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In Week 1, the University of South Florida takes on Bethune-Cookman at home. It is the perfect way to start head coach Alex Golesh's second year with the Bulls.
USF will likely use this matchup as a tune-up game for their players as they prepare for the grueling season ahead.
What's at Stake?
For the Bulls, winning this game is a must. Bethune-Cookman is part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the FCS. It will also help USF in its quest to get back to a bowl game. The Bulls' schedule this season will be quite difficult as they face opponents like Memphis, Tulane and Alabama, who crushed the Bulls last season. A loss to a team like Bethune-Cookman would immediately derail USF's chances at making the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. For teams outside the Power Four Conferences (Southeastern Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference), losing a single game could mean they are out of the CFP entirely.
For the Wildcats, they have nothing to play for when they come to Tampa on Aug. 31, except pride. Bethune-Cookman's traditional opponents are teams like Alabama A&M, Alabama State and Mississippi Valley State. For them to have a team like USF on their schedule is a big opportunity. Beating them at home could only speak volumes as a program. The money that USF is paying them to play them is certainly nice, too.
Key Players: USF
The Bulls retained both quarterback Byrum Brown and running back Nay'Quan Wright. The two accounted for 85 percent of the Bulls' rushing attack last season. But they are not the only players returning this season. USF also is returning 84 percent of its receiving game last season as well as four of its primary starters on the offensive line, led by guard transfer Zane Herring.
On defense, USF brings back nine of their 11 leading tacklers, including linebacker Jhalyn Shuler, who had 97 tackles in 2023. Of those, he had 8.5 tackles for loss.
The Bulls also returned two special teams players that should provide consistency in that department.
Key Players: Bethune-Cookman
The Wildcats enter 2024 similarly to the Bulls. They will have a second-year head coach in Raymond Woodie Jr. They also will have a considerably challenging schedule with games against USF, Western Michigan, Mercer and FAMU (defending Celebration Bowl champions).
On offense, they have quarterback Cam'Ron Ransom, running back Terry Lindsey and receiver Louis Kirchgessner. They are expected to provide relief for a team that struggled to get anything going offensively in 2023. They managed just three wins in the previous campaign. With new players, Bethune-Cookman may be able to get a couple of more wins.
On defense, Shelton Quarles Jr., son of Super Bowl champion and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers director of football operations Shelton Quarles, heads up the Wildcats' defense as a cornerback. In looking at what played into the Wildcats' losses last season, they were by double digits. Bethune-Cookman's defense seems to be a problem that needs to be fixed in 2024.
The Current Trend
It is not shocking to see that USF is heavily favored to win in nearly every prediction. Something to watch out for in this game is that the Bulls might come out rusty early. If it is close early, then do not be surprised.
Another thing to note is that USF does not have another game like this on the schedule. If they start getting ahead to the point where they feel comfortable, look for some starters to be benched. The one thing the Bulls cannot afford is to lose someone like Brown to an injury in a game that is already won. The longer Bethune-Cookman has USF starters on the field, the more the Wildcats are in it. It means that the game isn't going to plan for the Bulls.
While the Bulls will likely walk away with the win, it is nice to think of what might happen should the ultimate upset happen. Either way, college football is right around the corner.
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