TAMPA, FLA., NOV. 9, 2024 – The day after breaking ground on a $340-million on-campus stadium set to open in 2027, South Florida (4-5; 2-3 American) saw its defense provide opportunities and its offense struggle in a 28-7 loss to Navy (7-2; 5-1 American) in Raymond James Stadium.
For the second-straight year, the Bulls went down 14-0 early to Navy before the defense found its footing and stopped the Midshipmen on five straight first half possessions. But the USF offense couldn’t get going and a Navy score in the closing seconds of the half found the Bulls in a 21-0 deficit at the break. The defense held Navy scoreless in the third quarter, but USF also didn’t score in the quarter and a fake punt set up an early fourth quarter Midshipmen score that put the game away.
Navy collected three costly USF turnovers, scoring touchdowns after two, and outgained the Bulls 321 to 60 on the ground. The USF defense forced seven punts and got a turnover of its own, but the Bulls didn’t get on the board until their last possession of the game.
USF quarterback Bryce Archie finished 26-of-43 passing for a career-best 282 yards and a touchdown, but had two interceptions and a fumble as USF saw four of its five longest drives on the day end in a turnover or turnover on downs. Wide receiver Sean Atkins collected seven receptions for 70 yards and moved into third all-time on the USF career receiving yards chart with 1,871 yards, passing Tyre McCants (1,856). Linebacker Jhalyn Shuler led the Bulls with nine tackles, his third time in the last four games doing so, while adding a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
The Bulls went down 14-0 after Navy’s first two possessions. Navy opened the scoring with a 60-yard touchdown run by running back Eli Heidenreich on the fourth play of the game. The Midshipmen had barely gained a first down on 3rd-and-short on the prior play, but took the early 7-0 lead when the left side opened up for Heidenreich following the first down.
The Bulls moved into Navy territory with a 37-yard Archie pass to JeyQuan Smith, but two plays later Archie was intercepted at the Navy 21. The Midshipmen capitalized, driving 79 yards and making it 14-0 with a 20-yard touchdown run by Brandon Chatman.
From there, the USF defense stiffened. Shuler put a big hit on Navy quarterback Blake Horvath at midfield forcing a fumble. Decarius Hawthorne recovered at the USF49, energizing the Bulls’ sideline.
Archie drove USF to the Navy 32, where the Bulls went for it on 4th-and-5 but saw Archie sacked for a loss and the Navy offense come back on the field.
The Bulls forced punts on Navy’s next four possessions, limiting the Midshipmen to 43 yards on a string of five-straight possessions, as the USF offense worked to find its rhythm. That nearly happened on a deep Archie toss to Michael Brown-Stephens well behind the Navy defense, but the receiver was unable to corral the catch.
Archie was intercepted on a deep pass on the Bulls’ final possession of the half. Ira Oniha returned it 36 yards to the Navy 47. Two plays later, the Midshipmen made USF pay as Horvath hit Alex Tecza on a short pass and the fullback weaved his way to a 38-yard touchdown that sent Navy to the locker room leading 21-0.
Early in the third quarter, Archie picked up 35 yards on a keeper off a zone read to get the Bulls into Navy territory. But two plays later he was sacked and fumbled ending another USF drive with a turnover.
With the USF defense holding the Midshipmen through the third quarter, Navy lined up for a punt on 4th-and-2 early in the fourth quarter. The snap went to 278-pound nose guard Landon Robinson who rumbled 34 yards to the USF18 on the fake. Four plays later, quarterback Blake Horvath ran 10 yards around the right side for a touchdown that made it 28-0 with 11:45 to play.
USF kept punching as Archie hit Smith with a 48-yard pass to the Navy 13. But five plays later, the Bulls had a 4th-and-2 from the 5 and Archie was stopped short on a quarterback keeper. The Bulls prevented the shutout on their last drive as Archie moved USF 75 yards and hit Brown-Stephens for a 13-yard touchdown.
KEY STATS
• The USF defense forced a fumble and four punts on five straight first half possessions after going down 14-0, but the offense was unable to get on the board as Navy outgained USF 255-105 in the first half.
• Navy won the ground game, outgaining USF 321 to 60 in rushing yards and controlling possession – 38:32 to 21:8
• Four of the Bulls five longest drives on the day ended with a turnover.
NOTABLES
• LB Jhalyn Shuler led for the third time in the last four games, posting 9 tackles. He added a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Shuler missed three games and most of two others in the Bulls’ first five games of the year due to injury.
• WR Sean Atkins had seven catches, extending his streak of 22 straight games with at least three receptions, and his 70 yards on the day moved him into third on USF’s career receiving yards chart with 1,871.
• WR Keshaun Singleton posted a career-best five receptions, logging 58 yards on the catches, while WR JayQuan Smith had a career-best 85 yards receiving on two catches.
UP NEXT
The Bulls head to Charlotte next Saturday for their second-to-last road game of the season. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN+. It will mark the second-ever meeting between the programs and first in Charlotte. USF posted a 48-14 victory in Tampa last season.
2024 Season Tickets: www.USFBullsTix.com
Group tickets (10+): Call 1-800-GoBulls
Future schedules can be viewed HERE
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th season in 2023 with a program-best six-game turnaround and Boca Raton Bowl victory under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 16 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 32 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 11 bowl game appearances (going 7-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
– #GoBulls –
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