After starting 4-0, the South Florida Bulls have dropped back-to-back games, capped by last Thursday night’s 31-24 collapse against UTSA. Despite holding a late lead, USF found another way to lose. The talent is there, but it’s time to stop making excusing and start playing four quarters of football.
Let’s break it down by offense, defense, and what’s next.
Offense
For a little while, South Florida’s offense actually looked competent. The Bulls built a 17-10 halftime lead behind a 42-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Michael Van Buren and wide receiver Bryson Rodgers, along with a productive ground game.
Running back D.J. Crowther was a bright spot for the Bulls, finishing with 83 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Crowther also hauled in a fourth-quarter touchdown pass that gave the Bulls a late lead. Van Buren finished with 177 passing yards and two touchdown passes without throwing an interception.
Then, the third quarter happened….
The Bulls’ offense vanished for 15 minutes, failing to score as UTSA clawed its way back into the game. South Florida finished with just 288 total yards, offering another reminder that a promising first quarter does not mean much if the offense spends the rest of the night searching for the “On Switch”.
To their credit, the Bulls mounted a late rally. A 12-play, 75-yard drive ended with the touchdown pass to Crowther, giving USF a 24-23 lead with 1:56 remaining.
And just like that, the Bulls had a chance to steal a road win in front the 17,632 fans at the Alamodome.
Of course, that required the defense to get one stop. More on that disaster in a moment.
The offense showed some encouraging flashes, including play-calling, but disappearing for the entire third quarter is not exactly a winning formula. The Bulls need to sustain drives, find some consistency, and stop making every game feel like a four hour strain on the mental health of every fan.
Defense
If the offense was inconsistent, the defense was downright generous.
USF surrendered 486 total yards, including 277 rushing yards, as the Roadrunners repeatedly gashed the Bulls on the ground. Running back A’Marion Peterson finished with 92 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries.
Twelve carries. Three touchdowns.
Apparently, the Roadrunners figured out that running the football against South Florida was a good idea. Unfortunately, the Bulls never figured out how to stop them.
Peterson ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run in the first half, and the defense continued struggling to contain UTSA’s ground attack throughout the night. The Roadrunners controlled possession, won the battle in the trenches, and made the Bulls look entirely too comfortable watching opposing ball carriers move downfield.
After Crowther’s touchdown put South Florida ahead 24-23, the defense had 1:56 to do the one thing it needed to do: get a stop.
Instead, UTSA marched 75 yards in 10 plays. Quarterback Owen McCown picked up a crucial third-down conversion with his legs, running back Will Henderson ripped off a 26-yard run, and Peterson punched in the game-winning score with 15 seconds left on the clock.
Ballgame.
USF’s defense had nearly two minutes to protect a lead and somehow made it look like UTSA was conducting a two-minute drill against a defense with zero men on it. No timely stop, no game-changing play, no late-game heroics. Just another opposing offense marching the ball down the field when it mattered most.
The Bulls also failed to force a turnover, giving themselves absolutely no margin for error against a team that finished with nearly 500 yards of offense.
What’s Next?
The Bulls are back home on Oct. 17th for homecoming and will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Can’t make it to the game? Tune in to ESPN+ at 7:00 PM EST.
Go Bulls!