Week 3 Preview: vs. #13 South Alabama Jaguars
Last Season Record: 13-1, 10-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach: P.J. Fleck (14-1 at South Alabama, 2nd year, 86-102)
Offensive Coordinator: Alex Pitts (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Philip Humphrey (3-4)
Returning Career Leaders
Passing: Gerald Easley (284 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 138.2 rating)
Rushing: Eric Hawthorne (99 yards, 6.6 ypc, 0 TD)
Receiving: Mark Williams (67 receptions, 1187 yards, 5 TD)
Defense: Brian Hodge (215 tackles, 66 TFL, 15.5 sacks)
Bulls improve to 3-0 with 34-10 victory over South Alabama
After a magical season last year, South Alabama was feeling pretty good about themselves as Eric Hawthorne rumbled into the endzone at the end of the a 84-yard run to give them the early lead against the University of South Florida.
The Jaguars would make it to the red zone five more times only to come away with zero points, including a fumble that led to a 90-yard touchdown run by USF's defense in their 34-10 win over South Alabama on Saturday.
It was a tough second career start for Gerald Easley who replaced Tyler Clifford, last year's Heisman winner. Easley completed 51 percent of his passes for 168 yards, fumbling twice and was also intercepted as USF's defense was suffocating.
Jared Chavis bounced back from an early turnover to throw for 315 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a score.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[USF] M. Pleasant, 24 Yd FG (6:10)
[USA] E. Hawthorne, 84 Yd run (2:10)
Quarter 2
[USF] J. Moses, 21 Yd pass from J. Chavis (6:18)
[USF] A. McDaniel, returned fumble 90 Yds (3:58)
[USF] A. Frank, 14 Yd pass from J. Chavis (0:44)
Quarter 3
[USF] M. Pleasant, 35 Yd FG (3:40)
Quarter 4
[USA] C. Ward, 42 Yd FG (7:50)
[USF] J. Chavis, 12 Yd run (2:23)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #1 South Florida Bulls
QB Jared Chavis: 28 of 40, 315 yards, 2 touchdowns, interception, sacked 4 times
HB Dionte McCarthy: 18 carries, 116 yards, 7 receptions, 81 yards
WR Maurice Bennett: 6 receptions, 42 yards
WR Alston Marks: 4 receptions, 48 yards
WR Jarod Green: 3 receptions, 53 yards
WR Joseph Moses: 3 receptions, 43 yards, touchdown
S Michael Robinson: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
DE Jordan Odom: 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack
S Joey Bailey: 3 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
CB Julius Hughes: 2 tackles, interception
#13 South Alabama Jaguars
QB Gerald Easley: 15 of 29, 168 yards, interception, sacked 3 times, 2 fumbles
HB Eric Hawthorne: 15 carries, 133 yards, touchdown
HB Lionel Nash: 5 carries, 64 yards
WR Nate McKnight: 5 receptions, 72 yards
WR Ryan Singletary: 4 receptions, 58 yards
LB Ben Harley: 11 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
DT Travis Manning: 4 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
CB Mike Williams: 3 tackles, interception
DE Brian Hodge: 3 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Week 3 Top Stories
1. #9 Navy fail to put Virginia away, losing 30-24
2. Ole Miss notches a conference win against Texas
3. Alabama edges USC 38-31 in a battle of Top 10 powers
4. All is well in University Park as Nittany Lions down Tennessee
5. Ohio State is sitting pretty after a Contenders Division opener against Colorado
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 Champions Division Results
UF 31 - GT 30 | MISS 52 - TEX 28 | ALA 38 - USC 31
PSU 49 - TENN 37 | MSU 28 - LSU 14
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Champions Division Schedule
#2 USF (3-0, 1-0) at LSU (0-2, 0-2)
#12 Penn State (2-0, 2-0) at #1 Alabama (3-0, 3-0)
#3 Ole Miss (3-0, 3-0) at #24 Oregon (1-1, 0-1)
#6 Stanford (2-0, 0-0) at #13 Georgia Tech (1-1, 0-1)
#18 Florida (1-2, 1-2) at Tennessee (1-2, 1-2)
#9 Texas (1-1, 1-1) at #7 USC (2-1, 1-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Notable Games
#11 Miami (1-1, 1-0) at #22 Arkansas (2-1, 2-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB T.J. Little (Ole Miss): 21 of 26, 460 yards, 11 carries, 69 yards, 6 total touchdowns
