By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
EAST HARTFORD – Penalties and missed opportunities plagued a memorable performance by the USF defense on Saturday.
The Bulls were penalized nine times, which kept their offense sputtering, and suffered a 16-10 loss to Connecticut that dropped USF (4-2) to 0-2 in Big East play this season.
USF tied a school record with seven sacks in the Bulls' second straight defeat before a crowd of 37,162 at Rentschler Field.
On top of 89 yards of penalties, USF's offense couldn't get going on third down for the second straight game and ended up 3-for-11 against a Huskies defense that forced four turnovers.
"This game is about two things. It's about turnovers and it's about penalties," USF head coach Skip Holtz said. "The penalties absolutely hurt us tonight."
Despite failing to come out on top by the final, USF was ahead from the beginning.
The USF defense forced a three-and-out after the opening kickoff and the Bulls used an 11-play drive to set Maikon Bonani up for a 23-yard field goal. USF has scored first in each of its first games this season.
The Huskies got even on their next drive thanks to a roughing the passer call that put them on the Bulls' 12-yard line.
Lyle McCombs' 11-yard run got UConn to the 1, but that's as close as it would get until Dave Teggart made good on an 18-yard field goal attempt. The points went to UConn, but the battle went to USF after it stopped three different runners close to the goal line.
That set the stage for USF's special teams to step up.
Marcus Shaw posted the Bulls' longest kick return of the season by going 79 yards all the way up to the UConn 8.
The Bulls failed to capitalize on great field position, however, and gave the ball back two plays later when Daniels fumbled on a run to start the second quarter.
Defensive end Ryne Giddins gave USF new hope shortly after when he forced a fumble that Cory Grissom recovered at the UConn 35.
Giddins certainly had a half to remember by posting nine tackles (three for losses), two sacks, the forced fumble and a pass breakup that almost was a one-handed interception on the final drive of the second quarter.
"Ryne had a great two weeks of practice and it showed tonight," USF defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said.
The Bulls failed to convert Giddins' strip into points after Bonani's 46-yard attempt fell short after it was beaten down by a strong wind gust with 10:30 to play in the half.
After a pair of punts, the USF defense stepped up again inside its own territory.
Defensive tackle Cory Grissom was sprung free on a blitz, sacked Johnny McEntee and forced fumble that was recovered by Jon Lejiste at the USF 42. It marked the fourth of five sacks by the Bulls in the first half.
"(UConn) is a football team that runs the ball very well, and we said we're going to try and make them throw it and we're going to get after them," Holtz said.
A Daniels interception inside UConn's 20 dashed the Bulls' chances of taking the lead and the Huskies capitalized on the turnover. With the help of penalty calls, UConn was able to move the ball downfield far enough for Teggart to add a 46-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the half.
A break in action came at a good time for the USF offense that had 75 total yards through two quarters of play. The Bulls also were penalized five times for 50 yards and converted one of five third-down situations.
The Bulls were able to hang tight because of their defense that held UConn to 143 total yards and had seven tackles for losses by halftime.
Going back to the drawing board at halftime proved to pay dividends for the Bulls, who matched their first half yards total on the first drive of the third quarter.
A renewed dedication to the pass game exposed the UConn secondary and Daniels went to work. The redshirt junior went 5-for-5 for 62 yards on the drive, including three to Sterling Griffin for 45 yards.
The Bulls grabbed back the lead when Daniels used his feet to evade tacklers on a 22-yard touchdown run. It marked his fourth rushing TD of the season and 18th of his career, which has him in a tie for fifth place all-time at USF.
UConn also benefitted from taking to the air on its first drive of the second half.
McEntee threw a 22-yard strike and McCummings added a 32-yard pass to help set up Teggart's 28-yard field goal that cut the Huskies' deficit to 10-9 with 8:13 to go in the third quarter.
USF countered by going to a series of runs and ended up making the first costly error of the second half. Darrell Scott fumbled and UConn's Byron Jones returned it 10 yards to give the lead back to the Huskies less than a minute after Teggart's field goal.
USF had a chance to cut into its 16-10 deficit when it drove to the UConn 27, but Bonani missed from 44 yards out with 3:38 remaining in the third quarter. This miss was in the same direction as Bonani's 46-yard attempt into the wind and this one sailed wide left.
Solid defense continued to give the Bulls chances and tied the school record with seven sacks early in the fourth quarter on a play by DeDe Lattimore that forced a UConn punt.
Despite its struggles for the majority of the game, USF's offense showed signs of life near the end of the game.
USF got the ball at its own 10 with 5:42 remaining when Daniels' ignited the Bulls' charge toward the end zone. His 32-yard scramble got the Bulls into UConn territory but Daniels' pass to Griffin on a fourth-and-7 at Huskies' 27 ended up four yards short.
That put the pressure back on the USF defense, which failed to stop UConn from getting a first down and ending the game.
USF will try to regroup at home when it hosts Cincinnati next Saturday at noon.
"We are where we are because of the choices we've made and the things that we've done," Holtz said. "It's way too early in the season to stick our heads in the sand. We're 4-2. There are a lot of people in the country that would trade places with us right now."
