Cincinnati @ South Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2016 ) South Florida 45, Cincinnati 20

No. 15 South Florida should be well-rested and healthier as it attempts to make history Saturday night when struggling Cincinnati pays a visit for an American Athletic Conference matchup. The Bulls can tie Oregon (2011-12) for the longest streak in modern college football history by scoring at least 30 points in their 23rd straight game after registering a season-high 61 in the last contest Sept. 30 at East Carolina.

USF has won a school-record 10 straight games and can equal its best start in team history (6-0, 2007), led by an offense that is fifth in the nation in rushing and a defense that is second in rushing yards allowed per contest. “What we try to do is just be a balanced team,” Bulls first-year coach Charlie Strong told reporters. “I always tell our offensive line and our defensive line, ‘We’re going to win football games because of how hard you play.’ If you can’t win up front, you have no chance.” The Bearcats lost 51-23 at Central Florida in a rain-shortened contest last weekend and have allowed 131 points during a three-game losing streak, but junior quarterback Hayden Moore leads a capable offense. “We’ve got to continue to grow,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell told reporters. “There are a lot of areas of this ball club where we have gone up and down. All of a sudden someone starts to do something good and then on the other side things start to go the other direction. It’s a rollercoaster.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: South Florida -24.5

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2-4, 0-2 AAC): Moore has thrown for five touchdowns and just one interception during the losing streak and ran for a career-high 75 yards last week against UCF, but has completed a career-low 53.3 percent of his passes overall. Junior wide receiver Kahlil Lewis is the top target for the Bearcats with 31 catches - seven last week - for 325 yards and four touchdowns while the rushing attack is ranked 117th in the nation (102.2 yards per game). Cincinnati’s defense must step up big time this week and is led by senior linebacker Jaylyin Minor, who boasts a team-high 59 tackles, but the Bearcats have just two interceptions and six sacks.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (5-0, 2-0): Senior quarterback Quinton Flowers may be falling short of becoming a Heisman Trophy candidate this season with a 52.9 completion percentage, but he has 10 touchdown passes (two interceptions) and five rushing scores. Senior running backs Darius Tice and D’Ernest Johnson, who have combined for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing, appear to be healthy after walking around in protective boots during the bye week and Strong said wide receiver Deangelo Antoine could be available after missing two games. Senior Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the top receiving option with 22 receptions and 322 yards with four TDs (one rushing).

EXTRA POINTS

1. USF LB Auggie Sanchez has 335 career tackles and needs three to move past DeDe Lattimore for second on the school’s all-time list.

2. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 8-6 but dropped the last two, including a 65-27 setback at Tampa in 2015 and a 45-20 loss last year at home.

3. Flowers is 11 shy of 3,000 rushing yards in his career and 11 attempts from 500 while Johnson is 71 rushing yards from moving into 10th all-time at the school.

PREDICTION: South Florida 51, Cincinnati 21