Bulls force four turnovers, collect two defensive touchdowns.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., NOV. 16, 2024 – South Florida (5-5; 3-3 American) posted its third road win of the season and moved within a victory of bowl eligibility for the second-straight year Saturday as the Bulls rolled to a program-record 425 rushing yards in a 59-24 rout of Charlotte (3-7; 2-4 American) in North Carolina.
The dominating rushing effort and four turnovers collected by the defense, including two scores, led to a runaway victory in the Bulls’ first-ever trip to Jerry Richardson Stadium on Charlotte’s campus. It marked USF’s most road wins in a season since going 4-1 in road games in 2017. Head coach Alex Golesh now has five road wins in two seasons with the Bulls. USF had not won a road game in the three seasons prior to his arrival and had totaled four in the five seasons before he took over the USF program.
With two games remaining on the regular-season schedule – vs. Tulsa (Nov. 23) and at Rice (Nov. 30) – USF needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility and secure the program’s 12th bowl appearance in 24 seasons of play at the FBS level.
The Bulls fifth 200-plus yard rushing effort on the year and third of more than 300, all coming on the road, was led by senior Kelley Joiner who had a career-best 140 and two touchdowns on just nine carries, a 15.6 yard per carry average. It marked his sixth career 100-yard game and second of the year as he upped his total touchdown total on the year to 11, nine on the ground. Nay’Quan Wright logged two touchdowns on the ground as six Bulls ran for 30 or more yards
Quarterback Bryce Archie was one, running for a career-best 72 yards on six carries (12 ypc) while passing for 126 yards and leading a USF offense that committed just one turnover, on its first possession of the game.
The Bulls’ defense was dominating in the second half and held Charlotte to just 91 yards rushing and 5-of-14 on third down. Sophomore safety Tawfiq Byard had nine of his career-best 11 tackles in a close first half and added a big third quarter sack that set up a touchdown. Cornerback Paco Austin had an interception return for a touchdown and linebacker Mac Harris had a fumble return for a touchdown, both coming in an explosive third quarter in which the Bulls scored a program record 31 points.
After a stop by the USF defense to start the second half, Joiner extended USF’s slim 14-10 halftime lead to 21-10 with a career-long 54-yard touchdown run through the left side just two minutes into a third quarter in which the Bulls would blow the game open.
Charlotte answered as quarterback Deshawn Purdie hit Sean Brown for a 42-yard completion to the USF6. Three plays later the 49ers ran it in to pull within 21-17, but it was all Bulls after that.
Archie hit tight end Payten Singletary for a career-long 34-yard gain into Charlotte territory on the first play of USF’s next possession. Wright finished the drive with three carries, punching it in with a 6-yard run and the Bulls led 28-17.
Harris sacked Purdie on Charlotte’s next possession, forcing the quarterback to fumble. Bernard Gooden recovered at the UNCC32. Penalties stymied the Bulls’ drive, but John Cannon knocked through a 33-yard field goal for a 31-17 lead.
Byard sacked Purdie at the UNCC3 and a play later Austin picked him off on an out-route, running it in untouched for a 38-17 lead.
On Charlotte’s next possession, Jhalyn Shuler blitzed Purdie and stripped him of the ball. Harris scooped it up and scored on 25-yard return to push the lead to four touchdowns, 45-17, as the game went to the fourth quarter.
After Charlotte closed to within 45-24, Joiner ripped off another long touchdown run. This time he went 45-yards right up the middle to make it 52-24. A late nine-yard touchdown run from freshman Alvon Isaac set the final margin in the Bulls’ highest scoring game of the Golesh era. The Bulls 59 points marked their most since a 61-31 win at ECU in 2017.
BACK TO THE START
The Bulls took the opening kickoff and quickly got the ground game going, driving into Charlotte territory. But Archie threw behind a receiver and the 49ers intercepted on their 23.
Charlotte got on the board first, driving 73 yards and posting a 7-0 lead on Cartevious Norton’s 6-yard touchdown run.
The Bulls answered late in the first quarter when Ta’Ron Keith ran in from 16-yards out to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Archie kept the drive alive with a big 20-yard game on an option keeper on 4th-and-2 from the Charlotte 41.
Charlotte moved to the USF27, but the 49ers were called for offensive pass interference on a pick-play over the middle and the 15-yard penalty moved the ball back to the 42. Two plays later they settled for a 51-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead.
A Wright catch and run moved the Bulls quickly over the 40. An inside pitch from Archie to Wright on 3rd-and-2 at the 50 went for 44 yards up the middle to the Charlotte 6. Wright barreled in from there and his 6-yard touchdown carry gave USF its first lead. John Cannon’s extra point made it 14-10 AND the Bulls would take that lead to the half.
KEY STATS
• The USF defense created four turnovers and scored two defensive touchdowns – two of those coming in a 31-point third quarter that marked USF’s highest scoring quarter in program history.
• The Bulls ran for a program-record 425 yards, averaging 8.9 yards per carry, to log their fifth 200-plus yard rushing effort of the season and third of 300 or more, all coming on the road.
• The Bulls 59 points marked their most since a 61-31 win at ECU in 2017.
NOTABLES
• RB Kelley Joiner posted a career-long 54-yard touchdown run in the third quarter on his way to his sixth career 100-yard game and second of the year. He ended with a career-high 140 yards on 9 carries (15.6 ypc). Joiner now stands 7th on the USF career rushing charts with 2,028 yards.
• S Tafiq Byard posted a career-best 11 tackles, posting nine in the first half.
• QB Bryce Archie ran for a career-best 72 yards on six carries (12 ypc), including a runs of 25 and 20 yards.
• CB Paco Austin returned an interception six yards for a third quarter touchdown, the Bulls first interception return for a touchdown since Antonio Grier (now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) did so vs. Tulsa in 2021.
• LB Mac Harris scooped a fumble forced by Jhalyn Shuler and scored a 25-yard touchdown, USF’s first fumble return for a TD since Aamaris Brown did so in the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl.
UP NEXT
The Bulls return to Raymond James Stadium next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kick off vs. Tulsa on Senior Day and Fan Appreciation Day. The series with Tulsa is tied 3-3 and the Golden Hurricane have won the last three meetings.
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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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