On Sept. 18th, 2021, the Bulls entered Raymond James Stadium for the second time this season as they took on fellow instate opponent FAMU.
Rocking the #SoFloDrip (with a change in helmets), the Bulls responded with a victory after two tough losses to NC State and UF to begin the year, beating the Rattlers 38-17.
Covering several Bulls that stood out to us along with thoughts/opinions on each side of the ball, check out our game analysis down below!
Timmy McClain
Was it finally time for #TimmySZN? Jeff Scott and Co. thought so as true freshman quarterback Timmy McClain had his first career start for the Bulls on Saturday, racking up 214 total yards (163 passing, 51 rushing) along with one passing touchdown on the night. McClain led the Bulls through three quarters before Katravis Marsh got the nod heading into the fourth quarter.
Timmy off and running for 27 yards and a 1st down! pic.twitter.com/9D9qOrkvSk
— USF Football (@USFFootball) September 18, 2021
No doubt about it, the true freshman looks to be guy that will lead this program forward at the position. Look for the young quarterback out of Seminole, FL to grow over the course of the year as I assume (along with most Bulls fans) that McClain will get the starting nod against BYU this upcoming Saturday.
RB Room Putting in WORK!
Whether it’s Jaren Mangham, Brian Battie, Darrian Felix or Kelley Joiner, this running back room can get after it when their number gets called, leading the offense with 241 yards (404 total yards) against the Rattlers.
JAREN MANGHAM!!!! Man has FIVE TDs this season!! pic.twitter.com/47UO1V69wJ
— SoFloBulls (@SoFloBulls_) September 19, 2021
Felix and Joiner each saw their fair share of touches on Saturday, but it was Brian Battie that led the way with 110 yards on 10 carries, bringing the same electricity that we saw from him last year as a true freshman. Add in the hat trick performance by Jaren Mangham who scored three rushing touchdowns and you have a backfield that could be lethal throughout the year. Look for Mangham and Battie to be the primary two backs moving forward with Felix and Joiner inserted into the mix as well.
Fun fact: Jaren Mangham has more rushing touchdowns this season (5) through three games than his entire freshman season at Colorado (4).
Offense
404 total yards ain’t half bad with the USF offense looking effective for the majority of the first half. Unfortunate drops and a fumble in the end-zone would have put this game far out of reach if avoided, but nonetheless showed the potential that this offense has when it’s fully clicking.
GAS’EM UP!!! 17-3 Bulls!! pic.twitter.com/OA5iqpWu1B
— SoFloBulls (@SoFloBulls_) September 18, 2021
We can’t shout out the running back group without talking about the receivers as well who all had their fair share of targets and catches on the game. Leading the pack was sophomore receiver Xavier Weaver who had five catches for 77 yards, establishing himself as the #1 WR on the team since the season began.
Defense
The defense was fantastic against the Rattlers in the first half, holding FAMU to -7 yards rushing and 0-8 on third downs. This was the best that this Bulls defense has looked all year and brought back memories of previous USF defenses that were aggressive to the ball and brought a sense of swagger when they hit the field.
LET’S GO BULLS!!! #BeatFAMU pic.twitter.com/TRzFBMkaEv
— SoFloBulls (@SoFloBulls_) September 19, 2021
The second half was a much different story as FAMU started to pick up steam as the game went on. USF started to switch up schemes on defense, looking to experiment with a few different looks to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t with conference play coming up in a few weeks. Matthew Hill lead the defense in tackles with eight (along with two tackles for loss) with Demaurez Bellamy racking up five tackles.
Special Teams
Kicker Spencer Shrader had one field goal attempt for 49 yards, tying his career high against the Rattlers. Punter Andrew Stokes punted six times for a total of 221 yards (36.8 yards/punt) with his longest being 50 yards.
Next Up…
The Bulls’ next game will take place away against the BYU Cougars on 9/25.
LET’S GET THIS WIN IN PROVO ON SATURDAY!