proven they can win close games late. The Bulls have shown the exact opposite after failing to stop Temple and UTSA on game-winning drives.
All that being said, USF is coming off its best defensive performance of the season, had a bye week to prepare and gets UAB at Raymond James Stadium for the Black Out/Halloween game. If Beck’s offense can finally manage to pair consistent production with the level the defense showed against Kent State, the Bulls should have a strong opportunity to get back to .500 in conference play Saturday at noon.
As always, Go Bulls!