The USF Bulls were able to grab their first win of the season in the first meeting in program history versus the MEAC’s Howard Bison squad and they did it in part of what was a solid performance on both sides of the football.
Not only was this a big win for the Bulls because it was their first victory, but it very well may have saved Jeff Scott’s job here at the program, with Scott now picking up his fourth win as head coach for the Bulls.
Game Recap
In terms of stats, both teams were very much equal offensively, with Howard really controlling USF in the first quarter and playing competitive football throughout the majority of the game.
Howard and USF both combined for over 400 total yards, with Howard actually leading in some offensive categories as well, but the true offensive production came on the ground.
The Bulls ran the ball 27 times, with a mix up of reps between Brian Battie, Michel Dukes and Jaren Mangham, with Dukes and Mangham both scoring two rushing touchdowns and Battie rushing for over 100 yds.
Defensively speaking though, USF was ten times better than what we saw in last week’s lackluster defeat.
Beyond the first quarter, Bohanon, Jr. turned the ball over to begin the first drive on offense and Howard would later score. Luckily, the defense stepped up in a big way, capitalizing on two fumble losses which would lead to two touchdowns in the second quarter.
Add in an interception to the mix and USF picked up three turnovers in the contest. Simply put, it was a much improved performance after last week.
One of the key concerns still is the passing attack, as Bohanon, Jr. was not able to pick up a passing touchdown in the game, but there was a more fluent and consistent offense, even if Bohanon’s numbers weren’t the flashiest.
More improvement will come as the season progress, as the team is under a first year coordinator in Travis Trickett and a first year transfer QB in Bohanon.
Overall Thoughts
Looking at this game as a whole, USF played a great bounce back game in their second of six home games at Raymond James Stadium.
While there could have been some momentum built on the passing side of things, as Bohanon Jr. did have some off-target passes, the offensive and defensive attack as a whole were much improved and can be something you build off of.
The one key component that may hold back the team from building off this win is the upcoming schedule, as they are on the road for two straight weeks of power 5 matchups, but if they can battle in those matchups and improve in the areas needed, this Bulls team could have a shot in the coming weeks.
However, it will be a very tough test for the Bulls program next week as they take on a team in the No. 12 Florida Gators who will host the Bulls after losing to No. 22 Kentucky at home.