KNOW YOUR FOE: South Florida looks to play spoiler against UCF in final War on I-4

Alone in the American Athletic Conference's basement, South Florida limps into the final week of the college football season with one last shot at redemption.

Beating UCF (8-3, 5-2) — or "the team up the street," as freshman quarterback Byrum Brown called it earlier this week — would not only even the all-time series at seven wins apiece, but it would deny the Knights the opportunity to exit the AAC as champions one last time.

The Bulls (1-10, 0-7) enter Saturday's game without a full-time head coach or any of the top three quarterbacks who began the fall atop the depth chart. Jeff Scott tallied just four victories in 30 games before his inevitable firing in the opening week of November. USF's 54-28 loss at Temple spelled the end of his tenure.

Gerry Bohanon (shoulder) and Katravis Marsh (neck) sustained season-ending injuries, and Timmy McClain transferred to UCF, where he serves as the scout team QB.

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Ahead of the final War on I-4 for the immediate future, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times checks in with the latest information on USF in this week's Know Your Foe.

Boyle: Where does the head coaching search stand, and what traits will Michael Kelly be looking for in finding a replacement for Jeff Scott?

Baker: The search is, obviously, still ongoing. I’ve heard a lot of names since Jeff Scott was fired, but I don’t get the sense that USF is close to a hire. There are a lot of moving parts that have to shake out first, from Auburn on down. Michael Kelly didn’t say that head coaching experience is a must, but it sure sounds as if it is. Florida recruiting ties are, too. There are some interesting candidates, both sitting head coaches or retreads, who check both boxes.

Some names that have come up: Former Houston/Texas coach Tom Herman, Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, Howard coach Larry Scott and, of course, Jackson State's Deion Sanders. We'll see how realistic that last option is.

Boyle: The QB spot has been a revolving door for USF this season due to injuries to both Gerry Bohanon and Katravis Marsh, but Byrum Brown impressed last week with 21 consecutive completions at Tulsa. What was your biggest takeaway from his first start for the Bulls?

Baker: I didn’t know what to expect from Brown because that’s a hard situation to enter — making your first start on the road on a Friday night at the end of a lost season with an interim staff. But he played very well, completing his first 21 passes and setting a single-game record in completion percentage (84%). My takeaway is that USF’s next coach will inherit a solid quarterback of the present/future and that the Bulls’ staff deserves credit for continuing to adapt despite a long list of injuries and Scott’s dismissal.

Boyle: Lost in the struggles, Brian Battie became the program's sixth 1,000-yard rusher and he has topped 100 in four straight games. How has the All-American kick returner developed into a reliable workhorse in the backfield this year?

Baker: Battie has probably been the biggest bright spot for the team this year. He started getting more opportunities by necessity (injuries to Kelley Joiner and Jaren Mangham), but he has earned them by playing extremely well. It’s the natural progression and development, to some degree, as he started with one responsibility and grew into more

Boyle: OK, let's get to the defense. It's not been pretty. The Bulls are second-to-last in scoring defense (40.7 points per game) and dead last in total defense (513.8 yards per game). What will be the Bulls' plan to slow down UCF, and do they have the personnel to cause any problems?

Baker: I don’t know exactly what the defensive plan will be, but the Bulls have to figure something out. Too often, USF has looked out or sorts on defense. I think there have been some slight improvements since Ernie Sims took over those duties after the Temple game, but there’s only so much you can do during the season. The Bulls have some nice pieces (like linebacker Dwayne Boyles), but based on the first 11 games, it’s hard for me to envision a major jump against UCF in the finale.

Boyle: This is the last War on I-4 for the foreseeable future, at least until 2028 as things stand. What is your favorite memory within this rivalry, and is it one you would prefer to see continue even with UCF moving into the Big 12?

Baker: The favorite moment is obvious — the 2017 thriller that was one of the best games in state history. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a UCF-USF game like that ever again, even if (when?) the rivalry does resume, which I really hope it does. Rivalries are what make college football special. Even if UCF and Texas Tech play 10 great games in a row, it won’t have the stakes of USF-UCF. Why? Because UCF players and USF players grow up going against each other, and UCF fans and USF fans work in the same offices and want bragging rights over their colleagues. We’ve seen too many great rivalries killed because of conference realignment, and I hope this one resumes in a few years when their non-conference schedules align again.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: Know Your Foe, South Florida Bulls