When he was the head coach at Florida, Charley Pell was trying to hype up the Gators' non-conference schedule when he got around to mentioning their matchup with Army.
Charley made it sound like his team would be facing overwhelming odds to even stay close in that contest. The assembled sports writers stayed quiet for a moment until someone asked, "Did you schedule this because it's an easy win?"
There was stifled laughter in the room, and even Charley chuckled before he said, "Prestige game."
For the record, the Gators won that game 31-7 and Army finished the season 4-6-1. It was, as predicted, an easy win.
I mention this anecdote because South Florida plays Army on Saturday at West Point. It's still a prestige game, but there will be nothing easy about it.
"I think anytime you have an opportunity to play Army up at West Point, it's special," USF head coach Brian Hartline said.
The Black Knights expect to contend for the American Conference title this season -- as do the Bulls, by the way -- and they'll always present problems because of the triple option offense they run.
They obliterated outclassed Bryant 59-3 last week to open the season. Army had 569 rushing yards and averaged 10 yards per carry. They had eight rushing touchdowns and Zach Mundell had two of them, along with 105 yards on just four carries.
How can the Bulls' defense contain an offense capable of breaking off a long touchdown run on every carry?
"The best way to erase anything is high effort, high discipline," Hartline said.
The defense did just that last week against FIU. Three forced three turnovers and had four fourth-down stops. They kept the Panthers out of the end zone until the game's final play in USF's 19-9 win.
And new defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge had the same job last year at East Carolina when the Pirates thumped 28-6. If the defense can hold up its end again, it boils down to the offense putting together a better showing than it did last week against FIU.
How to watch USF at Army in Week 2
Date: Saturday, September 12
Time: Noon
How to watch: CBS Sports Network - Play-by-Play: Jack Gordon, Analyst: Taylor McHargue, Sideline: Tina Cervasio
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 USF vs. Army?
FanDuel Sports book favors Army by 3.5 points. The ESPN matchup predictor gives Army a 60.5 percent chance of winning.
Series between USF vs. Army
The series is tied 1-1. The teams haven't played each other since 2004.
What's the weather forecast for this game?
The temperature will be in the low to mid 70s with only 10 percent chance of showers.
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