GIFMOJICAP: USF 49, Georgia Tech 38

USF overcame Georgia Tech’s flexbone-option attack to come away with a wild 49-38 victory on Saturday.

So let’s take a look at how it went down with this week’s GIFMOJICAP.....

Where else would we start but with true freshman Terrence Horne, who caught the eye of the college football world early Saturday by returning not one, but two kickoffs for touchdowns, becoming the first FBS player to house two in the same game since Cal’s Trevor Davis did it vs. Washington State back in 2014.

His 264 total return yards broke both a single-game school and conference record but wouldn’t be the last time he crossed the goal line for the afternoon.

Aided by the tandem blocking of Darnell Salomon and Randall St. Felix on the edge, he would shed a defender off a screen pass and reach the endzone for six to bring the Bulls back to within a score.

For his performance, he gets a gold medal.

Quarterback Blake Barnett once again showed why he won the starting job in the first place, helping turn a 10-point fourth quarter deficit into a comfortable 11-point win.

And while Air BnB did complete 21 of 31 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns through the air, it was his ability to gain massive chunks of yardage on the ground that turned heads on Saturday.

Barnett led the team in rushing with 91 yards on 16 carries and three critical runs proved vital for USF’s comeback in the fourth.

On 2nd and 14 deep within their own territory, the Jackets completely commit to the pass, leaving plenty of open space in the middle for Barnett to eat up and move the chains. It’s almost as if this offense was designed for the pass to set up runs like this.

He of course would take it himself for the go-ahead touchdown later in the drive...

...and break free for the score that sealed the deal.

To get to that last touchdown required some gutsy play-calling from offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert.

With fourth and one on their own nine, the Bulls had two choices: 1. Knock in the chip-shot field goal to go up by seven or 2. Go for the kill by converting.

Spoiler alert: They went with option two.

With GT expecting #HBDive, Barnett flared a screen to Tyre McCants, who powered his way to a first down, thus setting up the game-icing score.

Credit to where credit is due, Gilbert called a hell of a game, especially in the second half. That’s why he gets the hair flip emoji.

Here’s Tech starting QB TaQuon Marshall dropping back to pass on fourth down and OH GOD, KEVIN KEGLER IS HERE.

Alright, so let’s look at some of the bad in this game.

First off, the Bulls only averaged 4.2 yards per play in the first half. Now some of that had to do with their limited opportunities on offense early, but still, not ideal.

That number would’ve been better had this dime of a would-be touchdown pass from Barnett had not gone right through the hands of St. Felix, who had burned GT DB Jaytlin Askew and everything. Brutal.

Also for some strange reason, USF is the school where your backup quarterback can come in and go off against. That’s what we started to see in the second half when redshirt freshman Tobias Oliver came in for an Marshall, who was sidelined in the third with an injury.

The Yellow Jacket double-wing option attack started gashing the Bulls’ ‘D’ with Oliver keepers up the B-gap and pitches like this to B-Back Jordan Mason.

This Oliver fourth and goal run early in the fourth put Georgia Tech up by 10 and USF on the ropes.

But...

The USF defense came up huuuuge when it absolutely need it the most.

With Tech driving once again, Bentlee Sanders popped the ball loose from Qua Searcy, allowing for Nico Sawtelle to come up with the much needed fumble recovery.

After USF’s go-ahead score, it was Kirk Livingstone who got his on Marshall as he was attempting to pass, flinging the ball into the air and down into the arms of who else but Sawtelle.

SHOUTOUTS!

Shoutout to Salomon for this TD in the first half.

Shoutout to Duran Bell Jr., who ran for 69 (nice) yards on 12 carries and this touchdown.

Shoutout to the student section for once again showing up and being loud even in the brutal heat. Keep it up.

Shoutout to the debut of DEMON BULL.

Shouto...ahh damnit, Carl was spotted on tv again, wasn’t he.

And here’s Heath’s Signs of the Week. (@not__heath on Twitter).