Bulls to host several top targets during Alabama week, including legacy triplets from 2040 class
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
The University of South Florida will have the bulk of their target list on campus this weekend when they host Alabama including five-star IMG running back Kellen Wright, four-star receiver Brooks Coe, four-star tight ends Jeff Rutledge and Jermaine Johnson, four-star local offensive lineman Steve Bailey, three-star corner Anthony Gunn, four-star Tampa defensive tackle Brent Lawrence, four-star offensive guard Ray Anderson and Joe Weisbecker along with kicker Chris Sanders.
Focus on the highest ranked of the recruits, it's a three team battle for Wright who is originally from Tampa but both of his parents currently teach at the University of Tulsa and are Northwestern alumni. Given that Wright grew up a fan of the Bulls, even with the parental connections, it's tough to see him heading anywhere else especially with the two years at IMG to adapt to being away from home.
On the trip with Wright will be teammate Jermaine Johnson who is a top target for USF at tight end, a position group that needs a lot of retooling following Chris Wallace's graduation.
Another prospect to keep an eye on is another tight end in Jeff Rutledge, the four-star out of Fort Lauderdale that might be on commit watch. The Hurricanes are also top contenders for his commitment and with an official visit scheduled for next week, it'd be classic Malcolm Francois Sr. if he was able to keep him from ever stepping foot back on Coral Gables.
USF also feels really good about Anderson and Bailey who they have pitched to as being a combo pickup with the hopes of being the anchor of the future offensive line. They've pivoted away from Weisbecker in recent weeks so him being on campus this is a bit of a surprise.
The other big names on campus this weekend aren't from the 2039 cycle but a couple of juniors in the Smith brothers -- Brian, Brandon and Marcellus -- who are the triplet sons of former USF offensive lineman Brian Smith Sr. A day-one starter, Smith surrendered zero sacks as a true freshman and paved the way for a very good running attack in 2020 along with fellow guard Brian Brown. With Brown graduated, Smith emerged as the team's top OL in 2021, earning all-conference honors while surrendering just one sack that season and helping the Bulls have once again two 1,000-yard rushers on their way to a national championship. With much of the offense depleted in 2022, USF had to rely almost exclusively on its running game with Troy Henry rushing for a school record 2,125 yards and won the Heisman, thanking his offensive line during his acceptance speech. Smith was the leader of that offensive line and arguably the team's best offensive linemen of all time.
Brian Jr. is the top ranked tackle in the 2040 recruiting class while Brandon is the top ranked nose tackle, both measuring at over 6-foot-6 and in the 320 pound range. Marcellus isn't as elite of a prospect but still managed to crack the 247 Sports Top 100 Juniors list as a defensive end/tight end hybrid that hasn't been overly productive at Clearwater Academy International but his raw physical skills are undeniable at six-foot-five and 237 pounds.
It won't be a slam dunk for USF to land the trio, especially the top two that have already made frequent campus visits to Florida, Alabama and Georgia. They've all made it clear that they aren't a package deal but getting all three on campus this weekend is a positive sign for the Bulls.
2039 USF Recruiting Class
DE Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
DE Kareem Cunningham [DE #69]: 6'6", 266lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max
2039 USF Recruiting Board
HB Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | USF, Northwestern
WR Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | USF, FAU
TE Jermaine Johnson [TE #5]: 6'4", 254lbs | Sans Souci, SC [IMG] | 4-star | Navy, USF, Tennessee
TE Jeff Rutledge [TE #10]: 6'5", 254lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Miami, USF
T Garrett McTaggart [T #2]: 6'4", 309lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | Ole Miss, USF, Georgia Tech
OLB E.J. Young [OLB #3]: 6'5", 242lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech
G Joe Weisbecker [G #4]: 6'2", 280lbs | Rosedale, MD | 4-star | Ole Miss, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, USF
G Ray Anderson [G #5]: 6'3", 266lbs | Scottdale, GA | 4-star | USF, NC State, Wake Forest, Ohio
G Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, FIU
