The South Florida Bulls opened the Brian Hartline era with a 19-9 win over FIU on Saturday, Sept. 5th, at Raymond James Stadium. USF got the result they wanted, but it was far from a dominant offensive performance. The Bulls’ defense and special teams made the biggest plays, while the offense struggled to consistently generate yards.
The Highs
After a slow 1st half, the biggest turning point came late in the 3rd Quarter. USF was leading 6-3 when FIU Quarterback JJ Kohl threw a pass intended for Wide Receiver JoJo Stone. USF Defensive Back Tayvion Beasley jumped the route on what appeared to be a screen to the WR and intercepted the pass and returned it for around 5-yards to the FIU 35-yard line.
That was a huge play because USF’s offense had struggled to move the ball throughout the game. Thanks to Beasley’s interception, the Bulls looked to capitalize on the field position they were starting their next drive with.
Running Back D.J. Crowther carried the ball eight times on the nine-play drive which eventually resulted in him scoring the Bulls’ first touchdown of the 2026 season.
Following Crowther’s touchdown and Kicker Nico Gramatica’s extra point, South Florida extended their lead to 13-3.
Speaking of Gramatica, he was another major positive factor in the game. He made all four of his field-goal attempts: 37, 53, 30, and 29 yards. He also made the extra point after Crowther’s touchdown. That means he was responsible for 13 of USF’s 19 points. His 53-yarder in the 2nd Quarter was especially important as it gave the Bulls a 6-0 lead heading into halftime.
The defense also came up with big plays when it mattered. After Beasley’s interception led to the touchdown, FIU Quarterback JJ Kohl fumbled on a 2-yard run on the Panthers’ next possession. Starting at the FIU 36-yard line, the Bulls drove down to the eight-yard line but could not successfully score a touchdown, Gramatica came on and hit a 30-yarder to extend the lead to 16-3.
Then, with 4:32 left in the game, USF got another interception when Tavin Ward picked off a tipped pass.
That created a short field for the Bulls, which led to another Gramatica field goal, this time a 29-yarder with 1:44 remaining. FIU scored a touchdown on the final play of the game, but by then the game was essentially decided.
The Lows
I am not even sure where to start.
The biggest problem was the offense. USF finished with only 208 total yards, its second-lowest total ever in an FBS victory. The Bulls averaged just 3.7 yards per play and had only 14 first downs.
Quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. had a quiet debut as the starting quarterback. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 100 yards, with no interceptions. The lack of turnovers was great, but South Florida didn’t get much production through the air. The Bulls’ longest completion was only 14 yards.
The running game was not explosive either. USF ran the ball 38 times for 108 yards, an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Running Back Jason Collins Jr. led the team with 59 yards on 17 carries, while Crowther finished with 42 yards and the lone touchdown.
The defense also wasn’t perfect. FIU finished with 381 total yards, including 301 passing yards. So although USF’s defense made the plays that mattered, it allowed FIU to move the ball considerably more than the final score might suggest.
What’s Next?
Improvement. That’s all I can ask for.
Adjustments need to be made unless we expect the same result to happen; a very sloppy win.
Next for the Bulls is a matchup with Army in West Point, New York on Sept. 12th at 12PM EST.
Go Bulls!