UCF and South Florida aim to bounce back from devastating loss and rise to the challenge against tough opponents days after Hurricane Milton rampaged through the Floridian peninsula.
#UCF will resume normal campus operations on Saturday, clearing the way for the Knights to host Cincinnati at FBC Mortgage Stadium as previously scheduled. https://t.co/tDKlj455Wz pic.twitter.com/4EjivjJS0L
— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) October 11, 2024
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. UCF Knights
The Cincinnati Bearcats visit the FBC Stadium on Saturday with the hope of further compounding UCF Knights’ problems by dealing them their third straight loss.
Team Form
Cincinnati has compiled a 3-2 record after five games this season. Led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has already covered 1,481 yards with 12 TDs this season, Cincinnati is the No.15 passing team in the nation per passing yards at 301 yardage per contest.
After losing to Colorado 48-21 and Florida 24-13, UCF drops to 3-2 overall this season. Averaging 282.4 rushing yards and 49.8 rushing attempts per game, the Knights boast a top-5 rushing offense with running back RJ Harvey leading the way.
UCF CANNOT HANDLE THE SWAMP pic.twitter.com/OEA4f4CThX
— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) October 6, 2024
Players to Watch:
Cincinnati: QB Brendan Sorsby threw 426 yards on 68.9 completion with four touchdowns and one interception in 44-41 loss to Texas Tech.
UCF: After three consecutive games with 100+ rushing yards, RB RJ Harvey posted 77 yards vs. Colorado and 75 yards vs. Florida. Still, there’s no question he’s the head of UCF’s potent rushing offense that ranks No.4 in rushing yards per game.
Speed. Power. Yards. ⚡️💨
Tahj Brooks – 135.8 ypg
Cam Skattebo – 123.0 ypg
DJ Giddens – 120.8 ypg
RJ Harvey – 120.0 ypg pic.twitter.com/tC4FodagHc— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 8, 2024
Prediction:
Expect UCF to be more aggressive in passing the ball. Jefferson has already been sacked 13 times this season, so the offensive line must do a better job at protect their signal-caller. Against Cincinnati’s subpar pass defense (206.8 allowed yards per game), Jefferson will have an opportunity to bring more impact on offense than he has ever had in the first five games. UCF might be down, but certainly, they are not out. A win vs. their new Big 12 rival Cincinnati will help them steer the ship in the right direction.
USF Bulls vs. Memphis Tigers
The South Florida Bulls hope to give their fans something to cheer about after their area bore the brunt of the damage left by Hurricane Milton, which led to the relocation of Saturday’s game vs. Memphis from Raymond James Stadium to Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Memphis will play USF in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL, with kickoff set for 2:30 pm CT
Fuck you @American_Conf I wont let you announce this before me pic.twitter.com/H4I3JL6qum
— Ⓜ️emphis Sports (@kendricdavisfan) October 10, 2024
Team Form:
South Florida has dropped three of its previous four games, including an ugly 45-10 loss to Tulane last week. After displaying tenacity against Alabama in Week 2, the Bulls appeared to have lost their competitive fire immediately following the game against Miami, as they were listless and exhausted during the first half of last week’s game, which saw Tulane storm to a 31-0 lead.
Memphis scored their fourth win this season after beating Middle Tennessee, 24-7. After coming up short in an all-out shoot-fest against Navy 56-44, the Tigers deployed tighter defense against Middle Tennessee, holding them to just seven points and 312 total yards.
Tulane DOMINATES South Florida 45-10, Post-Game Thoughts
– Mensah and the offense COOKED, he is a star
– Josh Remetich played one of his best games ever
– The defense killed USF’s “high powered offense” 🤣
– Excellent play calling by Joe Craddock
– Tulane is on another level,… pic.twitter.com/BVvsKQB0jx— Green Wave News (@JJGREENWAVE) September 28, 2024
Players to Watch:
South Florida: QB Byrum Brown completed 12 of 18 passes for 134 yards in the loss against Tulane. Brown only has two touchdowns and zero interceptions after five games.
Memphis: RB Mario Andreson Jr. has logged 438 yards on 76 carries with 8 touchdowns this season. In the game against Middle Tennessee, the high-energy running back ran 18 times for 118 yards with one TDs.
Memphis plays at South Florida 9 days from now
Watching some USF stuff, and QB Byrum Brown has not impressed
Sure, he’s calm under pressure – but is an absolute statue in the pocket
If Brown moves in the pocket, it’s because he’s going to run, it’s rarely to actually navigate… pic.twitter.com/yOR56DUsEq
— Sam Shoemaker (@s_shoemaker52) October 2, 2024
Prediction:
Memphis outranks South Florida in almost every major statistical category on both sides of the ball. The Tigers average 191.4 passing yards (39th) allowed per game and 119 rushing yards per contest (45th) while allowing 310 yards per game – the 29th fewest total yards per game. With their morale at an all-time low, it will be difficult for South Florida to bounce back against tough and gritty Memphis squad, especially since they will be playing on the other side of the Florida coast, no thanks to Hurricane Milton. I predict Memphis to cruise to a blowout win on Saturday.
