Have you ever seen a bullfight?
I had the opportunity to see one in person during a rodeo in Kansas. The perfectly-dressed (and absolutely insane) matador gracefully moved through the ring as a massive animal tried its best to put its horns in an uncomfortable place.
Legend has it what angers the bull is the the sight of the matador’s large, red cape. Bulls don’t like red.
Come Saturday, a group of red-clad Houston Cougars will be on the prowl hoping to raise the ire of the South Florida Bulls.
And if you think my lengthy setup was wild, here are five bold predictions for the tussle in Tampa.
1. Cougars Charge Early
Forgetting about Grambling State for a moment, and most people have in general, the Cougars have struggled out of the gate in most games this season. It started with UTSA, got worse against BYU, and it was slow-going against Memphis until the Cougars roared back to win. The Coogs seemed to turn the corner against Temple, jumping out to a 10-0 lead on their way to a 31-10 win.
In his post-game news conference, head coach Tony Levine praised his team’s preparation in a short week. Houston is getting two weeks to prepare for USF, so there’s no reason to think it won’t come out of the gate quickly.
2. Ward Goes Wild
There’s no denying the impact Greg Ward, Jr. has had on the Cougars’ comeback. Since taking over the staring job from John O’Korn two games ago, all Ward has done is complete 74 percent of his passes while leading Houston to its first winning streak of 2014. He’s also done the job with his legs, rushing for over 100 yards in the Memphis win.
Levine has said the more Ward (a converted wide receiver) plays, the more comfortable he’ll get. Well how about a true coming out party against USF, putting his passing and rushing game together? I’m predicting 200+ passing yards, triple digits on the ground, and accounting for at least three touchdowns. Nothing has stopped Ward so far, and USF is giving up a whopping 436 yards per game.
3. A Third Ward “Scoop Six”
The Cougars have the “Third Ward Defense”, nicknamed after one of Houston’s districts. Historically, the Third Ward has been seen as the heart and soul of the community. This season, the defense has been the Cougars’ backbone, leading the nation in forcing turnovers.
This ball-hawking defense has 14 interceptions, and got on the scoreboard when Trevon Stewart took a Temple pass the other way for a touchdown. But how about a “scoop six”? I truly think ESPN made that up, but it’s when a fumble is returned for a touchdown.
This is Efrem Oliphant territory: the linebacker seems to be just about everywhere on the field. Or who wouldn’t want to see big B.J. Singleton rumbling into the end zone? It could go a long way to extending the winning streak.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNJuwA_yxp0?list=UUkIyBIO25pyfstd1NjFgaLw]4. Special Teams Actually Becomes Special
Missed extra points against BYU aside, Kyle Bullard has been solid for the Cougars this year; connecting on 13-of-15 field goals including a 51-yarder. That being said, the Houston special teams have been pretty dreadful.
The punting unit isn’t helping Houston win the field position battle. The return game is awful, averaging only 18 yards per kickoff return. That’s good enough for 118th (out of 125) in the country. The punt return game isn’t much better, averaging 6.5 yards per return (86th nationally). So Demarcus Ayers is due. But then again, if the defense shuts down USF, Ayers and company won’t have many chances to return kicks.
5. Houston Wins Another Big Road Game
All of this adds up to Houston taming the Bulls and winning another game on the road. You can see the Cougars’ confidence growing over the past two games. Hopefully for Houston fans, that confidence didn’t shrink during the bye week. USF has shown signs of brilliance against big-named opponents Wisconsin and East Carolina, but has struggled since then at Tulsa and Cincinnati; and let’s not forget a nail-biter AT HOME against lowly UCONN.
In this bullfight, the Cougars may not get a trofeo (trophy) afterward, but will get a conference road win and take another step towards bowl eligibility.
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