TAMPA, Fla. — The USF football team is back in the AP top 25 this week, checking in at #24 following their blowout win over Charlotte. This week, the Bulls get another Friday night test, when they take on the University of North Texas in what could be a crucial AAC match-up.
USF head coach Alex Golesh said all the positive outside attention is part of the "good noise" that comes along with winning. Now, it's a matter of ignoring the outside and focusing on the inside.
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"If we are as mature as I hope that we are, if we are as process-based as I hope that we are, then - when I tell you the only thing that matters is getting our bodies right, eating, we're in the middle of a lift right now. All the other stuff will come as you truly buy into being process-driven," he explained when breaking down the Bulls' mentality.
USF linebacker Mac Harris is making a strong run at AAC defensive player of the year honors. He didn't hesitate when responding to a question about the positive publicity the Bulls are receiving.
"Job’s not done. Job’s not close to being done," he said frankly. "It would be very easy to get sucked up into all the media and the rankings and stuff like that. But we’ve ultimately got to stay humble, and we’ve got to stay connected to what essentially got us to this point."
Harris, a graduate student, says what got the Bulls to this point is focusing on details.
"We’ve gotta go out and practice hard every day. We’ve gotta make sure that our lockers are clean every day," he added. "To stay there, we’ve got to continue to stay humble and do what we’ve been doing."
Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown said he wasn't even aware that the game against UNT was important to keep pace at the top of the American conference.
"Didn’t even know it was a battle for first place," he said bluntly. "That’s how locked in we are to what we got going on here. I guess that’s cool, but we’re just focused on us."
Brown's thrown ten touchdown passes to go along with a team-high 282 rushing yards, but he says the Bulls offense isn't a one-man show.
"We’ve great backs, a great o-line that’s going to make holes, great wideouts," he added. "[Opponents] just have to choose their poison, and we’ll be in a good spot at the end of the day."
USF (4-1, 1-0 AAC) and North Texas (5-0, 1-0 AAC) kickoff from Denton, TX at 7:30 tonight on ESPN 2.
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