USF Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

Thus the Bulls will enter their annual showdown with rival UCF with a perfect record. Last year the Bulls won 48-31 at home for their 10th win of the regular season. Two years ago South Florida romped to a 44-3 victory in Orlando to finish off UCF’s 0-12 bomb. The two seasons before that, though, Central Florida came out the victor in much closer contests.

In 2013, the Knights survived USF 23-20 in Tampa to earn the last Big East trip to a BCS bowl game. UCF then won again in their 2014 follow-up at home 16-0. In his second season as the Knights’ head coach, former Oregon coordinator Scott Frost has a veteran offense that returns nine starters, including sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton.

What will keep UCF from being a huge threat in the American Athletic Conference this year is a defense that returns just four starters. The Knights, though, could still have a chance at spoiling their rival’s perfect season.

PREDICTION: South Florida 51, UCF 41 (12-0)

UCF will end up being a shootout in Orlando, as the Knights keep pace with South Florida’s offense for much of the game. Like the rest of the season, the Bulls will score a lot of points. But the toll of playing a lot of tough games later in the year will be noticeable as the defense give up over 40 to the veteran UCF offense. Things won’t go sour, though, as USF completes the perfect campaign heading into the AAC championship game.