| |
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
OT
|
|
|
USF (6-3, 3-2)
|
0 |
10 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
24 |
| Louisville (5-5, 2-3) |
7 |
7
|
0 |
7 |
0 |
21 |
| By the Numbers |
|
|
Team Stats
|
Louisville
|
|
|
1st Downs
|
21 |
|
|
Total Plays
|
80 |
|
|
Total Yards
|
328
|
|
|
Passing Yards
|
146 |
|
39-172
|
Rushing Yards
|
49-182
|
|
|
Penalties
|
8-63 |
|
|
Possesion
|
32:15 |
|
1
|
Turnovers
|
2 |
| Passing Leaders |
| Player |
COMP
|
ATT
|
|
|
|
|
| USF - Daniels |
11 |
19 |
87
|
1
|
|
48
|
| UL -Burke |
16 |
30 |
|
3
|
1
|
20
|
| Rushing Leaders |
| Player |
ATT
|
|
|
|
| USF -Murray |
13
|
|
|
|
| UL -Powell |
31 |
|
|
|
| Receiving Leaders |
| Player |
No.
|
|
|
|
| USF -Bogan |
3 |
|
|
|
| UL -Bellamy |
5 |
|
|
|
| Defensive Leaders |
| Player |
Tackles
|
|
|
|
| USF - Hampton |
5 |
|
|
|
| UL - Heath |
11 |
9 |
|
|
|
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After missing a 52-yard field goal with a chance to win at the end of regulation, kicker Maikon Bonani hit a 37-yard field goal in overtime to give the University of South Florida their third straight BIG EAST Conference win, 24-21, over Louisville.
With the win, USF became the first BIG EAST team to become bowl eligible. This marks the sixth consecutive season that USF will go bowling.
After opening conference play with a pair of losses to Syracuse and West Virginia, the Bulls have now reeled off three consecutive wins in BIG EAST contests for the first time since 2007, when the Bulls closed out the regular season with wins at Syracuse, at home against Louisville and at Pittsburgh.
In many ways, it has been a year of firsts in league play for head coach Skip Holtz and the Bulls. Prior to 2010, USF had never won at Cincinnati and Louisville, and had lost to Rutgers in the previous four years. But, in the past three weeks, USF has knocked off all three to move to 3-2 in BIG EAST play.
Once again, the USF defense came up with big plays, especially down the stretch, and the Bulls defense stuffed a Louisville quarterback sneak on fourth and short on the first possession in overtime, to set up the game-winning field goal, and improve to 8-0 all-time in overtime games.
USF got 106 yards rushing from Demetris Murray in the win, and while quarterback B.J. Daniels managed to throw for only 86 yards on the day, he was able to control the game, completing 11-of-18 passes without an interception on the day.
Of Daniels' 87 yards, 48 came on a deep pass to senior wideout Dontavia Bogan in the back of the endzone, just under a minute into the fourth quarter, to give the Bulls their first lead of the game. After a two-point conversion, the Bulls led 21-14.
Earlier in the game, a Daniels fumble late in the opening quarter set Louisville u with a short field. They capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass on third-and-19 from Justin Burke to Andrell Smith to take the early 7-0 advantage.
A 39-yard field goal by Bonani made it 7-3 with 10 minutes remaining in the half, but Louisville marched 60 yards on 14 plays, eating up six minutes of the clock to take a 14-3 lead on a two-yard touchdown reception by Josh Chichester with under three minutes to play in the half.
USF immediately cut into the lead as sophomore speedster Lindsey Lamar returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for the touchdown. It was Lamar's second kickoff return TD of the season, giving him USF's single-season record and tying the BIG EAST single-season mark.
With the momentum on their side, the Bulls' defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half, and then the USF offense drove the ball 85 yards to set up a 22-yard field goal by Bonani to cut the Cardinal lead to 14-13.
Both teams would remain scoreless until the 14:40 mark of the fourth quarter when Daniels connected to Bogan in the back of the endzone for the 48-yard score and the lead. Daniels would then scamper for the two-point conversion to put USF up 21-14.
Louisville answered with just over a minute remaining in the game on a 10-yard touchdown on a fade route to Josh Bellamy to tie the game at 21-21.
On the ensuing kickoff, trying to keep the ball away from Lamar, Louisville kicked it short to USF tight end Andreas Shields, who returned it 51 yards to the Cardinal 40 yard line. After three short plays for the Bulls, Holtz sent Bonani out to try and give USF the win.
Louisville head coach Charlie Strong used a timeout to try and ice Bonani, and after the timeout, Bonani connected on a 52-yarder, but Strong had used another timeout, negating the field goal.
