Written By: Ruth Caguias
The South Florida Bulls advance to 4-1 and open up conference play with a victory over Charlotte 54-26 at the Raymond James Stadium Friday night despite miscues coupled with an alarming number of dropped passes the win was frustrating as it was dominant.
First-Half Fireworks to Build an Early Lead
USF quarterback Byrum Brown led the way with a career high 162 rushing yards with a single touchdown on the ground with 4 in the air for the Bulls. South Florida set the tone in the first 59 seconds scoring a 37-yard rushing touchdown by Charlotte transfer, Cartevious Norton followed by a Nico Gramatica field goal to led Charlotte 7-0. Norton was carted off the field surrounded by both teams in the fourth quarter with an upper body injury and taken to Tampa General hospital for further evaluation.
Freshman wideout Jeremiah Koger went from statless to soaring for a snag up the middle leading him to the promise land for a 38-yard touchdown in the Bulls second drive.
Special teams wanted a piece of the pie adding to the score board with a blunt punt in Charlottes end-zone for a safety. Cornerback Jair Murphy broke through the line of scrimmage to put two hands on the ball straight off the foot of Charlottes punter Bronson Long. Second block put for the Bulls special team unit this season with their first in the swamp versus UF.
Flipping into the end zone for South Florida, Mudia Reuben scores his first touchdown of the season on a 10-yard crossing route coupled with the extra point to advance the Bulls to 23-0 before the end of the first quarter, despite the 6 dropped passes.
2nd Quarter
The Bulls opened the second quarter with a 43-yard field goal but two takeaways by the Charlottes’ defense staggered USF. The 49ers score a rushing touchdown with 4 mins after forcing a third turnover.
Chas Nimrod comes alive for the Bulls with a touchdown to wrap up the 2nd quarter and despite the 6 dropped passes and 3 turnovers the Bulls head into the locker room 33-7. South Florida averages 390 yards of offense a game and ended the first half with 397 net yards.
Far From Flawless
The second half for the Bulls was not a masterpiece but the mission was complete. The 49ers got within two scores after miscues for USF on offense gave Charlotte great field possession. With only 63 total yards in the first half Charlotte doubled those numbers in their first 3rd quarter possession.
Penalties knocked the Bulls off balance and the 49ers came within two scores early in the fourth quarter with a new quarterback under center. USF were outplayed in the third quarter with no points added to their lead.
A sobering aura filled that stadium when Bulls running back Cartevious Norton suffered a upper body injury and was carted off the field surrounded by both sidelines. Norton was transported to Tampa General Hospital for further evaluation.
Tight End Evan Dangler revives the Bulls with his first touchdown catch of the season following the Norton injury, Gramatica with the extra point and the Bulls are up 40-18
Brown puts his shoulder down for a rushing touchdown after an interception by that defense regained the momentum. South Florida takes another 6 with a substitution takeover to finish the high scoring contest 54-26.
đź“Š Final Thoughts: Bulls Must Clean Up Mistakes
While the Bulls improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play, head coach Alex Golesh emphasized postgame that the team must address its discipline and ball security issues. With tougher opponents ahead, including Memphis and Tulane, USF will need sharper execution to stay in AAC title contention.
For Charlotte, now 1-4, the road doesn’t get easier as they face East Carolina next week in a must-win scenario.
đź—“ Upcoming USF Bulls Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10 (Fri) | North Texas Mean Green | DATCU Stadium, Denton, TX | 7:30 PM | Tough road matchup |
| Oct 18 (Sat) | Florida Atlantic Owls | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa | 1:00 PM | Homecoming game |
| Oct 25 (Sat) | Memphis Tigers | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis | 1:00 PM | Key AAC showdown |
| Nov 6 (Thu) | UTSA Roadrunners | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa | 7:30 PM | Salute to Service Night |
