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Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:38 AM
The game will be nationally televised on either ABC or ESPN2 depending on your viewing location. If you’re located east of Louisiana, you can catch the game on ABC according to this viewing map provided by 506sports.com. If you’re located in Louisiana or any further west, you can catch the game on ESPN2.
Link
http://506sports.com/ncaaf/2018/week%202%20gt%20usf.jpg
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:40 AM
Five Things to Watch: Georgia Tech vs. South Florida
Link
https://theathletic.com/511001/2018/09/07/five-things-to-watch-georgia-tech-vs-south-florida/
Paul Johnson’s phone rang in the middle of his Tuesday news conference. On the other end was South Florida athletics director Michael Kelly. If Johnson had his way, he likely would have told Kelly that it wasn’t ideal for Georgia Tech to travel to Tampa to take on the Bulls.
“They’ve got some good athletes, so, I mean, they’ve got a good team,” Johnson said. “They won 10 games a year ago, and I think they’re 17-3 in their last 20 games at home. It wouldn’t be my idea to go down there and play them on the road, but we are.”
South Florida, 1-0 after a win over Elon, does come to Atlanta next season, but the Bulls do present the Yellow Jackets their first test of the season. This isn’t the same Bulls team that took Central Florida down to the final minutes of the game last year as South Florida lost one of its best quarterbacks in program history in Quinton Flowers, and the team lost 92 percent of its 3,169 rushing yards from a year ago.
The Bulls’ schedule to start the season is abysmal as they face Illinois, East Carolina, UMass, Tulsa and Connecticut after hosting Georgia Tech. It’s a favorable schedule that if it gets by Georgia Tech, it could be 7-0 to start the season and in contention for a New Year’s Day bowl to finish the season, so the game Saturday is of supreme importance to South Florida. The Bulls are 5-3 in their past eight matchups against Power 5 conference teams.
“You look at it, we’re a Group of 5; we’re not Power 5,” South Florida head coach Charlie Strong said Monday. “So when you do get a chance to play a Power 5 team, you have to go play well. Because what that does is, it opens up people’s eyes.”
Here’s what to watch for when Georgia Tech and South Florida kick off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday:
Control the tempo
South Florida hasn’t faced a team that runs a spread option offense like Georgia Tech’s since 2016 when the Bulls faced Navy. Controlling tempo in a game like this for the Yellow Jackets is critical because of how fast South Florida’s offense likes to play. The Bulls averaged 83.4 plays on offense last season. No opponent ran more than 80 plays against Georgia Tech last season, and the defense allowed an average of 64.2 plays per game.
South Florida is going to be in trouble if it can’t string together first downs and keep Georgia Tech’s defense on the field because the Bulls are only as successful with how fast their offense is moving. Johnson’s teams the past 10 seasons have placed in the top six nationally in time of possession five times.
“Any time you play an offense like this, you just know and understand you average probably about six or seven possessions per game,” South Florida offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said earlier this week. “We know the importance of when we’ve got the ball in our hands, we’ve got to go put points on the board.”
Stopping Blake Barnett
Most of Alcorn State’s pass attempts last Saturday in the season opener were throws to its running backs in the flats. That’s not likely going to be the case on Saturday when Georgia Tech goes up against South Florida quarterback Blake Barnett, who made stops at Alabama and Arizona State before winding up in Tampa.
In his South Florida debut against Elon, Barnett finished 24-of-34 for 305 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Elon barely pressured Barnett all game, and most of his passes were made from a clean pocket.
Barnett was a quarterback darling coming out of high school in California and hasn’t lived up to the hype. He started one game for the Crimson Tide before getting pulled in the first quarter for Jalen Hurts back in the team’s 2016 season opener against USC. This is Barnett’s final year of eligibility, and he’s looking to make the most of it.
“He’s a big guy, strong arm,” Johnson said. “He’s capable. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s got a rocket. He can make all the throws, and he can pull it down and run with it if he has to. It’s probably not his cup of tea, but he’s good enough to do it if he needs to.”
The good news for Georgia Tech is a Nate Woody-coached defense hasn’t given up a point in more than 130 minutes after the Yellow Jackets shut out Alcorn State 41-0 in the opener and Appalachian State blanked Toledo 34-0 in last season’s Dollar General Bowl.
