Box Score
 |
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
| USF |
0 |
28 |
7 |
10 |
45 |
| Syracuse |
17 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
20 |
|
| |
SYRACUSE, N.Y., SEPT. 17, 2016 – USF matched a school record with 28 unanswered points in the second quarter of a 45-20 win at Syracuse that got the Bulls to 3-0 for the first time in the Willie Taggart era.
USF is 3-0 for the first time since 2011 after pulling off the second-largest comeback in school history. The 2008 Bulls also erased a 17-point deficit against Kansas, a feat only topped by USF's 20-point comeback at Tulsa in 2014.
Senior receiver Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg) scored a career-high tying three touchdowns (two rushing) during the 28-0 run. Adams has scored 16 touchdowns (five rushing) in his past 12 games. USF's Gulf Coast Offense has scored at least 45 points in its past three games to match the school record and continues a school record run of seven straight games with at least 35 points.
Marlon Mack (Sarasota) extended his school record of 100-yard rushing games to 14 with 115 yards on just nine carries (12.8 ypc). Mack rushed for two touchdowns and his 52-yard score helped extend the lead to 35-20 in the final minute of the third quarter.
D'Ernest Johnson (Immokalee) started the fourth quarter in explosive fashion with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. It marked the second-longest punt return in USF history, behind DeAndrew Rubin's 92-yard against Utah State in 2001.
Quarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami) threw for 188 yards with a touchdown and rushed for 51 yards on 11 carries before sitting out most of the fourth quarter. USF rushed for 239 yards and finished with 454 total yards.
Quick-strike USF turned a 17-0 deficit into a 28-17 halftime lead with second-quarter scoring drives of 1:04, 1:37, 0:55 and 1:32.
Down, 17-0, entering the second quarter, Flowers found Adams on a bubble screen and the speedy senior jetted for a 27-yard touchdown with 14:26 remaining in the half.
USF's defense got a fourth-down stop at the Syracuse 47 on the next drive and the Gulf Coast Offense kept heating up. Mack's 2-yard touchdown run cut the Syracuse lead to 17-14 with 9:24 left in the half.
USF took a 28-17 lead into the break thanks to Adams' touchdown runs from 9 and 19 yards out in the final five minutes of the half.
USF's swarming 4-2-5 defense gave up three points in the final three quarters and forced three turnovers, with interceptions by Tajee Fullwood (Tampa) and Deatrick Nichols (Miami). Auggie Sanchez (St. Petersburg) led the Bulls with 13 tackles for the second straight game. Ronnie Hoggins (Coconut Creek) set a career high with 12 tackles and Deadrin Senat (Immokalee) had a career-best 10 stops.
Quotable:
“The thing I liked about our guys is nobody flinched on the sideline. They stayed wide-eyed and they looked adversity in the face and said, 'Bring it on.' That was great to see our guys respond that way.” – Willie Taggart.
Key Stat:
28 – The amount of unanswered points USF used to take a 28-17 lead in the second quarter. The last time the Bulls scored 28 points in a quarter was in the second quarter against Florida A&M in 2011.
Notables:
- USF has won 10 of its last 12 games. USF has won four of its last five true road games.
- In its past seven games, dating back to 2015, USF is averaging 532.1 yards and 48.1 points per game.
Up Next:
USF returns to Raymond James Stadium to host No. 2 Florida State on Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.
Season, three-game flex plan, single game and group tickets are available by visiting USFBullsTix.com or calling 1-800-GoBulls.
The USF Football program is in its 20th season overall and 17th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made seven 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.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