ILB Joel Espinosa [ILB #4]: 5'9", 228lbs | Manchester, IA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Missouri, Miami, Michigan State, Navy
CB Travis Jones [CB #10]: 5'11", 167lbs | Marion, SC | 4-star | USF, Georgia Tech, Purdue
CB Anthony Gunn [CB #16]: 6'1", 182lbs | Atlanta, GA | 3-star | Clemson, USF, Fresno State
DT Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, UTEP
ILB Talanoa Langi [ILB #16]: 6'1", 238lbs | Nanakuli, HI [IMG] | 3-star | Colorado, USF
OLB Erik Wheeler [OLB #66]: 6'2", 211lbs | La Porte, TX | 3-star | USF, Michigan State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Missouri
K Chris Sanders [K #7]: 5'10", 180lbs | Pompano Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, USC, Oklahoma
P Gerald Wallace [P #6]: 6'2", 199lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, Clemson
Week 6 Preview: vs. #7 Alabama Crimson Tide
Season Record: 3-1, 3-1 Champions Division
Head Coach: Kevin Sherrer (168-38 at Alabama, 16th year, 223-64)
Offensive Coordinator: Dabo Swinney (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Andrew Christensen (3-4 D)
Team Leaders
Passing: Eric Henley (1293 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT, 189.3 rating)
Rushing: Shannon Baker (303 yards, 7.6 ypc, TD)
Receiving: Curtis Green (21 receptions, 352 yards, 5 TD)
Defense: Corey Dunn (31 tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks, INT)
Team Rankings
Points Per Game: 10th
Total Offense: 8th
Rushing Offense: 77th
Passing Offense: 5th
Total Defense: 101st
Rushing Defense: 93rd
Passing Defense: 90th
Turnover Differential: 25th
Team Schedule
at #13 Michigan State: W 45-7
at #22 Florida: W 45-38
vs. #4 USC: W 38-31
vs. #6 Penn State: L 63-35
Team Injuries
ALA RT #67 Samuel Fagot, Freshman | 6'4", 288lbs | 79 ovr, 78 pbk, 83 rbk, 87 str
Crimson Tide's overturned pick six proves to be deciding factor in loss to USF
Up five points in the second quarter, USF had a chance to extend their lead over Alabama but quarterback Jared Chavis' interception near the endzone would allow Alabama to score on a 33-yard touchdown from Eric Henley to Tyler Brown with 42 seconds left before the half.
Now trailing, USF opted to be aggressive before the half only for Chavis' pass to be intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Alabama glee was short lived as defensive pass interference was called on the play, taking the touchdown off the board and giving USF another chance. They took advantage of it, completing a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jarod Green two plays later to go into the half with the lead.
The fourteen point swing would prove to be crucial and too much for the Crimson Tide to come back from in their 45-34 loss to the Bulls on Saturday afternoon.
The Tide did briefly take the lead following back to back touchdowns in the third quarter to go up 31-21 with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter. Despite being down their starting running back Dionte McCarthy and a veteran offensive lineman in Chris Booker, USF leaned on some young pups with true freshman Woody Humphrey replacing Booker and sophomore William Sapp rushing for 107 yards.
Sophomore running back Eric Valentine punched in two touchdowns in the second half and Chavis got in on the running game as well with a fifteen-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 59-yard run in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.
While USF's running game found its groove in the second half, Alabama's faltered, converting just three of the eleven third down conversions. They also turned the ball over twice during their comeback attempt on a fumble and an interception.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[ALA] M. Blount, 49 Yd FG (6:03)
[ALA] M. Blount, 36 Yd FG (2:40)
Quarter 2
[USF] M. Bennett, 6 Yd pass from J. Chavis (7:09)
[ALA] M. Blount, 24 Yd FG (4:37)
[USF] D. Manning, 27 Yd pass from J. Chavis (3:02)
[ALA] T. Brown, 33 Yd pass from E. Henley (0:42)
[USF] J. Green, 39 Yd pass from J. Chavis (0:08)
Quarter 3
[ALA] S. Baker, 3 Yd run -- 2pt (5:17)
[ALA] S. Baker, 9 Yd run (3:44)
[USF] J. Chavis, 15 Yd run (2:23)
[USF] E. Valentine, 1 Yd run (0:16)
Quarter 4
[ALA] M. Blount, 29 Yd FG (6:44)
[USF] M. Pleasant, 38 Yd FG (3:52)
[USF] E. Valentine, 2 Yd run (1:58)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #2 South Florida Bulls
QB Jared Chavis: 26 of 33, 310 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked 3 times, 11 carries, 77 yards, touchdown
HB William Sapp: 19 carries, 107 yards, 5 receptions, 46 yards
HB Eric Valentine: 6 carries, 21 yards, 2 touchdowns
HB Dionte McCarthy: 1 carry, 5 yards (left game with injury)
