No. 21 South Florida for second straight 7-0 start vs. UConn

Posted October 18, 2018 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

UConn (1-5, 0-3 American) at No. 21 South Florida (6-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network).

Line: South Florida by 34.

Series record: South Florida leads 10-5.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

South Florida aiming to match best start (7-0) in school history. The Bulls also opened last season with seven straight victories before losing to Houston and UCF in American Athletic Conference games down the stretch and finishing 10-2.

KEY MATCHUP

Balanced South Florida offense against a UConn defense that hasn't allowed fewer than 49 points in a game this season. The Huskies are yielding 53.7 points per game, on pace to break the FBS record (50.3) set by Louisiana-Lafayette in 1997.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

UConn: QB David Pindell has completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 1,122 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He also leads the Huskies in rushing with 467 yards and five TDs. RB Kevin Mensah has run for 402 yards and two TDs, and leading receiver TE Aaron McLean has 20 receptions for 263 yards and two TDs.

South Florida: RB Jordan Cronkite is the nation's third-leading rusher at 151.4 yards per game and is averaging eight yards a carry. QB Blake Barnett, a graduate transfer from Arizona State who began his college career as a starter at Alabama, has thrown for 1,550 yards and nine TDs. His favorite targets are WRs Tyre McCants (34 catches, two TDs), Darnell Salomon (20.6 yards per reception, four TDs) and TE Mitchell Wilcox (22 catches, 311 yards, one TD).

FACTS & FIGURES

South Florida overcame a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Tulsa 25-24 on the road last week. It was the third time the Bulls have rallied from down double-digits to win this season. ... Cronkite has four straight 100-yard games. The USF record is five, set by Marlon Mack in 2015 and matched by Quinton Flowers in 2016. ... UConn, coming off an open date, have lost six straight in the series. ... In their lone win this season, the Huskies yielded 49 points to FCS Rhode Island.

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