USF’s shorthanded defense shined with three interceptions – two by freshmen – in the program’s conference opener, a 28-7 loss to the Bearcats.
CINCINNATI, OCT. 3, 2020 – USF’s inability to find a spark on offense spoiled a season high four-takeaway effort by the Bulls’ shorthanded defense in a 28-7 loss at No. 15 Cincinnati to open American Athletic Conference play on Saturday.
USF (1-2, 0-1 in AAC) stayed within one score until the final minute of the first half thanks to interceptions by freshmen Mac Harris (The Villages, Fla.) and Christopher Townsel (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), and a fumble recovery by Thad Mangum (Piedmont. S.C.).
The Bulls were without 12 unavailable players (four starters), including eight on defense in the program’s second straight game against a top-15 team. Second-team defensive back Brock Nichols (Naples, Fla.) stepped up in the second half by hauling in USF’s third interception of the day.
USF’s offense turned the ball over five times after having zero turnovers the first two games. Still trying to find their rhythm, the Bulls didn’t get on the scoreboard until Johnny Ford’s 2-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter. Ford produced once again with 150 all-purpose yards, including 95 on kickoffs after a 70-yard return in the first half.
Trying to solidify a starter at quarterback, USF played multiple players at the position for the third straight game and Jordan McCloud was the most productive. The sophomore from Tampa completed 12 of 21 passes for 137 yards in the second half and his 18-yard reception on a trick play on fourth-and-14 set up Ford’s score. He also had a pair of interceptions.
Freshman quarterback Katravis Marsh (Hialeah, Fla.) made his first career start, completing 6 of 13 passes for 39 yards and struggled with three interceptions while attempting to attack downfield. Sophomore Cade Fortin (Suwanee, Ga.) completed 2 of 6 passes for 14 yards in his USF debut.
Hampered by three turnovers on offense, USF’s resilient defense kept things close early with three takeaways in the first half before Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0 in AAC) scored a late touchdown and headed into the locker room with a 14-0 lead.
Saturday’s conference opener got off to a wild start with both teams combining for four turnovers in the first 3 minutes, 27 seconds of the game.
Playing turnover-free in the first two games, USF was intercepted on each of its first two possessions but the mistakes didn’t prove to be costly. Harris halted Cincinnati’s first drive with an interception and a fumble recovery by Mangum ended the Bearcats’ second sequence.
Cincinnati found the end zone on its third drive and USF had a prime opportunity to respond right away thanks to speedy Ford setting a career high with a 70-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. The Bulls’ offense reached the Cincinnati 28 but came away empty-handed after a missed field goal.
More big plays by the USF defense kept it a one-score game all the way down to the final minute of the first half.
Antonio Grier’s team-leading second sack of the season forced the first of two Cincinnati punts before another young Bull stepped up.
Making his first career start at safety, freshman Townsel wiped out a potential Cincinnati touchdown with a highlight-reel interception in the end zone that kept the score at 7-0 midway through the second quarter.
Trailing 21-0 late in the third quarter, USF’s offense finally heated up with McCloud – the third quarterback of the day – leading the way.
Ford’s 2-yard touchdown run capped off 10-play, 65-yard scoring sequence that got the Bulls closer with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter. McCloud completed 3 of 5 passes for 49 yards on the drive and set up USF at the Cincinnati 2 with an 18-yard reception on a trick-play throw from receiver Randall St. Felix (Miami) on fourth-and-14.
USF’s momentum quickly swung the other way, however, when Cincinnati’s Tre Tucker returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.
Despite the loss, several Bulls showed they can produce on defense. Sophomore linebacker Brian Norris (Chiefland, Fla.) set a career high with 11 tackles in his first career start. Junior Vincent Davis (Jacksonville, Fla.) also recorded a career high 11 tackles. Harris, a freshman linebacker, reached a new career best with eight tackles in addition to his first career interception in his first-ever start for the Bulls.
Key Stats
4 – USF’s defense finished the day with a season-high four takeaways, including three interceptions.
5 – The Bulls’ offense turned the ball over five times – all interceptions.
Notables
· Saturday’s game at No. 15 Cincinnati marked USF’s fourth top-20 ranked opponent in the program’s past six games, dating back to last season. The Bulls took on back-to-back top 15-ranked foes on the road for the second time in school history.
- USF is now 10-8 all-time in conference openers and 5-3 in The American.
- Twelve Bulls were unavailable for the game, including four starters and eight defensive players.
Quotable
Head coach Jeff Scott’s thoughts on the loss to No. 15 Cincinnati:
“I’m obviously disappointed by the result of this game. I really felt like our defense in the first half kept us in the game and continued to give the offense some good field position that maybe we haven’t had a lot this year. Unfortunately, we weren’t playing complementary football. Our offense is just not executing very well and every time we got a turnover, it seemed like we turned the ball back over to them and it’s difficult when do you that. Our defense was shorthanded today with a lot of guys we normally count on out. I really felt like for the majority of the day our defense played well against a very talented offense, creating four turnovers.”
Scott on how the Bulls will learn and grow from the loss:
“I told the guys in the locker room, ‘Hey, we’ve got to own this. This is where we are. We can’t point fingers and act like this isn’t going on.’ It is what it is and the only way it’s gonna get changed is if all of us take ownership and come back to work on Monday with an attitude to get better as coaches and players. It is what it is. We’re not gonna make excuses… We’ll learn from it. This is part of our journey. We knew it was gonna be challenge. We knew there’s gonna be adversity this year. Hey, we’re on a journey and this is part of it. Adversity creates change and growth. We need a lot of change and we need a lot of growth in a lot of areas. Even though it’s not fun to go through and it’s not acceptable, it’s probably what we need right now to be able to get long-term where we want to be.”
Up Next
USF returns to Raymond James Stadium for its homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 10 against East Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and fans can purchase tickets HERE or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Football
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 23rd season (20th at the FBS level) in 2019. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 14 All-America selections and 29 first-team all-conference selections and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl games appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and 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.
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