Porter's Playbook | The Coaching Career of DJ Porter

Post by **ShireNiner** » 16 Mar 2026, 13:18

djp73 wrote: ↑
16 Mar 2026, 11:24

Caesar wrote: ↑
16 Mar 2026, 10:59
If that QB is out, who is their backup?
must be one of the isrealites

Post by **Soapy** » 17 Mar 2026, 08:47

djp73 wrote: ↑
16 Mar 2026, 11:24

Caesar wrote: ↑
16 Mar 2026, 10:59
If that QB is out, who is their backup?
must be one of the isrealites

Post by **djp73** » 20 Mar 2026, 14:36

GROUND CONTROL

Suggs, Bulls overpower NC State in 34–7 win, but leave points behind

Saturday September 8, 2029 | 7:30 PM | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida - USF controlled the game from the opening drive and never looked back, riding a dominant rushing attack and suffocating defense to a 34–7 win over NC State. The Bulls improved to 3–0 on the young season, leaning on physicality and depth to overwhelm the Wolfpack on both sides of the ball.

Connor Suggs set the tone early and never let up, pounding out 169 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. His first score, a 1-yard plunge late in the first quarter, capped a methodical opening drive and gave USF a lead it would not relinquish. From there, the Bulls methodically wore down NC State’s front, finishing with 266 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

Steven Snead added a 10-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and Suggs punched in another from three yards out later in the half to push the lead to 21–7 at the break. NC State’s lone highlight came on a 75-yard burst from Austin Hatchett, but outside of that play, the Wolfpack struggled to generate consistent offense against USF’s defense.

Locklan Hewlett was efficient rather than explosive, completing 23 of 36 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. His lone scoring throw came late in the third quarter, a 1-yard strike to tight end Dalton Sahara that effectively put the game out of reach. Still, it wasn’t a flawless night for the senior quarterback.

USF left multiple scoring opportunities on the field. A second-quarter fake field goal misfired when punter Dorian McSurdy’s pass sailed high and incomplete despite a receiver breaking open. Later, Hewlett drove the offense deep into the red zone, only to see a pass tipped at the line and intercepted, halting another promising drive.

Head coach DJ Porter addressed both missed opportunities after the game.

“The fake field goal is something Coach Creamer’s been working on all week,” Porter said. “We felt good about it. I trust my staff, I don’t micromanage those guys. If I didn’t trust them, I wouldn’t have hired them. The design was there, the look was right, we had it and it just sailed on us.”

Despite those miscues, the Bulls’ overall execution was more than enough. They finished with 494 yards of offense, converted 60 percent of their third downs, and held the ball for long stretches, running 82 plays compared to just 41 for NC State.

Defensively, USF was just as dominant. The Bulls limited NC State to 234 total yards and just nine first downs, consistently winning at the line of scrimmage and forcing the Wolfpack into uncomfortable situations. Devin Nowell led the way with five tackles and a half-sack, while Keon Brents added a sack and several disruptive plays off the edge. The unit allowed just one scoring play all night and shut out NC State in the second half.

The performance continues a strong early-season trend for USF, though Porter made it clear there is still room to improve.

“We’re playing physical, we’re playing together, but we’ve got to finish drives,” Porter said. “Against better teams, those missed chances matter.”

That test comes quickly. The Bulls now turn their attention to a high-profile showdown with Notre Dame next week, a matchup that will demand cleaner execution and fewer wasted opportunities.

For now, though, USF continues to stack wins, showing a balanced and dangerous identity built on a punishing run game, disciplined defense, and a coaching staff confident in its process.

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 1-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 4:58
Second Quarter
USF – Steven Snead 10-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 8:25
NC State – Austin Hatchett 75-yard run (Josh Bliss kick), 8:14
USF – Connor Suggs 3-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 2:32
Third Quarter
USF – Dalton Sahara 1-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 0:21
Fourth Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 2-yard run, 0:00

USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 23/36, 228 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 63%, 6.3 YPA
D. McSurdy – 0/1, 0 Yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 0%, 0.0 YPA
Rushing
C. Suggs – 30 Car, 169 Yds, 5.6 Avg, 3 TD
S. Snead – 7 Car, 46 Yds, 6.5 Avg, 1 TD
G. Shembo – 5 Car, 37 Yds, 7.4 Avg
L. Hewlett – 2 Car, 5 Yds, 2.5 Avg
N. Daniel – 1 Car, 9 Yds, 9.0 Avg
Receiving
L. Dragos – 5 Rec, 66 Yds, 13.2 Avg
D. Moncrief – 5 Rec, 43 Yds, 8.6 Avg
G. Camarda – 3 Rec, 38 Yds, 12.6 Avg
J. Barr – 4 Rec, 31 Yds, 7.7 Avg
D. Sahara – 3 Rec, 24 Yds, 8.0 Avg, 1 TD
S. Snead – 2 Rec, 17 Yds, 8.5 Avg
C. Suggs – 1 Rec, 9 Yds, 9.0 Avg
Defense
D. Nowell – 5 Tkl (4 Solo, 1 Ast), 1 TFL, 0.5 Sack
N. Jones – 4 Tkl
J. Hatch – 3 Tkl
G. Jenkins – 3 Tkl
A. Chambers – 2 Tkl
K. Brents – 2 Tkl, 1 TFL, 1.0 Sack
D. Nickey – 2 Tkl, 1 TFL, 0.5 Sack
T. Bennett – 2 Tkl
D. Moncrief – 1 Tkl
L. Dragos – 1 Tkl
J. Bean – 1 Tkl
F. Droege – 1 Tkl
J. Sowells – 1 Tkl
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 0/0 FG, 4/4 XP
D. McSurdy – 1 Punt, 58 Yds, 58.0 Avg (58.0 Net)
E. York – 1 KR, 17 Yds (17.0 Avg)
R. Boireau – 1 KR, 12 Yds (12.0 Avg)
E. York – 3 PR, 28 Yds (9.3 Avg), Long 19

NC State Stat Leaders
Passing
J. Stolt – 11/25, 146 Yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 44%, 5.8 YPA
Rushing
A. Hatchett – 9 Car, 104 Yds, 11.5 Avg, 1 TD
J. Stolt – 7 Car, -16 Yds, -2.2 Avg
Receiving
C. Perry – 4 Rec, 45 Yds, 11.2 Avg
J. Ohalete – 3 Rec, 46 Yds, 15.3 Avg
B. Durbin – 3 Rec, 26 Yds, 8.6 Avg
G. Session – 1 Rec, 29 Yds, 29.0 Avg
Defense
F. Jasper – 15 Tkl (4 Solo, 11 Ast), 1 TFL
C. Dearth – 14 Tkl (3 Solo, 11 Ast)
J. Hamrick – 11 Tkl
X. Thompson – 10 Tkl, 1 TFL
B. Benson – 9 Tkl, 1 TFL
D. Jones – 9 Tkl
S. Randall – 8 Tkl
A. Story – 5 Tkl, 1 TFL
M. Willson – 5 Tkl, 2 TFL
N. Mount – 4 Tkl, 2 TFL
A. Almonte – 4 Tkl, 1 TFL
J. Morris – 3 Tkl
J. Freeman – 2 Tkl
Special Teams
J. Bliss – 0/1 FG, 1/1 XP
J. Vanderdoes – 4 Punts, 198 Yds, 49.5 Avg (37.5 Net), 1 Inside 20

Category	NC State	USF
Score	7	34
First Downs	9	34
Total Offense	234	494
Total Plays	41	82
Yards Per Play	5.7	6.0
Rush \| Yards \| TD	16 \| 88 \| 1	45 \| 266 \| 4
Yards Per Rush	5.5	5.9
Comp \| Att \| TD	11 \| 25 \| 0	23 \| 37 \| 1
Yards Per Pass	5.8	6.2
Passing Yards	146	228
3rd Down Conv.	5 \| 11 (45%)	9 \| 15 (60%)
4th Down Conv.	0 \| 1 (0%)	4 \| 5 (80%)
2 Pt Conv.	0 \| 0 (0%)	0 \| 0 (0%)
Red Zone TD \| FG \| %	0 \| 0 \| 0%	5 \| 0 \| 71%
Turnovers	0	1
Fumbles Lost	0	0
Interceptions	0	1
PR Yards	0	28
KR Yards	0	29
Total Yards	234	551
Punts (Avg)	4 (49.5)	1 (58.0)
Penalties	0 \| 0	0 \| 0