Georgia Tech also gets back cornerback Lamont Simmons after he sat out three weeks with a hamstring injury. Simmons was believed to be one of Georgia Tech’s starting cornerbacks heading into the season, but the injury derailed his development in the preseason. He wasn’t listed on the two-deep provided by the team earlier in the week, but Johnson said he’s good to go. Georgia Tech will need all of the help it can get in the secondary because the Bulls have playmakers at receiver, including Darnell Salomon and Randall St. Felix.
New-look offensive line
After rewatching all of TaQuon Marshall’s pass attempts last week, there were numerous plays when his pass protection broke down. Johnson said he thought the team’s pass protection was good for the most part, but he has decided to change the offensive line heading into the game Saturday.
Zach Quinney will start at left tackle with Will Bryan moving to right guard. Brad Morgan, who started at right guard last Saturday, moves to the second team. The line is going to continue to adjust as last year’s starting center, Kenny Cooper, works his way back from injury. He’s expected to be ready to play next weekend against Pittsburgh. Johnson said he’s not sure if Cooper will return to center, where Jahaziel Lee has taken over, or if Cooper will move to right guard.
After the opener, Johnson found numerous flaws with the offensive line but was quick to note that it wasn’t just that unit that struggled.
Marshall’s week-to-week improvement
Completing 9-of-18 passes against an FCS team isn’t going to get the job done as the level of competition increases. But if you read my film analysis breakdown earlier this week, you’d know that there is reason for optimism with Marshall in the passing attack.
Johnson was critical of Marshall’s performance after the Alcorn State game on Saturday saying Georgia Tech threw the ball “lousy.” But Marshall is the team’s quarterback, and Johnson believes Marshall has what it takes to get better.
“Sometimes there’s some fundamental stuff that on the sprint out we can help him with that he didn’t do a good job on and we didn’t do a good enough job coaching him on,” Johnson said. “Then, sometimes, you just got to throw it. I think that sometimes everybody makes such a big deal out of it that it probably makes him antsy when he does it. My take on that? I’ve seen the kid throw the ball in practice. He can throw it. We just need to play better, we need to help him with some fundamentals, and he needs to throw the ball better. Just relax and believe in yourself and trust it and play. If he does that, he’ll be fine. Just look at what you’re supposed to look at.”
Marshall told reporters he believes he is better than what he showed against the Braves. How he bounces back against a South Florida team that won 10 games last season will show if he has made the corrections he spotted on film.
Conditioning put to the test
Georgia Tech practices in the middle of the day when the sun is the hottest and humidity is the worst. The Yellow Jackets do that to prepare for early season games like the game Saturday in Tampa where the high is projected to be 89 degrees, and with humidity, the temperature is going to feel like 97 degrees. Now factor in that the players are wearing full pads and exerting tremendous energy.
Conditioning for a game like this is what the team has been preparing for since preseason practice began last month. Johnson has said he has been pleased with the team’s conditioning level this week in practice.
Prediction
Georgia Tech 34, South Florida 21
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:45 AM
South Florida Game Bigger For Jackets Psyche Than Anything Else
Link
http://thewhiteandgold.com/south-florida-game-bigger-for-jackets-psyche-than-anything-else-p1662-250.htm
This game may not mean much. Not in the broad scheme of things. Georgia Tech doesn’t need a win over South Florida to reach its conference goals any more than it needed an impressive win over Alcorn State.
In a little more than a week when the Jackets open up conference play at Pittsburgh, the ACC will be on the line and we can start talking about how vital every single week of football is.
But South Florida? Meh.
Then again, this is a team that missed a bowl game last year. The Jackets lost an opener to Tennessee and then couldn’t find a foothold in the conference down the stretch. With a new defense that inspires a lot of confidence and an offense with a plethora of returning talent, does Georgia Tech really want to see what kind of intestinal fortitude the team has this early in the season with No. 2 Clemson staring back in its face in two weeks?
Not for a minute.
If Georgia Tech has designs on a complete turnaround from last season’s disappointing finish – and rest assured, that is the mindset of the locker room at present – it would be a devastating blow to leave Tampa, Fla., with a loss on Saturday.
Take for a moment the players the Bulls lost from a season ago. Yes, the team went 10-2 and averaged 38.2 points per game, but quarterback Quinton Flowers, who put together one of the better seasons in the program’s history, has graduated. How do you replace nearly 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns passing? 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing? How about Darius Tice and his 943 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing?
It’s not easy and, despite the presence of former five-star Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett under center, the Jackets absolutely should have the advantage on the field.
