Photo Credit: ESPN
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The South Florida Bulls escaped Bowling Green with a 14-6 victory Saturday night. However, the final score does not tell the entire story. USF played poorly for most of the afternoon outside of its defense. The Bulls finally found enough offense during the fourth quarter. South Florida entered Doyt L. Perry Stadium looking for its first 4-0 start since 2018. Instead, the Bulls struggled to create much momentum. Bowling Green controlled much of the early action. The Falcons moved the football and forced USF into several difficult situations. Still, the USF defense kept answering the challenge.
Bowling Green opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal from T. Kenner. The kick gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead. The Bulls struggled to respond offensively. South Florida could not consistently move the football through the air. Michael Van Buren Jr. completed just seven of 11 passes. He finished with only 52 passing yards and no touchdowns. The Bulls also committed two costly fumbles. Van Buren lost both fumbles during the game. Those mistakes made the defense’s performance even more important. Bowling Green added another field goal during the second quarter. Kenner connected from 28 yards to give the Falcons a 6-0 advantage.
USF entered halftime trailing by six points. The Bulls had yet to find the end zone. The offense continued struggling during the third quarter. Neither team scored during the period. Meanwhile, the defense continued keeping USF within striking distance. Bowling Green finished with only 199 total yards. The Falcons managed 122 passing yards and 77 rushing yards. Jay Kastantin completed 16 of 28 passes for 122 yards. He did not throw a touchdown or interception. That defensive effort gave USF a chance to change the game’s direction.
Then, the Bulls finally broke through early in the fourth quarter. Van Buren helped move the offense into scoring territory. Luke Kromenhoek finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Nico Gramatica added the extra point. Suddenly, USF grabbed a 7-6 lead with 12:07 remaining. The Bulls finally had the momentum they needed. Bowling Green could not respond with a scoring drive. USF’s defense continued shutting down the Falcons. Then, D.J. Crowther delivered the play that put the game away.
Crowther powered into the end zone from one yard out. His touchdown gave USF a 14-6 advantage with 5:34 remaining. Crowther finished the game with 23 carries for 143 yards. He also scored one touchdown. His rushing performance provided the biggest positive for an otherwise frustrating offensive afternoon. USF finished with 214 total yards. The Bulls produced 162 rushing yards and only 52 passing yards. The Bulls also endured six sacks for 49 yards lost. Those negative plays made offensive consistency even harder. Despite those struggles, USF found a way to finish.
The defense deserves plenty of credit for keeping the game within reach. Bowling Green scored only six points during the entire afternoon. More importantly, the Falcons failed to score after halftime. That gave the offense enough time to eventually find two touchdown drives. USF also avoided throwing an interception. Van Buren finished without an interception despite his two lost fumbles. The Bulls now move to 4-0 following their first road game against a MAC opponent since 2012. However, the victory exposed several areas that need attention.
USF cannot afford another offensive performance like this against stronger American Conference opponents. The Bulls return home next week for a matchup against Temple. That game will begin the next stretch of conference play. For now, South Florida can celebrate the victory. It was not pretty, and it certainly was not dominant. Still, the defense kept the Bulls alive for three and a half quarters. Then, the offense finally did enough to complete the comeback. USF leaves Bowling Green undefeated, but the Bulls have plenty to clean up.
This is the type of game that could make or break a season and it almost broke USFs.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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