USF Athletics

Red-Hot Bulls Ready to Take Show Back on Road

September 25, 2017

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, SEPT. 25, 2017 – After dominating defending champion Temple, USF looks to do more damage in the American Athletic Conference this weekend.

Up to No. 18/17 in the national rankings, USF (4-0, 1-0) continues its conference title pursuit Saturday at East Carolina (1-3, 1-0). Kickoff is set for noon at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.

"East Carolina started off with a big win over Connecticut. It's going to be a home game for them and we know we're going to have to play our best," head coach Charlie Strong said Monday on The American's teleconference. "Anytime you go on the road in this conference, it's always tough because every team gets ready to go play at home."

USF was more than ready for its conference opener at Raymond James Stadium despite not having a day off after the 47-23 win over Illinois on Sept. 15. In the battle between East Division rivals, USF's defense took the ball away six times and limited Temple to only 85 total yards in the 43-7 rout on Sept. 21.

"We want to be about disruption," said Strong after USF held Temple to minus-4 rushing yards.

While the relentless defense did its thing, USF's explosive offense rushed for 312 yards and four touchdowns against the Owls to extend the Bulls' nation-leading streak of 30-plus point games to 21. Winners of nine in a row, the Bulls are now tied with Clemson for the third-longest active winning streak in the FBS.

"Now we get the (conference's) most talented, and what some people consider one of the best teams in the nation, to come in and play against us here at home," ECU head coach Scottie Montgomery said.

USF also has respect for ECU, w=hich faced West Virginia and No. 12 Virginia Tech before beating the Huskies on the road last week. The Pirates put up 596 yards of offense and pulled out a 41-38 victory on Sunday.

"We've learned a lot in the last few weeks and we continue to strive to get better, but it feels pretty good to get going in the right direction," Montgomery said.

Nichols, USF Defense Making Opponents Pay
Senior cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Miami) was named The American's defensive player of the week on Monday after picking off two passes and forcing a fumble against Temple.

Nichols is one of four different Bulls with at least two interceptions this season on a defense that's tied with Utah for the national lead with 14 total takeaways. USF is tops in the nation with 12 interceptions and the Bulls have hauled in at least two in every game so far.

With his two picks, Nichols tied his single-game career high and moved up to a tie for third on USF's career interceptions list with 10.

"Deatrick Nichols is probably one of my favorite DBs to watch in college ball," ECU head coach Scottie Montgomery said. "I thought he was a great corner. Now they're doing multiple things with him."

Nadelman Earns Conference, National Honors
Emilio Nadelman also is the talk of the conference after earning The American's special teams player of the week award with a 5-for-5 field goal performance against Temple.

The senior from Miami connected from 44, 44, 37, 28 and 25 yards out and made four PATs to set USF's new game scoring record for a kicker with 19 points. Learn more about USF's weekly conference honors HERE.

On top of his league award, Nadelman was one of the Lou Groza Award's Stars of the Week. 

Bulls Running Wild
Heading into Saturday, USF ranks ninth nationally with a rushing attack that's averaging 289 yards per game.

Dynamic running back duo Darius Tice (Miami) and D'Ernest Johnson (Immokalee, Fla.) both have posted consecutive 100-yard rushing games while USF has rolled past the 300-yard rushing mark three times already this season.

Quarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami) has gotten in on the fun with 302 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his pursuit of another memorable record. USF's career leader in rushing touchdowns (34) needs 52 more rushing yards to pass Tim Tebow (2,947) and become the state of Florida's career rushing QB king.

 Bulls Bits

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NO. 34: Happy birthday to Keirston Johnson, who turned 20 on Monday. The freshman linebacker from Jacksonville has played in all four games so far and has hauled in one of USF's nation-leading 12 interceptions.
• SUSTAINED SUCCESS: USF's 22-4 record over the past 26 games marks the winningest period in program history and matches the fourth-best record in the nation over that period. Alabama (25-1) is the hottest team during the stretch, followed by Clemson (24-2) and San Diego State (23-3).
• USF-ECU SERIES HISTORY: USF is looking to improve to 7-1 in its all-time series with East Carolina. The Bulls have won the past two meetings, including a 22-17 victory at ECU in 2015.

 
About USF Football
USF finished the 2016 season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll with a school-record 11 wins following the program's fifth-ever bowl victory in the Birmingham Bowl. The Bulls' 11-2 record marked the fifth-best winning percentage in FBS football in 2016 and one of just 11 teams to reach 11 wins. USF set nearly 40 team and individual records in 2016, including team records for total yards (6,650), rushing yards (3,714), touchdowns (77) and scoring (569). Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led a school-record 10 players named to the all-conference team, six of which, including Flowers, returned in 2017. 

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