Bulls Make the Orange See White

Quinton Flowers (9) runs in a touchdown as South Florida Bulls offensive lineman Mak Djulbegovic (71) celebrates. (photo Logan Bowles / USA TODAY Sports)

A week after taking the blame and being criticized for the play calling in the loss to Memphis, Coach Willie Taggert decided it was time to take the training wheels off and open up the playbook.

“I told our guys, we’re not going to leave anything on the play call sheet. I’m going to let it rip and I want ya’ll to let it rip,” Taggart said. And let it rip is what the Bulls did.

Before an announced crowd of 27,235 mostly dressed in white fans, the Bulls racked up 535 yards of total offense in route to a 45-24 victory over the Syracuse Orange. The 535 yards were the most against an FBS opponent since 2012. The victory over the Orange marked USF’s first over a Power Five conference under Willie Taggert and the first since 2011.

The offense got off to a slow start gaining 58 yards on their first two drives before Taggert took the training wheels off and “let it rip.” On the 11^th play of the third drive, Quinton Flowers hit Tyre McCants for a 56 yards pass setting the Bulls up with a 1^st and Goal from the Syracuse 2 yard line. Two plays later, Darius Tice capped off the drive with a 1 yard run as the Bulls struck first taking a 7-0 lead. It was the third consecutive game the Bulls scored first.

Syracuse was able to answer on the very next possession as Cole Murphy kicked a 30 yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

After a Devin Abraham fumble recovery, Emilio Nadelman would connect on a 21 yard field goal, giving the Bulls a 10-3 lead heading into halftime.

The Bulls would put their foot on the accelerator in the second half.

It only took six plays for the Bulls to find the end zone in the third quarter. A 25 yard touchdown run by Marlon Mack put the finishing touches on a 6 play 75 yard drive to open the second half giving the Bulls a 17-7 lead.

The Bulls extended the lead on their very next possession.

On the third play of the drive and the Orange looking for the Bulls to run, Coach Willie Taggert called for a reverse flea-flicker. The Bulls caught the Orange off guard and Quinton Flowers found a wide open Ryshen Bronson for a 42 yard touchdown pass. It was a 3 play 30 second drive that had the crowd on their feet and signaled that these “young pups” as Taggert called them, were all grown up. It also gave the Bulls a 24-3.

A pair of back to back touchdowns would pull Syracuse within seven points of the lead but the Orange would get no closer than that. The Bulls would take a 31-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Bulls would continue their domination in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Orange 14-0 and forcing two turnovers.

The victory ended a six year homecoming losing streak for the Bulls, who had not won a homecoming game since 2008.

Marlon Mack led the charge for the Bulls rushing for 184 yards on 21 carries. Quinton Flowers had a career high 259 passing yards to go along with 55 yards rushing and three TD’s.

The Bulls travel to Connecticut next week to take on the Huskies who defeated UCF 40-13. Kickoff is set for 12 pm.