USF KICKS OFF PORTER ERA WITH A WIN
Bulls roll up 442 yards of offense and 49 points
Saturday August 28, 2027 | Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium | DeKalb, Illinois | 12:00 PM
DeKalb, Illinois - The DJ Porter era in Tampa began with a statement. In his first game as head coach, Porter’s South Florida Bulls powered past Northern Illinois 49–21 at Brigham Field, racking up 442 yards of total offense and controlling the game from the second quarter onward.
Quarterback Locklan Hewlett looked poised and efficient in his debut in porter's offense, completing 21 of 24 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. His connection with receivers Tyler Williams, DaWann Troup, and Jordyn Bridgewater kept the Huskies’ secondary guessing, while the Bulls’ ground game did the rest.
Sophomore backs George Shembo and Steven Snead combined for 170 yards and three rushing scores, setting the tone for an offense that averaged 7.9 yards per play. Freshman Nicholas Daniel added a late touchdown to cap the scoring, giving USF a 40-plus point performance to kick off the year.
“It’s a great start,” Porter said after the game. “You can’t ask for much more than coming out, executing, and finishing drives. We’ve still got a lot to clean up, some missed assignments and a few mental lapses, but I’m proud of how our guys competed. The energy on that sideline was special.”
While the offense hummed, new defensive coordinator Tony White saw both the promise and the growing pains of his first outing. The Bulls allowed 405 yards, including 385 through the air, but came up big on key downs, holding NIU to just 1.0 yards per carry and 4-of-9 on third down.
“There were some plays I want back,” White admitted. “But it’s a process. We showed flashes of what this defense can become, the pressure was there, the communication improved, and we forced them into tough situations. I’m proud of the way we battled.”
Cedrick Hawkins and Eric Rance led the charge with a combined 20 tackles, while Ira Singleton made an early statement with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
For Porter, the debut win was about more than numbers, it was about setting a tone for a program under new leadership.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We want to play fast, play physical, and play for each other. Today was step one.”
USF (1–0) will return home next week for its highly anticipated matchup with Louisville under the lights in Tampa.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
(USF) George Shembo, 5-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 3:29
(NIU) Jarius Balogh, 7-yard run (Jack Stevens kick), 2:54
Second Quarter
(USF) Steven Snead, 3-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 7:54
(USF) Steven Snead, 23-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 4:00
(NIU) Pat Blount, 11-yard pass from Jeff Gibson (Jack Stevens kick), 1:28
Third Quarter
(USF) Jordyn Bridgewater, 27-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 4:42
(USF) DaWann Troup, 36-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 0:00
Fourth Quarter
(USF) Steven Snead, 9-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 6:44
(NIU) Garrett Gensler, 12-yard run (Jack Stevens kick), 5:16
(USF) Nicholas Daniel, 1-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 1:18
USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 21/24 233 Yds 3 TD
Rushing
G. Shembo – 15 Car 105 Yds 7.0 Avg 1 TD
S. Snead – 9 Car 65 Yds 7.2 Avg 2 TD
N. Daniel – 7 Car 36 Yds 5.1 Avg 1 TD
Receiving
T. Williams – 9 Rec 95 Yds 10.6 Avg
D. Troup – 4 Rec 59 Yds 14.8 Avg 1 TD
J. Bridgewater – 3 Rec 32 Yds 10.7 Avg 1 TD
D. Zipperer – 3 Rec 24 Yds 8.0 Avg
S. Snead – 1 Rec 23 Yds 23.0 Avg 1 TD
Defense
C. Hawkins – 11 Tkl
E. Rance – 9 Tkl 2 TFL
I. Singleton – 5 Tkl 3 TFL 2.0 Sck
D. Exume – 2 Tkl 1 TFL 1.0 Sck
I. Guy – 3 Tkl 3 Defl
Special Teams
N. Gramatica – 7/7 XP
Northern Illinois Stat Leaders
Passing
J. Gibson – 25/33 385 Yds 1 TD
Rushing
G. Gensler – 6 Car 17 Yds 2.8 Avg 1 TD
J. Wright – 7 Car 6 Yds 0.9 Avg
J. Balogh – 2 Car 4 Yds 2.0 Avg 1 TD
Receiving
R. Taylor Jr – 7 Rec 125 Yds 17.9 Avg
P. Blount – 6 Rec 95 Yds 15.8 Avg 1 TD
G. Gensler – 2 Rec 79 Yds 39.5 Avg
G. Dimopoulos – 4 Rec 36 Yds 9.0 Avg
Defense
D. Reynolds – 12 Tkl
K. Swayne – 11 Tkl
J. Thompkins – 10 Tkl 1 Defl
Special Teams
J. Stevens – 3/3 XP
Team Stats Comparison
| Category | USF | NIU |
|---|
| Score | 49 | 21 |
| First Downs | 27 | 18 |
| Total Offense | 442 | 405 |
| Total Plays | 56 | 54 |
| Yards Per Play | 7.9 | 7.5 |
| Rush|Yards|TD | 32|209|4 | 21|20|2 |
| Yards Per Rush | 6.5 | 1.0 |
| Comp|Att|TD | 21|24|3 | 25|33|1 |
| Yards Per Pass | 9.7 | 11.7 |
| Passing Yards | 233 | 385 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 2|5 (40%) | 4|9 (44%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 2|2 (100%) | 1|3 (33%) |
| 2 Pt Conv. | 0|0 (0%) | 0|0 (0%) |
| Red Zone TD|FG|% | 4|0|66% | 2|0|50% |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| PR Yards | 13 | 0 |
| KR Yards | 23 | 72 |
| Total Yards | 478 | 477 |
| Punts (Avg) | 1|24.0 | 3|34.0 |
| Penalties | 0|0 | 0|0 |
