RALLY CAPS
Bulls Come Back Against Ohio State, Advance to Quarterfinals with 21-14 Win
Friday December 14, 2029 | 8:00 PM | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF ROUND ONE
Tampa, Florida - It was not the kind of offensive performance South Florida had become known for during its run to a 12-1 season.
There were no explosive passing numbers. No gaudy yardage totals. No 50-point outbursts.
Instead, the Bulls were forced into something different Friday night.
They had to fight.
Every yard was contested. Every first down had to be earned. Every possession felt like a battle against one of the nation's toughest defenses.
And when the dust settled, fifth-seeded USF had done exactly that.
After trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Bulls scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to defeat No. 12 Ohio State 21-14 in the opening round of the College Football Playoff and advance to the national quarterfinals.
"We knew it wasn't going to be pretty," head coach Porter Davis said. "They're a really good football team and a really physical defense. Playoff football isn't about style points. It's about finding a way."
For much of the first half, Ohio State controlled the game.
The Buckeyes struck first after marching deep into USF territory. With the Bulls selling out to stop the run near the goal line, quarterback Imani Rawlings calmly flipped a swing pass to fullback Josh Torres, who walked untouched into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Ohio State's offense wasn't explosive, but it was efficient. The Buckeyes leaned on long, clock-draining possessions that kept Locklan Hewlett and the USF offense on the sideline.
The Bulls had opportunities.
Their best chance came midway through the second quarter when they drove inside the Ohio State five-yard line. Facing fourth-and-goal from the four, Davis elected to keep the offense on the field.
Hewlett found Josh Barr underneath, but the receiver was dragged down short of the goal line, ending the threat and sending the Bulls away empty-handed.
"Maybe got a bit too worried about chasing the points there," Davis admitted afterward. "In hindsight, taking three points might have been the better decision. But I trust our guys and I trust our offense."
Ohio State capitalized.
Rawlings later found Nate Roberts for a 7-yard touchdown that pushed the Buckeyes' lead to 14-0.
Despite the deficit, panic never entered the USF locker room.
"We were upbeat," said Connor Suggs. "Nobody was hanging their head. We felt like we were right there. We believed we were going to win that game. Everybody in that locker room bought in. We just kept telling each other to stay patient and keep fighting."
The second half began with both defenses continuing to dominate.
USF punted.
Ohio State punted.
Then the game changed.
The Buckeyes' punt came up short, and Elton York's 21-yard return gave the Bulls possession at the Buckeyes 40-yard line.
From there, USF finally found rhythm.
Suggs carried three times for 15 yards to move the chains. Hewlett connected with Lyle Dragos for 14 yards. Nicholas Daniel followed with consecutive carries that pushed the ball to the Ohio State 1-yard line.
On the next snap, George Shembo lowered his shoulders and powered into the end zone.
Suddenly, the deficit was 14-7.
The Bulls' defense immediately answered.
A holding penalty helped force an Ohio State three-and-out, giving USF another opportunity late in the third quarter.
Facing a critical fourth-and-two from their own 40-yard line, Davis kept the offense on the field.
Rather than huddling, the Bulls raced to the line.
Ohio State wasn't ready.
Hewlett snapped the ball quickly and found Dragos across the middle for nine yards and a huge first down as the third quarter expired.
That play became the turning point.
Hewlett opened the fourth quarter with a 10-yard completion to Gerald Camarda before connecting with Dragos again for three more yards. A 15-yard pass to Suggs moved the ball to the Ohio State 23.
On the next play, Hewlett looked to his star running back again.
Suggs slipped out of the backfield on a wheel route, caught the pass in stride and raced untouched into the end zone.
Just like that, the game was tied.
The momentum inside Raymond James Stadium completely shifted.
Ohio State managed only one first down on its next possession before Brian Royer and Jamerson Harris helped generate pressure that forced another punt.
USF needed only three plays to take the lead.
After a pair of positive gains, Suggs found a crease on the left side, burst through the second level and sprinted 38 yards untouched to the end zone.
For the first time all night, the Bulls were in front.
Ohio State still had one last chance.
Rawlings led the Buckeyes deep into USF territory and reached the Bulls' 29-yard line. But on fourth down, his pass fell incomplete, touching off a roar from the home crowd.
The Buckeyes never got the ball back.
Suggs carried the ball six consecutive times on the ensuing drive, grinding out two first downs and draining the remaining time from the clock before the Bulls could celebrate a playoff victory.
