Bulls focused from start in rout of Ball State

Posted Sep 11, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Sep 10, 2011 at 11:45 PM

TAMPA USF coach Skip Holtz was worried how his team would respond coming off a very emotional week that included extreme highs and lows within the program. It took one play for the Bulls to show him their focus was in the right place.

USF was on the scoreboard just 8 seconds into the game Saturday night when safety Mark Joyce returned a fumble on the opening kickoff 17 yards for a touchdown, and the Bulls poured it on from there in an eventual 37-7 victory over Ball State in front of an announced crowd of 45,113 at Raymond James Stadium.

The No. 22 Bulls improved to 2-0 and ended a streak of four consecutive losses when playing as a nationally ranked team, doing so on a night when the program paid tribute to Lee Roy Selmon, a beloved member of the USF athletics community who passed away Sept. 4.

“I’m really proud of this football team with everything they’ve had to go through this week,” Holtz said. “It had all the makings of a letdown, had all the makings of coming out here and playing a little bit flat and maybe not playing with the type of emotion we needed to play. I think it speaks volumes for these players, the senior leadership, the way so many guys have stepped up.”

USF amassed 519 total yards of offense behind a career game from junior quarterback B.J. Daniels, who completed 28 of 39 passes for 359 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total in program history, despite playing only three quarters. Daniels did throw one interception, which Holtz and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch chalked up to a miscommunication with receiver Sterling Griffin, but matched it with a touchdown pass, a 20-yard strike to receiver Victor Marc (four receptions, 81 yards) late in the second quarter that helped the Bulls take a 30-0 lead into halftime.

While the Bulls had little trouble moving the ball against the Ball State defense, they did have trouble finishing drives. USF had to settle for Maikon Bonani field goal attempts on four of six trips into the red zone during the first half.

“I thought the first half was probably, outside of red zone productivity, was probably the most complete half of football game we’ve played since I’ve been here,” said Holtz, whose team outgained the Cardinals, 386-76, behind Daniels (24-for-31, 289 yards in the first half) while building a commanding lead. “I thought that was pretty impressive.”

USF’s opening possession of the second half stalled just outside the red zone and resulted in a missed field goal, but the final time the starting offense was on the field resulted in the desired outcome. After giving the second-teamers the second possession in the third quarter, Holtz went back to the first-team unit on the next drive and watched Daniels engineer a 65-yard touchdown drive that took just six plays and less than two minutes. It was capped by a 1-yard rushing touchdown by junior Darrell Scott (11 carries, 82 yards) to make it 37-0.

“The coaches were working with me all summer, trying to make sure I was doing the little things, and now I’ve been able to show that,” Daniels said. “I feel very comfortable”

The Bulls defense had little trouble keeping Ball State in check, limiting the Cardinals to just 225 total yards (76 in the first half) while forcing two turnovers (three total including the one via special teams) and taking a shutout into the fourth quarter.

“I know our guys went out and played for Lee Roy Selmon tonight, defensively, being the great defensive player that he was. He had a lot of compassion for this defense,” Bulls defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said. “Ball State gave us their best shot, and I’m proud of the way our guys played.”