The University of South Florida Bulls football team took a step back on Thursday night, less than a week after securing their first FBS win in two years. Not a lot went well for the Bulls, who had a particularly tough night with officiating, which played a big role in momentum. The Friday Five offered guidance on how to get the win at ECU. Here’s how well they met those standards.

1. Take away the passing game. This would have been a tough order for many teams. Holton Ahlers is a solid quarterback who is in the top 30, nationally, in passing yards per game. He’s averaging almost 248 yards per game, and the Bulls held him to 220. That’s far from taking away the pass, but they certainly made an impact. Interestingly, Ahlers passed for just two yards more in their last matchup. Grade: C

2. Don’t throw picks. Katravis Marsh came in at quarterback to replace the injured Timmy McClain. Marsh threw three interceptions in the game. That’s half the season total for all quarterbacks. Grade: F

3. Stop the run. ECU rushed for 251 yards against the Bulls. That’s nearly 100 yards more than the Pirates’ season average and more than 40 yards more than the Bulls’ defense have given up on average. Grade: F

4. Air it out. Marsh and the offense attempted 30 passes, tied for the second most this season, but completed just 15. Total passing yards was 192 against the Pirates, the fifth lowest passing yards allowed by ECU this season. However, that’s more passing yards than in all but one game for the USF offense and significantly better than the past two games (105, 155). Grade: D

5. Get some penetration. USF still ranks dead last in the nation in sacks. They got to Ahlers just once in the game, despite ECU over three sacks per game on average. Grade: D