Bulls Beat 'Little Brother' Owls in New Budding Rivalry

© Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The South Florida Bulls (4-4, 2-2 American Athletic Conference) defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls (2-6, 0-4) 44-21 in Boca Raton, Fla. on Nov. 1. For the third straight game, the Bulls were without star quarterback Byrum Brown, leaving them to once again start backup quarterback Bryce Archie. The Owls were able to start everyone, despite quarterback Cam Fancher having turf toe.

Game Summary

The Bulls' first drive resulted in a three-and-out. The Owls were able to get a couple of first downs and drive to the USF 30-yard line before going for it on fourth down. They were not able to get the first down and turned it over. The Bulls missed a field goal on their second drive by John Cannon. The Owls took the missed field goal and drove down to score the first points of the game. Running back C.J. Campbell ran it in for a 9-yard touchdown.

In the second quarter, the Bulls tied the game up with a 64-yard touchdown run. The run included trucking the Owls defensive back C.J. Heard, who leads the Owls in tackles. The Owls responded with a long drive resulting in another Campbell TD run. Campbell now has 8 rushing TDs on the year. Florida Atlantic went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

Turning Point for Bulls

This game went back and forth multiple times with no team actually gaining momentum over the other until the second half. The turning point came early in the third quarter. The Bulls stopped the Owls on their opening drive, causing a three-and-out. After that, they drove down and scored a game-tying TD, thanks to Archie. Florida Atlantic once again bounced right back with C.J. Campbell. This time, Campbell scored via catch. He caught it and ran 63 yards for the TD.

© Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The second turning point came near the end of the third quarter. After the Bulls took the lead thanks to a Sean Atkins TD catch and a Cannon field goal, the Bulls forced the first turnover of the game. Fancher fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Bulls' Rico Watson III. The Bulls converted the turnover into a TD, giving the Bulls a 31-21 lead heading into the final quarter. The game was put away when the Bulls forced the Owls to punt again. The Bulls drove the distance and scored a 17-yard TD with Kelley Joiner Jr. The Bulls completed the trifecta of Bulls running backs with a 42-yard TD from Ta'Ron Keith, making it 44-21 after a failed 2-point conversion.

What's Next

For the Bulls, this victory was essential to getting closer to bowl eligibility. With this win, the Bulls move to 4-4 on the season and need two more wins to make a bowl. The Bulls return home to face one of the most difficult teams in the conference in Navy on Nov. 9. After that, they face Charlotte on Nov. 16. They return home to face Tulsa on Nov. 23. Navy will be a difficult game for the Bulls, but the remaining games should all be winnable.

For the Owls, this loss makes it almost impossible for them to make it to a bowl. Mathematically, they would have to win every game left in their schedule. While not impossible, this team isn't one that could go on a streak that is necessary to win out with a month left.