Notre Dame Opponent Preview | South Florida
After a bit of confusion as to whether or not Notre Dame would have an out of conference matchup in 2020, it’s officially official that South Florida has been added to the schedule.
They are set to visit South Bend on September 19th.
If this was South Florida from a few years ago, this would be a much different game. But after three years of Charlie Strong, USF has rebooted after a losing season. They are currently projected 83rd in SP+ and to finish second to last in the AAC.
New coach Jeff Scott arrives from Clemson and it’s not exactly a great year to take over a program in need of a rebuild or for this to be his first head coaching job. After opening with The Citadel, Notre Dame will be the first FBS program he faces.
Offense
In Willie Taggart’s last season, they were one of the most explosive offenses in college football. They finished sixth in yards per play (7.17). Last year they dropped all the way down to 109th in YPP. They were projected to be the 109th best offense in SP+ for this season as well. They lack top end talent and don’t have an all-conference candidate on offense.
Charlie Weis Jr. was hired by Scott to run the offense after being the coordinator at Florida Atlantic under Lane Kiffin the last two seasons. His offense looked good when he had NFL talent, but they dipped to 57th in YPP last season. He should do a good job there, but he’s not going to come in and work miracles.
Quarterback Cade Fortin is a North Carolina transfer who is expected to be the starter at quarterback. He sat out last season, but started two games as a true freshman at UNC. He might have some issues because the offensive line is going to be one of the worst in the conference. They finished 127th in sack rate last season.
They don’t have a receiver who caught more than 22 passes last season and their leading rusher has graduated. It would be a surprise if they put up points on Notre Dame’s defense.
X-factor - Johnny Ford
He rushed for 787 yards and 6.84 yards per carry in 2018, but barely played last season due to disciplinary reasons.
Wild card - Fortin
They desperately need him to be the man and there really wasn’t enough from his time in North Carolina to suggest he can be the catalyst. He completed 49.2% of his passes and threw one touchdown in four appearances.
Defense
Scott inherited a mess on offense, but the defense should be solid. They are 48th in SP+.
They also took Glenn Spencer away from FAU to run their defense and they made massive improvements in his one year there by getting more pressure on the quarterback and creating more Havoc. He won’t have to improve things as much for USF as he did at FAU and he also is inheriting some talented players as well.
It starts with cornerback KJ Sails. He’s another UNC transfer who has thrived for the Bulls and should be an NFL Draft pick. Mike Hampton is a solid player opposite him at the other corner as well. The secondary is the strongest part of the defense.
Linebacker Dwayne Boyles had 14.5 Havoc plays last season and is the best of that group, but he’s only one of two returning starters in their front seven. They did do a pretty decent job of getting after the quarterback overall, but they don’t have that one elite pass rusher that Notre Dame will have to scheme for.
This defensive front is probably going to be overmatched going up against Notre Dame’s offensive line.
X-factor - Sails
It’s a big game for him to prove he can play at a high level and they’ll need him to get his hands on the football. He had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble last season.
Wild card - ?
I would have put Michigan transfer Devin Gil here, but he’s one of several USF players who opted out this season.That’s not great for a team that already isn’t that deep.
Overview
No one should worry about a repeat of 2011. This program isn’t at a point where they have the talent to knock off Notre Dame.
The defense should be feisty, but they won’t have enough offense to have a shot at an upset. It should be an opportunity for plenty of players to gain experience in a game that won’t be close.