Georgia Tech’s defense was fast and mostly disciplined last week in a shutout win over Alcorn State and, despite some struggles, there’s no reason to panic about quarterback TaQuon Marshall and the offense.
Asked whether South Florida is comparable to an ACC team in size and talent, though, coach Paul Johnson was unequivocal in his response.
“I think so, yeah,” he said.
The point is this: Yes, Georgia Tech should win this game. Quite honestly, there’s no reason to believe yet that the Jackets won’t return home in two weeks for a showdown with one of the country’s best, Clemson, undefeated.
But Johnson knows and his players know and his coaching staff knows and every Georgia Tech fan that watched 2017 spiral down the tube knows that things can come off the rails fast. And if they do?
Well, Johnson can tell you what will happen.
“Teams get better from Week 1 to Week 2. If they don’t, they’re in trouble,” he said Wednesday. “If we don’t get better, we’re in trouble.”
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:47 AM
Saturday’s stakes huge for below-radar Bulls
Link
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/usf-bulls/2018/09/04/saturdays-stakes-huge-for-below-radar-bulls/
Two certainties have reared themselves within the USF demographic today. As sure as September precipitation, Bulls fans are snickering toward Tallahassee and sneering at the latest Associated Press rankings.
Not surprisingly, the Bulls' 34-14 romp of Division I-AA Elon hardly fazed AP voters, none of whom put USF in their respective top 25 this week. While that snub surely elicits a grumble across most of the fan base, it should surprise no one.
Fact is, USF's opportunities to really permeate the consciousness of voters this season are few.
Hence the reason Saturday's contest against Georgia Tech is so critical. In terms of gaining national cachet, it's the most significant game of the year.
"You look at it, we're a Group of Five, we're not Power Five," coach Charlie Strong said Monday. "So then when you do get a chance to play a Power Five team, you have to go play well. Because what that does is, it opens up people's eyes."
With a nationally televised conquest of the Yellow Jackets' patented flexbone triple option, USF not only re-emerges on the national radar, but sets itself up for a possible 7-0 start.
The Bulls' ensuing five games are against Big Ten doormat Illinois (which needed a second-half rally Saturday to defeat Kent State), East Carolina (a 28-23 loser Sunday to North Carolina A&T), UMass (a 55-21 loser Saturday to Boston College), Tulsa and Connecticut.
But that stretch of games represents a two-edged scheduling sword. If the Bulls fall to the Jackets, they're likely staying unranked even if they win the next five.
In a 6-1 scenario, national respect (and a ranking) only will come with a dazzling finish down the stretch, which includes games at Houston, Cincinnati and Temple, followed by the Nov. 23 showdown at home against UCF.
Translation: If the Bulls want to be ranked while the weather's still humid, they absolutely must win Saturday.
"You need to play well against Power Five teams," Strong said.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:48 AM
Efficiency of the essence for USF offense vs. Georgia Tech
Link
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/usf-bulls/2018/09/07/efficiency-of-the-essence-for-usf-offense-vs-georgia-tech/
TAMPA — To employ the gastronomic vernacular, Saturday's brunch with the Bulls calls for some serious carb loading. A second helping isn't promised.
For a program such as USF, opportunities such as this high-noon showdown against Georgia Tech are at a premium. It's not every Saturday that the Bulls get a chance to validate themselves against a Power Five foe. Even rarer are the chances to perform on a nationally televised stage (ABC).
"This is a big one for us. We know this," Bulls coach Charlie Strong said. "We have to play well."
RELATED: Saturday's stakes huge for below-radar Bulls
To dissect it further, the opportunities will be similarly precious for Strong's frenetic-paced offense.
In a classic contrast of styles, the Yellow Jackets will try to go methodically while the Bulls try to go at Mach 5. Georgia Tech will attempt to control the ball and clock with its trademark triple option, the likes of which no Bulls player has seen in nearly two years (Navy, 2016).
If it's even moderately successful, the Bulls will be afforded fewer plays than normal.
"Tempo's great if you're making first downs and moving the ball," Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "If they're not stringing first downs together and not moving the ball, then the tempo's not gonna help them at all. It's gonna hurt them because their guys are gonna be on the field a lot defensively."
Hence the reason offensive efficiency will be paramount for USF today. Even one pick, or a pair of three-and-outs in succession, could be perilous.