Post by **djp73** » 20 Mar 2026, 14:45

USF POSTGAME REPORT

USF 34 – NC State 7

Offense
–USF leaned on a physical, ground-heavy approach in its home opener, controlling NC State from start to finish in a 34–7 win at Raymond James Stadium.
–Quarterback Locklan Hewlett managed the game efficiently, completing 23 of 36 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. While not as explosive as the previous week, Hewlett kept the offense on schedule and avoided negative plays for most of the night.
–Running back Connor Suggs powered the offense, rushing for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Suggs consistently wore down the Wolfpack defense and delivered in short-yardage situations, including two key goal-line scores.
–Through three games, Suggs now has 385 rushing yards and six touchdowns, firmly placing himself in the early Heisman conversation as the focal point of USF’s offense.
–Steven Snead added 46 rushing yards and a touchdown, giving the Bulls a strong complementary presence in the backfield.
–Dalton Sahara hauled in a 1-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter, capping a methodical drive that effectively put the game out of reach.
–USF finished with 494 yards of offense and 266 yards on the ground, controlling tempo with 82 total plays.
–The Bulls did leave points on the field, however. A fake field goal attempt in the second quarter fell incomplete when punter Dorian McSurdy’s pass sailed over an open target, and a tipped pass from Hewlett resulted in an interception deep in the red zone.
–“That fake is something Coach Creamer has been working on all week,” Head Coach DJ Porter said. “I trust my staff. I’m not going to micromanage them. If I didn’t trust them, I wouldn’t have hired them. The play was there, the design worked, we had it… the ball just sailed a bit.”

Defense
–USF’s defense delivered a dominant performance, limiting NC State to just 234 yards of offense and nine first downs.
–The Bulls controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the game, holding the Wolfpack to just 41 total plays and shutting them out in the second half.
–NC State’s only touchdown came on a 75-yard run by Austin Hatchett, but outside of that play, the defense allowed very little.
–Devin Nowell led the team with five tackles and a half-sack, while Keon Brents added a sack and a tackle for loss.
–The secondary remained disciplined, preventing explosive plays in the passing game and forcing NC State into inefficient drives.

Special Teams
–Kicker Dom Bragg was perfect on extra points, converting all four attempts.
–Punter Dorian McSurdy averaged 58.0 yards on his lone punt of the night and was otherwise rarely needed due to USF’s offensive control.
–The Bulls’ return game was steady, with Elton York contributing 28 punt return yards and adding solid field position throughout the night.
–The lone miscue came on the fake field goal attempt, though the design created an open opportunity that just missed connection.

Quotables
“We controlled the game the way we wanted to. We were able to run the ball, stay ahead of the chains,” – DJ Porter
“Our offensive line took over. They made it easy on me,” – Connor Suggs
“We didn’t hit everything we wanted, but we stayed composed and kept moving,” – Locklan Hewlett
“Outside of that one run, we played exactly how we expect to on defense,” – Devin Nowell

News
–USF improves to 3–0 on the season with its first home win of the year.
–Connor Suggs now has 385 rushing yards and six touchdowns through three games, emerging as one of the early names to watch in the Heisman race.
–The Bulls have now outscored opponents 159–40 through their first three games.
–USF controlled possession with 82 offensive plays compared to just 41 for NC State.
–All eyes will be on Suggs and the Bulls next week as they face Notre Dame in a nationally significant matchup.

Injury Notes
–No major injuries were reported for USF following the game.
–Injured Senior DB David Igbinoghene has indicated that he intends to return for a fifth season of college football.

Next Up
–USF will face its toughest test of the season next week as the Bulls prepare for a high-profile matchup against Notre Dame.

