2014 USF Spring Game Highlights

| SoFloBulls.com by Matthew Manuri |

TAMPA – Fans flocked to Corbett Stadium on Saturday afternoon to attend the USF football Spring Game and the Bulls gave them a can’t-miss show on campus.

Quarterback Steven Bench threw for 317 yards and three scores to help the White Team hand the Green Team a 35-3 loss in front of a crowd of approximately 2,000 that surrounded the Bulls in the stands and on the grass berms at the home of the USF men’s and women’s soccer teams.

“I liked those touchdowns, the White Team was really crisp,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “Steven did a good job getting the ball to the receivers and getting it to them on time. It was good to see some yards after the catch, where we’re not just catching the ball and getting tackled.”

Bench threw all of his touchdown passes in the first half before the White Team went to the locker room with a 28-3 lead at the halftime break.

Bench, a junior from Bainbridge, Ga., went most of the game without an incompletion and finished 19-for-24 after getting into a groove early on. Bench got the White Team to the 1-yard line by hooking up with Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, Fla.) for a long play on the first drive of the game and fullback Kennard Swanson (Lakeland, Fla.) punched it in from the goal line.

The White Team was back to work following a 27-yard field goal by the Green Team’s Marvin Kloss, who was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Placekicker Award last fall. Deonte Welch (Williston, Fla.) hauled in five receptions for 108 yards and the senior receiver showed his ability to make a play after the catch by going 65 yards to help the White Team take a 14-3 lead with 1:27 to go in the first quarter.

Receiver Andre Davis stole the show last spring and the senior came to play once again by catching six passes for 124 yards for the White Team. The Tampa native got a great ovation from the crowd after catching a 22-yard touchdown pass laced from Bench with 2:33 remaining before halftime.

“I feel like we’re going to have a much better team than we had last year,” Davis said.

Bench capped off his stellar first half by connecting with Dunkley for a 5-yard touchdown with just 24 seconds to go before the break as the White Team looked comfortable running the hurry-up offense.

“Today (Steven) came out here and he said he was going to give it all he had,” Davis said. “He was going to put it all on the line, and he came out here and did what he had to do and led us to a victory.”

Bench turned things over late in the game to redshirt freshman quarterback Evan Wilson, who produced the final score by connecting with Zach Benjamin for a 5-yard touchdown with 5 minutes remaining.

“I tell you what when we bring both teams together in the fall, oh yeah, it’s going to be nice,” said junior offensive lineman Thor Jozwiak, who helped pave the way for a White Team that will be rewarded with a steak dinner later this spring.

Sophomore quarterback Mike White didn’t find the end zone for the Green Team but the Fort Lauderdale native was efficient, completing 20 of 34 pass attempts for 174 yards.

“It’s been going back and forth this entire spring, one game just doesn’t do it for us. We look at the overall work and both guys are doing a really good job this entire spring,” Taggart said. “I said it earlier this spring I feel we have two quarterbacks that can really get it done for us. It’s amazing what competition will do for you, but it’s also amazing what experience will do.”

Michael Pierre (Winter Garden) led the ground attack running for 77 yards on 15 carries for the Green Team. Green also got six catches for 41 yards from Alex Mut (Port Charlotte). Redshirt freshman Auggie Sanchez (St. Petersburg) who moved from fullback to middle linebacker this spring led the defensive effort posting seven tackles for the White team, while Tyler Robb (Tampa) had five for the Green. Continue Reading by Clicking Here

by Tom Zebold, USF Senior Writer

via USF Athletics

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