USF coach Alex Golesh repeatedly says he wants the Bulls to have a strong running game.
However, after three games – admittedly, three games the schedule-maker cooked up in a mad scientist’s lab – USF is anything but that. If anything, that part of the attack has run aground.
The Bulls rank 125th (out of 134 teams) nationally in rushing. They average only 95 yards per game on the ground.
It’s not for a lack of trying. USF has 84 running plays compared to 64 pass attempts. However, the ground game has been largely ineffective, especially considering that quarterback Byrum Brown, with 44 rushes, has more than half of the team’s attempts.
Part of that is the quality of the opposition and those teams concentrating on stopping the USF ground game.
“Like, you'd be silly to say, Man, that's a bad matchup, but we're still going to take that matchup. You're trying to play chess as much as you can, find the matchup and expose that matchup,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said.
“The better teams you play, the harder that matchup is to find.”
It should be about to get easier. USF hosts South Carolina State on Saturday, followed by a week off before the American Conference opener with Charlotte. Both games are at home, and fans likely will see a more effective running attack.
“Ultimately, our identity offensively is to run the football, and we haven't truly been able to consistently do that because of the matchups more than anything else,” Golesh said.
“We've been able to effectively protect the quarterback in the past games and have used him in the run game more. I think as we go here, we've got to get our mojo back.”
Brown will continue to be called upon in the run game, and sophomore Alvon Isaac shows lots of promise.
“Isaac, who started the year, I don't know, on the depth term lower, and right now, he's been a shining star for us, both in the passing game and the run game,” Golesh said.
“He has really stepped up. He's been as much of a star for us offensively through three weeks as anybody. He's been really, really special.”
But the Bulls need more from Transfer Portal additions Cartevious Norton (15 carries, 49 yards) and Sam Franklin (eight carries, 19 yards).
It wouldn’t be surprising to see both of them get more work in the next two games, especially considering that Norton transferred to USF from Charlotte.
Despite the blowout loss at Miami, the Bulls came through what was called the toughest non-conference schedule in the country with two wins in three tries.
That says a lot about not only where this team is now, but also where the Bulls have the potential to go when conference play begins.
“We look fast, we're physically ready to go play that schedule. I think if I learned anything through the first three, which is why I'm so encouraged standing up here right now, is that this is a really, really gritty, tough, mentally and physically, football team. It's a really connected football team, and they are. They are literally as close of a team as I've been a part of, from offense to defense, the special teams are all in. There are so many, so many guys that are playing to their potential right now. It's really, really encouraging.”