USF Preview & Prediction

The Florida Gators will host the in-state South Florida Bulls Saturday night in The Swamp. Last Saturday, the Gators suffered their first loss of the season against Kentucky. However, the Bulls make their first visit to The Swamp since the 2010 season during the Urban Meyer era, and the Gators defeated the Bulls 38-14. Florida beat the Bulls in Tampa last season in Raymond James Stadium 42-20, which turned out to be a breakout game for young quarterback Anthony Richardson. Florida looks to rebound on Saturday against the Bulls after the 26-16 loss from last weekend. USF is coming into the game with a 1-1 record and coming off a win over Howard. The Bulls lost their opener to a good BYU team 50-21 at home in Raymond James Stadium. The Gator defense will be challenged with another talented quarterback in Gerry Bohanon, who transferred in from Baylor in the off-season. Anthony Richardson did have trouble getting himself going against Kentucky, as he only threw for 143 yards on the night with two costly interceptions. Richardson also could not get anything going with his legs as he rushed for only 4 yards and that is the part of his game that really sets him apart. However, after the game, Richardson didn't run from the criticism, he took full responsibility for the loss to the Wildcats. I hope we see the Anthony Richardson we saw against Utah comeback against USF. Florida's defense looked better against Kentucky, as Patrick Toney starts to put his fingerprints on the field. I was a bit concerned about the run defense heading into the game, but that actually proved to be a strength. Holding the Wildcats to just 70 rushing yards on the game, but ultimately it was not enough to win the game. The deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball were costly. Which was quite a surprise as the offense is what won them the game against Utah. With the Gators and the Bulls coming into the game with an even 1-1 record on the season, the apparent favorite is Florida. The Gators have beaten a Top 10 team this season and lost to a ranked opponent. I don't see any argument with giving the Bulls a chance because their lone victory was against FCS Howard, and they were humiliated by BYU at home. This game is also a Saturday Night matchup in The Swamp where only Gators get out alive, so I am giving the Gators an obvious win.

Prediction: Florida 41 USF 14