USF throws cold water on the North Texas Cinderella story with a blowout victory

USF fans were probably a little jittery with how Friday's much-hyped American Conference game began at North Texas. The Bulls had turnovers on their first two drives and trailed by a touchdown, with the Mean Green driving for another.

Maybe the oddsmakers were right in making North Texas the favorite. Maybe the Mean Green would live out their Cinderella story for another week.

But then, linebacker Jahlyn Shuler intercepted a pass to stop the drive, and somehow at that point you realized the pixie dust that led North Texas to five wins in five games to start the season had run out.

When the clock struck midnight on the Mean Green's perfect season, the Bulls could head back to Tampa with a 63-36 victory. They are now 2-0 in the conference and 5-1 overall, with their goal of an American championship intact.

Chew on this number: they have scored 180 points in their last three games.

It wasn't the smoothest win for the Bulls, at least not at the start. But considering that they entered the game as 1.5-point underdogs, they'll take it. UNT quarterback Drew Westemaker threw three interceptions after throwing none in his team's first five games.

For the second straight game, USF quarterback Byrum Brown accounted for five touchdowns -- three through the air, including two to Jeremiah Koger, and two on the ground. Receiver Christian Neptune threw for another on a flea-flicker.

The bottom line was that USF had too many weapons on both sides of the ball, enabling the Bulls to overcome their early sluggishness. The Bulls handled the atmosphere in the first sellout crowd at DATCU Stadium with ease, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around there were plenty of vacant seats as NTU fans conceded the inevitable.

The start was reminiscent of USF's opening game against Boise State. In that game, the Bulls were outplayed in the first quarter but trailed only 7-0 because the defense kept things from getting out of hand. It was the same way in this game.

But the real eruption came at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third. USF tied the game at 21-all on a 2-yard TD pass from Brown to Jonathan Echols with 41 seconds left in the half. The Bulls erupted for 28 points in the third quarter, and the rest was academic.

This win keeps USF on course for the program's first conference championship. The Bulls are at home next Saturday against Florida Atlantic, which they should handle. That would set up a high-stakes showdown at Memphis on October 25.