USF Bulls
Rapid Recap: USF rises to the occasion late to win at SMU
Once again the USF Bulls showed explosive offense, and for the second straight Saturday night on the road, it was their defense that sealed the deal in a 35-27 over SMU in Dallas.
QB Quinton Flowers hit receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 77 yard TD on the first play of the game and USF was off and running again on offense. RB Marlon Mack added a 60 yard TD run later in the first for a 14-7 lead. Then, the Bulls got two more Flowers TD passes to build a 28-14 third quarter lead.
But, behind QB Ben Hicks, who threw for 380 yards, the Mustangs stayed in the game. Hicks hit WR Courtland Sutton for a 54 yard score to cut the lead to 28-21 and led two subsequent field goal drives as the Ponies got within 35-27 in the fourth.
That’s when the Bulls defense made the game saving plays necessary. First, with under 5:00 remaining DB Deatrick Nichols picked Hicks off at the USF 15 yard line to stop SMU from getting closer. Then with under 1:30 to go the Bulls stopped SMU on 3rd and short and next, fourth and one inside their 25, to take over and run the clock out.
Flowers finished with 195 yards passing with the 3 TD’s and also ran for another 142 yards. He also became USF’s all time single season leader in total yards from scrimmage, and still has one more game to go.
The Bulls scored 30+ points for a staggering 15th straight game and are 9-2 matching their best season win total ever.
Former USF coach Charlie Strong has decided on a new role for the upcoming 2020 season, and it won’t be in Gainesville.
ESPN college football insider Chris Low reported Tuesday morning that Strong has agreed to join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama as a defensive “consultant” for this season
Think about the lineup of Hall of Fame coaches Charlie Strong will have worked for during his career: Saban. Spurrier. Holtz. Meyer. https://t.co/xD1kgGEI9Y
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 18, 2020
As we wrote last week, Strong had visited Saban and the Tide about the possible position on his staff, while considering a similar opportunity to join either Dan Mullen’s Gators staff or a couple of others in a consulting role. None of this will affect the nearly $3 million that USF still owes him as the buyout on the final two years of his contract.
Strong was fired after the Bulls collapsed losing their final four games to finish 4 – 8 this season. They were beaten by 27 or more points five times this year, including the last two losses to Memphis and rival UCF. This combined with the Bulls having lost their final six games, including their bowl game last year, meant that Strong had lost 14 of his final 18 games.
USF hired Clemson Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott earlier about a week later and gave him a 5-year, $12 million deal to become a first-time head coach in FBS football.
There had been some debate about Strong’s buyout being the amount of compensation that was remaining on his original five-year contract that he signed when he took the job in December of 2016 after being fired by the University of Texas. That contract called for Strong to be paid to $2. 5 million on average for 2020 and 2021.
However, USF informed Strong in his termination letter that the amount would be approximately $3 million under clauses in his deal.
Saban has a history of taking in former head coaches to come to Bama and observe and assist as a consultant with either his offense or defense. He’s done this for the last two years with former Tennessee coach Butch Jones and obviously, took in both Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian both of whom had been fired as coaches by USC at different stages.
Strong is known is an outstanding defensive coach from his previous days, as the Gators defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. He later went on to success at the University of Louisville before taking The the Texas head coaching job in 2014.
Strong was fired after three seasons in Austin in 2016, but immediately hired by USF to replace Willie Taggart.
And intriguing item popped up Friday morning involving former USF head coach Charlie Strong and him visiting Nick Saban the Alabama football program.
According to Alabama Insider and radio host, Aaron Suttles, Strong, who was dismissed last December after his third season with the Bulls, was in Tuscaloosa Thursday meeting with Saban and his staff:
Former USF/Texas/Louisville head coach Charlie Strong was in Tuscaloosa visiting with the Alabama coaching staff Thursday. Strong was let go from USF following the season.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) February 14, 2020
Strong had also been reportedly talking with the University of Florida about a possible consultant role, which likely would not affect the nearly $3 million that USF still owes him as the buyout on the final two years of his contract.
Strong was fired after the Bulls collapsed losing their final four games to finish 4 – 8 this season. They were beaten by 27 or more points five times this year, including the last two losses to Memphis and rival UCF. This combined with the Bulls having lost their final six games, including their bowl game last year, meant that Strong had lost 14 of his final 18 games.
USF hired Clemson Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott earlier about a week later and gave him a 5-year, $12 million deal to become a first-time head coach in FBS football.
There had been some debate about Strong’s buyout being the amount of compensation that was remaining on his original five-year contract that he signed when he took the job in December of 2016 after being fired by the University of Texas. That contract called for Strong to be paid to $2. 5 million on average for 2020 and 2021.
However, USF informed Strong in his termination letter that the amount would be approximately $3 million under clauses in his deal.
Saban has a history of taking in former head coaches to come to Bama and observe and assist as a consultant with either his offense or defense. He’s done this for the last two years with former Tennessee coach Butch Jones and obviously, took in both Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian both of whom had been fired as coaches by USC at different stages.
Strong is known is an outstanding defensive coach from his previous days, as the Gators defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. He later went on to success at the University of Louisville before taking The the Texas head coaching job in 2014.
Strong was fired after three seasons in Austin in 2016, but immediately hired by USF to replace Willie Taggart