WR Maurice Bennett: 5 receptions, 48 yards, touchdown
WR Joseph Moses: 5 receptions, 47 yards
WR Alston Marks: 4 receptions, 76 yards
WR Jarod Green: 4 receptions, 50 yards, touchdown, 3 carries, 55 yards
WR D.J. Manning: 3 receptions, 43 yards, touchdown
LB Brian Robinson: 11 tackles, tackle for loss, forced fumble
S Michael Robinson: 9 tackles, tackle for loss
CB Bryan Carter: 3 tackles, tackle for loss, sack, interception
#7 Alabama Crimson Tide
QB Eric Henley: 23 of 33, 255 yards, touchdown, interception, sacked once
HB Shannon Baker: 19 carries, 143 yards, 2 touchdowns
HB Jarrett Owens: 7 carries, 36 yards, fumble (lost)
WR Matt Finley: 6 receptions, 88 yards
WR Curtis Green: 5 receptions, 80 yards
WR Tyler Brown: 4 receptions, 53 yards, touchdown
CB Alexander Davis: 12 tackles, tackle for loss
S Brandon Maxwell: 11 tackles
LB Corey Dunn: 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack
CB Bruce Lee: 5 tackles, 2 interceptions
Week 6 Top Stories
1. Ole Miss notches a conference win against Stanford behind the arm of Little
2. Notre Dame gets solid win against #6 Penn State 37-31
3. Defense was nowhere to be found as #12 Miami defeated #3 Purdue 42-35
4. The Big 12 season begins on a high note for Southern Miss with win over Houston
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 6 Champions Division Results
USF 45 - ALA 34 | MISS 48 - STAN 17 | ND 37 - PSU 31
UF 38 - LSU 24 | MIZZOU 27 - USC 23
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 7 Champions Division Schedule
#2 USF (5-0, 3-0) at Tennessee (2-3, 2-3)
#17 Stanford (3-2, 1-2) at #14 Missouri (3-2, 1-2)
#15 Ole Miss (4-2, 4-1) at #1 Notre Dame (4-0, 1-0)
#5 Georgia Tech (4-1, 1-1) at Oregon (2-2, 1-1)
#12 Michigan State (4-1, 2-1) at #11 USC (3-2, 2-2)
Clemson (1-3, 0-2) at #13 Alabama (3-2, 3-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 7 Notable Games
#19 Texas (2-3, 1-3) at #4 Utah (5-0, 3-0)
#22 Virginia (5-0, 5-0) at #24 Boston College (4-0, 3-0)
Texas Tech (4-0, 0-0) at #9 Southern Miss (3-1, 1-0)
Ohio State (3-1, 2-0) at #23 Kansas State (3-1, 1-0)
Michigan (4-1, 3-0) at #8 Kansas (4-0, 1-0)
Florida State (3-2, 3-1) at #6 Miami (3-2, 3-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Donnell Gay (Arkansas): 14 of 30, 202 yards, 27 carries, 217 yards, 5 total touchdowns
LB Brad White (Oregon State): 11 tackles, tackle for loss, interception
-------
QB T.J. Little (Ole Miss): 21 of 29, 351 yards, 18 carries, 65 yards, 6 total touchdowns
S Matt Jones (Texas): 5 tackles, 2 interceptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
#15 Marcel Carrington [WR #6]: 6'4", 205lbs | Gardere, LA | 5-star | University of Oregon
#17 A.J. Brewer [WR #7]: 6'0", 179lbs | Wadsworth, OH | 5-star | Ohio State University
#19 Josh Henley [ATH #5]: 5'11", 191lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | University of Miami
#24 Jeremiah Daugherty [DE #2]: 6'1", 250lbs | Monroe, LA | 5-star | Naval Academy
#26 Ryan Edwards [HB #3]: 6'2", 184lbs | Aurora, OH | 5-star | University of Oklahoma
#30 Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of South Florida
#34 Matt Christensen [ATH #9]: 6'1", 181lbs | Merced, CA | 5-star | University of California - Los Angeles
#36 Josh Jacobs [DE #3]: 6'6", 256lbs | Lancaster, TX | 5-star | University of Southern California
#40 Shaun Bullock [ATH #12]: 6'2", 306lbs | Huntington Beach, CA | 5-star | University of Texas
#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
#19 Josh Henley [ATH #5]: 5'11", 191lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | University of Miami
#30 Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | University of South Florida
#55 Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
#85 Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
#170 Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
#172 Buck Gonzales [HB #25]: 6'0", 207lbs | Bellair, FL | 4-star | University of Minnesota
#176 Phillip Johnson [ATH #34]: 6'2", 193lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | University of Central Florida
#209 Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
#221 Marcus Stephens [OLB #13]: 6'1", 211lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Michigan State University
#271 Brad Pittman [ATH #41]: 6'1", 226lbs | Bartow, FL | 4-star | Georgia Tech
Former Wharton teammates Bailey, Lawrence and Wright commit to Bulls during official visit
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Five-star running back Kellen Wright, four-star defensive tackle Brent Lawrence and four-star offensive guard Steve Bailey have committed to the University of South Florida following their official visits.
