Miami Hurricanes vs. USF Bulls FAQ: What to know about the matchup
The No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (3-0) travel to play the USF Bulls (2-1) on Saturday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
Here is what you need to know about the matchup.
How can I watch the Miami Hurricanes vs. USF Bulls game?
The Hurricanes’ road game against USF will be televised on the ESPN. It is also available on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
Who is favored in the Miami Hurricanes vs. USF Bulls game?
As of Friday morning, the Hurricanes are listed as a 17-point road favorite against USF, according to Odds Shark. The over/under is 65 points.
What is the history between the Miami Hurricanes and USF Bulls?
Saturday will be the seventh all-time meeting between Miami and USF. The Hurricanes are 5-1 in the series, including wins in each of the past three games in 2013 (49-21), 2012 (40-9) and 2011 (6-3). USF’s lone win in the series was a 23-20 victory in 2010.
What were the expectations for the Miami Hurricanes and USF Bulls entering the season?
The Hurricanes were voted to finish third in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Bulls were voted to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference.
How have the Miami Hurricanes and USF Bulls done so far this season?
The Hurricanes opened the season with a 41-17 road win at the Florida Gators followed with a 56-9 blowout win against Florida A&M and 62-0 shutout of Ball State at home.
USF beat Bethune-Cookman 48-3 at home, lost 42-16 to Alabama on the road and beat Southern Miss 49-24 on the road.
What are three keys for the Miami Hurricanes against the USF Bulls?
▪ Limit USF’s run game: The Bulls are one of the top rushing teams in the country, averaging 268.67 yards per game on the ground, which ranks eighth nationally. USF is coming off a win against Southern Miss in which it ran for 369 yards and five touchdowns.
▪ Get the offense going early: Miami’s offense has been humming through three games, averaging 53 points per game. Maintaining that explosiveness will be critical against a USF team that is heavy on the rush and has a knack for making plays behind the line of scrimmage, evidenced by its 27 tackles for loss.
▪ Don’t overdo it: The Hurricanes have cruised during the past two weeks while facing overmatched opponents. Now that they’re facing some stiffer competition, they need to stick to what has worked.
Who are some Miami Hurricanes players to watch?
▪ Defensive lineman Tyler Baron: The Tennessee transfer is tied for the national lead with seven tackles for loss (also South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard and West Virginia’s T.J. Jackson) and is tied for third with four-and-a-half sacks (also Virginia Tech’s Antwaun Powell-Ryland).
▪ Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo: In addition to leading the team with 263 receiving yards and four touchdowns, the fifth-year senior is just 20 yards from becoming the 10th player in UM history with 2,000 career receiving yards.
▪ The offensive line: Going to lump the whole group together here. They have worked well despite its share of injuries through the first three games. The group is likely to get left tackle Jalen Rivers back on Saturday, which will be a notable boost.
Who are some USF Bulls players to watch?
▪ Quarterback Byrum Brown: The dual-threat quarterback has completed 56 percent of his passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while also leading the Bulls with 254 rushing yards and another two scores.
▪ Linebacker Mac Harris: The graduate student leads USF with 19 tackles and three-and-a-half tackles for loss while also logging three quarterback hurries, one sack, one pass breakup and one forced fumble through the Bulls’ first three games.
▪ Running back Kelley Joiner: His 7.3 yards per carry ranks 17th nationally among players with at least 30 carries. He also has four rushing touchdowns through three games.
