USF Football Uses Dominating Second Half to Down FAU, 44-21

TAMPA, FLA., NOV. 1, 2024 – Coming off its second bye week of the season and in its third game with junior Bryce Archie starting at quarterback, South Florida (3-4; 1-2 American) used a dominating second half to down FAU (2-5; 0-3 American) 44-21 and notch its second straight American Athletic Conference win Friday night in Boca Raton, Fla.

The Bulls were playing their third game in Boca Raton in three seasons, but first against the Owls since 35-23 victory in 2007. USF rolled over Syracuse, 45-0, in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2023 and played a Hurricane Ian relocated game vs. ECU in Boca Raton in 2022.

USF used an explosive run game that rolled up 319 yards on 7.4 yards per carry led by Nay’Quan Wright ( 117 yards and a touchdown), Kelley Joiner ( 89 yards and a touchdown) and Ta’Ron Keith (81 yards and a touchdown). The Bulls defense also turned in a program-record tying seven sacks and a strong second half performance that forced FAU into a turnover, three punts and three turnovers on downs.

Junior quarterback Bryce Archie, in his third career start, posted his second win under center throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulls did not commit a turnover while logging 13 tackles for loss.

The Bulls trailed 14-7 at the half after an uneven first 30 minutes in which FAU outgained the Bulls, 306 to 166, and logged 149 yards on the ground. That changed dramatically after the halftime break, as USF scored on six straight possessions (five TD, one FG) and reeled off 30-straight points.

The USF defense forced a three-and-out on FAU’s opening possession of the second half, and the Bulls offense went to work on the ground. Joiner gained 32 yards on a big run to the FAU24. Archie hit JeyQuan Smith for a 14-yard gain to the 10 and then back-to-back Joiner carries moved the Bulls to the FAU1. Archie punched it in on a short dive and the Bulls had the game tied at 14-14 at 12:30 of the third quarter.

FAU quickly regained the lead when CJ Campbell Jr. slipped out of the backfield and caught a short pass up the hash marks. He raced 64-yards for a touchdown that gave the Owls a 21-14 lead, but that would be their last score of the game.

USF came right back, with Archie hitting Sean Atkins for 16-yard gain to get the drive started. The Bulls reached the FAU22 and had a 4th-and-2. Head coach Alex Golesh went for it. Archie rolled left and hit Wright with shovel pass that picked up four yards. Two plays later Archie hit Atkins with an 18-yard strike between Owl defenders for a touchdown that tied the game at 21.

Bernard Gooden and DJ Gordon combined for a second-down sack on FAU’s next possession, but on 3rd-and-18 Owls’ quarterback Cam Fancher stepped out of another sack and raced 35 yards for a first down. FAU reached the USF26 where the defense came up with a big 4th-and-1 stop with Decarius Hawthorne making the stop.

The Bulls went to work again on the ground with Ta’Ron Keith reeling off a 38-yard run. USF reached the FAU17 where John Cannon knocked in a 34-yard field goal to give the Bulls their first lead, 24-21.

Rico Watson then blasted Fancher from behind and Gordon recovered the ensuing fumble at the FAU22. Archie moved the Bulls to the FAU3 with a dart to tight end Payten Singletary and Joiner plunged in a play later to give USF a 31-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The USF defense forced a three-and-out, and the Bulls quickly went 61 yards in five plays extending the lead to 37-21 on Joiner’s 17-yard run up the middle.

After the defense forced another three-and-out, Keith burst through the line on the Bulls first snap and raced 42 yards for a touchdown and a 44-21 lead with 10:57 to play.

BACK TO THE START

On the Bulls opening possession, Archie lofted a deep ball on third and long to a wide-open Smith, but the sophomore had trouble finding the ball in the lights and was unable to make the catch. The Bulls were forced to punt.

The defense got a stop on an FAU 4th-and-5 from the USF32 and Archie brought the offense back on the field. He made a big 9-yard gain on a keeper on a third down and then picked up a short fourth down conversion with another run. Keshaun Singleton made a tough catch to move to the FAU28, but the drive stalled and John Cannon attempted a 46-yard field goal into a swirling wind that missed wide right.

FAU drove 72 yards in nine plays for a touchdown, drawing first blood when Campbell Jr ran nine yards around the left side to the corner of the endzone.

Midway through the second quarter, Nay’Quan Wright burst through the left side, broke a tackle on the sideline and raced 64 yards to the endzone to get the Bulls on board with a career-long carry. Cannon’s extra point tied the game at 7 with 7:48 to play in the half.

FAU drove 52 yards but missed a 49-yard field goal attempt. After forcing another USF punt, the Owls retook the lead on a 30-yard touchdown run by Campbell, who had 86 yards at the half, to make it 14-0.

The Owls drove late in the half and had a chance to add to the lead but missed a 36-yard field goal attempt with 44 seconds to play.

KEY STATS

• USF tied a program record with seven sacks and had 13 tackles for loss on the night

• The Bulls ran for 319 yards, 223 coming after halftime.

• USF scored 30 straight points in the second half, outscoring the Owls 37-7 in the last 30 minutes.

NOTABLES

• RB Nay’Quan Wright’s 64-yard touchdown run marked a career long and USF’s longest run play on the year. He finished with 119 yards and a TD on 17 carries, for his second 100-yard game on the season and fifth of his career.

• LB Jhalyn Shuler led USF with 10 tackles and added 1.5 sacks.

• QB Bryce Archie posted his second win as a starter throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns and running for 25 yards.

UP NEXT

The Bulls return to Raymond James Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 9, for a Homecoming clash vs. Navy on ESPN2. The game will kick off at noon and will also serve as the program’s annual Salute To Service game. USF will break ground on its new on-campus stadium and operations center on Fri., Nov. 8 in a ceremony set to begin at 3:30 p.m. on the USF campus, just north of the Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility on Sycamore Drive.

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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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