When a team surrenders 42 points and loses, it’s tempting to blame it on the defense. And, seriously, didn’t we do that multiple times last year with the USF football team?
But I’d give the Bulls' defense high marks for its showing Saturday at 4th-ranked Alabama, which augers well for the games ahead. For more than 3 ½ quarters, they were flying around like 11 Top Gun pilots, intent on bottling up ‘Bama’s Heisman-candidate quarterback Jaylen Milroe.
The Bulls got sacks from linebackers Mac Harris and Jason Vaughn, plus one from defensive back Kajuan Banks. Cornerback DeShawn Rucker had ten solo tackles and a pass breakup, and linebacker Jamie Pettway had two quarterback hurries. USF recovered three fumbles.
Milroe looked uncomfortable in the pocket most of the night, and the high-powered offense he directed struggled accordingly, at least until the final six minutes. That’s when the Tide put the game away with three long touchdowns that made the final score 42-16, but I think we’ll look back on this game as evidence that the Bulls will be a force on the defensive side of the ball.
“We were able to contain the quarterback there for, really, the entire game,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said. “The point was to contain him and not let him get running around, which is where he's so good. I thought, for the most part, we did a really good job with that.”
Obligatory disclaimer: It’s a four-quarter game, but if the Bulls can keep Alabama bottled up for as long as they did, that bodes well when conference play begins.
Alabama fans probably chuckled when Golesh noted earlier that ‘Bama “has to play South Florida.”
That’s his whole persona, though. He’s going to say what he believes and if that gets a headline or shows up on some bulletin board, so be it. Before this game, he believed – really believed – his Bulls could hang with Alabama.
He was correct.
“Our O-line played their butts off. That defense put that gold helmet all over these cats. We can play with anybody in the county. You can ask them what they think. I'm sure you will. I would say we can play with anybody in the country (for) the first three and a half quarters. That's real,” he said.
“There are no moral victories. Hopefully, you guys have figured out I'm just going to tell the truth, and that's the truth, and that's real.”
Fair enough. But here’s another truth: If the defense continues to play the way it did at Alabama, these Bulls are just getting started.