Redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown threw for five touchdown passes, graduate receiver Sean Atkins brought in another nine catches but South Florida lost 59-50 to Memphis on Saturday in an American Athletic Conference game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Brown’s five touchdown throws marked the first time a USF (4-5; 2-3 AAC) quarterback has thrown five touchdowns in a game since Marquel Blackwell at East Carolina on Oct. 19, 2002.
The two teams combined for 1,163 yards of offense and there were just six combined punts in a game that was action-packed from start to finish.
The Bulls were effective in the red zone today after struggling inside the 20 to start the year, going 6-of-6 and did not settle for a field goal in that position. However, USF struggled again on third and fourth down going 3-12 and 1-4 respectively.
South Florida found themselves facing a 14-point deficit on three occasions in the first half before tying the game with their first drive in the third quarter, then taking the lead on a Kelly Joiner nine yard rushing touchdown later in the quarter but were unable to maintain that lead down the stretch.
THE GOOD: PASSING OFFENSE & SPECIAL TEAMS
The passing game was extremely effective for the Bulls on Saturday, with Brown having a career day accounting for over half of the team’s points and adding another 100-yard rushing game on 23 attempts.
The talented freshman spread the ball around well, connecting on throws to 11 different receivers totaling 357 pass yards while completing 79 percent of his throws, although he threw a key interception in the fourth quarter while down 45-42.
In this high-tempo, high-scoring game, the passing attack kept the Bulls close while the Tigers continued to score.
With less than a minute to play in the first half, Matthew Hill blocked a Memphis punt at the Memphis 44-yard line. Timarcus Simpson recovered the ball at the 31-yard line and returned it to the Memphis 9-yard line. The Bulls scored a touchdown three plays later to cut the Memphis lead to 35-28 going into halftime.
THE BAD: STARTING SLOWLY
South Florida got off to another slow start against the Tigers, going down 14-0 in the first five minutes of the game and finishing the first quarter down 21-7.
“We can’t keep living that way, and I’ve got to find a way to fix that. When you play a veteran team and a veteran quarterback, it’s really hard to come out on the other side of it,” said Bulls head coach Alex Golesh after the game.
That early hole forced the Bulls to stray away from the run game quickly, and no USF running back totaled more than 45 yards on the ground as a result. Turnovers also played a role in the slow start as Brown fumbled on the Bulls third play offensively.
The Bulls have put themselves in this position many times this season, although they found a way back into the game and kept fighting until the final whistle.
THE UGLY: DEFENSE
After Memphis went off for 59-points Saturday, this Bulls defense has now given up 50 or more points in three of their last four contests, only holding UConn to 21 points in a come from behind victory two weeks ago.
This unit allowed 580 total yards on the day as Memphis quarterbacks had an equally explosive day with 441-yards passing, five touchdowns and no picks.
The secondary was especially vulnerable in this game, allowing the Tigers’ star receivers Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee to rack up 159 yards and 142 yards respectively, with both recording a touchdown catch. Yards after the catch (YAC) was a big problem as well, with Memphis receivers posting 238 YAC as the Bulls were unable to contain those explosive plays.
A South Florida defense that has excelled at tackling opposing offenses behind their line of scrimmage, averaging about eight tackles for loss per game, managed just five as the Memphis offense leaned forward for most of the game.
The Tigers run game was also effective when needed, getting 136 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from five different ball carriers.
