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Pregame Storylines
The USF Bulls entered yesterday’s matchup with the South Carolina State Bulldogs following a 1–1 road trip, highlighted by a win over the Florida Gators and a tough loss to the Miami Hurricanes.
The crowd wasn’t quite as full as it was for the Boise State game, but fans still turned out for “Bay Day”, a celebration of the Tampa Bay area. USF had briefly cracked the national rankings for the first time in years, but the loss to Miami bumped them out.
First Half: Early Defense Sparks the Bulls
The Bulls’ defense made the first big play of the day when Mac Harris returned a 93-yard interception for a touchdown, giving USF the early momentum.
Although South Carolina State’s speed challenged the Bulls, USF’s defense held strong. The Bulldogs finally broke through late in the second quarter, but USF carried a 21–7 lead into halftime.
Second Half: Bulls Pour It On
The offense wasted little time after the break. Byrum Brown connected with Chas Nimrod for a 42-yard touchdown, stretching the lead to 28–7. Shortly after, Nyahi Davenport scored his first career rushing touchdown to make it 35–7.
USF’s dominance carried into special teams, as a blocked punt was returned for a touchdown to extend the lead to 42–7. From there, the rout was on.
Two more offensive touchdowns made it 56–7 before the Bulls wisely pulled Brown late in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Gaston Moore stepped in and handled the offense efficiently.
The Bulldogs managed a late rushing touchdown by Julian Mulligan, trimming the margin to 56–14, but USF answered back with another rushing score to seal a 63–14 victory.
Final Thoughts
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Record: USF improves to 3–1 heading into conference play.
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Key Moments:
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Mac Harris’ pick-six opened the scoring.
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Special teams contributed with a blocked punt return TD.
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First career touchdowns for both Joshua Porter (receiving) and Nyahi Davenport (rushing).
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Despite being outgained in several statistical categories early, USF’s defense, big plays, and opportunistic offense carried the day.
What’s Next
Today’s blowout marked the final non-conference game of the season for the Bulls. They’ll now turn their focus toward conference play, where the competition level takes a step up.
Join the Conversation
What are your thoughts on USF’s dominant win heading into conference play? Leave a comment below!
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Author Profile
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Director of Operations for NGSC Sports
Covers USF Athletics in Football, Baseball, Lacrosse, and Softball.
Also covered both major and minor league baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays and Clearwater Threshers.
He also covers college football bowl and conference championship games.
It might seem like just covers team sports he also covers both the PGA & LIV Tour and the LPGA Tour. He also announces for the Pinellas Park High School Patriots football.
He also has two sports podcasts in the P&W Sports Report and The Walker Report.
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