Coming off its Week 1 loss to Western Kentucky, USF football hopes to record its first win of the season against Florida A&M, Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. 

In their last game, the Bulls (0-1) used their rushing attack to take a double-digit lead in the first quarter. But as they lost their lead, costly turnovers halted their comeback hopes against the Hilltoppers (1-0).

Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said they have to play more consistently in order to win future contests.

“There are some huge positives that we can build on, and we got to get confidence from the things that we did well, but there’s no doubt about the mistakes [and] the turnovers. We have to clean that up,” Gordon said. 

“You can’t win football games like that.”

Here is a glimpse of each coordinator’s perspective heading into their week two matchup.

Offense: Managing turnovers is a priority

The Bulls had 540 yards of offense in their season opener, and most of their damage was done on the ground. Their 379 rushing yard performance is tied for second in the NCAA and marks the sixth-best rushing output in program history.

In his third career start, redshirt quarterback Byrum Brown ran for 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts. 

Gordon said building on their success on the ground is crucial to their game plan going forward.

“It tells you we’re going to prioritize running the football and being physical,” Gordon said. “Our guys are learning that we can be that type of offense.”

However, as the game continued,  the Hilltoppers’ defense began to force USF into costly mistakes. Brown had two interceptions and the Bulls’ offensive line gave up five sacks.

Though there were encouraging signs about the Bulls’ performance, frequent turnovers slimmed their chances of winning. Gordon said he has been working with the offense to become more efficient heading into their week two matchup against FAMU.

“Those are the glaring plays that everybody sees…we can’t win like that,” he said. “It was a group effort in making mistakes on Saturday.”

Defense: Preparing for FAMU’s balanced offense

USF had its bright spots defensively, but one glaring weakness was its inability to create turnovers.

Early in the fourth quarter, WKU recorded an interception to prevent the Bulls from tying the game. The Hilltoppers also forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter and took it 27 yards for a game-clinching score. 

Throughout the game, South Florida could not force a fumble or make an interception. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said creating turnovers is the next step for the Bulls to become a good defense throughout the season.

“We’ve got to work on getting some turnovers. I was kind of disappointed. I understand they threw the ball pretty quickly, but we got our hands on a handful of footballs we didn’t finish,” Orlando said. 

USF’s defense is preparing to face an offense capable of rushing and passing the ball while boasting multiple FBS transfers.

Senior quarterback Jeremy Moussa returned for his second season with the Rattlers after transferring from Vanderbilt. Moussa, the 2023 Preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, had a solid season opener. He completed 12 of his 22 passes for 150 yards in a 28-10 win over Jackson State on Sept. 3.

The running back room features redshirt junior Jaquez Yantz and senior Terrell Jennings.

Yantz and Jennings combined for 151 of the Rattlers’ 224 rushing yards on 22 attempts on Sept. 3.

Orlando said their balanced passing and rushing impressed him the most in film breakdown sessions. 

“Anytime you can establish the run game and then be able to hit shots on people or spread the ball on the outside, it always gives you a chance to be balanced,” he said