‘We’re Foaming Out the Mouth’: Florida’s Focus on USF
The No. 13 Florida Gators (1-0) face a critical test Saturday against a surging USF team, just weeks before their season-defining road trips to No. 2 LSU and No. 5 Miami.
While some might be tempted to see this matchup as a “trap game,” USF (1-0) already commands Florida’s attention, especially after the Bulls routed last year’s playoff darlings Boise State by 27 points in their season-opener last week.
“So it’s a good, a really, really good football team, and I’m impressed with the film of week one,” Florida coach Billy Napier said Monday. “Obviously, Boise is a very well-established playoff team, and for them to dominate the game and have control of the game from the jump, I thought was impressive for them to start the season. So we’re gonna need to be at our best.”
There is plenty to like about USF on both sides of the ball. Offensively, it starts with quarterback Byrum Brown, who is all of 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, but similar to a train coming down the tracks, when he gets going downfield, you’d better get out of the way. Last week, Brown completed 16-of-24 passes for 210 yards, along with 14 carries for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
But this is no one-trick pony offense. The Bulls boast an arsenal of explosive options on the outside, with Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton each racking up more than 90 yards receiving last week. And don’t forget the dynamic Alvon Isaac coming out of the backfield. He and Brown powered their way to a combined 124 yards rushing against Boise, making this attack a handful.
On the flip side, the USF defense was all over the field in Week 1. It held Boise State to seven points, forced three turnovers and recorded one sack. One of the more impressive stats was that the Bulls held a good running team to just 3.2 yards per carry.
Napier credits USF’s defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando, for being one of the best defensive minds in the sport.
“This guy’s been around the block,” Napier said. “He’s always been a tough prep. You go back to the Houston days, the Texas days. I think in general, he’s got front variables, pressure variables and coverage variables.
“And I think he gets them to play hard. Look, this is a tie game, right in the fourth quarter, starts at Tuscaloosa. It’s tied up. So we’ll have no issue getting the attention of the players here. They’ve got a really good football team, and they worked hard.”
Junior wide receiver and Tampa native Eugene Wilson III is more than ready to play against his hometown squad. Florida’s 42-20 win against USF in 2021 was one of Wilson’s first recruiting visits, when he got to see both teams in action. Similar to his counterparts and coaches, Wilson is not overlooking this game. In fact, he is more than ready to get out there for the 4:15 p.m. contest (SEC Network, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF) at The Swamp.
“We’re foaming out the mouth,” Wilson said with a half-hearted smile. “The main thing is just to go 1-0 this week. USF, they did a great job last week going out and beating a playoff-contender team last year, but we’re not worried about their opponent, we’re worried about our opponent, so we got to go out and go where we go.”
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC, USF
