TAMPA — USF coach Alex Golesh says he hasn’t yet given much thought to emerging from the southwest tunnel Saturday night and absorbing the raucousness and revelry ignited by a crowd that could hit 60,000.
The evolution of his program, and the name-brand aura of the opponent, should converge to create one of those rare Raymond James Stadium atmospheres for a Bulls game. Yet Golesh tries to remain as measured as possible, knowing full well that goose bumps and chest bumps alone won’t be enough to take down No. 8 Miami (3-0).
“We talk a lot about having emotional intelligence,” Golesh said Tuesday. “You’ve got to play with emotion but you can’t play emotionally. I think if you play emotionally, things go out of whack, and I think it becomes about something other than the person in front of you that you’re competing against.”
Which isn’t to say a passionate effort won’t be needed Saturday. Maybe emotion can’t win a game, but commotion can.
And the Bulls (2-1) must produce plenty against the latest Heisman candidate they’ll face. The way Golesh sees it, the key to pulling off the program’s biggest upset in nearly two decades will be to consistently disrupt prolific Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.
“This is a guy that has started 47 games in college football,” Golesh said. “That guy has answers, he’s obviously highly intelligent. So in terms of getting the protection right, in terms of recognizing looks and in terms of being able to get the ball to the playmakers — 47 is a lot of games. And so affecting him is where it would start.”
Three games into his Hurricanes career, Ward has brandished the type of efficiency befitting a fifth-year veteran. Operating behind a seasoned line that has allowed only three sacks, the Washington State transfer ranks first in the Football Bowl Subdivision in touchdown passes (11), second in passing yardage (1,035), fourth in pass efficiency (209.3), ninth in yards per completion (15.9) and 10th in completion percentage (65 of 89, 73%).
“He’s really special,” Golesh said. “I mean, man, he can make every throw on the field. Moves around in the pocket extremely well, really confident. You watch all three games and it’s a really, really confident young man. Without knowing him, he looks like he’s got incredible command of the offense and everybody’s in sync.”
So how does USF get Ward out of sync? By creating chaos, presenting a smorgasbord of looks, forcing him to move around in the pocket.
Though a capable runner, Ward has netted only 248 rushing yards in four-plus college seasons (including two at Football Championship Subdivision program Incarnate Word), averaging 0.9 yards per carry. His longest run this year: a 24-yarder up the middle early in his team’s 41-17 romp of Florida.
“There’s a lot more to him,” UM coach Mario Cristobal said. “Certainly, we don’t want him jumping all over the place, but when you have to you have to. He’s not made out of ceramic and doesn’t play like a guy that’s fragile.”
Moreover, Ward hasn’t been forced to run so far. Three games into the season, he has been complemented by a backfield averaging 204 rushing yards a game. Even if he can defeat a team with his legs, he hasn’t been required to prove it to this point.
But the Bulls, by contrast, have proven they can neutralize far more mobile Heisman candidates.
Only two Saturdays ago, USF’s defense — led by a sturdy front and relentless rushers off the edge — sacked Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe three times and held him to 2 net rushing yards. He scored on a pair of short runs in that 42-16 Crimson Tide triumph, but his team led only 14-13 after three quarters.
“I think our defensive front’s playing as good as you can imagine in terms of us not being super deep there,” said Golesh, whose defense is tied for 22nd nationally with 3.0 sacks per game. “I think they’re playing off of each other, creating some really good things. We have some really good players, but I think it’s coming through a lot of effort plays, which is awesome to see.”
Replicate that havoc Saturday, and the Bulls again might find themselves in a dog fight down the stretch.
It’s all about keeping the emotions — and the quarterback — in check.
“(Ward’s) an elusive guy,” veteran Bulls sixth-year edge rusher Jason Vaughn said. “I think he’s a smart guy. He knows what he’s looking at, he’s played a lot of ball. At the same time, we’ve got guys on defense that have played a lot of ball, we’ve got a defense that has been around a long time, and I have confidence in our guys to go get it done.”
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls
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