Roughly half of the fans, if not more, left Raymond James Stadium by halftime after the Bulls received a thorough beatdown.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack (3-0) came into to Tampa and defeated USF 49-17, handing the Bulls (1-2) their 2nd consecutive loss of the season.
Other than the roars of boos that poured in for every call in the Wolfpack’s favor, the crowd was silent. In fact, there wasn’t much of a crowd at all. There was a dead atmosphere Saturday afternoon.
Head coach Willie Taggart opted to start quarterback Mike White, who has a fractured left forearm. Back-up QB Steven Bench did not play a single snap.
“We physically got beat in this football game and we didn’t play well enough to beat a good football team,” Taggart said. “I thought that was a good team and they physically got after us, especially in the trenches on both sides of the ball and i thought that was the big difference in this football game.”
White fractured his forearm on the first play of the game against Maryland on Sept. 6. He supported an open palm molded cast to make it easier for him to hold the football.
White’s play of the game came from a 75-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Ryshen Bronson. It was the first play of the drive and it came immediately after the Wolfpack scored their first touchdown.
“We answered pretty well in the first quarter with that touchdown to Ryshen, and I thought we’d get things rolling, but I mean, we just couldn’t seem to click all at the same time and that’s just the most frustrating thing,” White said.
The Bulls’ Chris Dunkley soon returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, but it was called back for a holding penalty. The score would have put the Bulls up 14-7.
It was all downhill from there. White finished the day 4-for-16 passing for 82 yards.
“I would credit their defensive line,” White said. “They gave us little problems here and there all day, ya know? We couldn’t really get in a groove.”
The freshman third-string QB Quinton Flowers was activated and saw some playing time towards the end of the game when it was out of reach. Flowers ran six times for 38 yards nearly matching running back Marlon Mack’s 55 yards from 12 carries. He was 1-for-4 passing with two interceptions and no touchdowns.
“I put Quinton in that game there, ‘cause I just got tired of seeing Mike get hit everytime he tried to throw the football,” Taggart said. “I didn’t want to keep seeing that and wanted to see if Quinton could go in there and give us something.”
Flowers is a mobile QB that provided the Bulls with a change of pace to White’s pocket passing.
With a run game that has all but disappeared since the season opening Marlon Mack show, the offense has left Coach Taggart “alarmed” moving forward.
“We got to be able to run the football,” Taggart said. “If there’s anything that I’m disappointed in, it’s that we’re not running the football like I know we are capable of and we got to get back to doing some of the things that we say we’re going to do.
The Bulls defense has held their own for the two prior games, but allowed gaps all over the field on Saturday. The defense gave the Wolfpack 589 yards of total offense, one yard shy of the most by a USF team dating back to 2010 against Cincinnati.
Wolfpack QB Jacoby Brissett was 20-for-29 for 266 yards and 2 touchdowns and three different Wolfpack RBs had nearly identical touches and yards (Dayes 10-for-68 yards, Thornton 12-for-70 yards and Creecy 12-for-68 yards).
“We’re gonna get better,” Taggart said. “Alot of guys, it’s all they talk about. I told them it’s on me to get this right, but our guys say ‘no’, they’re gonna get it right. We’ll stick together and find a way to make this thing go.”
The Bulls are now three games into their schedule and have a short week before their next game against the Connecticut Huskies. Both teams are 1-2 and will be playing their first conference game of the season on ESPN/ESPN2 Friday night at 8 p.m.
The Huskies are ranked 123rd in the nation in rushing defense and the matchup could allow Bulls’ RB Mack to show out once more on a big stage. Flowers may see additional playing time under center as well.
Coach Taggart said he understands the fans’ frustration and disappointment and that his team is disappointed too, but asks fans to “hang in there” with the team.
“I know this football team is better than what we’re showing out there and we gotta find a way to show that on saturdays and go out there and play like we’re practicing and make the plays we’re capable of,” Taggart said. “I believe in this football team and I think we’re gonna have a hell-of-a-damn season before it’s all said and done.”
