McNeese @ South Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2006 ) McNeese State 10, South Florida 41

The 2013 season opener is all about firsts for South Florida, which will play its first game under head coach Willie Taggart and its first as a member of the upstart American Athletic Conference when McNeese State of the FCS visits on Saturday. The Bulls open the Taggart era looking to shake the cobwebs of a 3-9 season that ended with losses in nine of their last ten games after a 2-0 start. South Florida returns seven starters on defense, including linebacker DeDe Lattimore, who was named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award.

McNeese State recorded its eighth consecutive winning season in 2012 and returns 16 starters in its quest to stretch that run to nine. Senior quarterback Cody Stroud enters his third season as the starter for the Cowboys and is just 303 passing yards shy of becoming the fifth player in school history to throw for more than 5,000 career yards. Running backs Marcus Wiltz, Javaris Murray and Kelvin Bennett return from a McNeese State rushing attack that amassed 2,304 yards last season, trailing only Sam Houston State among Southland Conference teams.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3 LINE: None

ABOUT MCNEESE STATE (2012: 7-4, 4-3 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE): The Cowboys open their 70th season and eighth under head coach Matt Viator, a two-time SLC coach of the year and the conference's winningest active coach at 52-24. McNeese State is ranked third in the conference in both preseason polls. The Cowboys knocked off Middle Tennessee 27-21 last season but are just 3-12 against FBS schools since 2000.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (2012: 3-9, 1-6 BIG EAST): Taggart comes to South Florida after three seasons as head coach at Western Kentucky that featured a remarkable turnaround after a 20-game losing streak, culminating in the school's first bowl appearance, the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Redshirt sophomore Matt Floyd, who edged out senior Bobby Eveld to earn the starting nod at quarterback, made two starts and appeared in seven games last season, finishing 57-of-110 for 466 yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions. Wide receiver Andre Davis, who pulled down 46 catches for 534 yards and six touchdowns in 2012, gives Floyd a primary target as the Bulls' top returning offensive weapon.

EXTRA POINTS

1. South Florida took down McNeese State 41-10 in 2006 in the only previous meeting between the two schools.

2. The Cowboys led the Southland Conference in scoring defense in 2012, limiting opponents to 21.2 points per game.

3. The Bulls are 16-0 all-time in season openers.

PREDICTION: South Florida 23, McNeese State 10