College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Week 4 AP Top 25
By Zach Bigalke
On Friday night, South Florida made a triumphant return back to the field in a 47-23 blowout of Illinois. Charlie Strong’s team moved to 3-0 on the season in a confidence-boosting win over the Illini. After falling a spot in last week’s AP Top 25, the Bulls will climb back into the top 20 after this statement win over a Power Five opponent.
Three different USF players ran for over 100 yards, led by quarterback Quinton Flowers. The veteran had 106 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, and also threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-27 passing. Flowers did throw one interception, and was sacked twice. In the end, though, it was a statement performance by the quarterback with his arm and with his legs.
D’Ernest Johnson added 101 yards on 17 carries, while Darius Tice burst for 105 yards and a score on just 12 runs. As a team, the Bulls ran for 376 yards on a 5.7-yard average. Meanwhile, the USF defense held Illinois to 67 rushing yards and forced three interceptions. The end result will be a rise of at least two spots into the high teens of the AP Top 25 in Week 4.