Bulls Clinch Bowl Eligibility With 48-14 Senior Day Win Over Charlotte

TAMPA, FLA. - Nov. 25, 2023– For the first time in five seasons, the USF football team (6-6; 4-4 American) is going bowling after another superlative five-touchdown day from redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown.

The Bulls clinched the crucial sixth win on the season with a highly entertaining 48-14 victory over Charlotte (3-9; 2-6 American) on Senior Night in Raymond James Stadium Saturday. The Bulls celebrated 16 seniors prior to the game, celebrated program records during it and celebrated the program’s 11th bowl berth, and first since 2018, after the final buzzer.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown threw for 253 yards and four touchdowns and added 43 yards rushing and a touchdown as he became the first Bull to pass for 3,000 yards on a season, increasing his 2023 total to 3,078 on the night. His favorite target all season, Sean Atkins logged his seventh-straight game with seven or more receptions, making seven grabs for 61 yards and a touchdown and threw a 62-yard touchdown to become the first Bull since 1998 to both catch and throw a touchdown in a game. Michel Dukes ran for a career-best 104 yards on 15 carries.

Logan Berryhill collected his third interception of the season and Mac Harris and Daquan Evans their first, as Jhalyn Shuler and D.J. Harris led the Bulls with nine tackles each in a defensive effort that saw USF hold Charlotte to less than 300 yards of offense and forced three turnovers.

The Bulls could begin to feel the bowl drought ending when Brown hit Jaden Alexis on a deep pass just 20 seconds into the second half and the sophomore receiver spun his defender around before zig zagging for a 60-yard touchdown that gave USF a commanding 28-7 lead.

Charlotte answered with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Jairus Mack, but the Bulls responded by driving to the UNCC4 for a field goal and then converting an on-side kick, recovering at the USF 46. Four plays later Brown ran for a 35-yard touchdown and 38-14 lead.

John Cannon tacked on his second field goal of the day and the Bulls took a 41-14 lead into the fourth quarter as USF fans began to celebrate a five-win turnaround from 2022, the biggest in program history, and a return to bowling.

Charlotte opened the scoring on the night moving 71 yards on nine plays after taking the opening kickoff and grabbing a 7-0 lead when Joachim Bangda plunged in from two yards out.

The 49ers attempted an onside kick that went out of bounds and gave the Bulls great starting position at the Charlotte 40. Brown drove USF to the 1-yard line, hitting Yusuf Terry for a big 21-yard gain. But, on 4th-and-goal from the 1, Nay’ Quan Wright’s attempt on halfback pass to Weston Wolff in the endzone was broken up.

The Bulls defense got the ball right back as Charlotte went for a 4th-and-inches at its own nine and came up with an incomplete pass. One play later, Brown hit Atkins for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7 and started a run of 28-straight points for the Bulls.

USF took the lead on a trick play, as Brown hit Atkins out wide on a lateral pass and Atkins went over the top to a wide-open Kelley Joiner for a 62-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-7 in the second quarter.

The Bulls extended the lead to 21-7 at the half with a seven play, 56-yard drive late in the second quarter, capped by a four-yard run from Joiner. The USF defense held Charlotte to 129 yards in the first half.

KEY STATS

• The USF defense held Charlotte to 298 yards and produced three turnovers

• The USF offense produced its fourth 500-yard game, posting 503 yards, with 315 through the air and 188 on the ground.

• The Bulls kickoff team produced a 51-yard kickoff return from Matthew Hill and a recovered on-side kick.

NOTABLES

• QB Byrum Brown became the first Bull to pass for 3,000 yards in a season and posted his fourth four touchdown or better game on the year – passing for 253 yards and four TD and running for 43 yards and a touchdown.

• WR Sean Atkins posted his seventh-straight game with seven or more receptions as he extended his season receptions record to 86 and extended his season receiving yards record to 961 on the year. The former high school quarterback also completed a 62-yard touchdown pass to Kelley Joiner.

• WR Sean Atkins became just the second USF player, and first since 1998, to pass for and catch a touchdown in the same game. He did so with a 10-yard touchdown reception from Byrum Brown in the first quarter and a 62-yard touchdown pass to Kelley Joiner in the second quarter. WR Charlie Jackson first achieved the feat for USF on Oct. 3, 1998 vs. The Citadel in USF’s first game in Raymond James Stadium. Jackson caught a 48-yard touchdown from Chad Barnhardt in the first quarter and completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Leon Matthews in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

The Bulls will go bowling for the first time since 2018. Bowl destinations are officially announced on Dec. 3.