The last time SMU and USF lined up against each other on the football field, the Bulls left Gerald J. Ford Stadium with a 35-27 victory. Quarterback Quinton Flowers threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for an additional 142 yards in the win.

That was back in 2016. The 2019 version of the SMU football team wants to show it is a much-different product. USF, fresh off a bye week, would like to show it's the same song, different season.

The Mustangs will enter Saturday's contest with a 4-0 record and looking for its first undefeated start through five games in 36 years. Meanwhile, USF -- a team that snapped an eight-game skid dating back to last season with a win over South Carolina State two weeks ago -- is looking to not only earn an American Athletic Conference season-opening win but also be the team to dump the cold water on a red-hot SMU team.

Ben McCool of Running the Bulls, the Rivals.com site for USF, took time out to speak on the Bulls and what he's expecting in Saturday's matchup.

USF is coming off its first win against South Carolina State. After the bye, what is the team's attitude like in the locker room?

The media's access to the team has been limited during the off week. The players we have interacted with have been overwhelmingly positive. There seems to be a feeling that breaking their eight-game losing streak has gotten a load off their backs. They're not looking past SMU, though, so I'd characterize their attitude as cautiously optimistic.

Throw the records out: What makes this USF team one to watch, particularly with conference play kicking off?

As you know, this is a conference where any team can win on any given day, and upsets are not uncommon. If they can get their offense working, particularly their run game, they have a lot of playmakers with take-it-to-the-house speed. First year offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell won a Division II national championship with this offense last year at Valdosta State, averaging 51 points per game. Obviously, this is a very different level of talent and play, but the system is capable of producing big numbers, consistently, once the players get comfortable in it.

Who are some players to watch from the Bulls' sideline?

On offense, freshman quarterback Jordan McCloud will be making the second start of his career. He's a true dual-threat quarterback, capable of making the home run pass or scramble for a 15-yard touchdown. Former running back Johnny Ford is now playing a hybrid slot receiver/running back position. Ford is really fast, and his small stature allows him to disappear, only to come flying out of a hole for a big gain. Senior tight end Mitchell Wilcox is one of the top receiving tight ends in the country with a good likelihood of playing on Sundays next year. Randall St. Felix and Eddie McDoom haven't done much this season, but both are very capable of big plays.

On the defensive line, Kirk Livingstone will make his presence known. He's second on the team in tackles for loss. Patrick Macon, the replacement middle linebacker, has been very solid through three games. A transfer from Oklahoma State, Macon leads the team in tackles and tackles for loss. One guy SMU will definitely look out for is KJ Sails, who ranks in the top five nationally, for lowest passer rating when targeted by Pro Football Focus.

SMU's offense is nationally in the top 10 in scoring, nationally in the top 20 in total yards. What is it going to take for the USF defense to slow them down?

No disrespect intended, but other than TCU, SMU hasn't really played a challenging schedule. Arkansas State ranks 109th in scoring defense, North Texas is 75th, and Texas State is 116th. That said, the Bulls have struggled on defense, going back into last season. Shane Buechele is averaging close to 300 yards passing per game and the team is rushing for over 200 yards per game. As mentioned above, Sails has been as lockdown as you could ask for against some decent competition in Wisconsin and Georgia Tech, and the Bulls rank in the top 30 in passing defense. Again, there should be an asterisk there for some of their opponents, but they have shown an ability to contain a strong passing game. Buechele is probably better than all of those other guys, though, so they'll need to be disruptive at the line of scrimmage and contest every pass to limit his production.

They've been more susceptible to the run in the recent past, but with the addition of Macon, that seems to have improved a bit. They're giving up about 3.7 yards per carry, which is kind of middle-of-the-road, but they've played one of the top running backs in the nation in Jonathan Taylor at Wisconsin, and a run-heavy offense at Georgia Tech, which is still using a lot of option in its offense. The key for them in the run game is to avoid splash plays for more than 20 yards, which they have given up a few times this season.

The last time these two teams played, USF was victorious. What's it going to take for the Bulls to grab another one?

It's going to take a lot. While the Bulls have been focused on breaking an eight-game losing streak, SMU has been hitting on all cylinders. Other than playing in Tampa, almost everything else is favoring the Mustangs right now. I think USF will have to score at least 30 points on offense, find a way to keep Buechele off-balance by living in the backfield, and establish a running game early. If the Bulls can get a two- or three-touchdown lead early in the game, they have a solid chance. If it is SMU with a two- or three-touchdown lead early, it probably goes their way. The programs just look like they're going in different directions this season.

SMU (4-0) at USF (1-2)

3 p.m. CT, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida