Milroe and No. 4 Alabama host South Florida in rematch of 2023 low-scoring game

South Florida (1-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama (1-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Alabama at 31 1/2.

Series record: Alabama leads 2-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

For Alabama, it’s a chance to put up a better performance than last year, which marked a turning point for quarterback Jalen Milroe and the team. The Crimson Tide won 17-3, but the game was tied at halftime with Milroe on the bench. This should be a tougher test than the 63-0 opener against Western Kentucky. The Bulls are looking to end a 16-game losing streak against ranked teams that dates back to a 2016 win over then-No. 22 Navy.

KEY DUEL

Alabama’s explosive offense (so far) against a South Florida defense that has allowed just 17 total points in its last three games. The Bulls had seven new defensive starters in a 48-3 win over Bethune-Cookman. The Tide managed four scoring plays of at least 39 yards in Game 1, including Justice Haynes’ 85-yard run and rookie Ryan Williams’ 84-yard reception. Williams also added a 55-yard touchdown reception before halftime in his college debut. It was the first time Alabama produced two scoring plays of 80-plus yards in a game since Sept. 7, 1991, against Tennessee.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Florida: Quarterback Byrum Brown is back after throwing for 3,292 yards and leading the team with 809 rushing yards last season. Brown threw for 152 yards and ran for 74 against Bethune-Cookman.

Alabama: Milroe was memorably benched in the last meeting, giving his two backups a chance after a loss to Texas. Milroe came back strong to lead the Tide to 10 straight wins after that. He passed for three touchdowns and ran for two against Western Kentucky, but attempted just nine passes.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Alabama will honor former coach Nick Saban by officially renaming its home stadium Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The school will unveil the new stadium sign before the game for Saban, who led the Tide to six national championships. He will also be recognized at halftime. … The Bulls have three straight games scoring at least 45 points. … South Florida has a total of 37 transfers from four-year colleges. … This could at least officially be the largest crowd South Florida has ever played in front of. Bryant-Denny Stadium seats 100,077. USF played before 99,235 at Penn State on Sept. 3, 2005.

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