"Any time you play an offense like this," Bulls offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said, "you just know and understand you average probably about six or seven possessions per game."
That's probably a conservative estimate, but not my much.
USF (1-0) averaged 83.4 plays last season, while Georgia Tech allowed only 64.2 No Jackets opponent, in fact, ran 80 plays.
The reason? Tech milked its triple option — complete with two wingbacks, a fullback, a couple of receivers and typically no tight end — for all it could.
The Jackets' average time of possession in 2017 (33:30) ranked sixth nationally, the fourth time in six years it ranked sixth or higher. In lieu of a hurry-up system, Johnson often sends in plays via a receiver.
And against particularly sleek opposition, the Jackets are known for letting the play clock nearly elapse before snapping the ball.
When it's snapped, USF's defense must be braced for a keeper by quarterback TaQuon Marshall (a 1,000-yard rusher in '17), handoff to fullback KirVonte Benson (also a 1,000-yard rusher in '17), a pitch to any number of "A-backs" (wingbacks), or the occasional Marshall pass over the top once the defense has been sucked in.
RELATED: Know the Foe: Georgia Tech
"I'm familiar with it, but I can't go out there and play for our guys," said Bulls defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary, who spent two seasons on Johnson's staff at Tech (2008-09).
"They still have to go out there and execute and make sure we're sound and we're disciplined in all three phases as far as the dive, the quarterback and the pitch."
Same goes for the offense. Today of all program-shaping days, the Bulls must be sound, disciplined and darned efficient.
"We've just got to know this: Offensively we're not going to get that many opportunities," Strong said. "So we've got to take advantage when we get it."
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.
A matter of time
In five of Paul Johnson's 10 seasons at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets have ranked among the top six in Division I-A in time of possession.
2008 30:31 (48th)
2009 33:49 (3rd)
2010 31:53 (21st)
2011 31:55 (22nd)
2012 32:59 (5th)
2013 33:19 (6th)
2014 34:09 (3rd)
2015 31:08 (41st)
2016 30:17 (57th)
2017 33:30 (6th)
USF vs. Georgia Tech
When/where: Noon, Raymond James Stadium
TV/radio: ABC, 820-AM
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - MemphisTigerFreak - 09-08-2018 06:52 AM
USF needs an ***Official Game Thread*** rep.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:52 AM
Nate Woody’s Recipe for Success
Link
http://www.southernpigskin.com/acc/nate-woodys-recipe-for-success/
It’s easy to see why fans are excited after the defense posted a shutout in week one -- the program’s first since 2013.
Fast. Arguably undersized, but indisputably fast. That was the preeminent attribute of Nate Woody’s defenses at Appalachian State. Or successful. That one works, too.
With the seemingly annual questions swirling around Paul Johnson’s job security, he decided it was time to move on from Ted Roof, who, in five seasons at Georgia Tech, actually recruited pretty well but the production never matched the talent. In fact, the on-field product typically vacillated between mediocre and downright bad -- never good, and hardly ever even above average.
It’s easy to see why fans are excited after the defense posted a shutout in week one -- the program’s first since 2013. However, this hire has been an obvious home run since well before any whistles were blown, fight songs played, or balls kicked off. Just look at Woody and Roof’s comparative resumes over the past three years:
Philosophically, Roof and Woody fall on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as aggressiveness.
As denoted by the former’s disparity in success rate and IsoPPP, as well as the low rankings in both adjusted sack and havoc rates, he consistently favored an extreme bend-don’t break mentality that, according to those points per drive averages, were actually pretty darn fragile.
On the flipside, Woody thanks to aggressiveness in the front seven and a playmaking secondary (see those passes defensed to incompletion ratio rankings in 2015 and 2017), was able to consistently create pressure and diminish offensive efficiency without sacrificing big plays. As a result his defenses, correspondingly, forced turnovers at a consistently higher rate than his now-predecessor’s and, most importantly, according to S&P+ and FEI, were just flat out better. It is worth noting, too, that the aforementioned rankings are adjusted for oppositional strength, so any differences in the conferences they played in are rendered irrelevant.
The sack and turnover differentials are extremely telling, but perhaps the most notable divergence was in the percentage of solo tackles. Whereas Roof’s teams, without fail were at least above the mean in that respect, Woody’s squads were usually among the lowest in the nation. Team defense is clearly at a premium for the latter and his boys absolutely fly to ball. It’s almost a given at this point that, if nothing else, the former App State man’s defenders will be a gang tackling bunch.
