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The South Florida Bulls will begin their season in Raleigh, North Carolina as they prepare to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. NC State is coming off an 8-4 2020 season which included a loss to Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl while USF finished 1-8 in Jeff Scott’s first season as Bulls’ head coach.
Thursday will be the fourth time USF and NC State have met on the gridiron and the first time since 2014. USF will look to quarterback Cade Fortin to lead this offense after last year’s starter and playmaker, Jordan McCloud, transferred to Arizona. Even with McCloud, USF ranked 90th in the nation in yards per game (365.3) last season. This will be Fortin’s fourth college season and just his third start. He only had 8 attempts last season and will be behind an offensive line that surrendered 30 sacks in nine games last year. USF does have an experienced group of receivers in Omarion Dollison and Latrell Williams. Bryce Miller also is back after leading the Bulls in receiving last year with 33 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns and Xavier Weaver returns as the home-run threat. Running backs, Kelley Joiner and Brian Battie, are expected to split carries again this year as they both were the top two-yard gainers out of the backfield a year ago.
The Wolfpack are led by fourth-year sophomore quarterback Devin Leary, who started in three games in 2020 before suffering a broken left foot against Duke last October. In four games, Leary threw for 890 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. NC State looks to improve upon their 74th ranked offense last season and has a number of players returning including sophomore running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight and senior wide receiver Emeka Emezie. Knight was a first-team preseason All-ACC selection after compiling 788 yards and 10 touchdowns. Emezie, the 6-foot-3 receiver, pulled in 47 receptions for 738 yards and five touchdowns. He also ranks fifth in NC State history with 169 catches.
USF’s defense allowed 441.4 yards per game last season which ranked them 94th in the nation. USF should be better in Scott’s second season and returned their top two tacklers in linebackers Antonio Grier and Dwayne Boyles and their top interception leader in corner Daquan Evans. Something to build upon.
On the other sideline, NC State gave up 415 yards per game (71st in nation) and owned a -6-turnover margin (97th in nation) last season. The Wolfpack D welcomes back their top two linebackers and tacklers, Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore. Both could have a huge day against the Bulls. NC State should have little trouble cruising to a season-opening victory at home. Wolfpack head coach said this about his defensive line this week, “We’ve got experience and depth on the defensive line. We expect those guys to battle in there for us, and create havoc and disruption, to beat the other team on plays in the backfield. I think it’s a hungry group. It’s a group that probably feels disrespected a little bit. I think there’s been a lot of things written about them in a negative way that they’ve read and I think there’s a chip on our shoulder.”
I anticipate the NC State defense having their way with the USF offensive line and I look for NC State to take a firm grip on this ballgame in the first half and slow the game down by running the ball and the clock in the second half.
Take Under 59 points
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