USF's come-from-behind win over UAB left fans more relieved than excited

Before USF came from behind to beat UAB 35-25 on Saturday, it had been 35 days since the Bulls won a game. And given how they looked for the first three and a half quarters in this game, it looked like the drought would continue for at least two more weeks because the Bulls don’t play again until November 1.

So, we’ll give USF credit for taking over the game to overcome a 12-point deficit by forcing two straight turnovers and outscoring the Blazers 28-6 over the last 21 minutes. I got the sense, however, that USF fans were probably more relieved than excited about the outcome.

“It was a really sloppy game all the way up until the fourth quarter,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said.

Agreed. Even with the slop, though, USF had some bright spots.

Backup quarterback Bryce Archie was 17-of-31 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton, in his first career start, had four receptions for 105 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown catch. That was the Bulls' longest pass play of the season.

USF also got the running game going after it was MIA for the last three games. Kelley Joiner had 94 rushing yards, a pair of touchdowns, and one score through the air.

However, let’s not kid anyone – UAB is not very good. The Blazers occupy the cellar in the American Athletic Conference, and this loss was their sixth in a row. They made USF sweat, though, and that shouldn't happen.

Backup quarterback Jalen Kitna torched the Bulls for 384 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns, although he had to throw 56 times to amass that total. The Blazers also had the ball for nine more minutes than USF and outgained the Bulls 485-355.

The Bulls also lost what would have been a long touchdown pass from Bryce Archie to an illegal touching penalty. That’s not a penalty a team playing its seventh game of the season should have.

“You know, there's so many things you want to clean up. There are so many things that that, as a coach, you're frustrated about. And all we've asked our guys to do as we grow here is just play the next play. You know, the focus part of the very first touchdown down the right sideline to JeyQuan Smith, and we get called for two guys on the ball,” Golesh said.

“Minor detail in terms of, you need to be another six inches back. We're playing fast. He thinks he's off the ball. He's not. And you get a touchdown, get called back, and in a really close game, that's the difference between winning and losing, and it's that minor detail that is so big and the big picture of what's going on.”

Here’s what’s going on: It’s probably going to be like this through the last five games of the season. The Bulls are good enough to win most of those games on sheer talent, but they need to get more disciplined and reduce the mistakes that have plagued them most of the season.

They won a game Saturday, and that’s a good thing.

But actually, it was a relief.