The Brian Hartline era is officially underway following the University of South Florida Bulls’ 19-9 win over the Florida International University Panthers. South Florida was backed by a crowd of 41,847 who came to see the Bulls’ home opener.
The Bulls didn’t enjoy immediate success on offense, as the unit lacked the explosiveness that fans had become accustomed to seeing, but stellar play from the defense kept them in control of the game for the duration.
Leading up to the game, the South Florida coaching staff preached establishing the run, and they did just that. The Bulls ran the ball 38 times while only taking to the air 18 times. The offensive line struggled to get the push it needed as the Bulls only averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
Hartline doubled down on the team’s commitment to the run saying, “the basis should be built in the trenches with the offense and defensive line. You can talk about it, or you can put your actions to your words.”
Hartline later mentioned that the team had opportunities for plays in the passing game, “but frankly weren’t making them”.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulls gave up 381 yards of offense while South Florida gained just 208, but the defense consistently kept FIU off the scoreboard. Turnovers played a big role in halting FIU drives, as the South Florida defense forced three takeaways.
At the end of the third quarter, the Panthers trailed only by three, but that is when the South Florida defense flexed its muscles, forcing turnovers on the ensuing three possessions. Tayvion Beasley jumped a screen route off a quick snap to get the first turnover of the stretch, which led to the Bulls’ lone touchdown of the game.
On the next possession, FIU quarterback JJ Kohl fumbled on a fourth down, which resulted in another Bulls field goal to stretch the lead to 16-3. After that, senior safety Tavin Ward helped slam the door, intercepting Kohl for his second interception thrown of the night, which helped seal the game.
The South Florida passing game sputtered as junior quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. was only able to complete 11 of his 18 pass attempts for 100 yards. Despite the limited production, Van Buren Jr. did a good job managing the game and protecting the football, keeping it out of harm’s way for the duration of the game.
Van Buren Jr. was also hurt by several drops, which led to a second half that saw the team lean into the run. The Bulls ran the ball 20 of its 29 second half plays.
The star of the game for the Bulls was junior kicker Nico Gramatica. Gramatica accounted for 13 of the team’s 19 points, including a 53-yard field goal toward the end of the second quarter. Van Buren Jr. coined his teammate “Automatica” after the game.
At the end of the day, the Bulls played clean football as they committed zero turnovers and only four penalties. Hartline was happy to get the win but said that the team isn’t close to where it needs to be to achieve its goals.
Up next for South Florida is a trip to West Point to take on Army to open American Conference play.
Stat Leaders:
Michael Van Buren Jr.: 11-18, 100 passing yards
Jason Collins: 17 carries, 59 yards
D.J. Crowther: 14 carries, 42 yards, 1 touchdown
Tavin Ward: 5 tackles, 1 interception
Nico Gramatica: 4-4 field goals, 53-yard long, 13 points
