WATCH - featuring Nay'Quan Wright Interview in 4th segment
It was a 6-yard run in the first quarter, a moment that had no bearing on last season's outcome at Raymond James Stadium, when the USF Bulls fell 17-3 in a tight game with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
But, whether you were among the 65,138 fans at Ray-Jay or the more than five million watching on ABC-TV that afternoon, it was a play not to be forgotten.
On second-and-3, USF running back Nay'Quan Wright went up the middle, then lowered his shoulder and violently trucked Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs, who was resoundingly propelled onto his backside.
"Listen to this one!'' said ABC color analyst Robert Griffin III, the former Heisman Trophy winner, as he heard the pads popping on the broadcast's video replay. "It's fair to say that Nay'Quan Wright just baptized that man.''
One year later, as the Bulls (1-0) prepare for Saturday night's meeting with the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide (1-0) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the YouTube highlight will still make anyone gasp in awe. The play still has life.
Wright questions whether it still has relevance.
"Man, you still get a few calls, texts, shares and tags … and I guess people love to see it, but I'm just moving forward,'' said Wright, 5-foot-9 and 206 pounds, who had 797 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season. "Anybody can do something once. It's about continuing to do things like that, whether it's running through a guy or making them miss. It's football. It was a football play. This is a grown man's game.''
Sadly, there won't be a rematch. Downs, who became the first freshman to lead Alabama in tackles and was named second-team Associated Press All-American, has transferred to Ohio State.
But when USF and Alabama tangle once again, the play still has a purpose for some Bulls players.
It clearly established the way USF wants to operate — aggressively, North-South, playing with passion.
And it showed that USF's style works — regardless of the opponent.
"What that play showed me was, 'Oh wow, we can play with these boys, no doubt,' '' Bulls offensive tackle Derek Bowman said. "It opened my eyes. Alabama isn't some big, scary giant. They're a football team. We're a football team. So, let's go play.
"That game was my second start and it was a really big deal going in. It was Alabama and Coach Nick Saban, you know, big-time stuff. But in the moment, that play showed me that, no matter what, it's still just football. Same field, same ball. A year later, I think we all have that same mindset. It doesn't matter who you are. We're the USF Bulls. We do what we do. We're capable of playing with anyone.''
Running With The Bulls
With Wright, Kelley Joiner and newcomer Ta'Ron Keith — along with others who could emerge — USF's ground game seems poised for a big season.
"We've always started everything with the run game,'' head coach Alex Golesh said. "Every game is independent of itself. We'll find where we think the holes are in the defense. With the matchups, there may be certain games where we feel like we need to throw it more to give ourselves a chance to win. But (philosophically) everything starts for us with the run game.''
Wright said he loves to hear it.
"It's like music to my ears,'' said Wright, who arrived at USF last season after transferring from Florida, where he scored a touchdown against Alabama in the 2020 SEC Championship Game.
And USF's offensive linemen? Yes, they approve, too.
"As much as college football has changed, as complicated as this game can become at times, it still boils down to the basics,'' offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick said. "It's still a bunch of dudes out there trying to score a weird shaped ball and being really, really violent out there on the football field. It's one guy trying to move another guy to a place they don't want to go.
"I try to stress that to my room every day. If you can physically defeat your man — and if our team can physically defeat the other team — that's what you need to win. You're trying to move the ball down the field. Sometimes, you do it with a long, flashy play. But mostly it's moving down the field, chunk by chunk, and trying to break the will of the other guys. That physical component is really what football is all about.''
First-year USF running backs coach Micah James used to work with offensive linemen, so the power-game, ball-possession concept is naturally emphasized.
"We're not going to be ignorant about running into pictures that don't make sense, but as long as they make sense, we're going to run it,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "Winning those one-on-one battles and getting 3 to 4 yards on first down, those things are huge. Nothing provides more confidence for a football team than to know you need 3 to 4 yards and you're able to get those yards when you need them.
"I think what you'll see from the USF Bulls is a group of running backs who know how to run hard. Every play is not designed the same and there are times when you're on the perimeter trying to make a guy miss. But we know our bread and butter. That's kind of typified by Nay'Quan Wright (who played at Florida from 2019-22). He has been in college football a long time. He's a rugged guy.''
Just ask Alabama.
Keep On Truckin'
Last season against the Crimson Tide, Bulls defensive tackle Bernard Gooden remembers being on the sideline, talking with a teammate, not focused on the field.
"Then all I heard was a big boom,'' Gooden said.
Linebacker Mac Harris had an immediate verbal reaction.
"It was explicit,'' Harris said. "Man, we got instant juice from Nay'Quan. The sheer sight of it had me crawling out of my skin. It's like you discovered a chink in their armor. It was a moment.''
Quarterback Byrum Brown, who handed the ball to Wright from the shotgun formation, had a great view.
"I remember thinking, 'Man, I'm glad I'm not him (Downs),' but it was truly electric,'' Brown said. "That man-defeating-man kind of play, it fires you up. It's like when a receiver makes a great catch or a lineman makes a pancake block. It sends a jolt through the whole team.''
"The guy (Downs) is obviously not a bad football player … in fact, he's a great player,'' B-backer D.J. Harris said. "As a defensive player, that is not the look you want. You have a hard time living that one down. All you can do is go to the next play. That play is part of history and you can't erase it.''
That's what defensive coordinator Todd Orlando constantly emphasizes to his players.
"Coach T.O. (Orlando) says whatever you put on film, whether it's good or bad, it's going to be there until the planet blows up,'' strong safety Jaelen Stokes said. "That Nay'Quan play is going to be there until the planet blows up.''
For his part, Wright said he hasn't thought much about the play. He said there were a couple of other high-impact plays he made last season, but "this one got blown up because it was Alabama … I get it … but I don't dwell on plays. I move on.''
Wright will play against Alabama for a fourth time (after going 0-3 with the Gators against the Crimson Tide).
"We have a brotherhood in our backfield and a brotherhood on our team in general, so I feel we're ready for this challenge,'' Wright said. "We're a process-driven team and everything (this week) is about getting our process right for this game specifically.
"I'm in favor of whatever it takes to help this team win. The expectations on our team don't matter. It's about putting our heads down and working, grinding, stacking days together. We played with them (Alabama) last season, but we're after winning, not looking good in a loss.''
Wright said he doesn't know Downs personally and has never discussed last season's high-impact play with him.
"Maybe we'll cross paths in the NFL,'' Wright said with a smile. "Shoot, maybe we'll be on the same team one day.''
What would Wright say to Downs if he had the chance?
"Not a thing,'' Wright said. "It's football. Football players understand. I guess it's cool to have a big moment, but you don't accomplish anything by keeping that moment alive. It's always about the next play or the next game and how you can be successful there. That's completely our mindset.''
But Wright's teammates? They still remember. And they remain inspired.
"As finesse as football has become, as seven-on-seven as football has become, the ability to knock somebody on their butt still carries a lot of weight,'' offensive tackle RJ Perry said. "As far as I'm concerned, that play is going to live forever.''
–#GoBulls–