That was on full display in his debut against Alcorn State. Their 2.86 yards per play allowed were the fewest Georgia Tech has given up in over a decade, and their three turnovers gained put them on track to best last year’s season total before the end of this month.
Granted, that was just Alcorn State. His first true test will come this weekend against a South Florida team that ranked in the top 30 of S&P+ last year, and the top 20 in offensive IsoPPP. The Bulls experienced a lot of turnover from 2017, but they’re young, fast, and explosive. A year ago, under Roof, this would have been a matchup nightmare for the Jackets. Now, with Woody at the helm, not so much.
USF has only lost four games in the last two years, but three of them came against defenses that ranked in the top 40 in success rate allowed -- just as Woody’s have for the past three years and counting.
It would stand to reason that a more aggressive style would make oneself increasingly susceptible to big plays -- and that may be true to an extent. Yet, the only proven way to truly limit offensive explosiveness is to limit offensive efficiency. Sure the big plays that inevitably happen will be abit more glaring, but the actual volume of such should mathematically decrease.
Personnel-wise, there are some concerns as far as dealing with one of the most physically imposing pass catching groups in college football, given an overall relative lack of size in the defensive backfield. However, what better way to mitigate those guys’ impact than by getting after quarterback Blake Barnett, who has only been in the system for a few months, and putting him in uncomfortable situations. Despite ranking 28th in overall offensive S&P+, they dropped to 97th on passing downs, so even though there’s a new man behind center, a clear track record of poor execution exists when South Florida gets knocked off schedule.
This was also a group that ranked only 78th in adjusted sack rate last year and lost two starters from the offensive line. Don’t be surprised if they get overwhelmed by the constant pressure that Woody is known for bringing.
These 2018 Yellow Jackets may not quite possess the ideal framework for Woody to run his defense at the height of its potential. There will always be some bumps in the road with any coordinator or scheme change. South Florida is a challenging opponent, littered with top tier athletes. Nevertheless, this will be an excellent barometer as to where this group is, how fast they’ve gotten there, and how close they are.
There is a lot to learn about Georgia Tech’s defense on Saturday, and a lot for them to learn about themselves. One thing, though, is already certain -- Nate Woody has a recipe for success, and judging by what they showed in week one, he’s already cooking.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 06:53 AM
USF takes aim at another Power 5 opponent, Georgia Tech
Link
https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/usf-takes-aim-another-power-5-opponent-georgia-tech
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Charlie Strong is eager to get a better idea of how good South Florida can be during a rebuilding year.
Saturday's nationally televised matchup against Georgia Tech figures to provide a better indication of where the Bulls stand with newcomer Blake Barnett at quarterback than last week's season-opening rout of Elon.
It's also an opportunity to expand on an impressive stretch of success against members of Power 5 conferences.
The Bulls have won five of their past six against Power 5 opponents, including bowl victories over South Carolina and Texas Tech in bowl games. The lone setback was a 55-35 home loss to Florida State in 2016.
"When you get a chance to play a Power 5 team, you have to go play well," Strong said. "What that does is it opens up people's eyes. Now all of a sudden they (say): 'Look at them against Georgia Tech.' Then you have Illinois coming up next. You need to play well against the Power 5 teams."
Lately, USF (1-0) actually has had quite a bit of success, period. The Bulls are 22-4 since the start of 2106, including 11-2 under Strong.
"We're going to be tested this week," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose team opened with a 41-0 shutout of Alcorn State.
"Defensively, we weren't tested very much (against Alcorn State)," Johnson added. "I don't think they threw more than two balls that went 10 yards down the field, so it'll be a different deal."
The biggest challenge Strong faces this season is replacing Quentin Flowers, USF's career passing leader and one of the top duel-threat quarterbacks in the nation over the past three seasons.
Former Alabama starter Blake Barnett earned the job this summer as a graduate transfer and had an impressive debut against Elon, completing 24 of 34 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns.
Some things to watch when South Florida hosts Georgia Tech:
STRONG GROUND ATTACK
Georgia Tech amassed 543 yards total offense against Alcorn State, including 439 rushing. It was the fifth time in 12 games the Yellow Jackets topped 400 on the ground. Like Strong, Johnson expects to learn a lot more about his team this week. "They've got some good athletes. ... They've got a good team," Johnson said. "They won 10 games a year ago, and I think they're 17-3 in their last 20 games at home. It wouldn't be my idea to go down there and play them on the road, but we are."
