USF Wakes Up Late, Grinds Out 14-6 Win at Bowling Green

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Three quarters of nothing. Then, finally, Bulls football.

For three quarters at Doyt L. Perry Stadium, USF’s side of the scoreboard refused to participate. Zero in the first. Zero in the second. Zero in the third. Not exactly the road-trip entertainment Tampa Bay ordered.

Then the Bulls put up 14 in the fourth and left Bowling Green with a 14-6 victory on September 26. Ugly? Absolutely. Worth celebrating? Also absolutely. There’s room for both truths when your offense produces 214 total yards and still finds enough late scoring to get out with a win.

This wasn’t a statistical demolition disguised by a close score. Bowling Green finished with 207 yards, just behind USF, and the Bulls managed only 52 through the air. The difference was a productive lead runner, a defense that kept the damage manageable, and two fourth-quarter touchdowns that changed the entire afternoon.

How it happened: Field goals kept the door open

Bowling Green got its points early. T. Kenner connected from 43 yards with 10:06 remaining in the first quarter, then added a 28-yarder at 7:26 of the second. That gave the Falcons a 6-0 advantage at halftime.

And there it stayed through the third quarter. USF wasn’t scoring, but Bowling Green wasn’t pulling away either. The Falcons’ quarter-by-quarter line reads 3, 3, 0, 0. Those two field goals were the whole scoring operation.

That distinction mattered. A six-point deficit can feel miserable when your offense has delivered three consecutive scoreless quarters, but it still leaves the lead within reach on one touchdown and a kick. USF never needed a scoring avalanche. It needed a breakthrough.

The ESPN game page captures the contrast: almost identical total yardage, sharply different rushing production, and all of the Bulls’ points packed into the final period.

The turning point: Two runs, one very different scoreboard

With 12:07 left in the fourth, L. Kromenhoek scored on a 2-yard run. N. Gramatica’s kick put USF ahead 7-6. After all that waiting, the Bulls had gone from scoreless to leading with one scoring play and its extra point.

D.J. Crowther supplied the next touchdown, punching in a 1-yard run with 5:34 remaining. Another Gramatica kick made it 14-6, which held as the final score.

Those were short touchdown runs with enormous value. The first erased Bowling Green’s advantage; the second meant a field goal would no longer be enough to catch USF. Meanwhile, the Falcons finished the entire second half without adding a point.

No need to dress this up as an offensive masterpiece. USF’s fourth quarter was the rescue job, not proof that the first three quarters were secretly fine.

Player of the night: D.J. Crowther did the hauling

Crowther finished with 23 carries, 143 yards and a touchdown. In a game where USF totaled 162 rushing yards, that’s the performance this recap gets built around. He supplied nearly all of the Bulls’ ground production and scored their final touchdown.

Michael Van Buren Jr. finished 7-of-11 for 52 yards. Bryson Rodgers recorded two catches for 22 yards. This was not an afternoon when the passing numbers could carry the conversation—or the offense.

The key numbers tell the story without much decoration:

Crowther: 23 carries, 143 rushing yards, one touchdown.
USF rushing: 162 yards on 42 attempts, averaging 3.9 yards.
Bowling Green rushing: 85 yards on 33 attempts, averaging 2.6 yards.
Third downs: USF went 3-for-10; Bowling Green went 5-for-15.
Fourth downs: USF finished 0-for-1; Bowling Green finished 0-for-2.

Bowling Green had individual production worth acknowledging, too. Myles Bradley recorded 4.5 sacks. Jay Kastantin threw for 122 yards on 16-of-28 passing, with Winn Sharp catching five passes for 56 yards. This wasn’t an opponent that simply disappeared.

What it means: Appreciate the win, keep the standards

USF held Bowling Green to six points and 207 total yards. Zavier Hamilton recorded 11 tackles, and Asani Redwood registered a sack. Those numbers belong in the celebration alongside Crowther’s 143 yards.

But 3-for-10 on third down and 52 passing yards are not details to bury beneath the final score. The Bulls earned a road win while leaving plenty to scrutinize. That’s the honest Tampa Bay takeaway: enjoy 14-6 without pretending it was comfortable.

Keep up with more USF coverage from Pinellas Podcast as the season continues.

What's next: Check USF’s upcoming schedule for the Bulls’ next matchup.