Memphis @ South Florida preview

Memphis at South Florida

Last Meeting ( Dec 20, 2008 ) Memphis 14, South Florida 41

South Florida tries to snap a two-game losing streak Saturday as it hosts Memphis, which is winless in league play. The Bulls started their conference schedule with two straight road wins but have dropped their next two before having a bye week. The Tigers are coming off a non-conference home win over Tennessee-Martin last weekend.

The Bulls' offense has struggled of late, with the team scoring its first offensive touchdown in four league games in its Oct. 31 loss to Houston. The Tigers have been competitive because of their defense, which ranks 14th nationally against the run with an average of 108.3 yards allowed. Freshman quarterback Mike White had a big game in his first start in South Florida's last contest, passing for 311 yards and two touchdowns.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Memphis -1.5

ABOUT MEMPHIS (2-6, 0-4 AAC): One of the most frustrating things for a coach is penalties, which is why Memphis coach Justin Fuente understandably is unhappy about his team leading the nation in penalty yardage at 82.88 per game. But he is quick to point out that it's not just the players at fault, but the coaches as well. “We're going to look at some things and emphasize some things a little bit differently,” Fuente said at his weekly press conference. “I view it as the ability to maintain your focus and understanding you're hurting everybody in the group when you take those actions upon yourself.”

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (2-6, 2-2): After a season of struggling offensively, the Bulls may have seen signs of a bright future behind White, who led the team to a season-high 364 yards of total offense in his first collegiate start. That performance seems to have pumped some new life into South Florida, which is hoping to keep things working against Memphis. “We saw some light,” coach Willie Taggart said. “We have an offense that can go. It's exciting to think what this offense can be.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Memphis ranks 16th in the country in yardage allowed (338.6 ypg) but is the highest-ranked team in the category with a losing record.

2. South Florida has lost its last six games following a bye week, with the team's last win after a bye coming in November 2010 against Rutgers.

3. The Bulls lead the all-time series 3-2, including the most recent meeting in the 2008 MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl.

PREDICTION: South Florida 28, Memphis 14