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Wide receiver Sean Atkins becomes the Bulls’ all-time leader in receiving yards
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I, Dec. 24, 2024 – A paradise!
And a Christmas wonder for the USF Bulls!
USF Football (7-6) triumphed in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday night with a remarkable 41-39 victory in a five-overtime showdown, the longest bowl game recorded, against the San Jose Spartans (7-6), concluding at 12:24 a.m. Tampa time.
The USF win was clinched in the fifth overtime when Bryce Archie connected with wide receiver Keshaun Singleton on a 3-yard throw. During San Jose State’s turn, linebacker Mac Harris deflected Walker Eget’s throw aimed for the end zone, igniting wild celebrations on the USF sideline.
Coach Alex Golesh led his Bulls to their second consecutive postseason appearance, winning a legendary matchup against the Mountain West Conference’s Spartans.
“What a game,” Golesh remarked. “I felt like so many players contributed today. It’s a fantastic way to conclude a season full of numerous highs and lows. This will really propel us forward into the offseason.
“We aimed to finish this game in various ways. We sought to conclude it at the end of regulation and attempted to end it five different times in overtime. We executed our third two-point play, which is the reason we practice them. Then we were preparing for our fourth (just in case of a sixth overtime). We are all about executing the next play. We want to keep pushing forward. And that’s exactly what we did tonight. We kept pushing forward.”
Want high stakes drama?
You’ve got it.
In the second overtime, both squads exchanged field goals, with San Jose State scoring a 24-yarder by Kyler Halvorsen and USF responding with John Cannon’s 36-yarder.
During the third overtime, restricted to two-point conversions, both teams traded touchdowns. USF secured a 3-yard shovel pass from Archie to tight end Payten Singletary and San Jose State matched with a 2-yard connection from Eget to Matthew Coleman (following penalties against each team).
In the fourth overtime, Eget’s pass fell incomplete for San Jose State. Then the Bulls attempted a trick play. Byrum Brown came in as quarterback, then shifted wide right. Archie passed to Sean Atkins, who was unable to secure a touchdown pass attempt to Michael Brown-Stephens at the back of the end zone.
In the initial overtime, USF was the first to score, securing a 23-yard completion from Archie to Singletary, then a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Ta’Ron Keith.
San Jose State equalized on Eget’s 4-yard pass to Coleman on fourth-and-goal. The Spartans required 11 plays on that overtime march from the 25-yard line, executing two fourth-down conversions along with a critical 12-yard run by Eget on third-and-12.
Archie concluded the game with 24 completions on 35 attempts for 235 yards. Eget completed 33 of 58 passes for 280 yards.
“Bryce is passionate about football,” Golesh commented. “He’s a very resilient player. He has confidence in his abilities, and his teammates believe in him. He did a commendable job managing the football and distributing it to the appropriate players. It was not always flawless. However, it was effective in the end.”
Atkins recorded 11 receptions for 104 yards and surpassed Andre Davis (2011-14) to become the holder of the most career receiving yards in USF history with a total of 2,167.
The Bulls reached overtime by way of Cannon’s 41-yard field goal with merely two seconds left in regulation. Cannon’s kick bounced off the right upright and through the posts as he was engulfed by his teammates.
“Full honesty: I didn’t catch a glimpse of it,” Golesh recounted. “I heard it. I’ll review it on film. Nonetheless, it was tremendous for John. He made a couple of significant kicks tonight.”
How did Cannon get that opportunity? After sealing San Jose State’s run on third-and-1 and then receiving a 16-yard punt return from Atkins, USF orchestrated a pivotal seven-play, 27-yard drive. Key plays included an 11-yard effort from running back Nay’Quan Wright and an exceptional 17-yard catch by Singleton on third-and-10.
The Bulls found themselves trailing for the first time, 27-24, following Lamar Radcliffe’s 2-yard run with 11:14 to go. This sequence was initiated when Spartans linebacker Noah Franklin-McNeal intercepted Archie at second-and-3 on the USF 29-yard line, returning it 27 yards before being brought down at the 2.
USF went three-and-out on its next two drives. Archie was sacked for a 10-yard loss on third-and-12, necessitating a punt. After the Bulls contained the Spartans, their offense faltered again, registering merely 3 yards on two runs before Archie threw an incomplete pass.
The Bulls gained possession once more late in the game. After Archie found Singleton on a 12-yard first-down play, the Bulls stalled and faced fourth-and-9 at their 23-yard line. USF took its first timeout to deliberate their options with 2:09 left and opted to punt. Andrew Stokes, a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection, delivered a 72-yarder, tying a USF record and pushing San Jose State back to their 5-yard line.
“Honestly, I called the timeout contemplating going for it (on fourth-and-9),” Golesh confessed. “I genuinely wanted to punt it out of bounds to utilize the two-minute warning as a timeout. He attempted to punt it out of bounds but mishit it slightly, yet it ultimately worked out fine.
“Punting was the correct choice. I was just really anxious about not potentially regaining possession. Huge credit to our defense stepping up. We utilized our timeouts, so we needed every moment.”
The Spartans struggled against the Bulls defense, leading to USF’s drive for Cannon’s game-tying field goal.
