By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA – Senior running back Marcus Shaw (Arcadia) ran for a career high 145 yards on just 12 carries and senior quarterback Bobby Eveld (Tampa) gave the Bulls' offense a boost in the second half, but USF fell 53-21 to McNeese State on Saturday in the season opener at Raymond James Stadium before a crowd of 35,470.

"We're not as far as I thought we were but we will get there with the right guys," head coach Willie Taggart. “We are going to practice a little bit harder and put the guys in the right places and make sure guys do exactly what we ask them to do.”

Shaw finished with a career-high 192 yards of total offense after going 80 yards for a score on USF's first play from scrimmage. The senior back added a team-high 47 receiving yards on five catches, both career highs, in his first 100-yard rushing game as a Bull.

USF lost a home opener at Raymond James Stadium for the first time in program history falling to 11-1. The Bulls committed three turnovers, fumbling once and tossing two interceptions.

“We just didn't execute,” Taggart said. “Guys were open and dropped balls and you can't have that, especially when you're trying to come back.

“We are going to get there and we have to get there quickly.”

Eveld stepped in for starter Matt Floyd on USF's second drive of the second half and finished 10-for-20 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Eveld connected with Stephen Bravo-Brown (North Lauderdale) for a 59-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, marking a career best for both players, that cut the Bulls deficit to 40-14. Eveld also hit Andre Davis to cap a USF scoring drive with a 7-yard touchdown with 13:57 remaining that made it 43-21. 

Floyd, who started the game, went 9-for-20 for 72 yards with two interceptions. One of those was returned for a 76-yard touchdown by Cowboy's cornerback Guy Morgan giving McNeese State a 33-7 lead with 12 seconds to go in the first half.

McNeese State quarterback Cody Stroud went 12-for-21 for 207 yards and two touchdowns and fullback Dylan Long found the end zone twice as the Cowboys finished with 424 yards of total offense.

"Every time we messed up they capitalized on it. They're a great team," said linebacker DeDe Lattimore, who finished second on the team with 7.5 tackles. "But I can tell you one thing, we're going to get everything right and get everything corrected."

Linebacker Reshard Cliett (Thomasville, Ga.) led the Bulls with eight tackles and a career-best two tackles for loss.

The Bulls look to bounce back next Saturday, Sept. 7 at Michigan State. ESPN2 or ESPNU will handle the broadcast with kickoff set for a noon start in East Lansing, Mich.

USF NOTES

Team Notes

-USF scored on the first play of scrimmage for the first time since 2010 when B.J. Daniels connected with Dontavia Bogan for a 59-yard touchdown pass against Stony Brook in the season opener (Sept. 4, 2010)

-The Bulls recorded their first interception of the season … USF had just two interceptions in all of 2012 and didn't get their first until the ninth game of the year.

 Individual Notes

RB Marcus Shaw

-Posted a career-high 147 rushing yards, including 115 in the first quarter alone

-Recorded a career-high 47 receiving yards on a career-high five receptions

-Registered a career-high 194 total yards of offense.

-Recorded a career-long 80-yard touchdown on the Bulls' first play from the line of scrimmage.

-Shaw's 80-yard touchdown run ties for the second-longest touchdown run in Bulls history.

-Shaw's 147 rushing yards are his most since his previous career-best of 77 in 2010.

WR Stephen Bravo-Brown

-­Scored his first career touchdown on a career-long 59 yard reception.

-His 59 receiving yards are a career high.

 QB Bobby Eveld

-Posted a career-high two touchdown passes.

-Recorded his first touchdown pass since 2011 on a career-long 59-yard pass to Stephen Bravo-Brown. The touchdown is the fourth in Eveld's career.

WR Andre Davis

-Caught his first TD pass of the season at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

-Now has nine total TD receptions on his career, moving into a tie for sixth all-time at USF (Carlton Mitchell, 9 TDs, 2007-09).

LB Reshard Cliett

-Posted a career-high two TFL

DE Tevin Mims

-Posted a career-high 5.5 tackles

DB Johnny Ward

-Recorded his first career interception in the first quarter

Attendance: 35,470

Coin Toss: USF won toss and deferred. McNeese State elected to receive and defend the north end zone.

Game Captains: #34 DeDe Lattimore, #11 Matt Floyd, #27 Marvin Kloss