> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # USF’s Stellar Defense Masks Offensive Struggles in Win Over FIU - URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/usfs-stellar-defense-masks-offensive/ - Published: 2026-09-07T13:16:05.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T15:44:58.000Z - Description: Let’s take a look back at the Bulls season opening win. - Author: Collin Sherwin - Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44 Former Florida head coach Jim McElwain once said, “A wise man once said, ‘You even have to bring your ugly babies home from the hospital,’ and that was ugly. In fact, that might have been what someone told my dad when I was born. But I feel really good that our guys found a way to win.” That outlandish quote came after the Gators scraped by with a 13-6 win over a lackluster Vanderbilt team. It was one of the many underachieving performances that got McElwain fired after just 34 games in Gainesville. Surely USF head coach Brian Hartline wasn’t striving for a comparison to McElwain in his first game as the Bulls’ head coach. But Saturday’s 19-9 win over FIU can be described as an “ugly baby”-like performance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/c51700f7-1675-44c7-93a9-237ba56add0b_4504x3003-jpeg.jpg) Vanessa Wenzl | Bay Area Examiner A crowd of more than 41,000 people was restless all night. Bulls fans even booed after USF’s offense went three-and-out back-to-back times in the third quarter. Still, the Bulls came out of the game with a 1-0 record, but what does Saturday night’s performance mean for USF moving forward? ## USF’s rushing offense is stagnant in the opener Much of the reason for FIU’s box score dominance on Saturday night was due to USF’s lackluster offensive performance. The Panthers outgained USF by 174 yards on Saturday night. FIU averaged 5.1 yards per play, opposed to the Bulls’ 3.7 yards per play. USF didn’t have a single drive that went 40 yards or longer. New USF offensive coordinator Tim Beck had a clear plan against the Panthers: Run the ball. And they did, 38 times to be exact. USF only threw the ball 18 times in the game. The issue for Beck and the Bulls is that their rushing offense garnered mediocre results. USF averaged 2.8 yards per carry. 24% of their rushing attempts were stopped for zero yards or a tackle for loss. The Panthers racked up seven tackles for loss that led to 24 yards lost on Saturday night. Every USF handoff went to Morgan State transfer Jason Collins Jr. and Dartmouth transfer D.J. Crowther. Collins Jr. got most of the work in the first half, and the Bulls leaned more on Crowther in the second half. Collins Jr. and Crowther had 59 and 42 yards, respectively. Both running backs averaged less than 4 yards per carry. Many of USF’s negative rushes came on the plus side of the field. The Bulls spent 68% of their offensive plays in FIU territory, but they still could only muster one touchdown on the night. The stuffed runs on early downs led to USF having an average third-down length of 8.2 yards. The Bulls converted just five of their 13 third-down opportunities Saturday night. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/7961dcc0-f450-4bba-a596-8716e09c9471_5767x3845-jpeg.jpg) Vanessa Wenzl | Bay Area Examiner ## Michael Van Buren looked good when given the opportunity If you just looked at the box score for Michael Van Buren Jr.’s USF debut, you would be unimpressed. However, with the opportunities he was given, Van Buren Jr. did his job. Van Buren Jr. didn’t put the ball in harm’s way all night. Of his seven incompletions, three of them went off receivers’ hands, including a potentially big completion to Arhmad Branch that went off his hands. Van Buren Jr. consistently made correct reads and was accurate with his passes. He was only sacked once on the night. However, the Bulls didn’t complete a pass longer than 14 yards. Overall, USF had a 2% explosive play rate in the game. The choice by Beck and the Bulls’ offense to run the ball so often could lead some to believe that they don’t have a high level of trust in Van Buren Jr. However, that choice was likely in large part due to how well USF’s defense played on Saturday night. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/420b3d48-567a-4ce1-8557-b84bfec54aab_6000x4000-jpeg.jpg) Vanessa Wenzl | Bay Area Examiner ## USF’s defense is dominant The Bulls’ defense checked nearly every box against FIU. USF held the Panthers without a touchdown until the final play of the game. The Bulls’ defense clamped down on key plays, holding FIU to 5 for 17 on third down and 3 for 7 on fourth down. FIU gained 3.6 yards per third-down attempt on Saturday. The Panthers were 1 for 6 on third down and long. The Bulls also did a good job of stifling the FIU rushing attack. The Panthers averaged 3.2 yards per carry. They also had 24% of their rushing attempts stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. The Bulls’ strong rushing defense led to FIU quarterback J.J. Kohl attempting 50 passes. He completed just 62% of those attempts. The Bulls’ secondary made it hard for Kohl and his receivers all night. And on top of that, they helped spark the offense with two interceptions. The first interception was the play that propelled USF to gain control of the game. Tayvion Beasley jumped a FIU screen attempt and completely changed the game’s complexion. Tavin Ward also hauled in an interception on a ball that went off a receiver’s hands. Overall, USF looked disciplined and dangerous on Saturday night. They constantly rotated players, with 22 players recording a tackle in the game. The Bulls had five tackles for loss and three pass breakups in the game. The one thing that USF’s defense didn’t do amazingly was rush the passer. Michael Williams recorded USF’s only sack, and it was a loss of 1 yard. The Bulls had four quarterback hits and hurries. But overall, Kohl had plenty of time to pass in the pocket. Still, the Bulls’ defense controlled the game and propelled them to the win despite the offense’s sluggish performance. ## The Bulls’ special teams unit was the unsung hero of the game Special teams coordinator Chad Creamer stayed with USF even amid the coaching staff changes this offseason. On Saturday, his unit was nearly perfect. Kicker Nico Gramatica made all four of his field goal attempts against FIU. In the second quarter, he drilled a 53-yarder, his sixth make of 50 yards or more in his USF career. Punter Luke Goater punted four times on Saturday night and averaged 47.3 yards per punt. He pinned FIU inside the 20-yard line twice, including downing the Panthers on the 1-yard line in the first quarter. FIU only had 13 yards on punt returns on the night. The Bulls’ special teams supported the team’s strongest defensive performance flawlessly. USF’s play on special teams was a massive reason the team won. ## Reflecting on the game It’s important to remember that USF brought in 58 new players this offseason and that this was Hartline’s first game as a head coach. However, the Bulls’ offensive performance won’t lead to many wins in the future. USF’s run game got predictable, and they weren’t able to set up any explosive passes off play action despite running the ball the majority of the time. USF fans will have to hope that this game was a feeling-out process for the Bulls’ offense and not the start of a concerning trend. On defense, the Bulls showed that they will be able to rely on that unit for the majority of the season. USF’s defense looked deep, disciplined and talented in the game. The biggest question for the rest of the season is what is more likely: progression for USF’s offense or regression for the Bulls’ defense? Bulls fans won’t have to wait long to find out, with USF headed on a tricky road trip to West Point this weekend.