Football Jim Louk's Foundation Games Series (All)

[Brad]

Yeah we will need a way to keep his brain alive long after the rest of him gives out.

 

[JoeB]

Gone for two?  Absolutely.  I like that call in most situations.

[Brad]

10 Football Foundation Wins: Third Edition

By JIM LOUK

Voice of the Bulls

USF 42, New Hampshire 41 (2 OT)

Tampa

October 23, 1999

The 30th game in USF Football history had the feel of a mismatch. The Bulls were 5-2, and by then had a clear plan to leave 1-AA football for 1-A status and full membership in Conference USA. New Hampshire was 3-3 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and was adjusting to a new head coach. This would be USF’s fourth consecutive home game, and the Bulls had won the previous three by allowing an average of only nine points per game.

Little did we know that it would be the offense that would save USF that day, and that the Bulls would win only thanks to the failure of one of the most daring trick plays ever attempted by a USF opponent.

It took very little time to get the scoring started, as the Wildcats got on the board just 5 minutes in to the game. USF countered quickly on a Dyral McMillan 2-yard touchdown run, and that’s pretty much how the game went from there on out. New Hampshire scored in every quarter, and the Bulls scored in every quarter except the first. If there was ever a game where it was crucial to have the last possession, this was it.

USF took its first lead midway through the third quarter on a Hugh Smith touchdown run. It’s easy to forget that Smith, who held USF’s all-time receptions record all the way up until 2014, started as a running back. On this day he ran for 60 yards and caught one pass.

The Bulls had the lead briefly in the fourth quarter, but New Hampshire quarterback Ryan Day tied the game on a short touchdown run with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Despite a strong offensive output, the Bulls were limited in the kicking game. Bill Gramatica was out with an injury, forcing punter Tony Umholtz in to double duty as the placekicker. The Bulls lost an opportunity to win in regulation when a 27-yard field goal attempt missed with just over 7 minutes remaining. The score was 28-28 at the end of regulation.

So overtime it was, for the first time in USF Football history. Although we didn’t know it then, this was the beginning of the Bulls' remarkable undefeated streak in overtime that would last until 2011.

Just like in regulation, the offenses controlled overtime. The Bulls deferred on the toss, and New Hampshire scored first. USF countered with a pair of Dyral McMillan touchdowns, one on the ground and one on a pass from Marquel Blackwell. For McMillan, it would be a breakout year as he became the first Bull to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. He finished with 144 yards in this game.

The Bulls went back on the field with a 42-35 lead, looking for the defensive stop that would end the game. But the Wildcats offense continued to mystify USF, and Day threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game to make it 42-41.

Then the fun really began.

Looking back, New Hampshire’s decision not to kick the extra point does make some sense. New Hampshire was an underdog playing on the road, and felt they had a chance to end things right there rather than risk an additional overtime. But understandable as it may seem, I doubt very many people in the stadium saw the game’s final play coming. Judging from some of the post-game comments, many of the Bulls players and coaches did not. And as the play unfolded at the end of the field near the student section, the delayed reaction by the crowd indicated surprise as well.

The Wildcats set up for the extra point, with quarterback Day holding for kicker Peter Carbonara. There was nothing unusual about the formation, and in our minds many of us were already getting ready for the third overtime.

But instead of setting the ball down, Day rolled to his left and tried to throw to the kicker Carbonara in the end zone for the win. Did we defend it? Well, there were Bulls in the area, but the play was definitely there. Day, who had thrown four touchdowns passes and ran for one in the game, couldn’t connect this time and the pass fell incomplete. It seemed to be almost a full second before the realization hit everyone that the game was over and the Bulls had won, 42-41.

It was an uncharacteristic game for the Bulls defense, which gave up 492 yards and allowed New Hampshire over 43 minutes of possession time. But the Bulls offense was stout, with 479 total yards of their own.

USF would drop two of their last three remaining games but still finished with a solid 7-4 record for the 1999 season. Although they wouldn’t go to overtime again until 2003, this one set the tone for many of the nail-biting USF wins that would continue well into the next decade.

Series: http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=210176288

[NewEnglandBull]

Ah yes, the game against my employer UNH. Since that year they have dominated their league and have the record for consecutive playoff years in a row. That was one crazy game.

[Brad]

10 Football Foundation Wins: Fourth Edition

 

 

 

By JIM LOUK

 

Voice of the Bulls

 

 

USF 20, Troy State 10

 

Tampa

 

Sept. 30, 2000

 

Although the Bulls had dipped their toe in the water of 1-A football in 1999 by playing San Diego State, 2000 was the season the USF schedule of opponents really began to change.  Still an independent but now in full preparation mode for Conference USA football membership, the Bulls loaded up on 1-A challenges.  As a result, a landmark win over a 1-AA team is often overlooked when reviewing this fourth season of USF Football.

 

After a one-sided win over Jacksonville State to open the season, the Bulls had September road games against both Kentucky and Baylor.  Although USF came up short by 18 and 15 points in those games, the Bulls were competitive in both. In Waco, the Bulls had a very legitimate chance to beat Baylor, and some felt that a chance at USF Football history was lost on that trip.  Sandwiched between those two games was a fairly routine 26-7 home win over James Madison, so USF hit the fifth week of the season with a 2-2 record.

 

That brought the undefeated Troy State Trojans to town, and with them came the No. 1 ranking in 1-AA football.  Now known simply as Troy, the Trojans had beaten in Bulls in Alabama, 41-24, the previous year.

 

It was human nature to focus on the 1-A opponents during this era (another one was looming the following week), but what a defeat of the top-ranked 1-AA team would mean wasn’t lost on the Bulls.