The Bulls built a commanding 21-10 lead at half-time, supported by an opportunistic defense and a highly effective Archie (11-for-11 passing in the first half).
The Spartans initially appeared to score when Eget found wide receiver TreyShun Hurry with a 10-yard pass on third-and-4. However, the ruling was reversed upon review. Bulls defensive back Jarvis Lee tackled Hurry just short of the goal line, causing the ball to bounce and hit the end-zone pylon, resulting in a touchback, thereby granting possession to USF.
Archie quickly directed a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown march, culminating in Wright’s 3-yard run and establishing a 7-0 lead.
Archie connected with Atkins for a 12-yard pass on third-and-11 and later returned to Atkins with a 43-yard bomb four plays later as the receiver…broke loose down the right sideline. Yet the most remarkable moment likely transpired on fourth-and-1 from the Spartan 6-yard line, when the Bulls opted for their “jumbo backfield” and 325-pound offensive lineman Cole Skinner charged forward for 2 yards. Wright crossed the goal line on the subsequent play.
In the second quarter, during a first-down play from the Spartan 31, Eget’s throw was deflected by Lee and intercepted by safety Tavin Ward, who brought it back 29 yards to the San Jose State 16. Kelley Joiner’s 4-yard rushing touchdown elevated the Bulls to a 14-0 lead.
San Jose State responded with a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive. The Spartans found themselves at the USF 13 following a personal foul penalty against cornerback DeShawn Rucker. Floyd Chalk IV found the end zone on a 3-yard run, while Eget maintained the drive by completing 5 out of 5 passes for 25 yards.
With USF’s advantage trimmed to 14-7 and the momentum seemingly shifting toward the Spartans, the game took an unexpected turn for the Bulls.
Halvorsen’s kickoff landed in the hands of USF’s Keith at the 7. Keith faked a reverse handoff to the swift JeyQuan Smith, then surged downfield, breaking free from three attempted tackles near midfield and sprinted down the right sideline for a 93-yard touchdown. It marked USF’s first kickoff-return touchdown since the 2022 season opener (an 89-yarder by Jimmy Horn against BYU) and pushed the Bulls ahead 21-7.
San Jose State attempted to respond but had to settle for Halvorsen’s 42-yard field goal as the first half came to a close. The Spartans advanced from their 25 to the USF 24, but the Bulls compelled Eget into three straight incompletions, leading to Halvorsen making it a 21-10 halftime score.
However, the game — and the extraordinary excitement — had merely commenced.
The Bulls traveled approximately 4,700 miles from their Tampa campus and enjoyed an unparalleled experience, which included a visit to Pearl Harbor, an authentic Hawaiian luau, and witnessing the world-class waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Incredible memories.
But none equaled the five-overtime nail-biter, the longest contest in USF football history.
“I believe we remained very composed during those overtime sessions and executed well during the back-and-forth, always prepared with the next strategy and the next scenario,” Golesh remarked. “It’s quite special when you can conclude the game in such a manner, as you have time on the field and families present on the field.
“We had an excellent group that traveled with us. I am extremely thankful to everyone who came along, and deeply appreciative of our administration for enabling so many people to accompany us, including our band, cheerleaders, mascot, and everyone else. It was an extraordinary experience.”
In a word, it was paradise.
KEY STATS
• The five-overtime clash was the longest in bowl history and the longest in USF history as the Bulls improved to 11-1 in overtime contests.
• The USF defense forced two turnovers and scored 14 points off those, contributing to their early lead.
• John Cannon was named MVP, successfully kicking three field goals from distances of 33, 41, and 36 yards, with his 41-yarder just two seconds before the end of regulation sending the game into overtime.
NOTABLES
• WR Sean Atkins equaled his career-best with 11 receptions for 104 yards, marking his sixth career 100-yard game, and surpassed Andre Davis (2,163) for the USF career receiving yardage record. Atkins concludes his career with a record-tying 31 consecutive games with a reception and USF career records of 200 catches for 2,167 yards.
• RB Ta’Ron Keith’s 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was a first for USF in a bowl game and marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2022.
• LB Jhalyn Shuler led the Bulls with a career-best tying 12 tackles, while S Tavin Ward recorded a personal-best 10 tackles and a crucial interception.
• RB Kelley Joiner rushed for 33 yards and finished his career ranked No. 5 on the USF career rushing charts with 2,211.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program debuted in 1997 and concluded its 27th season in 2023 with a program-best six-game turnaround and victory in the Boca Raton Bowl under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. USF completed the construction of a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023, with a $340 million on-campus stadium and football operations center set to be completed by 2027. The Bulls have achieved 17 winning seasons, collected 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last being in 2021), and garnered 32 first-team all-conference accolades. USF has seen 30 players chosen in the NFL Draft and has made 12 bowl game appearances (with an 8-4 record), achieving a program-record six consecutive appearances from 2005-2010 and four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF recorded consecutive 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, achieving a program record of 11-2 in 2016 and finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent an unprecedented 20 continuous weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, ascending as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings in the 2007 season.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for the latest updates regarding the USF Football program.
– #GoBulls –
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