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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA – Senior back Marcus Shaw carried the ball 21 times for a career-high 159 yards, but turnovers continued to hamper the USF offense in a 28-10 loss to FAU on Saturday night before a crowd of 33,792 at Raymond James Stadium.
FAU (1-2) scored two touchdowns off USF turnovers, including a 75-yard interception return by D'Joun Smith that gave the Owls the final winning margin with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. USF's first turnover, a mishandled handoff by quarterback Bobby Eveld (Tampa), resulted in a 10-yard return for a touchdown by Cory Henry that gave FAU the game's initial lead less than 5 minutes after kickoff.
“Offensively we just continue to turn the ball over. I've never been a part of something like this,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “Not only are we turning the ball over, but we're turning it over for points. When you turn it over on your side of the field it's not good. It's frustrating when you see it three times in a row.”
USF's inability to produce on offense spoiled another stellar effort by its defense that gave up 228 total yards a week after surrendering just 155 yards at Michigan State. True freshman linebacker Nigel Harris (Tampa) got his first-career start at the weakside position and posted a game-high 12 tackles while DeDe Lattimore's interception in FAU territory set the Bulls' offense up for its lone touchdown late in the first quarter.
“We have to take care of the football. I thought our defense played well and I thought our special teams played well,” Taggart said. “Again, it's our offense. We have to find a way to create some offense and create some points. We're not doing that right now.”
The Owls grabbed a 7-0 lead with 10:29 remaining in the first quarter when Eveld's mix-up on a handoff resulted in a 10-yard recovery for a score by Henry.
“It's not like we're turning the ball over on their 30-yard line and our defense goes out and plays. We're turning the ball over for touchdowns or on our side of the field and that just kills you,” Taggart said.
Steven Bench (Bainbridge, Ga.) replaced Eveld on USF's third drive of the game and the Bulls' offense started to get going. USF (0-3) moved into FAU territory for the first time thanks to a 44-yard run by Shaw to the Owls' 36. Four plays later, Marvin Kloss (Naples) cut the USF deficit to 7-3 with a career-long 50-yard field goal with 5:07 to go in the opening period.
Shaw registered his second-career 100-yard rushing game by halftime when he had 108 yards on 14 carries. The senior from Arcadia, Fla., who entered the game standing second in the AAC in rushing, gained 145 yards in USF's season opener Aug. 31 against McNeese State and racked up 94 more at Michigan State on Sept. 7.
“The one good thing we have going offensively is Marcus Shaw. We have to build off of him. He needs help,” Taggart said. “Don't get me wrong, the offensive line is a big reason why Marcus has had success, but he needs help. There are other guys on the field, other playmakers, that have to make plays.”
The USF defense's fourth turnover of the season paved the way for the Bulls' go-ahead score just three plays after Kloss' big kick in the first quarter. Harris, starting in place of injured Reshard Cliett, tipped a pass that was intercepted by Lattimore (Athens, Ga.) to set the Bulls up at the FAU 31. Bench's first-career completion as a Bull went 25 yards to fullback Ryan Eppes, who took it to the end zone for his first-career touchdown with 3:36 remaining in the first quarter. Bench finished 8-of-22 for 134 yards.
The Owls retook the lead just before halftime when quarterback Jaquez Johnson capped off an 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 35 seconds remaining. It marked the second touchdown scored by the FAU offense this season.
FAU went back to the ground attack in the red zone to produce the lone score of the third quarter following a lost fumble on a sack by Bench at the USF 39. Jonathan Wallace capped off the short drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:42 remaining in the period. The FAU defense sealed the game up with Smith's 75-yard interception return for a score late in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls have a bye next week and return to Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28 to host No. 16/18 Miami. Game time has yet to be determined.
“It's been three bad ballgames for us. It's frustrating, but we're not quitting,” Taggart said. “We have nine ballgames to go and our goal is still in front of us. We want to win the American (Athletic) Conference and it's still in front of us. We've got some work to do.”
Individual Notes
RB Marcus Shaw
-Posted his second 100-yard rushing game of the year with a career-high 153 yards
-His 153 yards are the 14th most in a game in USF history
-In both of his 100-yard games this year, he's reached the 100 in the first half
-Notched his second and third 40+yard rushes of the season with a 44-yard run in the first quarter and a 41-yard rush in the second quarter
DB Nigel Harris
-Notched a career-and team-high 12 tackles, the most by a true freshman since at least 2009 (as far as we were able to look back as of now)
-Started in his first career game … is just the third true freshman to start a game in the last two seasons, joining Tashon Whitehurst and Sean Price (2012)
-Recorded his first career forced fumble, TFL and PBU
DE Tevin Mims
-Recorded his first TFL of the season
LB DeDe Lattimore
-Recorded his second career interception and first of the season
QB Stephen Bench
-Recorded his first career touchdown pass in the first quarter with a 25-yard reception to Ryan Eppes
FB Ryan Eppes
-Recorded his first career touchdown reception
WR Andre Davis
-Has recorded a 10+yard reception in 19 of his career 26 games, including a 20-yard reception vs. FAU
K Marvin Kloss
-Connected on a career-long 50 yard FG in the first quarter, which ties for the fourth-longest FG made in USF history and is the sixth FG made at USF that is 50 yards or longer
Attendance: 33,792
Coin Toss: FAU won the toss and elected to defer.
Game Captains: #34 DeDe Lattimore, #11 Matt Floyd, #27 Marvin Kloss
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