After a tough loss at Memphis in late October, the Bulls are ready for the final stretch of games, and that stretch begins Thursday Night against UTSA.
If the Bulls had any thoughts of looking ahead to the Navy matchup in two weeks, UTSA grabbed their attention in a stunning upset of Tulane, 48-26, last weekend.
The Bulls are back in control of their own destiny as they come down the stretch.
Win out and they have a clear path to the AAC Championship game, and a possible berth in the College Football Playoffs.
The margin for error is zero. One loss, and the Bulls will be packing their bags for the Bahamas Bowl or the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Coach Golesh discussed dealing with adversity and bouncing back from negativity during his weekly press conference.
“Adversity and going through losses or down moments, that’s inevitable in life. You can let it crumble you down, and let it lead to another negative. Or you can respond. And when I say it’s your testimony, it’s your story, who you are as a human being. It’s who we are as a team.”
Golesh also addressed the expectations that come with the program after proving they can beat quality opponents at home and on the road.
“The expectations are that we are supposed to go win that game because we’ve shown we can win that game. Now it’s crucial that game doesn’t become our prison.”
“Every good story has ups and downs. Now we have a down moment. You own it. You live with it. And you grow. Now we have a chance to tell our story how we come out on the other end. The response is what defines you.”
Tavin Ward says the Bulls need to maintain the aggressiveness that led to a 31-17 lead before a fourth-quarter collapse allowed Memphis back into the game and eventually resulted in a 34-31 win.
UTSA enters the Thursday night game with a 4-4 record, and the Roadrunners are playing their best football of the season.
UTSA quarterback Owen McCown completed 31/33 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns in carving up the Tulane defense.
David Amador II and Devin McGuinn are the two primary targets of McCown.
Robert Henry and Will Henderson III provide the one-two punch at running back.
Back to McCown for a moment. He has completed 67.5 percent of his passes this season against just four interceptions.
He has football DNA in his blood. His father is former NFL quarterback Josh McCown.
McCown played for nine NFL teams during his career and had a brief stint with the Buccaneers in 2014.
Golesh addressed the prolific offense of UTSA and knows what a challenge it presents.
“We were really impressed watching them offensively. They really got it going, and it was really, really hard for them to get stopped. It’s a huge challenge for our defense.”
The Bulls’ offense, however, takes a back seat to no one.
The Bulls have been one of the best offenses in the country all season, averaging 40 points per game and 487 yards per game, which ranks seventh nationally.
Byrum Brown continues to put up impressive numbers, averaging 18.8 points per game.
He is just one of two quarterbacks nationally with 17 touchdown passes and eight rushing touchdowns.
How big is this game?
Well, when ESPN is on campus, it is a pretty big deal.
ESPN will host “SportsCenter on Campus” from the plaza outside the USF Marshall Student Center on Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m.
Then, there will be a special 5 PM edition of SportsCenter live from Raymond James Stadium.
Golesh and the team are excited to represent South Florida once again on national TV.
“We’re excited to get back on the field. It feels like Memphis was a really long time ago. Big picture: We’re in November and we’re playing incredibly meaningful football right now.”
“We are beyond fired up to be back in front of our fans. We haven’t forgotten that the last time we were at Ray-Jay, that place was rocking. It was electric. And I’d tell our students, our fan base, that it’s the expectation again Thursday night to keep that thing rocking under the lights again on national TV. For us, it’s the next step on being able to get where we want to go.”
Author’s Prediction
USF is favored by 13.5 points. If you like potential high-scoring games, this game might be for you.
Once again, the scoreboard at Raymond James will light up, as these two teams are capable of putting up some points.
When the final gun sounds, I like the Bulls to get their seventh win of the season, 38-24, to set up another huge showdown for USF football the following week at Navy.