CB Jamal Davis (Northwestern): 3 tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumble, 2 interceptions
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QB T.J. Little (Ole Miss): 21 of 26, 460 yards, 11 carries, 69 yards, 6 total touchdowns
CB Darrell Lester (Oregon): 7 tackles, forced fumble, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Patrick Sullivan [HB #1]: 5'9", 200lbs | Pensacola, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of Oregon
#3 Melvin Ingram [QB #1]: 6'3", 211lbs | Arlington Heights, IL | 5-star | University of Alabama
#11 William Powell [ATH #3]: 6'3", 192lbs | Ennis, TX | 5-star | University of Alabama
#44 Leon Glover [CB #3]: 5'10", 169lbs | Flower Mound, TX | 5-star | University of Oklahoma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#1 Patrick Sullivan [HB #1]: 5'9", 200lbs | Pensacola, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of Oregon
#55 Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
Week 4 Preview: at LSU Tigers
Last Season Record: 8-5, 6-3 Contenders Division
Season Record: 0-2, 0-2 Champions Division
Head Coach: Charlton Warren (8-7 at LSU, 2nd year, 24-17)
Offensive Coordinator: Reggie Harris (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Brian Hayden (4-3)
Returning Career Leaders
Passing: Jordan Wilson (5481 yards, 39 TD, 33 INT, 104.8 rating)
Rushing: Jordan Wilson (2399 yards, 4.3 ypc, 22 TD)
Receiving: Jonathan Willis (62 receptions, 651 yards, 3 TD)
Defense: Andrew Weeks (143 tackles, 40 TFL, 7 sacks)
USF is breathing a sigh of relief after leaving Baton Rouge with a win
Through one and a half quarters, LSU had thoroughly outplayed the South Florida Bulls, holding a 14-3 lead before Maurice Bennett's touchdown with 1:49 remaining in the half cut into the lead.
Instead of running down the clock, the Tigers tried to extend their lead before the half when disaster struck with Devon Wright throwing his fifth interception against the Bulls in his two starts, this one being a costly one that set up Bennett's second touchdown of the half and gave USF a lead they wouldn't let go of, hanging on for the 24-17 victory on Saturday to remain undefeated and keep LSU winless.
Bennett scored a third touchdown to extend the lead in the third quarter, his fifth touchdown in two games against the Tigers after having a two touchdowns, 153-yard performance against the Tigers as a true freshman two seasons ago. He finished with eight catches for 80 yards.
Jared Chavis' two second half turnovers helped breathe life into the LSU Tigers but only mustered up three points in the second half. Charles Bell dropped a wide open touchdown pass on fourth down which could have cut into USF's lead in the fourth quarter.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[LSU] E. Lee, 1 Yd run (4:53)
[USF] M. Pleasant, 48 Yd FG (1:52)
Quarter 2
[LSU] C. Bell, 33 Yd pass from D. Wright (4:46)
[USF] M. Bennett, 2 Yd pass from J. Chavis (1:49)
[USF] M. Bennett, 6 Yd pass from J. Chavis (0:09)
Quarter 3
[USF] M. Bennett, 6 Yd pass from J. Chavis (3:50)
Quarter 4
[LSU] J. Cooper, 42 Yd FG (3:17)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #2 South Florida Bulls
QB Jared Chavis: 29 of 45, 289 yards, 3 touchdowns, interception, sacked twice, 3 fumbles (1 lost), 14 carries, 32 yards
HB Dionte McCarthy: 12 carries, 55 yards
WR Maurice Bennett: 8 receptions, 80 yards, 3 touchdowns
WR D.J. Manning: 5 receptions, 75 yards
WR Jarod Green: 5 receptions, 53 yards
LB Alex McDaniel: 7 tackles
LB Brian Robinson: 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
S Michael Robinson: 5 tackles, tackle for loss, interception
CB Tyler Matthews: 4 tackles, interception
LSU Tigers
QB Devon Wright: 8 of 13, 87 yards, touchdown, 2 interceptions
HB Ethan Lee: 12 carries, 55 yards, touchdown
FB Nic Carter: 10 carries, 57 yards
HB Micah Chapman: 5 receptions, 17 yards
WR Charles Bell: 2 receptions, 41 yards, touchdown
S Kareem Sims: 9 tackles
LB Jeff Lee: 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
DE Will Gilmore: 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
LB Justin Boyd: 3 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, interception
Week 4 Top Stories