STOPPING THE RUN
Strong knows his defense will be tested. The Bulls have been preparing for Georgia Tech's triple-option attack since reporting for fall camp. "It's going to come down to assignment football — who has the quarterback, who has the dive, who has the pitch," the USF coach said. "If we can get all three of those things handled, then we've got a chance."
PITCH AND CATCH
Barnett left Alabama less than a month into his red-shirt freshman season two years ago. He returned to his home state of California and spent time at a junior college before moving to Airzona State, where he was a backup last season. He's not the only newcomer to USF's potent passing attack who had an impressive debut against Elon. Redshirt freshman Randal St. Felix had seven receptions for 143 yards and one TD.
LET'S WAIT AWHILE
Georgia Tech limited Alcorn State to 146 yards total offense, notching its first shutout since October 2013 — a span of 57 games. Johnson stressed, however, it's far too early to draw any conclusions about his team's potential. "I'm not going to get too pepped up, or too discouraged, or too anything until you play a few games," the coach said. "And then you'll have a better idea of where you are.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 07:01 AM
Georgia Tech at USF fearless prediction and game preview.
Link
https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/09/georgia-tech-at-usf-fearless-prediction-game-preview
Georgia Tech (1-0) vs. USF (1-0) Game Preview
One Reason Why Georgia Tech Will Win
It was a light scrimmage against Alcorn State, but it’s what the team needed.
The rushing parts got their feet wet, averaging over eight yards per pop with TaQuon Marshall doing a wonderful job leading the way in the 41-0 win. The tune-up worked.
USF was able to roll past Elon without breathing hard, but the Phoenix ran well. There wasn’t any passing game to worry about, and the Bulls could just deal with Elon’s ground game – they still gave up 192 yards.
On the other side, the Georgia Tech run defense shouldn’t have a problem with the changed up Bull offense without the same ground game to worry about. There’s no more Quinton Flowers handling the offense, but …
One Reason Why USF Will Win
It’s just a win over Elon, but it was the perfect game to Blake Barnett going. He finally appears to have found a home, and now the former Alabama star recruit and Arizona State Sun Devil was fantastic, throwing for a sharp 305 yards and three scores.
The rushing element isn’t there, but Barnett ran for a score, too. This is his opportunity, and this is his chance to shine.
But can the USF linebackers and D handle the Georgia Tech offense?
There’s still no downfield passing game to worry about from the Yellow Jacket attack, and the secondary should be USF’s biggest defensive strength. Don’t worry about anything through the air, sell out against the run, and everything should be okay.
What’s Going To Happen
This will be one of the underappreciated games of the weekend. USF has the talent and skill to pull this off, but the defense is about to get hit very, very hard by the Georgia Tech offense.
The inability to stretch the field with an opportunistic passing game will be a problem for the Yellow Jackets, but they’ll hold on to the ball for close to 40 minutes, run for 300 yards, and get by with a win that should be a launching point for a big year.
Fearless Prediction & Line
Georgia Tech 30, USF 24
Line: Georgia Tech -3.5
Must See Rating: 3.5
5: True Detective Season 3
1: A Million Little Things
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 07:06 AM
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. South Florida Bulls Prediction and Preview
Link
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-vs-south-florida-bulls-prediction-picks-2018
Georgia Tech, USF to face first true tests
Head coaches Paul Johnson and Charlie Strong will learn more about their respective teams on Saturday as Georgia Tech and South Florida square off in Tampa. Both teams collected easy victories over FCS schools to open the season, but this one is a true swing game.
In what will be the first matchup ever between the schools, the Bulls will look to prove that this season is more than just a rebuild. Over the last decade, USF has been no stranger to topping teams from the ACC with wins over Florida State, Miami, Clemson and Syracuse.
South Florida has finished in the AP Top 25 in each of the last two seasons, but with significant attrition on both sides of the ball, is expected to take a significant step back. The Yellow Jackets are looking to bounce back from a 5-6 finish a season ago in their 11th year under Johnson.
