The South Florida Bulls return home after a grueling non-conference schedule to take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs at noon at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bulldogs are an excellent football team that won their conference last season, so this game can’t be taken lightly.
“Before the year, everybody kept talking about our first three games, but this fourth game right here, this is a really good football team.” Head coach Alex Golesh said. “There’s nothing our guys need to do other than watch the film to wake up really, really quickly.”
SCSU finished 9-3 last season and was the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Golesh added, “We’ve got to be locked-in with a focused player-led group that demands our standard be kept at a high, high level.”
Golesh added that the same process that helped them win games against Boise State and Florida is also why they lost to Miami—getting away from the process and what made them successful.
SCSU averages 413 yards a game on offense, and is tied for 17th defensively among FCS teams, giving up 298 yards a game.
Also, SCSU has never won a game against a major college opponent.
This is another opponent and game in which the Bulls have another chance to impress on the national level.
How do they bounce back from that crushing defeat in Miami? Will they underestimate South Carolina State?
Will they get back to “the process” that helped them with the wins against Boise St. and Miami?
As Alex Golesh works through the process of taking this team to an elite level, he discusses what it means to be elite.
“Elite competitors, elite teams, they just go. Regardless of who you’re playing, your process is the same. How you attack it is the same. The scheme changes, but in terms of what you’re doing and your mindset, it’s exactly the same.”
The Bulls need to get the running game back on track this week. They ran for just 40 yards last week against the nation’s No. 15-ranked defense.
The Bulls were averaging 151 yards on the ground before the Miami loss and need to get back to being able to run the ball effectively.
Alvon Isaac has had a huge impact on the running game, averaging 7.7 yards per carry.
Senior wide receiver Chas Nimrod has 248 yards receiving on the season, while Ke’Shaun Singleton has racked up 207 yards with two touchdowns.
Byrum Brown needs to be Byron Brown. Take what the defense gives, don’t force things, and utilize the playmakers on offense.
Defensively, the Bulls need to consistently press the quarterback, as they have just three sacks to show for three games.
Getting more pressure on the quarterback should help the defensive backs get more hands on the ball, leading to more turnovers.
Jhayln Shuler and Mac Harris are the anchors of the Bulls’ defense with 15 and 13 tackles, respectively.
SCSU is coming off a 55-41 win over Bethune-Cookman last week.
The last time these two teams met on the gridiron was in 2019, when the Bulls won 55-16. That is the first and only time that these two teams have met.
The Bulldogs are led on offense by senior quarterback Ryan Stubblefield, who passed for 286 yards against Bethune-Cookman last week.
Mason Pickett-Hicks and Tyler Smith lead the rushing attack, while Jordan Smith led all receivers with nine catches in the win last week.
Rodereick Kelly and Kelly Jones lead the charge on defense. They combined for a total of 16 tackles in last week’s win.
This game should be one that the Bulls easily put in the win column.
Look for the Bulls to score a ton of points and win this game 48-10 to improve to 3-1 on the season.