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Georgia Tech Football 2018 Opponent Preview: South Florida

By Blake Silvers

BIRMINGHAM, AL - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Charlie Strong of the South Florida Bulls gathers his team around the championship trophy following the Birmingham Bowl against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Legion Field on December 23, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama. South Florida won 38-34. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, AL - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Charlie Strong of the South Florida Bulls gathers his team around the championship trophy following the Birmingham Bowl against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Legion Field on December 23, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama. South Florida won 38-34. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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In their second game of the 2018 season, the Yellow Jackets will travel to Tampa in an early non-conference road matchup at South Florida.

Last season’s, Georgia Tech‘s attempt at a September road game in the sunshine state was interrupted by a massive hurricane causing Central Florida to cancel.

Having fallen one win shy of a postseason berth in 2017, the Jackets will no doubt be looking to put non-conference group of five and FCS games safely in their back pocket for insurance down the stretch. Tech’s toughest of those matchups will be the South Florida Bulls.

Paul Johnson’s squad will look to test Charlie Strong’s defense with their option attack in the Southwest Florida noonday sun. Strong enters his second season at the helm of the Bulls.

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In 2017, South Florida went 10-2, finishing second behind in-state rival Central Florida in the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls finished No. 21 in both the AP and Coaches Poll and only lost to Houston close and then No. 13 UCF in a shootout on the road.

Unlike the Jackets, the Bulls were able to earn a bowl bid and defeated Texas Tech in the Birmingham Bowl.

Sterlin Gilbert’s offense scored a boatload of points in his first year as coordinator and quarterback’s coach. Georgia Tech will have to keep pace on offense or find a way to slow down South Florida’s power run and vertical passing attack.

USF will be a very talented football team, but a lot of that talent will be new and inexperienced. The Bulls lost wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling and tackle Deadrin Senat to the NFL draft. Leading passer and leading rusher Quinton Flowers will also be playing on Sunday’s this fall, along with second leading ball carrier Darius Tice.

Blake Barnett has been showing flashes of promise in the passing game in practice for the Bulls. Barnett was briefly a starter for Alabama in 2016 and the failed to gain the same position at Arizona State last season. He will be immediately eligible to play as a Junior at South Florida if he is given the top spot.

https://twitter.com/USFFootball/status/1030937384077025280

Having signed one of, if not the top recruiting class in the AAC this past winter, Strong will have a ton of speed and talent on his roster and he’ll need it to fill the gaps left on offense and defense.

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It’s difficult to judge how the Bulls will look or perform exactly, especially so early in the season. That could play to the favor of the Jackets or lead to their demise. It’s simply too early to tell and an opening week game versus FCS power Elon may not reveal much more.