USF Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017
By Zach Bigalke
Sometimes FCS schools can knock off upper-division opponents. In eight attempts since 2010, though, Stony Brook has pulled off the feat exactly once. In 2012, a season where the Seawolves went 10-3 and made the FCS playoffs, they went to West Point and knocked off Army.
Head coach Chuck Priore has been there for the entire ride, both the high of winning at Michie Stadium and losses to Syracuse and a half-dozen Group of Five opponents. That includes the one time South Florida has actually played Stony Brook. The two teams met in 2010 in the Seawolves’ first game against an FBS opponent.
The 2010 South Florida team, playing in the Big East at the time, walloped Stony Brook 59-14. Given this season’s roster has never won more than five games in any of the past four seasons, the Seawolves probably don’t stand much of a chance against these Bulls either.
PREDICTION: South Florida 62, Stony Brook 3 (2-0)
South Florida could eclipse the margin of victory from their last encounter with Stony Brook. Quinton Flowers will get only a half of work as Charlie Strong begins testing his offensive depth. It won’t matter, because the defense will have no problem containing a Seawolves offense that averaged only 16.7 points per game last year.