After the second timeout, Bonani hooked the second attempt wide left to force overtime.
USF won the toss, and decided to play defense first. The Cardinals rattled for a first down, and eventually got down to the USF five yard line, but then Louisville was stuffed short of the first down on consecutive running plays, to turn the ball over on downs.
The Bulls then ran the ball on three consecutive plays, leading to the 37-yard game-winner by Bonani.
The win puts USF at 6-3 overall and 3-2 in league play, just one game behind league-leader Pittsburgh.
The Panthers will travel to Tampa to face USF next Saturday with the BIG EAST lead on the line. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff at Raymond James Stadium.
USF Football Post Game Notes
USF (6-3, 3-2 BIG EAST) 24 vs. Louisville (5-5, 2-3 BIG EAST) 21
Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 - Noon
Papa John's Stadium | Louisville, Ky.
Team Notes
- With today's 24-21 overtime win over Louisville, USF improves its record to 6-3 overall and moves to 3-2 in the BIG EAST ... USF is now just a game behind first-place Pittsburgh ... Being their sixth win of the season, USF becomes bowl eligible for the sixth straight season ... USF improves its all-time record to 101-60 with its win over Louisville today ... In addition; the Bulls improve to 31-38 in true road games during the program's 14-year history ... USF has now won three consecutive BIG EAST contests for the first time since 2007, when the Bulls closed out the regular season with wins at Syracuse, at home against Louisville and at Pittsburgh.
- USF is 8-0 all-time in overtime games. The last overtime game was 2008, a 31-24 win at UCF.
- USF improves to 5-3 all-time against Louisville ... The win for the Bulls' marks their first win in Louisville and the first time a road team has won in eighth all-time meetings.
- Being shown on ESPNU, today's game marked the fourth-straight nationally televised for the Bulls.
Individual Notes
- OC Sampson Genus, S Mistral Raymond, LB Jacquian Williams and LB Armando Sanchez were USF's captains for today's game at Louisville ... Genus, Raymond and Williams are all captains for the entire season, while Sanchez is this week's weekly captain ... Tonight marks Sanchez' fourth time as captain this season ... He also made the walk with the season trio against Stony Brook (Sept. 4), Syracuse (Oct. 9) and Rutgers(Nov. 3).
- Today's offensive starters were: SE Dontavia Bogan, LT Mark Popek, LG Jeremiah Warren, C Sampson Genus, RG Chaz Hine, RT Jacob Sims, TE Kevin Gidrey, FL Evan Landi, QB B.J. Daniels, RB Mo Plancher, FB Richard Kelly.
- Today's defensive starters were: LE Patrick Hampton, NT Cory Grissom, DT Terrell McClain, RE David Bedford, SLB Jacquian Williams, MLB Sam Barrington, WLB DeDe Lattimore, LC Kayvon Webster, SS Jon Lejiste, FS Mark Joyce, RC Quenton Washington.
- The start for true-freshman Mark Joyce is the first of his career.
- In place of senior DE Craig Marshall, who missed his second straight game following foot surgery prior to the Rutgers game on Nov. 3, junior Patrick Hampton made his second consecutive start.
- QB B.J. Daniels threw his ninth touchdown pass of the season, and the 23rd of his career, when he connected on a 48 yard toss to WR Dontavia Bogan with 11:43 left in the fourth quarter.
- With his 100 yard kick-off return late in the second quarter, Lindsey Lamar became the first player in USF history with two career kickoff returns in addition to being the first to have two kickoff returns for touchdown in the same season. Furthermore, Lamar ties the BIG EAST single-season mark.
- The 100-yard return ties Mike Jenkin's for the longest kickoff return in school history. Jenkin's return came at home against Cincinnati on 11/3/07.
Junior safetyJerrell Young registered his second interception of the season. The first came in the Bulls' win over FAU.
- Redshirt freshman defensive end Ryne Giddins picked off his first career pass. It is the third time a defensive end has intercepted a pass this season. He joins seniors Craig Marshall and David Bedford, who both picked off passes earlier this season.
- QB B.J. Daniels threw his ninth touchdown pass of the season, and the 23rd of his career, when he connected with WR Dontavia Bogan for 48 yards with 11:43 left in the fourth quarter to put the Bulls ahead.
- WR Dontavia Bogan's 48-yard touchdown reception from Daniels in the fourth quarter was his fourth of the season and the 10th of his career. Bogan is now tied for third all-time with Hugh Smith and RJ Anderson for career touchdown grabs.
- Maikon Bonani's game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime is his second career game-winner ... His first was a 43-yarder as time expired against Kansas in 2008.
