Tulsa Moves to 2-0 in AAC with 42-13 Road Win Over the USF Bulls

Friday, October 23

Tampa, Fla.

6:30 PM (CT)

Tulsa

2-1 , 2-0

USF

1-5 , 0-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

South Florida

Tulsa Moves to 2-0 in AAC with 42-13 Road Win Over the USF Bulls

10/23/2020 11:07:00 PM | Football

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TAMPA, Fla. –– The Tulsa Golden Hurricane moved to 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference Friday night with a 42-13 victory over the USF Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. The Hurricane improved to 2-1 overall, while the Bulls fell to 1-5 and 0-4 in AAC action.

It's the first 2-0 start for Tulsa in AAC play in its 7-year membership and the first time since 2012 that the Hurricane has put together two straight conference road wins.

It was an all-around performance for the Hurricane as the offense gained 462 total yards, averaging 7.5 yards per play. Tulsa's defense held USF to 305 yards and forced three turnovers. Deneric Prince led the ground game for the Hurricane with 109 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries, while Corey Taylor II added 67 yards and 2 TDs as well.

Zach Smith led the Hurricane to five scoring drives and completed 16-of-24 passes for 233 yards. Sam Crawford Jr. led the receiving corps with 4 catches for 82 yards. It was Zaven Collins' interception return that gave Tulsa its other score.

After holding the USF offense on the game's first possession, Tulsa's offense went 65 yards in 4 plays as Zach Smith capped it with a 33-yard TD pass to JC Santana. The touchdown was Tulsa's first offensive score in the first quarter this season.

USF scored on a 39-yard field goal after an interception and after a 60-yard KJ Sails punt return to the Tulsa 19-yard line, the Bulls pulled to within one point as the Hurricane defense again forced a USF field goal, this time from 25 yards out.

At the end of the first quarter, Tulsa held on to the one-point lead at 7-6. The Hurricane had 140 yards of total offense, while USF was held to just 40 yards through the first period.

The Hurricane added two scores in the second quarter to take a 21-6 halftime lead. Taylor's 5-yard run capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive at the 12:23 mark, while Prince's 27-yard run on Tulsa's next possession put the Hurricane ahead by 15 points, 21-6, as that run capped an 80-yard, 12-play drive.

At halftime, Tulsa out-gained USF 289-to-113 yards, including 127 on the ground and 162 through the air for the Hurricane.

In the second-half, the Bulls took their first possession 72 yards in 10 plays to cut Tulsa's lead to 8 points at 21-13.

Tulsa responded quickly when Prince sprinted 62 yards to put the Hurricane up 28-13, capping a 75-yard, 3-play drive in taking just 1:17 off the clock at the 7:26 mark of the third period. Then it was Tulsa's defense that got into the scoring column when Collins intercepted Noah Johnson's pass and took it 38 yards for a score and a 35-13 Hurricane lead.

Prince's 62-yard touchdown run was the longest for a Tulsa player since Ramadi Warren's 64-yard TD run against Cincinnati in 2015.

When Tulsa's offense got the ball back, the Hurricane added to the score when Taylor ran in from one yard out for a 42-13 lead with 2:21 left in the third quarter.

The Hurricane used a number of reserves both on offense and defense to close out the 4^th quarter, as neither team was able to punch in another score.

Tulsa will be back in action next Friday night in a home game against the East Carolina Pirates. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2.