All three were teammates as freshmen and sophomores at Wharton High School in the Tampa area before Wright transferred to IMG Academy and Lawrence to Tampa Tech High School.
"We still talk all of the time so when it was time for make a decision," said Wright, who announced his commitment at halftime of the USF game against Alabama, "It was just an easy decision to make, to want to get together and play again because we had a lot of success at Wharton and we know we can be great."
Bailey is still at Wharton where he's been a two-time All-District selection and likely another on the way. A good athlete at six-foot-five and 311 pounds, Bailey held offers from FIU, FAU, Mississippi State and Clemson with UCF, Northwestern, Florida State and Florida also sniffing around in the summer but it was pretty clear early on that USF was going to be tough to beat. He'll need some seasoning before he's able to get on the field but the raw tools are there for Bailey to be a potential starter down the line at either guard spots or even at offensive tackle which is where veteran USF offensive line coach Jim Michalczik really likes Bailey.
Going up against Bailey during the freshmen scrimmages once on campus will be Lawrence, a versatile interior defensive lineman that has a frame that could easily get into the 300 pound range at six-foot-three. He's currently listed at 275 pounds but packs a punch when engaging at the line of scrimmage and doesn't get pushed around in one of the tougher classifications in Florida. The big question for Lawrence will be his conditioning and lateral movement as USF likes athletic interior guys that are able to track down ball carriers.
Perhaps the jewel of the entire class is Wright who rushed for over 2,000 yards as a sophomore before splitting carries at IMG the past two seasons with Patrick Sullivan, who is the top ranked player in the entire country this cycle. At this point in their career, Sullivan is much more of a physical runner as Wright can be accused of being a finesse player and avoiding contact despite having a very solid build at five-foot-eight and 190 pounds. A good comparison for Wright is a bit of a throwback in Dion Rogers, a 2026 pickup from Miami who led the team in rushing as a redshirt sophomore.
The Bulls feel really confident with where they stand with a few other players that were on campus but did not commit including another guard in Georgia's Ray Anderson and Palm Beach receiver Brooks Coe and both tight ends in Jermaine Johnson and Jeff Rutledge.
2039 USF Recruiting Class
HB Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 325 Squat Max
DE Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
DT Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 5.08 40-yd dash, 460 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max
G Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.72 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 595 Squat Max
DE Kareem Cunningham [DE #69]: 6'6", 266lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max
2039 USF Recruiting Board
WR Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | USF, FAU
TE Jermaine Johnson [TE #5]: 6'4", 254lbs | Sans Souci, SC [IMG] | 4-star | Navy, USF, Tennessee
TE Jeff Rutledge [TE #10]: 6'5", 254lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Miami, USF
T Garrett McTaggart [T #2]: 6'4", 309lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | Ole Miss, USF, Georgia Tech
OLB E.J. Young [OLB #3]: 6'5", 242lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech
G Joe Weisbecker [G #4]: 6'2", 280lbs | Rosedale, MD | 4-star | Ole Miss, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, USF
G Ray Anderson [G #5]: 6'3", 266lbs | Scottdale, GA | 4-star | USF, NC State, Wake Forest, Ohio
ILB Joel Espinosa [ILB #4]: 5'9", 228lbs | Manchester, IA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Missouri, Miami, Michigan State, Navy
CB Travis Jones [CB #10]: 5'11", 167lbs | Marion, SC | 4-star | USF, Georgia Tech, Purdue
CB Anthony Gunn [CB #16]: 6'1", 182lbs | Atlanta, GA | 3-star | Clemson, USF, Fresno State
ILB Talanoa Langi [ILB #16]: 6'1", 238lbs | Nanakuli, HI [IMG] | 3-star | Colorado, USF
OLB Erik Wheeler [OLB #66]: 6'2", 211lbs | La Porte, TX | 3-star | USF, Michigan State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Missouri
K Chris Sanders [K #7]: 5'10", 180lbs | Pompano Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, USC, Oklahoma
