Alabama Football: South Florida Bulls Offensive Scouting Report

The last time the defense for Alabama Football was on the field was not its best showing. It surrendered 21 points to Texas in the fourth quarter, and then repeatedly failed to get a stop and get the ball back to its offense. On Bama’s home field, the Longhorns were able to milk the last seven minutes off the clock for a decisive 34-24 victory.

This drive should have been a shot to the pride of the Alabama defense. If this unit is truly as good as many Crimson Tide fans believe it can be, it will use the embarrassing loss as a launching point. For starters, it should come out playing inspired football in Tampa this weekend.

Alabama Football vs South Florida Offense

The South Florida offense will provide a unique challenge for the Crimson Tide. The Bulls implement an uptempo scheme under first year head coach Alex Golesh, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers under Josh Heupel. Golesh’s innovative scheme has been successful at several stops and puts a lot of stress on opposing defenses, as the Tide experienced firsthand in Knoxville last season.

USF is averaging 441 yards of total offense through two games, including 241 per game on the ground (good for 10th in the nation). In a season-opening loss to Western Kentucky, The Bulls posted 540 yards of total offense and outgained their opponent. Ironically, in a week two win over Florida A&M, USF was held to just 342 yards and was outgained by the Rattlers.

Alabama Football: Scouting USF on the ground

The Bulls’ potent ground attack is powered by dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown, who is a dangerous playmaker with his legs. Brown led USF with 160 rushing yards and a pair of scores in the loss to WKU, but also completed less than 50 percent of his passes with two interceptions.

He was much more efficient as a passer against FAMU, completing just under 60 percent of his throws with three touchdowns and no interceptions while adding two more scores on the ground. Brown was an effective runner against FAMU as well, but netted just 23 yards due to six sacks by the FAMU defense.

Look for the Alabama defense to try to keep Brown contained in the pocket and pressure him into making costly errors, much like how Texas defended Jalen Milroe last week.

The South Florida running game consists of more than just the quarterback. Former Florida running back Nay’Quan Wright (26 carries, 148 yards) and former Clemson running back Michel Dukes (21 carries, 104 yards) are a quality tandem in the backfield.

In a previous matchup with Alabama in 2021, Wright gained 58 yards on 8.3 yards per carry. He was one of the key pieces of a Florida rushing attack that rolled up 245 yards on the Tide, and nearly pulled off an upset in the Swamp.

Alabama Football: South Florida offense one-dimensional?

The USF passing attack hasn’t fared nearly as well, ranking in the bottom third of FBS programs in yards per game. Slot receiver Sean Atkins has been a safety valve for quarterback Byrum Brown, with a team-leading 10 receptions through the first two games.

Junior receiver Khafre Brown is the Bulls’ deep threat. His six catches have gone for team highs of 109 yards, 18.3 yards per catch, and two touchdowns, fueled by an 84-yard score against Western Kentucky. Khafre is a former North Carolina transfer and the younger brother of former UNC standout Dyami Brown.

This game will provide an interesting test for the Alabama Football defense. While the Bulls don’t stack up well across the board, their offense is littered with Power-5 level players at the skill positions and their scheme requires a lot of discipline to defend.

It will be an opportunity to see Bama in a road environment for the first time, and should give us some insight into the team’s level of focus coming off of an early season loss.