USF Football: 5 reasons Bulls will win 2017 national title
By Zach Bigalke
2. The points will continue to flow for record-setting offense
Beyond the return of Quinton Flowers, there is plenty more reason for optimism for the South Florida offense. A team that ranked fourth nationally in scoring last year could put even more points on the board in 2017. By the end of the year, USF could field the top offense in the nation as they head into a College Football Playoff semifinal showdown in either Pasadena or New Orleans.
This year, the Bulls could become the first team since Louisiana Tech in 2012 to average more than 50 points per game throughout an entire season. Flowers will help drive both the passing attack and the read-option game on the ground. Rather than three-year starter Marlon Mack, he will instead be working with running back D’Ernest Johnson.
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Johnson is a threat to both run and catch the ball out of the backfield. He is joined by fellow senior Darius Tice at running back. The team also brings the majority of its receiving talent back from 2016. Only slot receiver Rodney Adams has graduated from a talented unit.
Barring something catastrophic happening to Flowers, South Florida will continue to score in droves. As the past two national championship games between Alabama and Clemson demonstrated, title teams must be able to score prolifically when called upon to do so.