USF ran into a Florida Atlantic team Saturday night that didn't seem impressed that the Bulls were ranked 19th in the country. The Owls put up a feisty joust against the Bulls for the first two quarters and a few minutes, but then USF did what it was supposed to do and pulled away for a 48-13 Homecoming victory at Raymond James Stadium.
The win set up a high-stakes game next Saturday at Memphis, despite the Tigers' shocking loss Saturday at UAB. As far as the Bulls are concerned, that loss doesn't mean diddly about their ambition to win the American Conference and advance to the College Football Playoff.
USF clearly has a playoff berth in its sights, but the Bulls still face stiff road tests at Memphis and Navy. If they navigate those tests, they would still need to win the conference championship to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Translation: One step at a time.
Even if Memphis hadn't lost to a Blazers team playing their first game for an interim coach, it wouldn't have affected USF's big picture. A loss at Memphis would leave USF in a desperate scramble to advance to the conference championship game and, of course, the playoffs.
The Bulls improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference with the win over Florida Atlantic, but it wasn't easy -- at least not at first.
The Owls, 20.5-point underdogs, came out throwing and kept throwing throughout the game. But they had no answer for Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown.
Brown ran for 111 yards and a touchdown and threw for 256 yards and three scores. He has now accounted for 13 touchdowns in the last three games as opposing defenses seem to have no answer for what he does. The Bulls, as has been their custom, were dominant in the second half. They outscored FAU 27-7 over the last two quarters.
The Bulls were also careful with the football. They had no turnovers after combining for seven in their last two games.