Saturday is South Florida's Homecoming game and without saying it out loud, there are reasons why Kent State was chosen as the opponent.
First, the date in mid-October is perfect for celebrations like Homecoming.
Second, well, how should we put this? Teams especially want to shine on Homecoming and the Golden Flashes -- on paper, of course -- is from central casting in the role of patsy.
Kent has been playing college football for 65 years and is a cumulative 247 games under .500. That's even worse when one considers that in all that time, the Golden Flashes have only 233 wins. That's an average of 3.5 wins per year.
KSU has only two winning seasons in the last 14 years. With a 2-4 record entering their game Saturday against the Bulls, there's a good chance the Golden Flashes will stay on course to run that streak to 15 years.
Oh, and one of those winning seasons came in 2020, when COVID 19 struck while Kent was 3-1.
However, like you, we at Green, Gold and Bold have been watching the Bulls closely for the last few weeks. While it has been tempting at times to watch with one eye covered, the journalism rules say we have to keep both of them open and peeled to the action.
With that in mind, we can tell you this: If USF wins this game by 50 points, a portion of Bulls Nation will respond with a yawn. That's what the Bulls should do against a seemingly overmatched foe.
However, let's say they only win by something like 28-17, those same folks will go through their laundry list of targets -- Brian Hartline, offensive coordinator Tim Beck, defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge, quarterback Michael Van Buren, Jr., and so on.
And if, gulp, they lose, the long knives will come out. Even Rocky the Bull might need to go into witness protection.
My thought for this game is that USF is in serious need of a big shot of "feel good." The Bulls need a shutdown night on defense. They need significant improvement in the passing game. They need to recapture the euphoria that enveloped the program after the comeback win at Army.
They are capable of this.
It can happen. More than that, it needs to happen.
How to watch Kent State USF in Week 7
Date: Saturday, October 17 at Raymond James Stadium
Time: 7 p.m.
How to watch: TV: ESPN+ Play-by-Play: T.J. Rives; Analyst: Patrick Murray
How to listen: Q105 FM & Tune-In Digital Radio – Bulls Unlimited. Play by play: Jim Lighthall. Analyst: Sam Barrington. Sideline: Joey Johnson. Pregame Show (1 hour prior to kick): Darek Sharp, Rock Riley and Joey Johnson
What are the betting odds for Kent State at USF?
FanDuel Sportsbook favors USF by 20.5 points, although odds can change up until kickoff. The ESPN matchup predictor gives USF a 93.9 percent chance of winning.
Series between Kent State and USF
This is the first meeting between the two programs.
What's the weather forecast for this game?
At kickoff the forecast is cloudy skies with 71 degrees (feels-like 76). Only a 10 percent chance of rain.
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