USF-Illinois To Be Played In Tampa As Scheduled

The wave of Hurricane Irma cancellations appears to be coming to an end. After the University of Florida confirmed that it would be playing it’s scheduled matchup against Tennessee as scheduled, USF made a similar announcement on Monday afternoon.
Their game against the Illinois Fighting Illini will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as scheduled.
There was some speculation that the field and the facilities would be too damaged to host the game a week after the storm whipped the area with Hurricane force winds. It appears to be structurally sound, and navigation to and from the stadium has been deemed safe for the crowd of fans that would attending.
An official statement was made available for NBC Sports:

“We are grateful that our student-athletes, staff and their families are safe and accounted for,” said USF athletic director Mark Harlan in a statement. “After consulting with university leadership and the Tampa Sports Authority, we are confident that Friday’s game can proceed safely as scheduled without impacting the recovery efforts”.

The Bulls will face their first real challenge after waltzing through two games against obviously inferior competition. Their matchup against Illinois could prove to be one of the tougher games on their schedule and is an early test for them. There will be concerns about their coming out flat after having the week off.
Meanwhile, Illinois has squeaked out victories against Ball State and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in their first two games.
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