Bulls defense dominates in first-half shutout to help USF finish with a 438-278 advantage in yards.
Cincinnati makes 37-yard field goal as time expires to give Bearcats at least a share of The American’s East Division title.
TAMPA, NOV. 16, 2019 – USF gave No. 17 Cincinnati all it could handle in a heartbreaking 20-17 loss that went to the final second Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Following the Bulls’ missed chance at a go-ahead field goal from 33 yards out with 2:07 to play, Sam Crosa made a 37-yard kick as time expired to earn the Bearcats (9-1, 6-0) at least a share of The American’s East Division title.
Powered by a dominant defensive effort, USF (4-6, 2-4) took a 10-0 lead into halftime and held a 17-10 advantage early in the fourth quarter. The Bulls’ bid for their first win over a ranked opponent since 2016 was hampered by four missed field goals from 50, 53, 43 and 33 yards out.
Cincinnati, which came to Tampa averaging 32.7 points, was shut out in the first half for just the second time this season and was outgained by the Bulls by a 438-278 margin. Sophomore linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. (Atlanta) led USF’s valiant defensive effort with a career-high 10 tackles, including two of USF’s eight tackles for loss and one of the team’s four sacks as the Bulls forced eight punts and gained a takeaway for the 10th straight game.
Redshirt freshman Jordan McCloud (Tampa) completed 18 of 27 passes for a career-high 267 yards and a touchdown. McCloud’s 4-yard scoring pass to senior tight end Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) helped spot USF a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
USF got a team-high 78 rushing yards from Jordan Cronkrite. The senior from Miami moved up to eighth on the program’s career rushing list with 1,808 yards. Freshman Kelley Joiner Jr. (Groveland, Fla.) set career highs with 72 rushing yards on 13 carries (5.5 ypc) and totaled a team-best 121 all-purpose yards.
Flying around from the first snap, USF’s aggressive defense forced six straight punts in the first half, totaled four sacks and six tackles for loss, and surrendered just 46 yards before the break. Grier led the way with seven tackles (two TFLs) and a sack to help USF hand Cincinnati a first-half shutout for only the second time this season.
Sophomore safety Nick Roberts (Jacksonville, Fla.) set the tone with a sack that stalled Cincinnati’s game-opening drive before USF seized the lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by senior Trevon Sands(Miami) less than five minutes into the action. Sophomore Randall St. Felix (Miami) sparked the five-play, 71-yard drive with a season long 55-yard reception.
Cincinnati didn’t get a first down until late in the first quarter and that drive resulted in its fourth punt. USF took advantage of the opportunity with a 28-yard field goal by freshman Spencer Shrader (Lithia, Fla.). Freshman Xavier Weaver (Orlando) had a 37-yard reception on the 13-play, 85-yard drive.
Cincinnati found the end zone on the second drive of the second half before the Bulls answered right back. McCloud’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Wilcox capped off a seven-play, 75-yard drive that extended the USF lead to 17-7 with 7:12 to play in the third quarter. Joiner exploded downfield on the first play of the sequence with a career long 49-yard reception.
The Bearcats tied things up in the first minute of the fourth quarter, which set up a dramatic finish in the 17th meeting between the programs.
With the Bulls backed up at their own 3 midway through the quarter, McCloud threw a quick pass to junior Eddie McDoom (Winter Garden, Fla.), who raced downfield through defenders on a career-long 41 reception. Three plays later, McCloud completed a 19-yard pass to sophomore Bryce Miller (St. Petersburg, Fla.) on third-and-4 down to the Cincinnati 31. USF got as close as the Bearcats’ 15 before missing the potential go-ahead field goal with 2:07 remaining.
Cincinnati then converted twice on third-and-long and drove 60 yards to set up Crosa’s game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
Key Stats
4 – Four missed field goals by the Bulls made the difference in the game, including a 33-yard, go-ahead try with 2:07 remaining.
267 – Redshirt freshman QB Jordan McCloud completed 18 of 27 passes for a career-high 267 yards, including 151 yards in the second half.
438 – USF outgained Cincinnati by a 438-278 margin in yards, marking the Bulls’ fourth game with at least 400 yards this season and third holding an opponent below 300.
Notables
- Cincinnati was shut out in the first half for only the second time this season and first since the second game of the year at now No. 2-ranked Ohio State.
- Senior Jordan Cronkrite moved up to eighth on USF’s career rushing list with 1,808 yards after leading the Bulls with 78 rushing yards against Cincinnati.
- Senior tight end Mitchell Wilcox caught his fifth touchdown pass of the season in the third quarter and now has 11 career TD receptions, tying him for eighth on USF’s all-time list with current Green Bay Packer Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
- USF has totaled at least one takeaway in all 10 games this season after getting a fumble recovery from junior DT Kevin Kegler in the second quarter. The Bulls headed into the week ranking third nationally with 21 takeaways.
Quotable
Head coach Charlie Strong’s thoughts on the Bulls battled to the end of a tough loss:
“This one hurts and it hurts because you saw a great team effort tonight, just the way our guys came out and the energy they had, and just the way they played from start to finish. We had our opportunities, and it’s tough because of the opportunities that we had. There’s no blame for anyone. It’s one of those losses that’s a team loss. We have two games left and we’ve got to get to a bowl game.”
Strong on the Bulls’ performance on defense:
“It’s a great defensive effort. Lately, we’ve been playing very well on defense and our guys have been playing with so much energy. The thing about the guys on defense is about just making plays, tackling well and getting the ball back. The first half was just a total domination on defense. The second half, we gave them a couple of drives. But still though, we get a punt blocked, it ends up on the 40-something and we go out there and we stop them. Even with the turnover, we end up going out and stopping them. It’s just been fun to watch our defense continue to get better. Week-in and week-out, it just continues to carry the team.”
Up Next
USF wraps up a three-game homestand Saturday, Nov. 23 against No. 18 Memphis. Kickoff time for the Bulls’ Senior Day game has yet to be announced. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22nd season of football, and 19th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program’s 150th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
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– #GoBulls –
