USF uses strong second half to run away from Delaware State 59-17
It was a rough start, but strong end for everyone involved at Raymond James Saturday night.
The South Florida Bulls (3-0) used a dominant second half to roll to a 59-17 victory over Delaware State (2-2) on Saturday night.
The win improves USF to 3-0 for the first time since 2018 and the seventh time in program history.
It was a tumultuous start to the night for everyone at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night.
Afternoon thunderstorms forced fans to sit in traffic on Dale Mabry for hours before the game instead of tailgating. Fans weren’t able to park in the surrounding lots until around an hour and a half before the game’s original start time of 7 p.m. The game ended up starting at 7:27 p.m. due to the weather.
Once fans were finally able to park and make it inside Raymond James Stadium, they were met with a rocky first half from the Bulls.
Delaware State scored all 17 of its points in the first half. The Hornets had 288 yards of total offense and averaged 9.3 yards per play before halftime. They had seven plays of 15 yards or more in the first half, including a 90-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Nathan Stewart.
“To lose a whole half of football, it’s unacceptable,” said USF head coach Brian Hartline after the game.
Late in the first half, Delaware State senior wide receiver Jaylin Terzado took a 20-yard pass from senior quarterback Ui Ale to the paydirt to cut USF’s lead down to 21-17. Ale completed 16 of his 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday night.
The Bulls would then go on to score the game’s final 38 points.
It all started with USF’s drive to end the first half. The Bulls drove 72 yards in 10 plays, and it culminated with junior quarterback Luke Kromenhoek gliding into the end zone as the first-half clock expired.
Kromenhoek had two rushing touchdowns in the game. Going into the game, he had one career rushing touchdown in his two collegiate seasons at Florida State and Mississippi State. The Bulls have leaned on Kromenhoek in short-yardage situations in each of the last two games.
The last-second touchdown sparked the Bulls’ second-half stampede. USF outgained Delaware State 330-65 in the second half.
The Bulls’ defense clamped down after the halftime break. The Hornets only had 27 passing yards and averaged 2.4 yards per play in the second half. USF had 11 tackles for loss on the night.
USF’s offense scored a season-high 59 points on Saturday night. The Bulls had 611 total yards and averaged 9.3 yards per play against Delaware State.
They were led by their rushing attack. The Bulls ran for 290 yards and seven touchdowns on Saturday night, the second most in a single game in program history.
“We have a stable of guys who can do a lot of good things,” Hartline said about the Bulls’ rushing attack.
The Bulls’ ground brigade was led by senior D.J. Crowther, who had eight carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns. It was the fourth time Crowther has run for 100 or more yards in his collegiate career, and he’s the first Bull to do so since Jaren Mangham in 2021. Four different USF running backs had at least 30 yards rushing on Saturday.
Crowther said the Bulls came out with a “killer mindset” out of halftime.
Junior USF quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. was sharp against the Hornets. He completed 23 of his 32 passing attempts for 300 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, senior edge rusher Marshon Oxley got a strip sack on Ale in the first quarter. It was Oxley’s first sack of the season.
The Hornets fought valiantly under head coach DeSean Jackson, who returned to a stadium where he played his home games in 2017 and 2018 and faced a head coach he faced off against in 2011.
“I have a lot of respect for the way they operate and the way his team played, and frankly, they were bringing the heat in the first half.”
Jackson’s Hornets will leave Raymond James Stadium and focus on Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play and the right to play in the Celebration Bowl at the end of the season.
The Bulls will be able to enjoy a 3-0 start after the first quarter of the regular season. Still, Hartline left Saturday’s game unsatisfied with the way his team played.
“Everyone keeps telling me it takes time, but I’m not going to believe it. We can get this done,” Hartline said after the game. “I did not like how the first half went. We’ve got to get it fixed for next week.”
USF will look to do that as it hits the road next week to face Bowling Green.