Syracuse Football: What to Expect from South Florida

The bye week is over and Syracuse football will face the South Florida Bulls on Saturday. This will be the Orange’s first game away from the Carrier Dome. It will also mark the return of some significant offensive weapons in freshman quarterback Eric Dungey and sophomore hybrid back Ervin Philips.

We know all about the Syracuse football team from the past four games, but what exactly do we know about USF? Well for starters, their team is sitting on a 1-3 record, coming off three consecutive losses. Whew, should be an easy win for SU, right? Not so fast.

More from Inside the Loud House

Although their record isn’t great, two of their losses have come against quality opponents. They lost 34-14 to FSU, who are a top-15 team in the country. They lost by just a touchdown to Memphis, who are undefeated at 5-0 with quality wins over both Kansas and Cincinnati.

Here’s a closer look at the USF offense, defense, and specials teams as well as a break down of what we can expect to see against the Syracuse football team this weekend.

Oct 2, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls running back Marlon Mack (5) runs with the ball during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s talk offense. South Florida showcases a rather balanced offensive attack, having compiled 665 yards through the air and 842 yards on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Quinton Flowers has seen the bulk of the snaps under center and has responded with some decent numbers. He’s thrown for 525 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He doesn’t possess a rocket arm, but he is consistent. He’s completing over 60% of his passes and has connected with nine different receivers already this season.

He’s also an exceptional running quarterback, as he’s piled up over 200 yards and 2 TDs. The rest of the backs are led by sophomore Marlin Mack. Marlin has already run for 392 yards in just four games this year and is coming off a season last year where he rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman. He has been a workhorse for them, averaging around 20 carries and 100 yards per game. He is their primary rushing threat. However, after coming off our last game against the “beast of Big Easy”, Leonard Fournette, I think this will be a much more favorable matchup for Syracuse football.

In the receiving game, D’Ernest Johnson is their big play threat and their most consistent receiver. He’s amassed over 200 yards already and 4 touchdowns, including two against Florida State. Though slated as another halfback, he will be split out wide many times against Syracuse and plays exceptionally well in the slot. He’s also got explosive speed, something Florida State found out first hand when he torched them for a 71 yard touchdown.

Sep 12, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) tries to elude South Florida Bulls defensive back Jamie Byrd (2) at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State won 34-14. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

On the defensive side of the ball, USF is a bit shaky, but has put in some solid performances against the run. If you factor out the FSU game where they gave up 278 rushing yards, their other three games they have limited opponents to just 304 yards total. That’s barely 100 yards per game.

USF runs a slightly odd defensive formation, going with a 4-2-5 lineup. This means they’ve only got two linebackers and five defensive backs on the field most of the time. They can get away with this because they have good size up front, with three defensive linemen weighing in at 280 lbs or more. The linebackers and cornerbacks are built more for speed than size, but are very good at closing distance quickly in the run or pass game.

Daniel Awoleke and Bruce Hector have both had a solid start to the season on the defensive line, recording two sacks each. Other than that, USF hasn’t been able to apply a ton of pressure to opposing quarterbacks, an area that Syracuse can exploit to give Dungey extra time in the pocket.

They also have a ball-hawking secondary that has intercepted 5 passes already. They are led by senior DB Jamie Byrd, and sophomores Deatrick Nichols and Devin Abraham. Each has an interception and several pass breakups. Though none of the corners are very big (5’8-5’11), all three are more than adequate in pass coverage and could make things challenging for Brisly Estime and Steve Ishmael to get open.

Sep 19, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; South Florida Bulls kicker Emilio Nadelman (35) makes a 35 yard field goal against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Lastly, the special teams for USF will be an important aspect of the game. South Florida has one of the best punters in the nation in Mattias Ciabatti. He’s averaging 46 yards per kick, good for top 20 in the country. They have a new kicker this year in Emilio Nadelman who is 3 for 3 on the season. Syracuse will need to win the special teams and field position battle to have success against South Florida.

All told, the USF team definitely has some quality players. Syracuse is going to need to shut down the run first and foremost, but also not sleep on the passing game of Flowers. He’s an efficient quarterback who can beat you with his legs and his arm. Look for Syracuse to bring lots of pressure early and often to disrupt him with Ron Thompson, Luke Arcienega, and Zaire Franklin. Look for the offense to spread the ball to Estime, Ishmael, Fredericks, and Philips and to run lots of triple option now that Dungey is back.

Check back later in the week for more coverage and game predictions, or enter your email below to be informed any time something new is posted.

Home/Syracuse Orange