Inside the Numbers: USF Drops Another Game in Closing Seconds

Daniels played through the pain, but couldn't get the job done as the Bulls put an end to a frustrating season (Picture: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

27 to 30. The final score of the season. The Bulls, 5-7, lost once again in the closing seconds of a game as the opposing team, this time, celebrated as they won the Big East Conference (remember last year with UCONN? Still painful). The Bulls had their chances, they were so close, but penalties, bad play-calling, bad execution, turnovers, and sloppy play doomed the team and put a cap on one of the most frustrating seasons in program history.

Let's try to sort through the numbers and take a look at the positives, if any.

Daniels got the start last night, after missing the last game with a bruised shoulder. The offense was throwing early in often. Daniels started cold, but was able to complete some passes. He went 21 for 44 last night for 226 yards, an interception and a touchdown. The INT was a pick-six, the worst kind to throw. Daniels threw into coverage several times and had a few miscommunications with his receivers throughout the night. We have been hard on him all season and playing with the injury was a gutsy move by him, but the bad throws and decision making continues to hurt the offense.

Part of the blame can be on Todd Fitch for calling certain routes, such as the redzone trip that saw three fade routes to the back corner, each one failing. Playcalling and bad throws hurt the offense once more. Daniels ran the ball 10 times for 34 yards and a touchdown, sliding and avoiding hits. He has a hug fumble as he failed to secure the ball, adding another blunder on the night.

The running game was solid in the first half, but stalled in the second half. Darrell Scott had 14 carries for 93 yards, but went down in the second half with a shoulder injury that took him out of the game. That hurt the rushing attack and the offense. Murray ran 12 times for 37 yards and Daniels was not as effective in the run game as he has been.

Evan Landi had a big night, catching 4 passes for 67 yards, batting for yards and not giving up on plays. Deonte Welch had 4 receptions for 45 yards. Sterling Griffin, back from the ankle injury, had 3 catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Victor Marc had 3 for 24 yards (so glad he was not returning punts last night, could have added to the misery). Andre Davis had 2 receptions for 18 yards. Ruben Gonzalez had 1 reception for 22 yards. AJ Love and Joel Miller each had one reception for 6 yards in their final game of their USF careers.

Once again, special teams played a big part in the loss. Bonani was 2 for 2, even punting once but was blocked. JBK once again punted, but was ineffective. He punted 5 times (once inside WVU territory) averaging a sad 33.6 yards a kick. Marvin Kloss kicked one kick-off out of bounds and allowed a touchdown on another kick. While the touchdown was not all his fault, the coverage unit took poor angles to the ball and could not get Tavon Austin down.

The defense played well for the first half, but in the second half, playing a soft zone, gave up huge runs all over the field. They left two linebackers in the middle of the field, creating a huge gap for a running up to get up field and get the big yards. A bad penalty by Ryne Giddins, a few missed tackles, didn't help the cause either, but the defense did what they could.

DeDe Lattimore led the team with 7 tackles. Michael Lanaris had 6 tackles and one tackle for loss. Kayvon Webster had 5 tackles and broke up two passes. Jerrell Young had 3 tackles. Sam Barrington had a big time fumble caused early in the game. JaQuez Jenkins had 3 tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception returned for a touchdown that briefly gave USF the lead in the game. Quenton Washington had 2 tackles and an interception has he and the seniors gave it everything they had in the game.

We will have a lot to talk about for the coming weeks, from coaching strategies, to recruiting implications, to what the team will look like heading into next season, but for now, it's over. Thanks is given to the seniors for everything they have done for us and hopefully the juniors will return to finish their careers at USF.