Bulls in the NFL: Week 1

Bulls in the NFL: Week 1

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, SEPT. 10, 2019 – The Mack Attack was in full effect during Week 1 of the NFL's regular season.

Marlon Mack is the league's leading rusher after racking up a career-high 174 yards in the Indianapolis Colts' 30-24 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The former three-time first team all-conference standout for the Bulls averaged 7.0 yards per carry in the 11th best rushing game in franchise history and sparked a furious comeback with an electric play in the second half.

With the Colts trailing, 24-9, Mack found a lane through traffic and raced down the sideline on a career long 63-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. The starting back kept his foot on the gas, rushing for 153 total yards in the second half and busting through tacklers at the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt that forced overtime in the final minute of regulation.
 

Mack ended up with the most single-game rushing yards by a Colt since Edgerrin James' 204 yards against the Chicago Bears in 2004 and Sunday was another shining chapter in his promising NFL career. The third-year pro became the Colts' full-time starter last season and made the most of the opportunity with five 100-yard rushing games, including a 148-yard outing in the AFC Division Round, on the way to posting 1,102 total rushing yards.

 "Last year definitely gave me confidence, knowing you can do it in the NFL," Mack said.

Confidence was sky-high for Mack during his incredible college career with the Bulls.

The first running back in program history to be drafted (fourth round, 2017) generated 3,609 yards in just three seasons (2014-16) and was USF's all-time leader before Quinton Flowers broke his record in 2017.  

"I still talk to Q every day, that's my brother," Mack said. "It was good for him to break it."

Mack still owns the USF record for most 100-yard rushing games (9) and his five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances have been matched by only Flowers and senior Jordan Cronkrite (Miami). Mack also ranks second in USF history with 32 rushing touchdowns and the Bulls' first three-time all-conference selection is now a devoted follower of the program.

"I love South Florida. This is my team, this is my school," said Mack, who tunes into Bulls games whenever he can. "If I can't see the games, I try to follow on Twitter and keep up from there. If I'm on the plane, hopefully I have Wi-Fi and I catch it on my phone on the ESPN app, or a TV at the hotel. I always try to keep up."

Find out how other former USF stars fared in Week 1 of the NFL season below.
  • WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING: The second-year pro played a key role in Green Bay's 10-3 victory at Chicago, setting up the lone touchdown of the game with a 47-yard reception in the second quarter with the nation watching the Thursday Night Football broadcast. MVS finished with four catches for 52 yards in the 11th start of his NFL career.
  • RB D'ERNEST JOHNSON: USF's career all-purpose yards leader did a little bit of everything for Cleveland in his first NFL regular season game. Johnson rushed for 13 yards on his first career carry, caught two passes for 23 yards and had a 23-yard kick return in the Browns' 43-13 loss at Tennessee.
  • C AUSTIN REITER: The fourth-year pro started and played all 68 snaps on offense for the Kanas City Chiefs, who put up 491 yards in a 40-26 victory at Jacksonville.
  • LB AARON LYNCH: The sixth-year pro registered the 19th sack of his NFL career in the Chicago Bears' 10-3 loss to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.
  • DT DEADRIN SENAT: Entering his second NFL season, Senat was inactive for the Atlanta Falcons' 28-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
  • DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2018 sack leader (12.5) is currently on the reserve/non-football injury list and will not be eligible to play or practice until after Week 6.
  • DT BRUCE HECTOR: The second-year pro is on the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad.
  • DE MIKE LOVE: The second-year pro is on Buffalo's reserve/injured list after impressing the Bills in training camp. Love appeared in three games at the end of last season.
  • CB MAZZI WILKINS: The NFL rookie from Tampa shined in the preseason as an undrafted free agent and earned a spot on the Buccaneers' practice squad.
  • RB QUINTON FLOWERS: The former star USF quarterback was released from the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad on Sept. 7.
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22nd season of football, and 19th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
 
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– #GoBulls –
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