The USF football team ushered in the 2016 season with a 56-20 victory at home over the Towson Tigers.
The Bulls got off to a quick start with a 19-yard run from senior running back Darius Tice. This gave the Bulls a huge advantage as quarterback Quinton Flowers connected with Tice to drive a 43-yard pass for the first touchdown of the night.
After giving up points quickly, the Tigers tried to redeem themselves with an interception and attempted to make a comeback drive. They were stopped short and were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal.
Aided by a 52-yard kickoff return from Rodney Adams, the Bulls were able to answer back to the Towson field goal quickly. Marlon Mack pushed the score to 14-3 with a 7-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers made a comeback in the beginning of the second quarter as their senior running back, Darius Victor, pushed for a touchdown, making the score 14-10. The game held steady for a while until Flowers threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling, extending the USF lead to 21-10.
With 2 minutes left in the second quarter, Flowers dashed into the end zone to make the score 28-10 at halftime.
The Bulls’ offensive onslaught continued in the third quarter as Rodney Adams ran four yards to drive the ball into the end zone. USF led 35-10 with 10:04 minutes left in the third quarter.
Several minutes later, the Tigers responded with an 8-yard run touchdown scored by Victor, making the score 35-17. The Tigers committed a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, rewarding the Bulls with a first and goal. Flowers capitalized on the opportunity and scored another touchdown with 5:32 left in the quarter, pushing USF’s lead to 42-17. The last score of the quarter was completed by USF backup quarterback D’Ernest Johnson, who ran the score up 49-17.
The Tigers, desperate to make a comeback at the beginning of the fourth quarter, began to attempt pass after pass, but failed to complete them. Unable to get through the USF defense, Aidan O’Neill drove home a 33-yard field goal, slightly bumping the score to 49-20. Moments later, the Bulls’ freshman quarterback Brett Kean found freshman tight end Mitchell Wilcox to drive a 21-yard pass for his first Bulls touchdown. This sealed USF’s victory over the Tigers with 5:28 left in the game.
Flowers completed eight passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 46 yards.
The final score was 56-20.
With a great beginning to their season, the Bulls look to take down Northern Illinois next on Sep.10 at Raymond James Stadium.
Photos Courtesy of Jacob Hoag, Jackie Benitez | The Oracle
