The final score doesn’t tell the whole story in South Florida’s 41-17 loss to SMU on Saturday. Albeit a wide margin, the Bulls went into the fourth quarter only down ten points and had the ball with a chance to cut the deficit to just one score.
Ultimately, the Bulls were unable to get points on that drive and the wheels quickly fell off, as the Mustangs put up 14 unanswered points. With USF now heading into its bye week, here are three things the Bulls did well, and three things that must be addressed if they want to put some more W’s in the win column.
Good — Jimmy Horn Jr.
Freshman wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. only had four catches for 22 yards heading into Saturday’s contest, but after a five-catch, 102-yard performance, he may have opened some eyes.
Horn, a high school teammate of freshman quarterback Timmy McClain, had a couple of explosive plays on the day including a 37-yard reception just before halftime, and a 34-yard catch and run in the third quarter.
With senior receiver Bryce Miller likely coming back into the fold after the bye week, Horn’s snap share may dip, but the freshman pass catcher proved to be more than a viable option whenever he is on the field.
Bad — Blown Opportunities
Whether it was missed throws down the field, drops or poor time management, the Bulls didn’t make their lives any easier against SMU.
On two separate occasions, McClain had junior receiver Xavier Weaver wide open down the field with all but certain walk-in touchdowns awaiting them, but the throws were just a bit out of reach. Aside from the missed throws, McClain also had a moment of learning when he allowed the clock to run out in the first half instead of throwing the ball away to allow for a field goal attempt.
In fairness, this is the reason you’re playing McClain right now. He was in high school less than a year ago and this was only his third collegiate start. At the end of the day, this season probably wasn’t going to lead to a bowl game. You’d rather him make these mistakes now and learn from them, rather than in the future when the games are more important.
He’s going to learn from it, according to coach Jeff Scott.
Good — Running Back Committee
Senior running back Darrian Felix missed the game against SMU, but sophomore Brian Battie and juniors Kelley Joiner and Jaren Mangham combined for an encouraging day on the ground.
The trio finished with 88 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, good for approximately 3.7 yards per carry. Battie led the way with 46 yards, and Mangham added the two scores.
Through just five games, Mangham now has nine touchdowns. The single-season record for most rushing touchdowns is 18 which former USF quarterback Quinton Flowers currently holds.
Bad — Third Down Efficiency
The blown opportunities definitely hurt the Bulls in their quest to upset the Mustangs, but their lack of efficiency on third down did them no favors either.
SMU forced USF into 11 third downs and the Bulls were only able to convert two of them, not particularly a recipe for success.
On the other sidelines, the Mustangs were 9-of-16 on third downs.
Good — Xavier Weaver
Weaver only had three catches for 34 yards, but he should’ve had much more when the aforementioned missed throws are taken into consideration.
Both of those potential touchdowns were on long passes down the field, something that Weaver has shown he excels at, as he is averaging 19.2 yards per catch on the season.
The junior pass catcher has consistently shown over the first five games of the year that he has the ability to make plays down the field, whether that be through creating separation or winning jump balls.
Bad — Penalties
The penalties, or lack thereof, were one of the bright spots for USF this season, but that changed against SMU.
In a significantly less hostile environment, the Bulls logged eight penalties for 75 yards including a false start on the goal line, an interference on a punt and two unnecessary roughness.
If USF wants to find some wins over the last seven regular-season games, the Bulls must stop creating more obstacles for themselves.
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