Box Score
 |
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
| UCF |
7 |
7 |
10 |
7 |
31 |
| USF |
14 |
10 |
7 |
17 |
48 |
|
| |
TAMPA, NOV. 26, 2016 – USF reached 10 wins for the first time in program history by running all over rival UCF in a 48-31 War On I-4 victory Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
USF (10-2, 7-1) rushed for 351 yards and five touchdowns while extending its nation-leading streak of 30-plus point games to 16. Head coach Willie Taggart's Bulls came into the weekend tied for first place in The American's East Division and now must wait to see if they're championship game-bound. Also tied for first, Temple must lose to East Carolina on Saturday night to make it happen.
USF's conference championship game hopes remained alive thanks to stellar efforts on both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Quinton Flowers set the program's new season rushing record with 1,425 yards after producing 152 yards and two scores on the ground. The junior from Miami also completed 17 of 26 passes for 152 yards to set a new USF record with eight 300-yard total offense games this season.
USF had two 100-yard rushers for the fifth time this season. Marlon Mack finished with a season-high 155 yards after breaking off touchdown runs from 43 and 56 yards out. The junior from Sarasota became the first Bull, and only the third player in Florida collegiate history, to post three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
USF's defense also stepped up by forcing three turnovers. The takeaway train started rolling with Juwuan Brown's 22-yard fumble recovery return that spotted the Bulls a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Interceptions by Auggie Sanchez (St. Petersburg) and senior Nate Godwin (Tampa) helped create a 10-point swing by the Bulls after UCF faced a 31-24 deficit in the fourth quarter.
USF headed to the locker room with a 24-14 halftime lead after a wild start to the eighth meeting between the rivals. UCF scored a touchdown on its opening drive and USF answered back in a big way on its second sequence.
Mack found some room on the outside and raced past defenders on a 43-yard touchdown run with 6:46 to play in the opening quarter. Mack's 31st career TD run propelled the junior past 1,000 rushing yards for the third straight season. Mack and FSU's Dalvin Cook and Warrick Dunn are the only players from Florida schools to accomplish the feat.
USF took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter thanks to a game-changing play by the Bulls' defense. Brown (Tampa) scooped up a UCF fumble and rumbled 22 yards to the end zone less than two minutes after Mack's score. It marked the second touchdown by the USF defense this season, after Johnnie Ward's pick-6 at Cincinnati on Oct. 1.
Brandon Behr's first-career field goal from 33 yards out padded the lead and USF extended it to 24-7 with more Mack Attack. USF's star back broke five tackles on a 56-yard touchdown run with 5:36 remaining in the half. Mack has seven 100-yard rushing games this season and 20 in his career.
UCF used a trick play to score a touchdown 22 seconds after Mack's touchdown, but the Bulls ended up ruling the first half. USF outrushed UCF, 194-24, in the first two quarters while the Knights converted just one of nine third-down attempts. UCF finished with only 64 rushing yards on 35 carries.
USF did more damage on the ground at the start of the second half, this time by the legs of Flowers. USF's dual-threat QB secured his ninth 100-yard game with a 62-yard touchdown run less than a minute into the action.
UCF cut its deficit to 31-24 by the end of the third quarter before the Bulls' defense stepped up again in the fourth. Sanchez picked off a pass and returned it 19 yards to the UCF 24 with 8:45 remaining. One play later, Flowers helped boost the USF lead up 38-24 with a 24-yard touchdown run. USF has 10 one-play scoring drives this season.
On his senior day, Godwin (Tampa) intercepted a pass on UCF's next drive that helped set up Behr's 30-yard field goal, which pumped the USF advantage up to 41-24 with 4:20 to play.
D'Ernest Johnson (Immokalee) capped off the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left. The score helped the Bulls rack up 500 total yards and set the program's new record for total yards in a season (6,181). USF leads the FBS with 44 rushing touchdowns this year.
Defensively, senior Nigel Harris (Tampa) posted a game-high 11 tackles. Senior Daniel Awoleke (Lakeland) registered one of USF's three sacks while Kirk Livingstone (Fort Lauderdale) had a sack and two of the Bulls' seven tackles for loss. Impact plays by the defense helped limit UCF to five conversions on 17 third-down attempts.
Quotable:
Head coach Willie Taggart on the victory:
“It was another great win for our guys. I'm really excited for our seniors to finish their last regular season game in Ray Jay with a victory. Not only with the victory, but for those guys to end their season with a 10-2 record, it's pretty darn big-time around here.”
“It's hard to win football games. Not too long ago, wins came pretty darn hard around here. For our guys to go out here and get 10 wins this season, it's big-time, it's huge.”
Quarterback Quinton Flowers on getting the USF season rushing record:
“It's a great feeling after everything you worked for during the summer. You just play the game and let everything come to you. Every day I go out to practice, every game, I just let the game come to me. I don't rush anything, I let everything just happen.”
Running back Marlon Mack on his 56-yard touchdown run:
“I had a little angry in me. A lot of guys on their team, they were trash talking as the play was going on, so I had a little angry in me.”
Key Stats:
5-for-17: UCF converted five of 17 third-down conversion attempts. UCF went 1-for-9 on third down in the first half.
3 – The number of takeaways totaled by the Bulls. Juwuan Brown's 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown gave USF a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Interceptions by Auggie Sanchez and Nate Godwin paved the way for a 10-run by the Bulls after they clung to a 31-24 lead in the fourth.
351 – The number of rushing yards by the Bulls during a performance that produced two 100-yard rushers – Marlon Mack and Quinton Flowers.
Notables:
- USF (10-2) set a program record for the most victories in one season. The Bulls had nine victories in the regular season two other times — 2002 (9-2, no bowl) and 2007 (9-4, lost in the Sun Bowl). USF also finished the 2006 season (9-4) with nine victories by winning its bowl game.
- USF scored at least 30 points for the 16th straight game, extending its ongoing streak that leads the nation.
- USF has won 17 of its last 21 games, while winning 13 of its last 15 games in the American Athletic Conference. It's the first 13-2 mark in a 15-game conference span in program history.
- USF has surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark in 18 of its last 20 games. When USF rushes for 200 yards or more under Coach Willie Taggart, the Bulls are 19-4.
- USF had five rushing touchdowns. It has an FBS-leading 44 rushing touchdowns this season.
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- USF rushed for 351 yards overall, the fifth time this season it had a game of 300-plus-yards rushing.
Up Next:
USF will be making its eighth bowl trip and second consecutive postseason appearance. Once USF's bowl destination has been announced, head to GoUSFBulls.com for game and ticket info.
The USF Football program is in its 20th season overall and 17th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made seven bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