Post by **djp73** » 20 Mar 2026, 14:54

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

AMERICAN CONFERENCE REPORT

American Conference Standings

Team	W-L	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	MOV	HOME	AWAY	STK
Temple	2-0	1.000	1-0	88	17	+71	+35.5	2-0	0-0	W2
#16 USF	3-0	1.000	0-0	159	40	+119	+39.7	1-0	2-0	W3
#20 Tulane	2-0	1.000	0-0	76	10	+66	+33.0	1-0	1-0	W2
UAB	2-0	1.000	0-0	78	24	+54	+27.0	0-0	2-0	W2
Rice	0-2	.000	0-0	39	62	-23	-11.5	0-1	0-1	L2
Florida Atlantic	1-0	1.000	0-0	49	9	+40	+40.0	1-0	0-0	W1
Tulsa	1-1	.500	0-0	48	48	0	0.0	0-0	1-1	L1
Charlotte	0-2	.000	0-1	41	67	-26	-13.0	0-0	0-2	L2
UTSA	2-1	.667	0-0	89	100	-11	-3.7	2-0	0-1	L1
North Texas	1-2	.333	0-0	70	84	-14	-4.7	1-2	0-0	W1
Memphis	1-1	.500	0-0	65	80	-15	-7.5	0-1	1-0	W1
East Carolina	0-2	.000	0-0	44	52	-8	-4.0	0-0	0-2	L2

American Conference Week 2 Results
Ohio State 38, Charlotte 24
Memphis 48, Arkansas State 21
Temple 59, FCS Northwest 0
UAB 33, Troy 14
Indiana 24, Tulsa 20
North Texas 35, FCS Southeast 20
Northwestern 24, Rice 19
San Jose State 42, UTSA 21
#20 Tulane 36, Jacksonville State 7
#16 USF 34, NC State 7
Oregon State 28, East Carolina 26

American Conference Players of the Week (Week 2)
Offensive: Rashaun Coleman – QB – Memphis | W 48–21 at Arkansas State | 24-32, 334 YDS, 5 TD | 19 CAR, 117 RUSH YDS
Defensive: Michael Igbinoghene – CB – Tulane | W 36–7 at Jacksonville State | 5 TKL, 1 INT, 1 PBU, 1 TD

American Conference Week 3 Schedule
Florida Atlantic at Florida International – Sat, Sep 15 – 12:00 PM
Temple at #15 Miami – Sat, Sep 15 – 12:00 PM
Appalachian State at Charlotte – Sat, Sep 15 – 12:00 PM
FCS East at UAB – Sat, Sep 15 – 2:15 PM
#19 USC at Rice – Sat, Sep 15 – 3:15 PM
Old Dominion at East Carolina – Sat, Sep 15 – 3:30 PM
#18 Iowa State at #20 Tulane – Sat, Sep 15 – 3:30 PM
Toledo at Tulsa – Sat, Sep 15 – 6:00 PM
Memphis at #22 Mississippi State – Sat, Sep 15 – 7:00 PM
#6 Notre Dame at #16 USF – Sat, Sep 15 – 7:30 PM

Post by **djp73** » 20 Mar 2026, 15:00

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

Media Top 25 Rankings

RANK	LW	NAME / VOTES	W-L	PTS	LAST WEEK	THIS WEEK
1	1	Alabama (41)	2-0	1,601	W 52–21 vs FCS Midwest	Oklahoma State
2	2	Georgia (23)	2-0	1,528	W 45–20 vs Georgia State	at #7 Clemson
3	8	Texas (36)	2-0	1,486	W 34–31 at #10 Michigan	UTEP
4	3	Oregon	2-0	1,440	W 51–21 vs Utah State	Oregon State
5	5	LSU	2-0	1,347	W 23–19 vs #23 Arizona State	—
6	6	Notre Dame	2-1	1,158	W 54–7 at Syracuse	at #16 USF
7	7	Clemson	1-1	1,095	—	vs #2 Georgia
8	9	Pittsburgh	2-0	1,065	W 49–28 vs West Virginia	at UCF
9	11	Penn State	1-0	946	—	FCS West
10	4	Michigan	1-1	940	L 34–31 vs Texas	FCS East
11	10	Florida State	1-1	918	W 52–14 at Boston College	Michigan State
12	12	North Carolina	2-0	889	W 52–10 vs FCS Midwest	at Navy
13	13	Louisville	2-0	834	W 55–3 vs FCS East	—
14	14	Nebraska	2-0	771	W 26–23 at UCLA	at Oklahoma
15	15	Miami	2-0	727	W 52–7 vs FCS Southeast	Temple
16	16	USF	3-0	627	W 34–7 vs NC State	vs #6 Notre Dame
17	18	Texas A&M	1-1	510	W 41–7 vs FCS East	at Army
18	19	Iowa State	2-0	510	W 31–24 vs Iowa	at #20 Tulane
19	20	USC	1-0	488	—	at Rice
20	22	Tulane	2-0	363	W 36–7 at Jacksonville State	vs #18 Iowa State
21	23	Utah	2-0	343	W 24–21 at Arkansas	Colorado
22	25	Mississippi State	2-0	287	W 35–31 at Texas Tech	Memphis
23	17	Arizona State	1-1	273	L 23–19 at LSU	San Diego State
24	NR	Tennessee	1-1	201	W 56–14 vs FCS East	vs #25 Boise State
25	NR	Boise State	2-0	185	W 45–35 at Washington	at #24 Tennessee