 

The 1999 game at Troy had been particularly frustrating for USF, as it raced to a 14-0 first quarter lead only to be outscored, 27-3, in the second half on the way to the loss.  The 2000 game would be a much different story.

 

The Bulls opened the scoring in the final minute of the first quarter when Marquel Blackwell hit Scott McCready from 22 yards out for a score.  Troy responded with a touchdown, and a few minutes later future New York Giant and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Lawrence Tynes hit a 44-yard field goal to give Troy a 10-7 lead with 2 minutes remaining in the first half.  It would be the only time all day the Bulls would trail.

 

In the second half, USF captured the lead on an Otis Dixon touchdown run early in the third quarter.  Bill Gramatica added field two field goals, and the Bulls had a 20-10 win over the No.1 ranked team in 1-AA.

 

The win itself is impressive, but what really stands out is how the Bulls dominated this game.  They outgained Troy 436 yards to 221, holding the Trojans to just 55 yards passing. Blackwell threw for 273 yards and ran for 113. McCready, who would go on to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of the New England Patriots practice squad, caught six passes.

 

 

Rest of Story/Series

[Triple B]

10 Football Foundation Wins: Fifth Edition

 

 

By JIM LOUK

Voice of the Bulls

 

USF 29, Bowling Green 7

 

Tampa

 

Nov. 16, 2002

Is USF Football’s greatest season one in which it didn’t play in a bowl game?  You could certainly make the argument for 2002, when the still independent Bulls found themselves without a postseason opportunity after going 9-2 and finishing the season with seven straight wins.  Given that the only two losses of the year were on the road against Oklahoma and Arkansas, this Bulls squad certainly has to be considered one of the great teams in USF Football history.

One of those 2002 victories had more story lines than all the others, yet, as time has passed it is somewhat overlooked.  Instead, we tend to focus on the pain players, coaches and fans felt over a very deserving team being denied what would have been the first USF bowl game.

 

On Nov. 16, 2002, the Bowling Green Falcons came to Raymond James Stadium to play the Bulls.  It had been a great season for both teams.  Bowling Green was 8-1, and although it had lost the previous week, it was still ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.  Head coach Urban Meyer had guided them to five straight weeks in the top 25, peaking at No. 16. The Bulls were 7-2, winners of five in a row, and had built an 18-game home winning streak.

 

The first big play of the game went Bowling Green’s way, as the Falcons blocked a USF punt. Moments later, quarterback Josh Harris scored from 8 yards out, future NFL kicker Shaun Suisham added the extra point, and the Falcons led, 7-0.

 

And that’s your Bowling Green scoring summary.

 

The Bulls would go on to crush the Falcons, scoring 29 unanswered points.  Just over 3 minutes after the Falcons touchdown, Marquel Blackwell hit Chris Iskra from 42 yards out to tie the game, and shortly after that the Bulls took their first lead on a safety.

 

Rest of story

 

[Triple B]

10 Football Foundation Wins: Sixth Edition

 

 

 

By JIM LOUK

Voice of the Bulls

 

USF 38, East Carolina 37 (2 OT)

 

Greenville, N.C.

 

Nov. 8, 2003

Not all memorable wins are pretty, and this one certainly wasn’t.  But this late-season 2003 road win helped the Bulls to a 7-4 overall record, and a winning season in their first year in Conference USA.

 

The Bulls entered this game 5-3, fresh off a home win over Cincinnati.  This was the era for overtime USF wins; the Cincinnati win had been in two overtimes, as had an early season victory against Louisville.  East Carolina was just 1-8, and especially in light of how this game started, few thought the Bulls would need more overtime magic to get through the day.

 

USF opened the scoring with 2 minutes to go in the first quarter on a Pat Julmiste to Elgin Hicks touchdown pass.  Then, just over a minute later, the Bulls picked up a fumble and ran it in for a 50-yard score.  When the Bulls added their third touchdown in less than 5 minutes (an 11-yard Vince Brewer run), it was USF 21, East Carolina 0 and it felt like game over.

 

Little did we know.

 

East Carolina came back with two second quarter touchdowns and the Bulls' halftime lead was knocked down to seven points.

Then, in the first minute of the third quarter, the Pirates ran a fumble in for a score and suddenly we were tied at 21-21.

 

 

Rest of story

 

[JoeB]

I wasn't a big Ronnie Banks fan at the time, but he's better than any of our post BJ Daniels QBs.  I think he would have led this team to a bowl game over the last few years. 

[Triple B]

10 Football Foundation Wins: Seventh Edition

 

 

 

By JIM LOUK

Voice of the Bulls

 

USF 45, TCU 44 (2 OT)

 

Ft. Worth, Texas

 

Sept. 25, 2004

 

As much fun as traveling with USF Football is, it does fall into a routine. It’s a coordinated effort throughout the 100 or so members of the travel party.  Everyone is expected to be in the right place at the right time.

 

On game day, when you leave the hotel, you leave it for good.  Bags go on the bus and stay there, because the travel party will always go right from the stadium after the game to the airport.  One notable exception to that routine came on Sept. 25, 2004, as the final strange piece of a most memorable USF win.

 

In this early season matchup, the Bulls came to Ft. Worth looking for some revenge.  Just 11 months earlier, TCU had ended the Bulls' multi-season home winning streak at 21 games.  Ironically, on this day the Bulls would be seeking to stop a 15-game TCU home winning streak.

 

The Bulls were 1-1, and coming off a road loss at South Carolina.  We didn’t know it then, but 2004 would turn out to be a very difficult year for USF Football. The Bulls would post their first losing record since the inaugural season seven years earlier. 

 

Still, on that day in Ft. Worth, the Bulls offense would be almost unstoppable, and once again they would win in overtime on a special teams play.

 

Rest of story

 

[cophbulls]

Final three have to be West Virginia, Auburn and FSU