1. Bergstrand's play leads Georgia Tech to a 34-28 win over Stanford
2. Just ask the Longhorns how difficult it is to win in Los Angeles
3. Ducks take care of SEC opponent Ole Miss 24-17
4. Penn State flexes its muscles over #1 Alabama 63-35
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Champions Division Results
USF 24 - LSU 17 | PSU 63 - ALA 35 | ORE 24 - MISS 17
GT 34 - STAN 28 | UF 27 - TENN 17 | USC 41 - TEX 21
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Champions Division Schedule
LSU (0-3, 0-3) at Tennessee (1-3, 1-3)
#16 Texas (1-2, 1-2) at #12 Stanford (2-1, 0-1)
#14 Missouri (2-1 0-1) at #18 Michigan State (2-1, 1-1)
#7 Penn State (3-0, 3-0) at #17 Florida (2-2, 2-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Notable Games
#10 Miami (2-1, 2-0) at Notre Dame (2-0, 0-0)
Miami University (3-0, 0-0) at #11 Ole Miss (3-1, 3-1)
#22 Kansas State (2-0, 1-0) at #23 Kent State (2-0, 0-0)
Mississippi State (3-1, 3-1) at #5 Washington (4-0, 3-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Bryan Myers (Penn State): 35 of 40, 534 yards, 17 carries, 55 yards, 9 total touchdowns
LB Rocky Lucas (Michigan): 9 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, interception
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QB Bryan Myers (Penn State): 35 of 40, 534 yards, 17 carries, 55 yards, 9 total touchdowns
LB Bruce Carter (USC): 11 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Patrick Sullivan [HB #1]: 5'9", 200lbs | Pensacola, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of Oregon
#3 Melvin Ingram [QB #1]: 6'3", 211lbs | Arlington Heights, IL | 5-star | University of Alabama
#11 William Powell [ATH #3]: 6'3", 192lbs | Ennis, TX | 5-star | University of Alabama
#44 Leon Glover [CB #3]: 5'10", 169lbs | Flower Mound, TX | 5-star | University of Oklahoma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#1 Patrick Sullivan [HB #1]: 5'9", 200lbs | Pensacola, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of Oregon
#55 Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
With Chavis named full-time starter heading into teeth of schedule, Bulls have found an unlikely leader
Sean Caesar -- The Athletic Writer
During his lone media availability during USF's bye week, USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. finally clarified the quarterback position, stating that redshirt junior Jared Chavis is the full-time starter at quarterback.
Despite Chavis playing every important snap since the Florida game, where Charlie Cooke threw two interceptions and completed just two passes, both Cooke and Chavis had been listed as co-starters on the team's official depth chart. Francois Sr's answer on Monday cleared up any lingering confusion.
"Jared [Chavis] is the guy," said Francois Sr, "He's done everything we've asked and continued to get better ever since he got here but really took a next step this spring and in the fall and he hasn't stopped. I feel fairly confident in saying that he'll be our quarterback for a very long time."
Chavis reportedly outplayed Cooke throughout spring and fall camp practices despite Chavis being a three-star prospect and Cooke coming in as a five-star recruit and the nation's top ranked quarterback that beat Texas as a true freshman coming off the bench for the injured Joey Spence last season.
Chavis was initially signed in the same class with Spence to essentially serve as Spence's backup. A two-time state champion at Duncanville High School in Dallas, Chavis was the 46th ranked quarterback in the class. Chavis is the lowest ranked recruit to start at quarterback for the Bulls since Todd Woods, who was the 58th ranked quarterback in the 2028 recruiting class and was the starting quarterback for the bulk of the 2032 season.
The announcement comes just in time as USF is getting ready to face a tough stretch of games in the Champions Division that will likely determine if they make the playoffs with home stands against Alabama, Texas and Georgia Tech with trips to Tennessee, Missouri and Penn State.
Chavis is fourth in the Champions Division with 272.5 passing yards per game and his nine passing touchdowns ranked 4th as well.
