USF focused on the big prize in regular season home final

TAMPA -- The University of South Florida football team now has a new perspective.

After becoming bowl-eligible following a victory over Temple last week, the Bulls are starting to wonder where they might go for their first bowl game since 2010.

But they haven't lost focus on the main prize.

USF plays host Friday night to Cincinnati in its last home game of the season -- with the American Athletic Conference championship still a possibility.

If the Bulls can win their last two games against Cincinnati and winless University of Central Florida on Thanksgiving Day, coupled with a Temple loss, USF would win the East Division and play in the conference championship game.

But first things first for the Bulls (6-4, 4-2), as Cincinnati (6-4, 3-3) boasts a high-powered offense that ranks fourth nationally. The Bearcats are averaging 585.4 yards per game and scoring 38.7 points per game. Quarterback Gunner Kiel has thrown for 2,434 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.

In winning five of their last six games, the Bulls have relied on a stout defense and an improving running game. USF is ranked 15th nationally with 227.9 yards rushing yards per game and is 157 yards short of the program's single-season record with two games left to play.

The Bulls rushing game has forced opposing defenses out of concentrating just on stopping Marlon Mack, who ranks 16th nationally in rushing at 118.3 yards per game. Quarterback Quinton Flowers presents multiple problems with his running and passing, which is the reason the Bulls did so well against Temple -- at the time ranked 12th nationally against the run.

In the past four games, Flowers has thrown for 735 yards with four touchdowns.

"He's a difference maker," Bulls co-offensive coordinator Danny Hope said. "It's not that he just makes the right decision, he's making it a lot quicker. The ball comes out of his hand a lot faster. He's not back there in the pocket as long as he used to be, trying to figure out what's going on."

The Cincinnati game is Senior Night for the Bulls, which seems fitting since they were sophomores when head coach Willie Taggart took over the program. The seniors struggled with him through 2-10 and 4-8 seasons.

Taggart has to feel good about the senior offensive linemen who made the run game a success. Leading the front line is center Brynjar Gudmundsson flanked by Mak Djulbegovic and Thor Jozwiak.

"We've been working since the day we got here, dreaming big. Now that we have something to play for on Senior Night, it means even more," Djulbegovic said.

Gudmundsson moved to center at the beginning of the season, filling the shoes of Lakewood Ranch's Austin Reiter, a fixture there for three years. It turned out to be a critical switch.

"He never complained. He was for whatever was best for the team and went along with it," Taggart said.

The Bulls hope to exploit a Cincinnati defense tied for 88th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 186.1 yards per game, and 77th in scoring defense, giving up 28.2 points per game.

USF's front four did a good job of applying pressure against Temple, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen is looking for more of the same against Kiel.

The Bulls rank 12th nationally with 7.8 tackles for loss per game, led by senior safety Jamie Byrd, who has notched 10 tackles for loss and five sacks this season.

Defensive ends Eric Lee and Shawn Hill are tied for the second on the team with three sacks apiece, and each has 7.5 tackles for loss.

"Our guys are locked into what we're trying to get accomplished. That's been the beauty of the team," Taggart said. "I think we have a special group with these guys because of how determined they are, and how focused they are on doing things right and getting what we all set out to get at the beginning."

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 7:21 PM with the headline "USF focused on the big prize in regular season home final ."