Three takeaways from USF’s romp of East Carolina

We now can dispense with any talk about a coaching change until Thanksgiving weekend at the earliest. Even if the Bulls had embarrassed themselves at ECU to fall to 3-5, the odds of athletic director Michael Kelly making a bye-week change seemed remote. Now, they’re nonexistent. Heck, if the Bulls can replicate Saturday’s performance (525 total yards), they could steal a win or two in November.

MORE BULLS: USF solves a few recent woes on the road at East Carolina

Presuming the injuries to Jordan McCloud (ankle) and wildcat option Jah’Quez Evans (head) aren’t serious, one should feel better today about USF’s quarterback depth. Until getting dinged up again Saturday, McCloud was mobile (four carries, 51 yards) and efficient (9-for-12, 102 yards, two TDs) against ECU. And while walk-on Kirk Rygol miscommunicated badly with his receivers on his first two throws, he finished with some solid numbers (6-for-12, 74 yards, one TD; four carries, 31 yards) in significant action. His 24-yard scoring strike to Terrence Horne was an absolute dart.

The resurgence of Jordan Cronkrite has emerged as arguably USF’s most uplifting story line of October. In the Bulls’ first four games, Cronkrite was virtually invisible (33 carries, 72 yards, two TDs). In their last four: 75 carries, 511 yards, four TDs. The senior had 129 and a pair of TDs on only 12 carries Saturday.