P Gerald Wallace [P #6]: 6'2", 199lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, Clemson
Week 7 Preview: at Tennessee Volunteers
Season Record: 3-1, 3-1 Champions Division
Head Coach: Quentin Taylor (47-25 at Tennessee, 6th year, 57-28)
Offensive Coordinator: James Coley (Pro)
Defensive Coordinator: Robert McGee (4-3 Multiple D)
Team Leaders
Passing: Alvin Holley (779 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT, 133.4 rating)
Rushing: Paul Love (412 yards, 9.6 ypc, 6 TD)
Receiving: Brian Harris (24 receptions, 253 yards, 4 TD)
Defense: Aaron Carter (32 tackles, 11 TFL, 4.0 sacks)
Team Rankings
Points Per Game: 38th
Total Offense: 71st
Rushing Offense: 18th
Passing Offense: 103rd
Total Defense: 124th
Rushing Defense: 79th
Passing Defense: 123rd
Turnover Differential: 62nd
Team Schedule
at #11 USC: L 48-28
vs. Oregon: W 49-35
at #10 Penn State: L 49-37
vs. #21 Florida: L 27-17
vs. LSU: W 41-37
Team Injuries
TEN DE #99 Kyle Robinson, Rs Senior | 85 ovr, 79 acc, 83 str, 88 pmv, 82 fmv, 87 bsh
------
USF G Chris Booker
Bulls land Palm Beach County's top player in Benjamin School's Brooks Coe
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
After landing two five-stars in the last cycle, USF's receiver room is adding some more talent in four-star receiver Brooks Coe who committed to the Bulls on Wednesday over Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech and Alabama.
The six-foot-four receiver won Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year last season after catching 61 passes for 1,063 yards and seven touchdowns. A big body receiver, Coe does a lot of his damage after the catch with his long strides and tough running. He's not much of a leaper, even at six-foot-four, and he'll need to refine his route running and be more consistent as a pass catcher but there is a path, depth chart wise, for Coe to get on the field as a sophomore or redshirt freshman.
2039 USF Recruiting Class
HB Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 325 Squat Max
DE Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
DT Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 5.08 40-yd dash, 460 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max
WR Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 245 Bench Press Max, 225 Squat Max
G Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.72 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 595 Squat Max
DE Kareem Cunningham [DE #69]: 6'6", 266lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max
2039 USF Recruiting Board
TE Jermaine Johnson [TE #5]: 6'4", 254lbs | Sans Souci, SC [IMG] | 4-star | Navy, USF, Tennessee
TE Jeff Rutledge [TE #10]: 6'5", 254lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Miami, USF
T Garrett McTaggart [T #2]: 6'4", 309lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | Ole Miss, USF, Georgia Tech
OLB E.J. Young [OLB #3]: 6'5", 242lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech
G Joe Weisbecker [G #4]: 6'2", 280lbs | Rosedale, MD | 4-star | Ole Miss, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, USF
G Ray Anderson [G #5]: 6'3", 266lbs | Scottdale, GA | 4-star | USF, NC State, Wake Forest, Ohio
ILB Joel Espinosa [ILB #4]: 5'9", 228lbs | Manchester, IA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Missouri, Miami, Michigan State, Navy
CB Travis Jones [CB #10]: 5'11", 167lbs | Marion, SC | 4-star | USF, Georgia Tech, Purdue
CB Anthony Gunn [CB #16]: 6'1", 182lbs | Atlanta, GA | 3-star | Clemson, USF, Fresno State
ILB Talanoa Langi [ILB #16]: 6'1", 238lbs | Nanakuli, HI [IMG] | 3-star | Colorado, USF
OLB Erik Wheeler [OLB #66]: 6'2", 211lbs | La Porte, TX | 3-star | USF, Michigan State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Missouri
K Chris Sanders [K #7]: 5'10", 180lbs | Pompano Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, USC, Oklahoma
P Gerald Wallace [P #6]: 6'2", 199lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 3-star | USF, Clemson
Bulls take Vols best punch and keep ticking in as they refuse to lock to pesky Volunteers
Nothing could go right for the South Florida Bulls in the first half against the unranked Tennessee Volunteers with three turnovers and injuries to two of their best offensive players in receiver Maurice Bennett and running back Dionte McCarthy. Even quarterback Jared Chavis suffered an elbow injury that caused him to miss a snap where his backup, Charlie Cooke, threw an interception that led to another Volunteer touchdown.
