BOCA RATON, FLA. DEC. 21, 2023– The USF football team (7-6) put an exclamation mark on a memorable first season under first-year head coach Alex Golesh as the Bulls rolled to a 45-0 victory over Syracuse (6-7) in the Boca Raton Bowl in front of a vocal throng of Bulls fans and a national television audience on ESPN.
USF posted its first bowl win since 2017 and first winning record since 2018 to complete a season that also saw the greatest turnaround in program history with a six-win improvement, the first road win in three years, first bowl appearance since 2018, highest ranked recruiting class in 10 years and the program's first-ever 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard receiver.
On Thursday, the Bulls defense rose to the occasion, swarming Syracuse from the outset forcing four punts (including three three-and-outs) and three turnovers – including a pair of scoop-and-score touchdowns – in the first half as they limited the Orange to 91 first half yards (including -15 rushing) in pitching USF's first, first half shutout since 2019.
Syracuse finished with 159 yards, 10 punts, and just nine first downs (going 1-of-17 on third down) as the Bulls posted their first complete game shutout since 2009 and didn't allow the Orange to reach the redzone in a complete domination. Daquan Evans was named Defensive MVP after posting five tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and forcing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Meanwhile, Aamaris Brown-Bunkley was named Special Teams MVP after returning a botched field goal attempt for a touchdown and adding three tackles.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown, who was named Offensive MVP, started the game 10-of-11 before finishing 19 of 26 for 214 yards and three touchdowns passing, posted a team-best 64 yards rushing on 14 carries, and caught a 21-yard pass from Sean Atkins. He became just the second Bull to surpass 4,000 total yards in a season, finishing with 4,101 yards, second only to Quinton Flowers' 4,342 yards posted in 2016.
Sean Atkins became the Bulls' first 1,000-yard receiver, as he grabbed six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulls jumped to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. USF got on the board first when Brown hit Atkins in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Bulls had great field position, but a pass to the flanks from Brown to Atkins went astray and was ruled a lateral. Syracuse picked it up and ran it back to the end zone, but Brown, hustling downfield, was blocked in the back by an Orange player and Syracuse took over possession at the USF 28 after the penalty.
Syracuse went backward from there and was forced to attempt a 47-yard field goal. The snap was mishandled and then punched out the hands of an Orange player by Tavin Ward. Brown-Bunkley scooped it up and raced 64 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
The Bulls made it 21-0 when Brown hit Khafre Brown with a perfect 31-yard touchdown pass that completed and 81-yard drive.
A John Cannon 40-yard field goal made it 24-0 with 2:40 to play in the first half. Syracuse had 53 yards, four punts and two turnovers to that point.
The defense put another touchdown on the board when Evans hit Syracuse quarterback Braden Davis on a blitz, dislodged the ball and Tramel Logan scooped it up and ran 61-yards for the touchdown, his USF season record tying third defensive touchdown of the season, to make it 31-0 at the half.
The Bulls got their fourth turnover of the game with an interception by Tavin Ward on Syracuse's first possession of the second half, and Brown quickly capitalized hitting Atkins with a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 38-0.
Nay'Quan Wright plunged in from two yards out early in the fourth quarter to make it 45-0 as USF fans began the celebration.
KEY STATS
• The 45-0 victory marked USF's largest margin of victory ever in a bowl game and its fourth bowl win over an autonomous "power" conference program.
• The USF defense forced four turnovers, scored two defensive touchdowns, and posted its first, first half shutout since 2019 on the way to completing its first complete game shutout since a 59-0 victory over Charleston Southern in 2009.
• USF held Syracuse to 1-of-17 on third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth while allowing just nine first downs in the game.
• USF out-gained Syracuse 407 to 159 and allowed just 20 yards rushing from Syracuse.
NOTABLES
• QB Byrum Brown became just the second Bull to surpass 4,000 total yards in the season, finishing with – yards, second only to Quinton Flowers' 4,342 yards posted in 2016.
• Brown threw three touchdown passes in the game to set a new USF season record with 26 and completed 73 percent of his passes to set a new USF season completion percentage record with 64.6 percent on the year.
• WR Sean Atkins posted six catches for 93 yards to extended his season receptions record to 92 and extended his season receiving yards record 1,054, becoming the first 1,000-yard receiver in program history. He also completed a 21-yard pass to finish 4-of-4 for 149 yards passing on the year.
• DE Tramel Logan returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown, marking his third defensive touchdown of the season (two fumble returns, one interception) to tie Trae Williams (3, in 2007) for the most defensive touchdowns in a season in program history.
UP NEXT
USF welcomed 25 new Bulls on the first day of the NCAA Early Signing period in the top class in The American and among non-autonomous "power" programs on Wednesday. The Bulls will begin spring practice in March.
Season tickets • Single-game tickets • Group tickets (10+): call 1-800-GoBulls
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 26th season in 2022 while completing construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections, including 2021 consensus All-American kick returner Brian Battie, and had 32 first-team all-conference selections. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and has made 10 bowl game appearances (going 6-4 in those games), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and most recently making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. The Bulls 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 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
