USF Bulls plow Charlotte into the ground with dominating run game in blowout win

There wasn’t a lot of mystery to USF’s offensive game plan Saturday at Charlotte.

Run. Run. Run again. Run some more.

It worked. Oh man, did it work.

The running game plowed the 49ers into the ground, running for a team-record 425 yards and six touchdowns. The Bulls ran 49 times, ripping open holes in the middle of the Charlotte defensive line, and threw only 17 passes. What the USF runners didn’t do, the defense accomplished with four turnovers in a smothering  59-24 victory for the Bulls.

During a decisive swing in the third quarter, after Charlotte had closed to within 21-17, the Bulls blew it open. Nay`Quan Wright ran six yards for a touchdown, John Cannon added a 33-yard field goal and cornerback Brent “Paco” Austin returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown.

After linebacker Mac Harris returned a fumble 25 yards for a score, it was time to warm up the plane for the flight home.

“Obviously, the four turnovers defensively were so big with Paco, with the pick six, with Mac's fumble pick up for a touchdown, for Gaston getting a pick, and then Bernard Goodman, I think Matt forced it. That was really impressive, rush the ball.

The Bulls improved to 5-1 when they rushed for more than 100 yards in a game. They were 0-4 when under that number.

After leading by four points at the half, USF blew the game open with 31 points in the third quarter, including defensive touchdowns from Brent Austin and Mac Harris. The Bulls outscored Charlotte 45-14 in the final 30 minutes.

.Charlotte fell to 3-7 and out of bowl contention but had entered the game believing if the 49ers could beat the Bulls, they could finish 6-6 and qualify for the postseason. That dream didn’t last long.

The win improved USF to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the American Athletic Conference. More importantly, it moved the Bulls to within one win of achieving a second straight bowl eligibility.

Kelley Joiner led the way with 140 yards and two touchdowns. Nay`quan Wright also had a pair of touchdowns, and Ta`Ron Keith and Alvon Isaacs had one score each.

USF has games left against Tulsa and Rice, and the Bulls will likely be favored in both. That likely will send USF to a bowl.

Golesh assumes nothing.

 “I just told the guys in the locker room,  there's so much still to clean up, and we're going to continue to build,” he said.

:And part of that building is us taking coaching after a win. I think that's probably the hardest thing to do is, is to say, Man, I know we created four turnovers on defense, but this is where we left out there.”

On this day, what they created was good enough.