ORLANDO, FLA., OCT. 12, 2024 – Playing in just the second game relocated due to a hurricane in program history, South Florida (2-4; 0-2 American) fell to Memphis (5-1; 1-1 American) 21-3 Saturday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Due to the impacts of Hurricane Milton around the Tampa Bay area, the game was moved from its original Friday night date in Raymond James Stadium to Orlando, marking the second time a Bulls football game has been relocated due to a hurricane in the last three years. USF’s 2022 American Athletic Conference opener vs. ECU was moved to FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Bulls returned to Camping World Stadium for just the second time ever and first since downing rival UCF, 24-17, in a 2006 contest in Orlando.
Linebacker Mac Harris led a strong defensive effort for the Bulls, posting a career-best nine tackles, while Tavin Ward made a highlight-reel interception. Jhalyn Shuler finished as the Bulls’ leading tackler with 10 stops in his first game back fully healthy from injury. The USF defense forced a season-high seven punts from Memphis while allowing 345 total offensive yards, just eight more yards than the Tigers’ previous season-low. The Tigers offense was held scoreless for the final 54 minutes, with the Memphis defense getting the team’s final points, and the Tigers 21 points were their second-fewest on the year behind a 20-point effort at Florida State.
The USF offense took the field with junior quarterback Bryce Archie making his first career start, replacing Byrum Brown who suffered a lower leg injury early in the third quarter of the Bulls’ Sept. 28 game at Tulane. Archie finished 22 -of -41 for a career-high 241 yards in his first career start.
Senior wide receiver Sean Atkins posted five catches to tie Andre Davis’ (2011-14) program record in career receptions (153). Atkins tallied 35 yards which currently has him fifth in career receiving yardage chart with 1,730.
Memphis jumped to an early 14-0 lead, scoring on two of its first three possessions before the USF defense settled in and forced thre punts, a turnover on downs, and a missed field goal to finish the first half. The Bulls offense was not able to generate much, as the Tigers posted a 231 to 69 yardage advantage and 18-minute advantage in time of possession in the first half, but a 52-yard field goal from Nico Gramatica to close the half kept USF in striking distance, trailing 14-3 at the break.
The Bulls got the ball to start the second half and Archie hit Josh Hardeman for a career-long 48-yard bomb to the Memphis 27. Three plays later the Bulls had a fourth-and-one at the UM18 and Archie came up just short on the quarterback keeper. The Bulls challenged the spot, but it was upheld after review.
The USF defense forced another three-and-out and the Bulls took over on their 30. Rain began to fall, and Archie’s deep pass directed at Michael Brown-Stephens was overshot and intercepted at the Memphis 2. Davion Watts returned it to the Memphis 40.
The Tigers drove to the USF45 before facing a fourth-and-two. The defense pressured Henigan and Tavin Ward intercepted his desperation pass at the 41. However, the Bulls couldn’t move the ball and punted it back.
Again, the defense rose to the occasion, forcing a punt for Memphis and getting the ball back for USF on its own 33. The Bulls again had to punt, and Andrew Stokes hit a 55-yarder to pin Memphis on its 5, one of five he landed inside the 20 on the day.
The Tigers got a big 38-yard run from Brandon Thomas up the middle on their first play to move to their 43 as the clock ran out in the third quarter. Again, the Bulls’ defense stiffened and forced a punt, this one downed on the USF1.
Archie rolled right and completed a short pass to Josh Porter who was hit hard immediately and fumbled in the endzone. Memphis recovered for a 21-3 lead with 11:17 to play.
The Bulls continued to fight, and Archie moved USF across midfield with a 21-yard strike to Hardeman at the UM29. But Archie’s pass to Sean Atkins on 4th-and-8 at the UM27 was incomplete and the Bulls last threat ended.
Back to the Start
Memphis took the opening kickoff. The Tigers converted on a fourth-and-one at the 50 to move into USF territory. Four plays later, Henigan hit Demeer Blankumsee for the opening touchdown, completing a nine-play, 75-yard opening drive.
The Bulls were forced to punt on their first possession, but the defense responded forcing a Memphis three-and-out and USF took over on its own 30. Archie hit Atkins on a quick pass, but Atkins was hit after gaining a few yards and fumbled. Memphis recovered on the Bulls’ 33.
Three plays later Memphis made it 14-0 when Henigan hit Mario Anderson Jr. for a nine-yard touchdown.
Following another Bulls punt, Memphis took over on its own 12 and drove to the USF39 before Shuler made a terrific play to intercept Henigan. However, officials flagged Decarius Hawthorne for roughing the passer on the play and Memphis kept the ball, moving to the USF24 after the penalty. The defense held at the USF21 and Memphis settled for a 39-yard field goal attempt that went wide right.
Archie led the offense back on the field, but after a dropped pass was sacked for a seven-yard loss and the Bulls were forced to punt from their own 9. Memphis drove to the USF38 where they faced a 4th-and-2. Ward made the stop short of the first down on the running play and the Bulls took over with 8:37 to play in the half.
The Bulls moved just across the 50 but no further, and Memphis took over on its own 10 after the Stokes punt. The Tigers drove to midfield, but again the USF defense held after a nice pass break-up from Brent Austin on third-and-long.
USF took over on its own 14 after the punt with 1:50 to play in the half. USF failed to gain a first down after three plays and had to punt back to Memphis with 1:12 to play. The Bulls defense delivered another three-and-out and the Bulls got another chance with 39 seconds to play from their own 24. USF drove across the 50 and got a roughing the passer call on Memphis on the final Hail Mary play of the half. That set up a 52-yard field goal attempt for Gramatica who knocked it through to get the Bulls on the board, down 14-3 at the half.
KEY STATS
• The Bulls’ defense forced seven punts, two turnovers on downs, and grabbed an interception. The seven punts marked a season-high for Memphis.
• The Bulls’ defense held Memphis scoreless for eight straight drives (39 minutes and 35 seconds of game clock) after allowing two touchdowns on the first three drives.
• The Bulls held the Tigers to their second-lowest scoring total all year (21 points), only one more than the Tigers had at FSU.
NOTABLES
• LB Mac Harris posted a career-best nine tackles.
• DB Tavin Ward hauled in his third career interception for his first of the season.
• WR Sean Atkins -Sits tied for first with Andre Davis all-time in career receptions (153) and fifth all-time in career receiving yards (1,730) in USF program history.
• K Nico Gramatica – made a 52-yard field goal improving to 3-for-3 from 50-plus yards on the year and moved into second all-time with three 50-yard field goals on the season. Marvin Kloss posted four in 2013.
UP NEXT
The Bulls will return to Tampa for the first time in three weeks to take on UAB in a Homecoming clash on Saturday, Oct. 19. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
2024 Season Tickets: www.USFBullsTix.com
Group tickets (10+): Call 1-800-GoBulls
Future schedules can be viewed HERE
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th season in 2023 with a program-best six-game turnaround and Boca Raton Bowl victory under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 16 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 32 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 11 bowl game appearances (going 7-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.
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