The return of the USF Bulls to the gridiron happens on Saturday when they host the FCS Western Carolina Catamounts in the friendly confines of Raymond James Stadium. As it is with every season, we’re all excited for the opening kickoff and to see what the Bulls can do in the season ahead.
We’ve already taken a look at the Bulls and just what they aim to bring to the table this season, but what about their opponents from Western Carolina? Thankfully for you, yours truly is here to address any and all questions heading into Saturday’s showdown.
The Who: Western Carolina Catamounts
The Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
The When: Saturday August 30, 7:00 PM
WCU’s run defense
This is as much an unknown for USF as it is for the Catamounts.
As covered in the preview, the Bulls are breaking in an all-new set of running backs with just 35 total carries to their names as collegiate players. There is a good mix of talent between the returning Darius Tice, Sta’fon McCray and D’Ernest Johnson.
Of course, they might not have to be totally in sync given the Catamounts were ranked 121st in the FCS last year in terms of rush defense, allowing 277.1 yards per game. They also lost their leading tackler from a year ago in Courtland Carson, who accounted for 107 total tackles, as well as another top tackler in Ace Clark.
The talent disparity here is obvious and the Catamounts have to replace a pair of their top tacklers and multiple defensive linemen from a group that was porous to begin with. Couple that with the fact that the Bulls are returning just about everyone to one of the most experienced offensive lines in college football and this sets up well for the Bulls. Expect a healthy dose of runs on the day and a good yards/carry clip.
WCU’s pass defense
Not surprisingly, the pass defense ranked fairly high last year (18th in the FCS at 184.8 yard/game) because opponents were too busy running the ball down their throats to really care about putting it in the air. They finished tied for second-last in interceptions with just five, furthering the idea that teams didn’t even need to throw on them.
To their credit, they do return top starters in the secondary like Jaleel Lorquet, Bryson Jordan and Trey Morgan, so they’re an experienced group that won’t have to rely on bringing several underclassmen up to speed like they will need to along the line.
For USF, Mike White to Andre Davis could be a dangerous, if somewhat a scarcely-used, duo on Saturday night. They won’t have to connect on many occasions to make an impact, but when they do, it will be big. Look for White, in the little passing he’ll have to attempt, to try to spread the love and get his other receivers involved to get the passing game in a rhythm.
WCU’s run offense
This wasn’t a terribly effective group last year, finishing 85th in the FCS in rushing yards per game with 138.7. Back in the fold is leading rusher Darius Ramsey, who accounted for 565 yards on 4.1 yards per carry last year and tied for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns. They also found a little success with the diminutive Shaun Warren, who managed four touchdowns on just 39 attempts.
This is a spread offense, so naturally their quarterback is a bit of a dual threat. Troy Mitchell returns after finishing just behind Ramsey with 560 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. They’ll try to get USF spread out and exploit those gaps, so USF’s athletic linebackers will have to be on their toes if they don’t want to get gashed.
The defensive line will have to control the game and occupy blockers to let the linebackers do their thing, so they’ll get a nice little test out of the Catamounts on the ground.
WCU’s pass offense
The real strength of the Catamounts comes through the air. They finished 53rd in the FCS, throwing for 221.3 yards per game. Mitchell completed nearly 58 percent of his passes for 1,614 yards and 12 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His accuracy limits the effectiveness of the spread attack, but he can hurt you when he gets going.
His backup, Eddie Sullivan, started three games last year and didn’t fare quite as well. He completed just 48.5 percent of his passes, throwing more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (five). He’ll remain on the sidelines unless injuries to Mitchell arise again.
The Bulls struggled last year with the pass rush, managing just 23 sacks as a team (75th in the FBS) and need to replace both starting defensive ends. Establishing a rush against a decent FCS spread offense will be a nice confidence boost for the evolving line if they can get the job done.
Line the running backs, the secondary is talented, but young. They will more than likely make a few mistakes against WCU, but this should be more of a confidence builder than anything else.
Three Things to Worry About
- The offensive line can’t push around the Catamounts front four. This was one of the worst rushing defenses in the FCS last season and they’re replacing a few pieces from that defense. If this experienced offensive line can’t get consistent, quality push, they should be worried about how this season will go.
- The front four struggles. Sure, this isn’t the worst spread team in the FCS, but it is an FCS team and the Bulls have been attracting quality talent the last few years. They are replacing both ends, but the mismatch should be apparent and the Bulls, on paper, should dominate this matchup. This isn’t like facing McNeese State last year.
- Mike White struggles with his accuracy. Against this defense, White should look much better than he did at any point last season. His accuracy should improve with more time in the offense and a year under his belt. Struggling out of the gate against a team like this does not bode well.
Three Things to Look Forward to
- Andre Davis should have a big game. Davis was a budding star last year and he’s going up against an awful FCS outfit. This is his time to have a monster game and prove he’s going to be one of the best receivers in the AAC.
- This should go much better than the McNeese State game last year. McNeese State is an FCS team, sure, but they had a top-20 passing attack and the Bulls looked unprepared. As the year went on their defense improved and playmakers emerged. There are a few more answers across the board and Western Carolina is no McNeese State.
- Football is back! Enjoy this weekend because as football fandom has taught me, it’ll go South in a hurry and you’ll be yearning for the good ol’ days.
Prediction: USF 38, WCU 13
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