Georgia Tech at South Florida
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 8 at 12 p.m. ET
TV: ABC/ESPN2
Spread: Georgia Tech -3
Three Things to Watch For
1. Georgia Tech rush offense vs. South Florida rush defense
For South Florida to have a chance for success on Saturday, it will need to be able to get the Yellow Jackets into passing situations on third down. Georgia Tech's triple-option attack requires discipline to defend, but the good news is Charlie Strong is a defensive guy. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall is experienced and has two very good backs in junior KirVonte Benson and freshman Jordan Mason. Georgia Tech currently ranks second in the country in rushing yards per game and has ranked in the top 10 nationally in every season under Johnson.
South Florida is young on defense as it replaces its top three tacklers and leader in tackles for a loss and sacks from last season. Linebacker Nico Sawtelle is the leader of the South Florida defense while junior defensive end Kirk Livingstone made his presence felt in the 34-14 win over FCS opponent Elon to open the year. The Bulls however, did give up 192 yards on the ground and a couple of big runs against the Phoenix.
2. Blake Barnett
Replacing arguably the best offensive player in South Florida history in dual-threat quarterback Quinton Flowers is no small task, but Barnett was up for the challenge in the season opener. Once a highly-touted prospect who played at Alabama, Barnett has been forced to take his lumps in Tampa, but he has a big arm and a world of potential. In his starting debut for USF, the junior quarterback passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns on 34 attempts and ran for a touchdown.
With top cornerback Lance Austin having graduated, Georgia Tech is incredibly young in the secondary and that’s an area that Barnett can exploit – even with a relatively young cast of skill players. As vital as it will be for the Bulls to slow down the Georgia Tech ground attack, it will be equally important for the Yellow Jackets to stop Barnett. Randall St. Felix was the leading receiver for USF last week with seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Georgia Tech was a good team when it came to defending the pass a season ago.
3. Turnovers
If there was one area where Georgia Tech left something to be desired in its 41-0 victory over FCS opponent Alcorn State to start the season, it was the turnovers. The Yellow Jackets lost possession three times in the victory with two of those coming by way of fumble and one Marshall interception. The Yellow Jackets didn’t win the turnover battle in any of their six losses a year ago and were a combined minus-five overall in those contests.
The Bulls didn’t give the ball away a single time against Elon, but did take it away twice with interceptions from Mike Hampton and Vincent Jackson. USF was plus-10 as a team last season when it came to turnover margin, which ranked 15th in the country. Marshall has thrown just six career interceptions in now his second year as a starter, but all have come in his last five games. Over that stretch, the senior is averaging one interception in less than every 12 throws.
Final Analysis
Playing this one in Tampa will be big for South Florida, but both teams will have a good chance to exploit the others’ perceived weaknesses on defense. If Georgia Tech can protect the ball, it should emerge victorious, but that is a big if. Whoever plays well early will have a real advantage in this one given the offensive styles of play. Blake Barnett will likely have another big game for South Florida, but on a hot day with a noon kickoff, the Yellow Jackets should be able to wear the Bulls’ defense down.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 34, South Florida 27
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - GTFletch - 09-08-2018 07:10 AM
2018 Georgia Tech Football: Week Two Trailer [GT @USF Hype]
Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjsU88-9HwA
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - HuskyU - 09-08-2018 07:18 AM
Holy Todge!
![[Image: tumblr_mbrcg4Om7R1r1nnwro1_400.gif]](http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbrcg4Om7R1r1nnwro1_400.gif)
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - NothingButKnight - 09-08-2018 07:48 AM
I appreciate that you've recently learned how to copy and paste, but we can handle things from here.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - Bull - 09-08-2018 09:06 AM
Good luck Fletch... Hope it's a good game. And a BULLS victory.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - UCGrad1992 - 09-08-2018 09:33 AM
Gore 'em Bulls! P5 Piss-Jackets they be!
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - vick mike - 09-08-2018 09:41 AM
Go Bulls!
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - I_LUV_MEMPHISTIGERS - 09-08-2018 09:44 AM
(09-08-2018 06:52 AM)MemphisTigerFreak Wrote: USF needs an ***Official Game Thread*** rep.
You aren't paid enough for your official game threads. You need a raise, lol.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - Sellular1 - 09-08-2018 10:28 AM
(09-08-2018 06:52 AM)MemphisTigerFreak Wrote: USF needs an ***Official Game Thread*** rep.
Not needed for P5 vs P5 matchups.
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - knightastic - 09-08-2018 10:36 AM
playing option teams is frustrating
RE: Georgia Tech @ South Florida - otown - 09-08-2018 10:52 AM
Ahhhh screw it. For the good of the conference......... Go Bulls!