Nay’Quan Wright recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season
EAST HARTFORD, CONN., OCT. 21, 2023–The USF football team (4-4; 2-2 American) trailed by two scores with 12:45 to play, but rallied to defeat UConn (1-6), 24-21, on a cool and rainy Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.
In the 19th meeting between the two programs and first since 2019, the Bulls scored the last 14 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 13-6 all-time against the Huskies and 6-4 in East Hartford as they extended their winning streak to nine games over UConn, a former BIG EAST and American conference member with USF.
The Bulls were led by Nay’Quan Wright who posted his second-straight 100-yard rushing game and third of the season, reaching the mark by half time before ending with a career-best 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Quarterback Byrum Brown led two long scoring drives in the fourth-quarter, including a game-winning 90-yard drive as he finished with 203 yards passing and 61 rushing and a touchdown. He found Michael Brown-Stephens nine times for 92 yards on the night and Sean Atkins eight times for 57.
Defensively, Jaelen Stokes had an interception and fumble recovery to go with seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss for the Bulls, while Jhalyn Shuler recorded a team-best eight stops and a sack. Making his first start of the season, linebacker Mac Harris posted seven tackles, a recovered fumble and a forced fumble in the final minutes that iced the game.
Trailing 21-10 with 12:45 to play, the USF offense snapped into precision. First driving 75 yards in nine plays to cut the lead to 21-17 behind Brown going 4-of-4 for 54 yards and running for 12 yards, including a six-yard quarterback keeper up the gut for the touchdown.
The defense forced a punt and the Bulls took over on their own 10-yard line with 6:58 to play and trailing by four. Brown orchestrated a 90-yard drive in nine plays, completing passes to three different receivers, including a huge 17-yard catch by tight end Weston Wolff on third-and-eight from the Bulls 12. Brown’s passing got the Bulls out to the 40 and then Wright took over, ripping off a 47-yard run to the UConn9 and then scoring two plays later to give the Bulls a 24-21 lead with 4:02 to play.
The defense slammed the door as Harris forced a fumble on UConn’s next possession that was recovered by Daquan Evans at the UConn46.
The teams went to halftime with the Huskies leading 14-10 after a very even first 30 minutes that saw the Bulls gain 224 yards and UConn 237. USF went 1-of-3 on field goal attempts in the half, with John Cannon missing from 45 and 39 yards and making a 45-yarder in the windy conditions. While UConn missed a 48-yard attempt.
After a scoreless third quarter in which both defenses stiffened, UConn extended its lead with a 33-yard Cam Edwards touchdown run that completed a 71-yard drive and gave the Huskies a 21-10 lead with 12:45 to play. Edwards ran for 149 yards and a touchdown on the day, part of 368 total yards for the Huskies.
USF established the run game early, driving 71 yards on its opening possession behind the hard running of Wright. The Bulls reached the UConn5 before being stopped on a 4th-and-4. The defense forced a fumble two plays later as Doug Blue-Eli forced the ball out and Stokes recovered at the UConn10.
The Bulls took a 7-0 lead two plays later when Wright bulled his way on a nine-yard and then a quick 1-yard run for the score. USF would finish the day with 463 yards, 260 coming on the ground.
USF had a chance to extend the lead on a 44-yard field goal that came up short into a stiff breeze. UConn tied it at 7-7 after an 84-yard drive that ended with quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson’s 24-yard touchdown run up the sideline early in the second quarter.
The Bulls drove to the UConn46 on their next possession and went for it on 4th-and-3 but saw Brown get sacked for an 8-yard loss. The Huskies failed to capitalize, missing a 48-yard field goal attempt into the wind. USF took over on their own 30 and drove to the UConn25 before stalling and settling for 45-yard Cannon field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
UConn responded driving 75 yards in seven plays to take their first lead. Roberson completed the drive with a 6-yard pass to Edwards for 14-10 Husky lead with 6:48 to play in the half.
The Bulls drove to the UConn21 behind runs from Brown and a 30-yard gash from Wright, but stalled there and Cannon’s 39-yard field goal attempt went wide right. The Huskies threatened, moving to the USF39, before Stokes picked off a deep Roberson pass near the goal line and returned it to the USF38 to end the first half.
KEY STATS
• USF established the run early and posted 260 of its 463 yards on the ground.
• The Bulls defense collected four turnovers on the day – an interception and three fumbles – while USF committed just one.
• USF went 9-of-19 on third down while forcing UConn to go 5-of-13.
NOTABLES
• RB Nay’Quan Wright posted his second-straight 100-yard game and third overall running for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
• S Jaelen Stokes recorded and interception and a fumble recovery to go with seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss on the day.
• WR Michael Brown-Stephens posted a career-high nine receptions for 92 yards on the day.
UP NEXT
USF will get its bye week after eight games to start the 2023 season before returning to action on Nov. 4 at Memphis. Kick time and TV arrangements for that game have yet be announced.
Season tickets • Single-game tickets • Group tickets (10+): call 1-800-GoBulls
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 26th season in 2022 while completing construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections, including 2021 consensus All-American kick returner Brian Battie, and had 32 first-team all-conference selections. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and has made 10 bowl game appearances (going 6-4 in those games), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and most recently making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. The Bulls 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 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
– #GoBulls –
