After both Miami and South Florida had had the ball on Saturday it looked like both offenses would have an easy time scoring points but that’s why they play all 60 minutes.
Miami opened the game up with an effortless 77-yard touchdown drive.
The Bulls responded with an effective scoring drive of their own. Marcus Shaw broke a 44-yard run on his first carry of the game. Two plays later he tied the game with a 3-yard score.
“He’s our most consistant guy,” said Bulls Head Coach Willie Taggart about Shaw. “We need that [consistency].”
From that point both teams trended in opposite directions, Miami got better; proving their No. 15 rank in the polls. USF played more like the team that entered Saturday 0-3.
Against Florida Atlantic, Steven Bench played better than both Matt Floyd and Bobby Eveld. Despite Willie Taggart’s instance that Bench wasn’t completely ready he named the Penn St. transfer the starter coming out of the bye week.
Despite the first drive where it looked like Miami was trying to figure out how to handle Bench who is a threat to run, the sophomore didn’t look like the better option under center.
Late in the second quarter Bench coughed up the football in his own end zone where it was recovered by the Hurricanes for a touchdown. The score was the sixth defensive touchdown given up by the Bulls.
Despite the fumble in the endzone and another one in the second half Taggart was positive about Bench’s progression.
“He’s our guy going forward,” Taggart said after the game.
The Hurricanes scored another 28 points in the first half for a 35-7 lead at the break.
If it wasn’t for a penalty on a kickoff returned for a touchdown another penalty on a 60-yard punt return and two fumbles inside the Bulls’ 5-yard line Miami could have scored even more points.
Dallas Crawford scored the Hurricanes first touchdown. Crawford’s 7-yard run capped off the ‘Canes 7 play, 77 yard drive that opened up the game.
After Shaw tied the game, Miami’s Herb Waters and Stacy Coley caught touchdown passes from Stephen Morris.
Morris started for Miami and passed for 222 yards before a DeDe Lattimore hit took him out of the game at the tail end of the first half.
Ryan Williams replaced Morris under center and the ‘Canes didn’t miss a beat. Williams connected with Coley on a 33-yard pass on his first play in the game.
Entering Saturday, Williams had played in two of Miami’s games in 2013. He had thrown for 216 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Stellar return man Duke Johnson picked up a touchdown late in the second quarter after fumbling on the Bulls’ 1-yard line the drive before that.
Coley and Crawford both added their second touchdowns in the third quarter.
South Florida added a defensive score of their own in the fourth quarter after Miami had put in third-string quarterback Gray Crow.
Julius Forte caught the deflected the pass that was blocked at the line and ran it in from the 11 yard line. The pick six was Forte’s first career touchdown and interception.
In the closing seconds, against the second and third string players for Miami, Bench led the Bulls on 9-play, 96-yard drive. Derrick Hopkins caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bench to cap off the drive.
The Miami Hurricanes entered Saturday’s game leading the all time series 4-1. Last season in Miami the ‘Canes beat the Bulls 40-9 in their first game after losing B.J. Daniels for the season to injury.
Featured image courtesy of USF Athletics.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
MIAMI – Dallas Crawford 7-yard touchdown run. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:55
SOUTH FLORIDA – Marcus Shaw 3-yard touchdown run. (Kloss kick good)
Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:33
MIAMI – Stephen Morris 19-yard touchdown pass to Herb Waters. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 6 plays, 91 yards, 2:18
MIAMI – Stephen Morris 34-yard touchdown pass to Stacy Coley. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 3:30
2nd Quarter
MIAMI – Jimmy Gaines fumble recovery for touchdown. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
MIAMI – Duke Johnson 4-yard touchdown run. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:57
3rd Quarter
MIAMI – Ryan Williams 11-yard touchdown pass to Stacy Coley. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:02
MIAMI – Dallas Crawford 1-yard touchdown run. (Goudis kick good)
Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:44
4th Quarter
SOUTH FLORIDA – Julius Forte 11-yard interception return for touchdown. (Kloss kick good)
SOUTH FLORIDA – Steven Bench 16-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Hopkins . (Kloss kick good)
Scoring Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 2:59
