Tampa, Florida - It didn’t take long for South Florida to make a statement against ECU and once they did, there was no slowing the avalanche.
From the opening possession, the Bulls dictated everything, taking a 7-0 lead with a Locklan Hewlett to Dalton Sahara touchdown pass on their first possession of the game. On East Carolina’s very first offensive series, Keon Brents jumped a route and came away with an interception, immediately flipping the field and igniting the home crowd. That takeaway set up a quick score, and moments later USF had surged to a 14–0 lead, establishing a tone ECU never recovered from. Brents wasn’t finished either, turning in a dominant all-around performance with 3.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, and the game’s defining early turnover.
That early momentum only snowballed.
South Florida’s offense, led by Hewlett, methodically dismantled the Pirates. Hewlett completed 38 of 47 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball to a deep group of weapons, including Lyle Dragos (10 catches, 135 yards) and Sahara, who hauled in two short touchdown receptions.
But it was the final minute of the first half that completely broke the game open.
After controlling much of the second quarter, USF delivered a crushing late-half surge. With 58 seconds remaining, George Shembo powered into the end zone to extend the lead to 28–0. On ECU’s very next play from scrimmage, Armon Chambers stepped in front of a pass for an interception, setting up another short field. The Bulls wasted no time capitalizing, striking again moments later to score twice in under a minute and carry a commanding 35–0 lead into halftime.
Any hope of a second-half response from East Carolina was erased almost instantly.
The Bulls’ defense forced a quick three-and-out to open the third quarter, and on the very next play, Connor Suggs delivered the knockout blow. Taking a handoff and bursting through the line, Suggs exploded down the sideline for a 78-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 42–0 and draining whatever fight remained from the Pirates. Suggs finished with a monster day, 197 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, averaging over 12 yards per attempt.
East Carolina finally showed signs of life late in the third quarter, driving into scoring range. But even that opportunity was cut short by the relentless USF front. Jamerson Harris came screaming off the edge, dropping ECU quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski for a drive-killing sack back near the 30-yard line. The Pirates were forced to settle for a Rico Bitonio field goal, making it 49–3 instead of a potential touchdown.
The fourth quarter brought one of ECU’s few highlights, albeit briefly.
With USF again threatening, Hewlett’s pass intended for Sahara was tipped into the air and intercepted by safety Alani Day, who turned it into a spectacular 101-yard pick-six, one of the longest returns you’ll see. It was a rare spark for the Pirates, but it did little to change the outcome.
“We thought there might’ve been a little contact early on that pick-six play. It looked like Sahara got hit before the ball got there,” Coach Porter said. “But at the same time, we talk all the time about controlling what we can control. We didn’t want to slow the game down or lose momentum chasing a challenge. Our guys responded the right way with that next play mentality we talk about and we just kept pushing forward.”
South Florida answered shortly after, with Hewlett finding Sahara once more for a two-yard touchdown to cap the scoring and seal a dominant 56–10 victory.
The numbers told the full story of the mismatch. USF racked up 561 yards of offense, averaged 7.7 yards per play, and converted an astounding 84% of its third downs.
Meanwhile, the Bulls’ defense suffocated ECU, holding them to just 134 total yards and forcing two interceptions while piling up pressure throughout.
For East Carolina, it was a long afternoon defined by missed opportunities and relentless pressure. Hecklinski managed just 75 passing yards with two interceptions, while the run game never got going, finishing with negative yardage.
But this game belonged to South Florida, and more specifically, to Keon Brents and a defense that set the tone from the very first snap.
