Notes: USF dominates on ground in loss

Posted Nov 6, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Nov 6, 2011 at 03:56 AM

PISCATAWAY, N.J. The final rushing totals for Saturday night’s USF-Rutgers game were about as lopsided as they come.

The Bulls gained 221 yards and held the Scarlet Knights to negative-7 for the game, but it didn’t prevent USF from losing 20-17 in overtime.

“It’s tough when you rush for (221) yards and your defense holds them to minus-7 and you find a way to lose the game,” USF coach Skip Holtz said.

Running back Darrell Scott led the way, gaining 100 yards on 19 carries before leaving with an undisclosed injury. It was the second 100-yard rushing performance of the season for Scott, who has a team-best 611 yards.

CHILLY CONDITIONS: Several USF players and coaches joked this week about watching last week’s West Virginia-Rutgers game at High Point Solutions Stadium, which was played in a snowstorm that rolled through the Northeast.

USF was lucky enough to dodge the October Nor’easter that dumped record amounts of snow in the region and knocked out power to millions of homes, but Saturday night’s matchup against the Scarlet Knights still provided some chilly conditions.

The temperature at kickoff was 45 degrees, marking the coldest game for the Bulls this season and tied for the sixth coldest game in program history. Entering the game, USF had won only once when the temperature was lower, a 2007 triumph at Pittsburgh it was 35 degrees at kickoff.

LONG TIME COMING: When USF quarterback B.J. Daniels connected with receiver Victor Marc on a 23-yard scoring pass with receiver Victor Marc with 6:11 to play in the second quarter, it brought to an end a five-quarter scoreless streak for the Bulls at Rutgers home stadium.

USF suffered the only regular-season shutout in program history in its last visit, a 31-0 loss in 2009.

DANIELS REACHES MILESTONE: Daniels had one of his worst games statistically throwing the ball this season, completing just 14 of 34 passes for 160 yards in the loss, but he still reached a personal milestone with the effort. Daniels, who entered the game with 1,867 passing yards, eclipsed 2,000 passing yards in a season for the first time in his career.

Daniels is just the fourth quarterback in program history to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season, joining Chad Barnhardt, Matt Grothe and Marquel Blackwell. Grothe and Blackwell each accomplished the feat three times in their career.

Daniels’ current total of 2,027 passing yards ranks as the seventh best single-season total in program history with four regular-season games remaining.

BULLS BITS: Receiver Andre Davis made his first career start Saturday, becoming the second member of the Bulls 2011 recruiting class to start a game this season. Defensive tackle Elkino Watson made his first career start at Connecticut. … Linebacker DeDe Lattimore finished with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks, both of which were career bests. ... Defensive end Ryne Giddins produced the third multi-sack game of his career. Giddins had sacks on consecutive plays in the second quarter, including a sack-and-strip of Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova that produced the game’s first turnover. … Reserve linebacker Reshard Cliett (ankle) did not make the trip.