The South Florida Bulls turned a nightmare start into a convincing 30-10 victory over UAB on Halloween at Raymond James Stadium. After trailing 10-0 early in the second quarter, the Bulls responded with 30 unanswered points, leaning heavily on a dominant defensive performance to quiet the Blazers.
The game wasn’t a masterpiece, but USF still got the job done. And once again, the defense proved to be the team’s biggest strength.
Here’s a breakdown of the game.
Offense
The Bulls’ offense got off to a sluggish start, struggling to find any rhythm as UAB jumped out to an early 10-0 lead. Things got even more complicated when starting quarterback Michael Van Buren exited the game in the second quarter with an injury, forcing Luke Kromenhoek into action.
Kromenhoek provided an immediate spark. His 42-yard run, in which he broke multiple tackles and powered his way down the field, completely shifted the Bulls’ momentum. The Bulls followed up the drive with a Jason Collins touchdown to tie the game at 10.
Kromenhoek finished with 92 rushing yards on 15 carries, providing a much-needed boost to an offense that desperately needed one. However, the passing game remained largely ineffective, finishing with just 46 passing yards.
USF managed 237 total yards and repeatedly struggled to turn promising drives into touchdowns. Three field goals from Nico Gramatica helped grow the lead, but the offense will need to be considerably more productive moving forward.
Defense
If there was ever a game that demonstrated just how valuable a defense can be, this was it.
After giving up 10 points on UAB’s first two possessions, the Bulls completely shut the door, USF held the Blazers to just 177 total yards, 17 rushing yards and 10 first downs the rest of the way.
And then there was C.J. Hicks.
The defensive end put together a historic performance, recording four sacks to tie the program’s single-game record. Even more impressive, two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in defensive touchdowns.
Hicks was not alone in making life miserable for UAB. Grayson Howard finished with a team-high eight tackles, two sacks, and a 13-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Defensive Lineman Asani Redwood also found the end zone after recovering a fumble in the second quarter.
The Bulls finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, completely overwhelming UAB’s offensive line. The defense also forced two turnovers and scored 12 points of its own.
Simply put, the defense put on a clinic after a shaky opening quarter. Hicks was the headliner, but this was a complete team effort on that side of the ball.
What’s Next?
The Bulls will face off against the ECU Pirates this Friday in Greenville, North Carolina.
Will the Bulls stay in the “win column”? Tune into ESPN2 Friday at 7:30 PM EST to find out.
Go Bulls!