Julius Hughes' interception in the fourth quarter would prove to be game changing, setting up Joseph Moses' 79-yard touchdown pass to help the Bulls complete the comeback and then hold off Tennessee on their way to a 41-39 win on Saturday to remain undefeated.
The Bulls opened the second half with back to back touchdown drives while the Volunteers were forced to settle for a field goals. USF would take the lead in the fourth quarter on an option play to an unlikely player in Tyler Matthews, the all-world corner who was rotating in at receiver due to the injury to Maurice Bennett.
True freshman quarterback Jet Millines also took snaps at receiver, catching three passes for 21 yards.
USF failed to convert on the two-point conversion, keeping it a one-point game which didn't last for very long as Tennessee's Alvin Holley caught a bad break when his receiver dropped a wide open pass over the middle that Hughes was able to get under for the interception. On the next ensuing drive, Chavis rolled out to his right and found a wide open true freshman Joseph Moses for the 79-yard score on a broken play to extend the lead.
Tennessee would put together a comeback effort, scoring on a 34-yard pass to Brooks, who had dropped the pass earlier, but failed to tie it up with the two point conversion. The Volunteers would get the ball back on their own 8-yard line and fail to move forward, losing seven yards on the first play and running a very questionable draw play on fourth and long.
If the play was intended to trick USF into running up the score instead of kneeling it, it worked as USF punched it in from one-yard out to make it a two-score game with 1:17 remaining. Tennessee needed to score and recover the onside kick to make it a game and they did the former with Holley's second passing touchdown of the day but they failed to recover the onside kick.
Former USF receiver Brian Harris had a big day against his former school with six receptions for 97 yards.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[TENN] K. Opara, 36 Yd FG (6:27)
[USF] E. Valentine, 1 Yd run (1:29)
Quarter 2
[TENN] A. Holley, 0 Yd run (5:17)
[TENN] A. Coker, 7 Yd run (1:12)
[TENN] K. Opara, 29 Yd FG (0:00)
Quarter 3
[USF] E. Valentine, 19 Yd run (4:55)
[TENN] K. Opara, 31 Yd FG (3:07)
[USF] J. Green, 32 Yd pass from J. Chavis (2:34)
[TENN] K. Opara, 28 Yd FG (1:13)
Quarter 4
[USF] T. Matthews, 7 Yd run -- 2pt failed (5:56)
[USF] J. Moses, 79 Yd pass from J. Chavis (5:21)
[TENN] M. Brooks, 34 Yd pass from A. Holley -- 2pt failed (3:33)
[USF] W. Sapp, 1 Yd run (1:17)
[TENN] P. Love, 5 Yd pass from A. Holley (0:37)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #2 South Florida Bulls
QB Jared Chavis: 31 of 40, 383 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked 2 times
QB Charlie Cooke: 0 of 1, interception
HB William Sapp: 12 carries, 49 yards, touchdown
HB Eric Valentine: 9 carries, 40 yards, 2 touchdowns
HB Dionte McCarthy: 5 carries, 18 yards (left game with injury)
WR Joseph Moses: 7 receptions, 141 yards, touchdown
WR Alston Marks: 5 receptions, 50 yards
WR Jared Green: 4 receptions, 65 yards, touchdown
TE Antoine Frank: 4 receptions, 62 yards
WR Maurice Bennett: 3 receptions, 16 yards (left game with injury)
LB Brian Robinson: 9 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
LB Corey Caldwell: 5 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
CB Julius Hughes: 4 tackles, interception
Tennessee Volunteers
QB Alvin Holley: 23 of 36, 373 yards, 2 touchdowns, interception, sacked 3 times, 13 carries, 67 yards, touchdown, 2 fumbles (recovered)
HB Antone Coker: 15 carries, 103 yards, touchdown
WR Mike Brooks: 7 receptions, 76 yards, touchdown
WR Brian Harris: 6 receptions, 97 yards
TE Robert Hill: 4 receptions, 81 yards
WR Nathan Leak: 3 receptions, 62 yards
CB Marques Taylor: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
S Leonard Patton: 8 tackles, tackle for loss, interception
S Robert Smith: 7 tackles, interception
CB Devon Hagen: 5 tackles, interception