The statistics reflected the type of game it was.
Ohio State actually outgained USF 286-256 and held the Bulls to just 112 passing yards. The Buckeyes also possessed the ball for long stretches and limited the explosive plays that had defined USF's offense all season.
But the Bulls dominated where it mattered most.
USF rushed for 144 yards, committed no turnovers and forced the game's only giveaway when freshman defensive tackle Tyrone Peppers forced and recovered a fumble.
Suggs finished with 123 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Dragos led the receiving corps with five catches for 53 yards.
Defensively, Gavin Jenkins and Devin Nowell each recorded eight tackles as the Bulls shut Ohio State out in the second half.
Most importantly, they found a way to win when everything came hard.
"We've won games a lot of different ways this year," Davis said. "Tonight wasn't our best offensive performance. It wasn't our cleanest game. But our players never stopped believing, never stopped competing and never stopped fighting."
In the College Football Playoff, that was enough.
And now the Bulls are moving on to a waiting Michigan Wolverines team that defeated Ohio State in November en route to a 10-2 season.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
OSU – Josh Torres 1-yard pass from Imani Rawlings (Warren Chryplewicz kick), 4:21
Second Quarter
OSU – Nate Roberts 7-yard pass from Imani Rawlings (Warren Chryplewicz kick), 6:25
Third Quarter
USF – George Shembo 1-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 2:37
Fourth Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 23-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 8:04
USF – Connor Suggs 38-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 6:24
USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 14/20 112 Yds 1 TD
Rushing
C. Suggs – 23 Car 123 Yds 1 TD
N. Daniel – 2 Car 9 Yds
G. Shembo – 2 Car 8 Yds 1 TD
S. Snead – 2 Car 4
Receiving
L. Dragos – 5 Rec 53 Yds
C. Suggs – 4 Rec 39 Yds 1 TD
G. Carmada – 3 Rec 21 Yds
J. Barr – 1 Rec 4 Yds
Defense
G. Jenkins – 8 Tkl
D. Nowell – 8 Tkl
B. Royer – 4 Tkl 1.0 Sck
T. Peppers – 3 Tkl 1 FF 2 FR
J. Harris – 1 Tkl 1.0 Sck
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 3/3 XP
D. McSurdy – 3 PT 132 Yds
E. York – 1 KR 38 Yds, 3 PR 33 Yds
R. Boireau – 1 KR 13 Yds
Ohio State Stat Leaders
Passing
I. Rawlings – 19/29 210 Yds 2 TD
Rushing
K. Wilson – 14 Car 75 Yds
K. Schlegel – 6 Car 10 Yds
I. Rawlings – 5 Car -9 Yds
Receiving
N. Roberts – 4 Rec 83 Yds 1 TD
K. Gonzalez – 4 Rec 32 Yds
K. Adams – 2 Rec 31 Yds
K. Maginn – 2 Rec 23 Yds
A. Square 3 Rec 18 Yds
J. Torres – 1 Rec 1 Yds 1 TD
Defense
B. Alufohai – 9 Tkl
D. Blough – 8 Tkl
G. Seitz – 8 Tkl
T. Odom – 4 Tkl 1 FF
T. Verdon – 1 Tkl 1.0 Sck
Special Teams
W. Chryplewicz – 2/2 XP
R. Sun – 3 PT 126 Yds
K. Gonzalez – 2 PR 14 Yds
| Category | Ohio State | USF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 14 | 21 |
| First Downs | 16 | 16 |
| Total Offense | 286 | 256 |
| Total Plays | 54 | 51 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Rush | Yards | TD | 25 | 76 | 0 | 31 | 144 | 2 |
| Yards Per Rush | 3.0 | 4.6 |
| Comp | Att | TD | 19 | 29 | 2 | 14 | 20 | 1 |
| Yards Per Pass | 7.2 | 5.6 |
| Passing Yards | 210 | 112 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 5 | 11 (45%) | 4 | 10 (40%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 2 | 3 (66%) | 2 | 3 (66%) |
| 2 Pt Conv. | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 (0%) |
| Red Zone TD | FG | % | 2 | 0 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 25% |
| Turnovers | 1 (-1) | 0 (+1) |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| PR Yards | 14 | 33 |
| KR Yards | 0 | 51 |
| Total Yards | 300 | 340 |
| Punts (Avg) | 42.0 | 44.0 |
| Penalties | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
