Birmingham Bowl 2016: USF vs. South Carolina TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The South Florida Bulls and South Carolina Gamecocks, a pair of teams with plenty to prove, meet in Thursday's 2016 Birmingham Bowl.
The Bulls (10-2) want to show that gaudy numbers tallied throughout the season aren't a fluke and wake up the globe when it comes to quarterback Quinton Flowers as a Heisman Trophy favorite next year.
In a milder outlook, the Gamecocks (6-6) simply want to prove they belong after one of the younger rosters around survived the SEC and won four of their last six contests to qualify for a bowl.
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With the game featuring plenty of important future implications, it isn't one to miss. Here's what observers need to know.
Birmingham Bowl 2016
Date: Thursday, Dec. 29
Time (ET): 2 p.m.
Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 63
Spread: USF (-10)
Team Injury Reports
| Lamar Robbins | DB | Ques Thurs |
| Billy Atterbury | G | Out indefinitely |
| Darius Tice | RB | Out indefinitely |
| Malik Dixon | S | Out for season |
| Glen Bethel | OL | Out indefinitely |
| A.J. Legree | WR | Out for season |
| A.J. Turner | RB | Prob Thurs |
| Lorenzo Nunez | QB | Out for season |
| Randrecous Davis | WR | Ques Thurs |
| Donell Stanley | OL | Ques Thurs |
| Kyle Markway | TE | Out indefinitely |
| Mon Denson | RB | Ques Thurs |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Running Up the Score
USF likes to fill up the stat sheet and win with emphasis, hence outings of 52, 49, 35 and 48 points to close the season on a winning streak.
Even the losses look gaudy. The Bulls posted 35 points on then-No. 13 Florida State in a September loss. A loss to eventual American Athletic Conference champion Temple in October saw the Bulls put up 30 points.
Flowers would be the main reason. He completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,551 yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions. He also rushed 177 times for 1,425 yards and 15 touchdowns, tying lead back Marlon Mack's mark. He also landed second behind eventual Heisman winner Lamar Jackson in rushing yards by a quarterback.
The team's official Twitter account added further context:
Flowers and the Bulls will look to run their usual offense Thursday, a run-first approach boasting just 326 passing attempts to 522 rushes. With three players sitting on at least 100 rushes and all three above 500 yards, few programs have been able to keep pace.
South Carolina, though, isn't a stranger to physical, sometimes versatile, offenses thanks to SEC play. Flowers and the offense imposing its will might be more difficult than usual, which is rather fitting for a season-ending bowl game.
One for the Future
This is all about the future for South Carolina.
Make no mistake—the Gamecocks aren't a just-happy-to-be-here squad. But the team starts seven true freshmen, including one at the most important position of all with quarterback Jake Bentley.
The inexperience showed most of the year, but especially at the end of the season. There, South Carolina scored a 44-31 win against Western Carolina, then turned around and visited then-No. 4 Clemson and took a 56-7 loss.
South Carolina does have a handful of notable wins on the year, such as a 24-21 upset of then-No. 18 Tennessee in October. But observers will notice a trend, as it is mostly up to the defense to pull off such victories.
A defensive guru himself, South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp clearly understands the uphill battle his team faces, as captured by Stats LLC (via ESPN.com):
"They run the ball extremely well. They've got all the outlets off the run game, so if you load the box they're able to get the ball on the perimeter. They're a fast team. They've got really good speed. They run extremely well. They create a lot of space plays. They create a lot of 1-on-1 situations where you've got to tackle very good skill guys in space.
"
The offense will need a big day to help even things out and pull off an upset. This means a strong performance by Bentley, who threw for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions on 147 attempts. It means a good showing by a ground game averaging 3.8 yards per carry.
With an upset of Tennessee on the record and having played in numerous big games, South Carolina won't show up intimidated to the bowl. That, at least, is a good starting point.
Prediction
Given the fact no team has shuttered Flowers this year, it is not hard to understand why Las Vegas trots out such a huge line here.
These Bulls have now scored 30 points in 16 consecutive games, a mark South Carolina surpassed just three times this year. Barring an unexpected showing from the defense to halt such an incredible run, it is hard to imagine the Gamecocks leaving Alabama with a win.
Look for Flowers to put the Bulls up early and never so much as glance back. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, the experience necessary to engage in a shootout and fill up the scoreboard in a game like this simply isn't there yet.
Prediction: USF 38, South Carolina 24
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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