USF hosts BYU with much at stake for Bulls, Scott
TAMPA — It could turn out to be one of the most important games South Florida has ever played, because it could determine where this program is headed. USF, and Coach Jeff Scott, have a lot at stake Saturday when Brigham Young invades Raymond James Stadium.
For his first two years here, and despite the enthusiasm he has generated in the Tampa Bay community at large, Scott's teams have largely been treading water. There is nothing on the scoreboard to suggest USF has gotten any better. But much like building a house, there has to be a foundation in place before you can see the finished product, and putting in the foundation, changing the culture at USF, has perhaps taken longer than Scott anticipated.
Still, from the outside, there is very little to suggest meaningful change. Last year, the Bulls finished 123rd out of 130 BCS teams in total defense, 102nd out of 130 in total offense. In COVID-ravaged 2020, Scott's first year, USF was 94th out of 127 BCS teams in total defense, 90th out of 127 in total offense. Cold numbers by themselves don't tell the complete story, but that suggests this team is going in the wrong direction.
That has to change, and that's why the BYU game looms large. USF needs to prove to itself and to others that it can play quality teams and meet them on their own terms. If BYU, which could be this year's Cincinnati, destroys USF on its home field, it might well wipe out any forward momentum this team has built up leading into the season.
Whether or not the Bulls could recover from a complete blowout is questionable, given what's ahead of them. They must still get ready for Louisville, and Florida, and Cincinnati, and Houston, and Central Florida, not to mention East Carolina and SMU. And where another year with only two or three wins would leave USF is uncertain.
"This is a huge challenge for us," Scott said. "But like we talked about, with challenge comes opportunity and a chance for us to kind of be able to see where we are this year with this team. It's going to be a great measuring stick to see where we are versus a top 25 team."
That's what makes this game so intriguing. We really don't know much about USF. How much difference will quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who has played in and won games like this, make? Has Scott's culture change finally taken hold? Could USF actually win this game, and what would that mean to the program?
It's only one game, but it could have major ramifications, either positive or negative, on the entire season. It could even determine USF's football future.
PAT'S PICKS: BYU over USF - BYU has too much at stake to lose this game. The rest: Arkansas over Cincy, NC State over East Carolina, Houston over Texas-San Antonio, Miss State over Memphis, Navy over Delaware, SMU over North Texas, Temple over Duke, Tulane over UMass, Tulsa over Wyoming. Last year, 65-22, .747.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: USF hosts BYU with much at stake for Bulls, Scott