USF’s dominant performance felt like a statement rooted in response and resilience. After a frustrating loss to Notre Dame a week ago, the Bulls came out with urgency, edge, and a clear intent to reset the tone of their season. From the opening defensive stand to the relentless offensive execution, this was a team playing with something to prove, and they delivered in emphatic fashion. If there were any lingering doubts after last week, they were erased under the lights in Tampa with a performance that showcased both their explosiveness and their ability to finish.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
USF – Dalton Sahara 1-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 8:33
USF – Connor Suggs 5-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 2:10
Second Quarter
USF – Nicholas Daniel 1-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 6:18
USF – George Shembo 2-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 0:58
USF – Lyle Dragos 11-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 0:19
Third Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 78-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 7:38
USF – Connor Suggs 3-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 3:30
ECU – Rico Bitonio 46-yard field goal, 1:19
Fourth Quarter
ECU – Alani Day 101-yard interception return (Rico Bitonio kick), 12:02
USF – Dalton Sahara 2-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 5:15
USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 38/47, 347 Yds, 3 TD, 1 INT, 80%, 7.3 YPA
Rushing
C. Suggs – 16 Car, 197 Yds, 12.3 Avg, 3 TD
S. Snead – 6 Car, 31 Yds, 5.1 Avg
G. Shembo – 1 Car, 2 Yds, 2.0 Avg, 1 TD
N. Daniel – 1 Car, 1 Yd, 1.0 Avg, 1 TD
Receiving
L. Dragos – 10 Rec, 135 Yds, 13.5 Avg, 1 TD
G. Camarda – 9 Rec, 64 Yds, 7.1 Avg
J. Barr – 5 Rec, 48 Yds, 9.6 Avg
S. Snead – 6 Rec, 27 Yds, 4.5 Avg
D. Sahara – 4 Rec, 12 Yds, 3.0 Avg, 2 TD
C. Suggs – 3 Rec, 41 Yds, 13.6 Avg
Defense
A. Chambers – 5 Tkl, 1 TFL, 1 INT (28 Yds)
K. Brents – 4 Tkl, 3 TFL, 3.0 Sack, 1 INT (13 Yds)
J. Harris – 3 Tkl, 1 TFL, 1.0 Sack
D. Nowell – 3 Tkl
N. Jones – 3 Tkl
J. Hatch – 3 Tkl
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 0/0 FG, 8/8 XP
D. McSurdy – 1 Punt, 37 Yds, 37.0 Avg (26.0 Net)
E. York – 2 KR, 49 Yds (24.5 Avg), Long 29
R. Boireau – 1 KR, 19 Yds (19.0 Avg)
E. York – 3 PR, 16 Yds (5.3 Avg), Long 11
East Carolina Stat Leaders
Passing
J. Hecklinski – 6/19, 75 Yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, 31%, 3.9 YPA
P. Ogbonna – 4/9, 69 Yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 44%, 7.6 YPA
Rushing
M. Cooks – 10 Car, 19 Yds, 1.9 Avg
J. Hecklinski – 3 Car, -11 Yds, -3.6 Avg
P. Ogbonna – 2 Car, -18 Yds, -9.0 Avg
Receiving
M. Abbott – 4 Rec, 52 Yds, 13.0 Avg
C. Mount – 2 Rec, 38 Yds, 19.0 Avg
Q. Ervin – 1 Rec, 25 Yds, 25.0 Avg
M. Spann – 1 Rec, 25 Yds, 25.0 Avg
T. Snodgrass – 1 Rec, 6 Yds, 6.0 Avg
M. Cooks – 1 Rec, -2 Yds, -2.0 Avg
Defense
D. Horsley – 10 Tkl
F. Walker – 10 Tkl, 1 TFL, 1.0 Sack
J. Pritchett – 8 Tkl
K. Davis – 7 Tkl
B. Robbins – 7 Tkl
D. Speer – 6 Tkl
H. Miller – 6 Tkl, 1 TFL
H. Burgess – 6 Tkl
A. Day – 1 INT, 101 Yds, 1 TD
Special Teams
R. Bitonio – 1/1 FG (Long 47), 1/1 XP
S. Janovich – 5 Punts, 238 Yds, 47.6 Avg (44.6 Net)
T. Snodgrass – 1 KR, 30 Yds (30.0 Avg)
T. Peele – 1 KR, 29 Yds (29.0 Avg), 1 PR, 11 Yds (11.0 Avg)
| Category | ECU | USF |
|---|
| Score | 10 | 56 |
| First Downs | 7 | 34 |
| Total Offense | 134 | 561 |
| Total Plays | 43 | 73 |
| Yards Per Play | 3.1 | 7.7 |
| Rush | Yards | TD | 15 | -10 | 0 | 26 | 214 | 5 |
| Yards Per Rush | -0.7 | 8.2 |
| Comp | Att | TD | 10 | 28 | 0 | 38 | 47 | 3 |
| Yards Per Pass | 5.1 | 7.4 |
| Passing Yards | 144 | 347 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 3 | 12 (25%) | 11 | 13 (84%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 0 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 1 (100%) |
| 2 Pt Conv. | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 (0%) |
| Red Zone TD | FG | % | 0 | 0 | 0% | 7 | 0 | 77% |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 1 |
| PR Yards | 11 | 16 |
| KR Yards | 59 | 68 |
| Total Yards | 204 | 645 |
| Punts (Avg) | 5 (47.6) | — |
| Penalties | 3 | 24 | 1 | 15 |
