Who: The East Carolina University Pirates visit the University of South Florida Bulls
What: American Athletic Conference football game
When: Saturday, October 8, 2016
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Why: Conference championship possibilities
The University of South Florida Bulls host the East Carolina University Pirates on Saturday in 7th matchup between the two programs. USF has dominated that series, winning five of the six games. The only win for ECU came in 2014, a season the Bulls won just four games, their third worst win total in program history.
The Pirates come into the game with a 2-3 record, losing their past three games. Their last game was a 47-29 defeat at the hands of the rebuilding UCF Knights. Despite their poor performance since, the Pirates did beat NC State in week two, the only losing mark for the Wolfpack on the season.
The Bulls have just a single blemish on their record, a humiliating 55-35 defeat at the hands of Florida State, two weeks ago. Aside from the loss to the Seminoles, USF is averaging more than 48 points per game on offense and allowing just under 20 points to their opponents. The Bulls have the 5th ranked scoring offense in the nation, trailing only Texas Tech, Louisville, Miami, and Ohio State. In their last matchup, USF beat Cincinnati, 45-20.
USF Offense
A big part of that high ranking scoring offense is due to their 15th ranked rushing offense, where they have scored 19 of their 31 touchdowns. Quarterback, Quinton Flowers, is currently leading that ground attack with 383 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Running back, Marlon Mack, who has suffered some lost time due to injuries, is second on the team with 333 yards and 6 scores.
As his rushing numbers have gone up, Flowers’ passing numbers have gone down. With Flowers at the h helm, the Bulls rank just 65th in the nation in passing offense. He has managed 214 passing yards per game and eight passing touchdowns on the season. Rodney Adams has caught three of those touchdowns, racking up 303 yards in the process. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has also been a favorite target, with 13 catches on 220 yards receiving.
ECU Defense
The Pirates will have their work cut out for them, with their 94th ranked scoring defense, which has allowed more than 31 points per game. Defensive back, Terrell Richardson, leads the team with 31 tackles and linebacker, Jordan Williams, is a close second with 29. The team has just one sack on the season and just three interceptions.
ECU Offense
The Pirates lean more on the pass than the run, averaging 392 yards passing in their 65th ranked scoring defense. Phillip Nelson accounts for 350 of those passing yards and he is individually ranked seventh in the nation in yards per game. ECU is ranked 4th in passing yards per game.
With that high level of passing, it is no surprise that they spread the ball around. Six receivers have at least one touchdown on the season and four have at least two. Zay Jones is the favorite target, with 695 yards and two scores. Jimmy Williams is in second position, with 467 yards and three touchdowns.
The ground game is run by committee, with carries split between Anthony Scott and James Summers, with 286 and 245 yards respectively. They each have a pair of touchdowns.
USF Defense
It will be the 57th ranked scoring defense of the Bulls, allowing 26 points per game, who will try to contain that prolific passing attack. They are led by linebacker, Auggie Sanchez, with 48 total tackles, which is 24th best in the nation. Fellow linebacker, Nigel Harris, contributes another 35 tackles per game. Sanchez also leads the team with three of the teams 11 sacks. Harris, along with seven other players, have one sack. Harris also has one of six team interceptions.
Expectations
The Pirates emphasis on the pass will put up sizable numbers against the Bulls’ 59th ranked passing defense, with is allowing over 220 yards per game. They’ll probably also score near their 29 point per game average. However, Bulls high scoring offense will be an enormous challenge for the 81st ranked rushing defense of ECU, who allow nearly 173 yards per game. The Bulls are 20 point favorites at home, and in the shadow of Hurricane Matthew, will probably be able to reach that bar.
Kickoff is at noon on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
