Box Score
 |
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
| Syracuse |
0 |
3 |
14 |
7 |
24 |
| USF |
0 |
10 |
21 |
14 |
45 |
|
| |
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, OCT. 10, 2015 –USF Head Coach Willie Taggart said the Bulls were on the verge of big-time things heading into Saturday, and that's exactly what transpired in the Bulls' 45-24 Homecoming victory over Syracuse at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bulls (2-3) scored their most points against an FBS opponent since 2011 while racking up 535 yards of total offense, their most against an FBS opponent since 2012. Marlon Mack posted a season-high 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quinton Flowers threw for a career-high 259 yards and two touchdowns along with a rushing 55 yards and a score that helped seal the game in the fourth quarter.
“I told all of them, 'We're not going to leave anything on the play call sheet. We're going to run it all and you guys take care of business. Play like you know you're capable of,'” Taggart said. “They did that. They went out, executed on a high level and they finished the game.”
Mack's 20-carry, 184-yard performance marked his seventh 100-yard rushing game. The sophomore moved into eighth place on USF's all-time rushing list with 1,618 yards.
“We told Marlon, we'd love to get him at least 20 carries a game. We did that today and he took advantage of it,” Taggart said.
USF's “Bull Sharks” defense stepped up with two of the team's three takeaways while totaling 10.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and giving up just two plays over 20 yards. Sophomore Auggie Sanchez led the way with 10 tackles and sophomore Deatrick Nichols posted a career-best seven, a forced fumble and 2.5 tackles for loss. Jamie Byrd added an interception and four tackles in the USF defense's second straight strong performance.
“I thought our young pups took a big step for our program,” Taggart said. “They're starting to grow up and it was really good to see.”
USF headed into the locker room with a 10-3 lead at halftime after the Bulls scored first for the third straight game and made big plays in all three phases.
The “Bull Sharks” came to play right away, forcing three straight three-and-outs to open the game and USF's offense gained momentum near the end of the first quarter.
Flowers used his feet to convert on third down twice before freshman Tyre McCants (Niceville, Fla.) caught a short pass and went for a career-high 56 yards down to the Syracuse 2-yard line. Darius Tice capped off an 11-play, 79-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter.
Syracuse (3-2) got on the scoreboard with a 30-yard field goal from Cole Murphy after the Orange's fourth drive of the game stalled deep in USF territory. Set up with a first-and-10 at the Bulls' 11, Syracuse ball carriers were stopped for a loss on consecutive plays by sophomores Deadrin Senat (Immokalee) and Tajee Fullwood (Tampa).
Senat and Zack Bullock (Sebring, Fla.) each had 1.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the opening half as the “Bull Sharks” racked up seven tackles for loss. The Bulls outgained Syracuse, 172-85, in the first two quarters while the Orange picked up just 40 passing yards.
USF was able to sneak one more score in before halftime thanks to a heads-up play on special teams. Sophomore Devin Abraham (Tarpon Springs) recovered a muffed punt at the Syracuse 25 with 1:42 remaining and USF took a 10-3 lead with Emilio Nadelman's 21-yard field goal as time expired. USF and Syracuse headed into the game as two of only seven FBS teams that hadn't lost a fumble this season.
USF got the opening kickoff of the second half and seized control of the game with a six-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off by Mack's 25-yard touchdown run with 13:04 remaining in the third quarter. Mack (Sarasota) rushed four times for 47 yards on the drive while passing Mike Ford on USF's all-time rushing list.
“These last two games he's gotten his 20 carries and he's starting to run and play like Marlon is capable of playing,” Taggart said.
Syracuse was forced to punt on its first drive of the second half and the Bulls' offense got right back to it with a two-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took only 30 seconds. Flowers started with a 33-yard pass to Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg) before USF caught Syracuse by surprise.
Flowers got the ball back on a reverse flea-flicker and Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers) hauled in a 42-yard touchdown reception with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter.
“I told our guys, we're not going leave anything on the play call sheet. I'm going to let it rip and I want ya'll to let it rip,” Taggart said. “That was a play we had in our arsenal and we said if we got to a certain point on the field, we're going to run it. We did and our guys executed it well.”
Following the Bulls' trick play, Syracuse responded with Eric Dungey's 30-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Fredericks with 7:34 to play in the third quarter. The Orange defense then recovered USF's first lost fumble of the season at the USF 16 and Dungey's 7-yard touchdown run helped cut Syracuse's deficit to 24-17 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
Saturday's third quarter took another wild turn thanks to a 48-second scoring drive by the USF offense that pumped the Bulls' lead up to 31-17. USF zipped down the field on a three-play, 72-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by Mack's 45-yard touchdown run with 4:53 remaining in the quarter.
Just a sophomore, Mack is now tied with Rafael Williams for third place in USF's record book with seven 100-yard rushing games. Mack has put together two straight 100-yard games after rushing for 107 yards last week against Memphis.
“Our guys stayed in there and they got the momentum back on our side. That was really, really good to see out of our football team,” Taggart said.
Syracuse opened the fourth quarter with Dungey's 7-yard touchdown pass to Steve Ishmael, but the Orange would get no closer to the Bulls the rest of the way.
USF's offense added to its best outing since the season opener with a Flowers' 2-yard scoring run that helped extend the lead to 38-24 with 9:40 to play. The Bulls took 5:14 off the clock during the 15-play, 82-yard sequence that marked USF's fifth scoring drive of 75 yards or longer.
After pressuring Dungey all day, the “Bull Sharks” helped seal the game with Byrd's interception that was returned to the Syracuse 33 and extended by Orange penalties. One play later, Flowers found Adams for a 14-yard touchdown that helped USF score its most points against an FBS opponent since 2011 (54 vs. UTEP).
Flowers completed 15 of 22 passes on the day and totaled 314 all-purpose yards after asking Taggart to let him unleash the attack earlier in the week.
“Quinton said, 'Coach, let me go,'” Taggart said. “I said, 'Alright, I'll let you go. Just do me one favor, if you don't have the throw, run.'”
USF finished up its season-high three takeaway day with Nichols' forced fumble on a sack recovered by Senat at the Bulls' 35 with 4:55 to play.
“I told our football team on Sunday, if we just finish everything we do, we'll win this ballgame,” Taggart said. “… Our guys, they finished.”
USF jumps back into American Athletic Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 17 at UConn. Kickoff is set for noon in East Hartford and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU or ESPNews.
The Bulls' next home game is Saturday, Oct. 24 against SMU at Raymond James Stadium. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
The USF Football program is in its 19th season overall and 16th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
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