BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Dec. 23, 2006) – In only its 10th year of existence, the University of South Florida football team won its first-ever bowl game in only its second try, defeating East Carolina, 24-7, on Saturday at the PapaJohns.com Bowl at Legion Field.
USF's record improved to 9-4 on the year, and its nine wins ties the school record set in 2002.
The Bulls' offense clicked from the start, scoring all 24 points in the first half. USF recorded 286 total yards – 156 rushing and 130 passing. The Bulls scored all three times they were in the red zone and converted all five fourth downs. Benjamin Williams was named the Most Valuable Player, leading the team with 67 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Starting quarterback Matt Grothe, who threw for 81 yards and a touchdown, was injured on a quarterback keeper at the 8:08 mark in the second quarter. He played the rest of the half in all but two downs, but did not start the second half. Pat Julmiste came into the game and played the rest of the way, passing for 49 yards while rushing for 53.
USF's defense was stingy from the start and it continued throughout the entire game. The Bulls only allowed 54 total rushing yards and held the Pirates to -6 yards in the first half. Putting pressure on the quarterback the entire game, USF tallied six sacks for a loss of 51 yards and 10 of the Bulls tackles were for losses.
With two sacks in the game, Stephen Nicholas set the USF record with 20-career sacks, breaking Terrance Royal's record of 19.5. Three of his tackles on the day were for loss, totaling 22 yards.
On the second play of the opening drive, a botched handoff by East Carolina quarterback James Pinkney resulted in a Ben Moffitt fumble recovery for USF on the ECU 16 yard-line. USF capitalized on the turnover on its first play, as Grothe handed the ball off to Williams, who ran for 16 yards for the touchdown at the 13:53 mark.
After the USF defense forced an East Carolina punt on the ensuing possession, the Bulls added another seven points for a 14-0 lead on a nine-play, 56-yard drive. After USF drove down the field and was stopped at the one-yard line on third down, Williams scored his second touchdown of the day on fourth down.
East Carolina got the on the board on its third possession of the game. After a loss on a run and a 15-yard penalty, East Carolina was facing 3rd-and-21 on USF's 43-yard line. An 18-yard pass from Pinkney to Bobby Good put the Pirates in field-goal range, but a 15-yard penalty negated the play and put the Pirates at the 48-yard line. On 3rd-and-26, Pinkney connected with Good again, this time for a 48-yard touchdown.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Bulls regained their 14-point lead as Grothe threw for his first touchdown of the day – a 37-yard pass to Amarri Jackson – to put the score at 21-7. USF converted its second 4th-and-1 play of the day to keep the drive alive.
USF added three more points to its lead, 24-7, as Delbert Alvarado made a 38-yard field goal. On a 4th-and-2, Grothe connected with Cedric Hill on a 19-yard pass for the first down.
After the Bulls opened up the second half and drove 62-yards down the field, Ricky Ponton fumbled the ball and the Pirates recovered. ECU's Dominique Lindsay ran the ball for a 29-yard gain on the first play and a pass interference call on USF put the ball at the Bulls 36-yard line. ECU eventually moved the ball to the 24-yard line and was faced with third down, but USF safety Louis Gachette sacked Pinkney for an 11-yard loss to end ECU's drive and field-goal chance.
Following a USF punt, East Carolina drove the ball to the Bulls' 29-yard line and attempted a 47-yard field goal, but Ben Hartman missed wide left with 11 second remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulls got a break in the fourth quarter, but couldn't capitalize. After ECU drove down the field to the Bulls 15 yard-line, Josh Julmiste forced running back Brandon Fractious to fumble the ball and Woody George recovered for USF. The Bulls drove down to the 32-yard line but couldn't move the ball any further to put some points on the board.
ECU tired to make a comeback at the end of the game, driving down the field to the four-yard line. On the first two downs, back-to-back sacks by Nicholas and Moffitt combined for a total loss of 20 yards. On the next two tries, Pinkney could not complete a pass to convert.
