USF football’s Jordan Cronkrite has done something even Marlon Mack rarely did

How impressive is it that USF running back Jordan Cronkrite has rushed for 306 yards over the past two games? Marlon Mack only topped that two-game total twice for the Bulls, in the games sandwiched around his 230-yard outburst against Temple in 2015.

This week will be a much tougher challenge for Cronkrite; Navy has the nation’s No. 10 rushing defense (2.77 yards per carry) and hasn’t allowed a team to rush for more than 108 yards.

RELATED: USF’s offensive front a woe-line no more

Locals of the Week

Florida defensive lineman Zachary Carter (Hillsborough High)

This would be a good week for the former blue-chip recruit to go from regular contributor to breakout star. With Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard both game-time decisions with injuries, the Gators need their former top-150 recruit to deliver to avoid a second consecutive loss.

Oregon defensive tackle Jordon Scott (Pinellas Park)

Last year against Washington, Scott helped come through on a fourth-down, fourth-quarter stop in the Ducks’ 30-27 win. The 6-foot-1, 322-pound junior anchors the nation’s No. 3 scoring defense and needs another big rivalry game to help propel the Ducks toward the Pac-12 North title.

RELATED: College football midseason review: The good, the bad and the ugly

Eye on the NFL

Florida has already had to face one top-tier defensive tackle (Auburn’s Derrick Brown). Now the Gators will have to try to slow down another, South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound terror dominated Georgia more than the box score (four tackles and a sack) shows. He played like a first-round pick last week, and he’ll need to do so again if his Gamecocks want another top-10 upset.

Ex-Owls

Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins has lot in common with Miami’s Manny Diaz, who replaced him as Temple’s coach for a whopping 18 days:

Age

Geoff Collins: 48

Manny Diaz: 45

Reputation

Collins: High-energy recruiter with a strong defensive mind

Diaz: High-energy recruiter with a havoc-inducing defense

Florida ties

Collins: Former assistant at UCF, Florida International and UF

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Diaz: Miami native and FSU alumnus started his coaching career with the Seminoles

Dan Mullen connection

Collins: Served as one of Mullen’s Mississippi State defensive coordinators from 2011-14

Diaz: Coordinated Mullen’s Mississippi State defense the year before Collins’ arrival and the year after Collins made the so-called lateral move to UF

RELATED: How Manny Diaz met Dan Mullen

Temple highlight

Collins: 2017 Gasparilla Bowl win over FIU was Owls’ first bowl victory since 2011

Diaz: Never lost a game

Wake Forest is fun. No, really

Like most teams, Wake Forest runs the zone-read, where the quarterback reads a certain defender before either rushing it himself or handing it to a teammate. But the Demon Deacons hold the ball for an extra or second (or more) before making the decision. Keep an eye on how Florida State tries to stop it today, and whether standout quarterback Jamie Newman (shoulder) is healthy enough to play.

Boom or bust

As South Carolina coach Will Muschamp prepares to host the Gators, his three-plus seasons with the Gamecocks look a lot like what he did in his first 45 games at UF:

Overall record

Gators: 26-19

Gamecocks: 25-20

SEC record

Gators: 16-14

Gamecocks: 14-14

Record against Georgia

Gators: 1-3

Gamecocks: 1-3

Best win

Gators: 14-6 over No. 4 LSU in 2012

Gamecocks: 20-17 (2 OT) over No. 3 Georgia last week