Zebold: Bulls Pull Off Miracle Comeback in Nevada

[Brad]

Bulls Pull Off Miracle Comeback in Nevada

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

RENO, Nev. – The Bulls pulled off a miracle in front of a mountainous terrain with a soaring pass from B.J. Daniels to Andre Davis.

Davis’ 56-yard touchdown reception with 38 seconds remaining gave USF its first lead of the game in a 32-31 thriller before a crowd of 22,804 at Mackay Stadium. Davis, a sophomore, set broke USF’s single-game receiving record with 12 catches for 191 yards and two scores to help the Bulls improve to 2-0.

Daniels went 22-for-40 for 363 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Lindsey Lamar shined on the ground by rushing for 85 yards and a score on eight carries.

Saturday’s game ended and started with plenty of fireworks provided by both offenses.

The game’s opening drive featured a daring Nevada offense that gambled twice on fourth down and won. Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week Stefphon Jefferson gained a yard on a fourth-and-1 at the Wolf Pack’s own 34 and gained two more on another fourth-and-1 at the USF 42.

Nevada (1-1) capped off the 75-yard drive on the 11th play when quarterback Cody Fajardo jetted 26 yards, fumbled at the 2 and celebrated after teammate Zach Sudfeld recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Fajardo rushed for 97 yards, including a 49-yard score, last week in a victory at Cal.

USF’s initial drive stalled after three plays and the Wolf Pack got back into the end zone on a Fajardo 1-yard run with 6:29 to play in the first quarter. Nevada’s first two drives went for a combined 148 yards with Fajardo running for 46 against a Bulls defense that gave up only 49 yards in the season opener against Chattanooga.

The Bulls cut into the Nevada lead on their second offensive drive of the game that featured two dynamic plays. Lamar took his first carry of the season 18 yards to get USF up on its own 48. Two plays later, Daniels threw a short pass to Andre Davis, who shook off a defender and took it 51 yards for a score. It marked a career-long reception for Davis, whose previous top mark was a 43-yard catch against Syracuse last season.

USF was stuck at six points, however, after Maikon Bonani missed the extra point. It snapped his school record streak of 62 straight extra points made.

Fajardo’s feet continued to cause USF problems on Nevada’s third drive when the sophomore scrambled up the middle for 42 yards to set the Wolf Pack up at the Bulls’ 28. Fajardo’s arm did the most damage, however, when he threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Huber as Nevada led USF, 21-6, with 2:58 remaining in the opening quarter. Nevada had 228 yards of total offense in the first quarter.

Nevada was the aggressor in the first quarter, but USF’s offense delivered a powerful counterpunch early in the second quarter by driving 73 yards and ending with a 1-yard TD run by Demetris Murray with 9:12 remaining before the break. The Bulls collected four first downs on the drive, including Chris Dunkley’s first-career reception that went for 15 yards on a third-and-six play at the Nevada 29.

USF gained some needed confidence more than midway through the second quarter when Sam Barrington forced a fumble that was recovered by JaQuez Jenkins that stopped a Nevada drive at the Bulls’ 14. USF forced Nevada to punt twice after that and went into the locker room down by only eight points after holding the Wolf Pack to 82 yards in the second quarter.

Like Nevada, USF produced a strong scoring drive to open up a half when Lamar sprinted 35 yards to the end zone to cap off seven plays after the Bulls started the third quarter on their own 25. Lamar was up to 80 yards at that point on only seven carries after sitting out the first game of the season.

The USF defense came up with its second turnover inside the red zone on Nevada’s next drive when Mike Jeune recovered a Jefferson fumble at the Bulls’ 1. Credit Barrington on his second forced fumble of the game after he flew into the Wolf Pack’s backfield and knocked the ball out of Jefferson’s hands with his knee.

Nevada made good on its next opportunity in the red zone when Fajardo ran 14 yards for a touchdown to help put the Wolf Pack up, 28-20, as time expired in the third quarter. The scoring run was Fajardo’s 10th carry and it pumped his stat line up to 133 yards. Nevada increased its lead to 31-20, on a 35-yard field goal by Allen Hardison with 8:16 remaining on the clock.

USF got back into the game late when Daniels hit Dunkley for a 52-yard touchdown pass with 2:37 remaining. The Bulls’ two-point conversion attempt failed on an incomplete pass by Daniels.

The Bulls had one last shot, backed up at their own 8 with 1:38 to play, when they pulled off the miracle drive.

The Bulls are back at home 7:30 p.m. Thursday when they host Rutgers in a nationally televised contest at Raymond James Stadium.