USF BULLS
Raymond James Stadium (65,857/Natural Grass)
Tampa, Fla.
Television
BIG EAST Network Game of the Week
Mike Gleason, John Congemi and Eamon McAnaney
Syracuse Radio
WTKW-FM 99.5 (flagship)
Sirius 157
USF Radio
WFLA-AM 970
Sirius 158
THE GAME
Syracuse and USF have met five times prior to Saturday’s game and the Bulls have won all five games in the series … The USF-Syracuse series is the only head-to-head series in the BIG EAST in which one team has won all of the matchups … Last year’s game was a 34-20 USF win behind a six-catch, 139-yard, two-touchdown effort by WR Carlton Mitchell in Syracuse.
| This Weekend's Games |
Friday
UConn @ Rutgers (7:30pm, ESPN) - PREVIEW
Saturday
Syracuse @ USF (Noon, BIG EAST Network) - PREVIEW
Memphis @ Louisville (2pm, ESPN3.com) - PREVIEW
Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame (3:30pm, NBC) - PREVIEW
UNLV @ WVU(3:30pm, BIG EAST Network) - PREVIEW
Miami (OH) @ Cincinnati (7pm, ESPN3.com) - PREVIEW |
SYRACUSE (3-1)
Head Coach
Doug Marrone (Syracuse ’91)
7-9, second season
NOTES
Syracuse is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since 2003 … The Orange have registered wins against Akron (29-3), Maine (38-14) and Colgate (42-7) and have lost to Washington (38-14) … Syracuse did not play last week … Syracuse allowed 41 points in its lone loss and has allowed just 24 combined points in its three wins … The Orange have not been 4-1 through five games since 1999, when they won five of their first six … QB Ryan Nassib leads the BIG EAST in pass efficiency (151.4) … Nassib has completed 61 of 105 passes for 860 yards and nine touchdowns against two interceptions … RB Delone Carter is third in the BIG EAST in rushing at 104.8 yards per game … WR Van Chew is the top receiving threat (19 catches, 343 yards, two TDs) … Chew ranks second in the BIG EAST in receiving yards at 85.8 per game … LB Derrell Smith, who was named last week as a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, which goes to the top scholar-athlete in the nation, is second in the BIG EAST in tackles at 9.8 per game … Smith also has two forced fumbles … CB Phillip Thomas is averaging 8.0 tackles, good for fourth in the BIG EAST.
USF (3-1)
Head Coach
Skip Holtz (Notre Dame ’86)
3-1, first season at USF
75-51, 11th year as collegiate head coach
NOTES
USF returned from a bye to turn in its most complete effort of the year in last week’s 31-3 win against Florida Atlantic … The Bulls had seven sacks and held the Owls to 208 yards of offense … USF leads the BIG EAST in pass efficiency defense (105.06) … The Bulls have allowed just 161.5 passing yards per game … USF has three capable running threats with two tailbacks who average at least 50 yards per game and a mobile quarterback … RB Demetris Murray has 232 rushing yards and a touchdown, while RB Moise Plancher has 231 yards and four TDs … QB B.J. Daniels has rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and has passed for 560 yards and four TDs with five interceptions … WR Evan Landi has a team-high 203 receiving yards, while WR Dontavia Bogan has two touchdown catches … LB Sam Barrington has a team-high 23 tackles … S Jon Lejiste has three sacks and two forced fumbles … LB Michael Lanaris has a team-high two interceptions … The Bulls lead the BIG EAST in red zone defense, having allowed just five touchdowns and two field goals inside their own 20-yard line … The game against Syracuse is the third in a string of four consecutive home games for USF.