Others receiving votes: Minnesota 177, Ohio State 165, BYU 76, Washington 70, UAB 45, UCLA 23, Oklahoma 21
Dropped from rankings: Washington (21), UCLA (24)

National Players of the Week (Week 2)
Defensive: Nate Benshaw – WILL – Duke | W 48–10 at TCU | 7 TKL, 2 SACKS, 3 TFL, 2 INT
Offensive: Jahleel Crumpler – WR – Oklahoma | W 56–35 at Georgia Tech | 13 REC, 125 YDS, 4 TD

Post by **djp73** » 20 Mar 2026, 15:41

#6 NOTRE DAME @ #16 USF
Saturday September 15, 2029 | 7:30 PM | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida

USF BULLS
Head Coach: DJ Porter | 30-3 at USF | 54-7 Career
Schemes: Spread | 3-3-5 Tite
2029 Season Schedule
Sat, Aug 25 – at UCF – W 62-17
Sat, Sep 1 – at Florida International – W 63-16
Sat, Sep 8 – vs NC State – W 34-7
Sat, Sep 15 – vs #6 Notre Dame – 7:30 PM
Sat, Sep 22 – vs East Carolina – 7:00 PM
Sat, Sep 29 – at UAB – 3:30 PM
Sat, Oct 6 – vs Rice – 8:00 PM
Sat, Oct 13 – at Charlotte – 2:30 PM
Sat, Oct 20 – vs #20 Tulane – 6:00 PM
Sat, Nov 3 – at Tulsa – 7:30 PM
Sat, Nov 10 – vs Memphis – 6:45 PM
Sat, Nov 24 – at North Texas – 3:15 PM

Injury Report
WR Lamar Sweet – Broken Wrist – Out 5 Weeks
TE Cam Deablo – Dislocated Hip – Out 12 Weeks
CB David Igbinoghene – Torn Pectoral – Out 28 Weeks

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Head Coach: Dan Lanning | 16-3 at Notre Dame | 81-20 Career
Schemes: Spread | Base 3-4
2029 Season Schedule
Sat, Aug 25 – vs Clemson – W 38-35
Sat, Sep 1 – vs Alabama – L 28-24
Sat, Sep 8 – at Syracuse – W 54-7
Sat, Sep 15 – at #16 USF – 7:30 PM
Sat, Sep 22 – vs #3 Texas – 8:00 PM
Sat, Oct 6 – at NC State – 3:30 PM
Sat, Oct 20 – vs #19 USC – 7:30 PM
Sat, Oct 27 – vs Navy – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 3 – vs Georgia Tech – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 10 – at #11 Florida State – 7:00 PM
Sat, Nov 17 – vs Wake Forest – 12:00 PM
Sat, Nov 24 – at Stanford – 7:30 PM

Injury Report
C Tyron Pan – Broken Collarbone – Out 6 Weeks
LB Kurtis Rattay – Broken Fibula – Out 9 Weeks

Post by **ShireNiner** » 20 Mar 2026, 15:50

–The Bulls have now outscored opponents 159–40 through their first three games.
–USF controlled possession with 82 offensive plays compared to just 41 for NC State.

Complete domination. That is a hell of a schedule for Notre Dame. Keep controlling possession and running the ball and you win.

Post by **djp73** » 22 Mar 2026, 10:11

ShireNiner wrote: ↑
20 Mar 2026, 15:50
–The Bulls have now outscored opponents 159–40 through their first three games.
–USF controlled possession with 82 offensive plays compared to just 41 for NC State.

Complete domination. That is a hell of a schedule for Notre Dame. Keep controlling possession and running the ball and you win.

it's been a pretty easy start for us but ND is the biggest test we will face for sure

Post by **redsox907** » 23 Mar 2026, 12:05

you can't lose to Marcus Freeman, bro

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