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USF Football Beats FAMU 38-17

371 days later...

By Nathan Bond
Morgan Tencza/The Daily Stampede

For the first time in 371 days the South Florida Bulls put a mark in the win column as USF knocked off the FAMU Rattlers 38-17 on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.

True freshman Timmy McClain got the start for the Bulls and threw for 163 yards on 12-of-23 passing, and added another 51 yards on the ground. He connected with wide receiver Xavier Weaver for a nine-yard touchdown to give USF a 17-3 lead in the second quarter. It was McClain’s first career passing touchdown, and the Bulls first passing score of the year.

Running back Jaren Mangham scored three times for the Bulls to help pace USF in the win. He now has five rushing touchdowns on just 20 carries so far this season. He had five touchdowns on 130 carries while at Colorado.

Fellow running back Brian Battie added 110 yards rushing on 10 carries, including an impressive 42-yard run in the second half. It’s Battie’s second 100-yard rushing game in his last four games (C. Florida in ‘20).

USF took a 24-3 lead into halftime, but could extend the lead in the second half as injuries, and sub-optimal defense let the Rattlers hang around. FAMU racked up 271 yards in the second half, including 139 on the ground after being held to -7 yards rushing in the first half. Give the USF defense credit, a lot of the Rattlers yards in the second half were of the empty calorie variety.

The Bulls (1-2) still have a lot to work on, but it’s a step in the right direction. Next task is beating an FBS team for the first time since October of 2019. They’ll have a shot next week when they travel to BYU in Provo, Utah. USF will fly to Utah on Thursday after practice.

Notables

  • Wide receivers Latrell Williams (knee), and Bryce Miller (Ankle) got hurt and didn’t return. Head coach Jeff Scott is worried about Williams’ knee.
  • Wide out Xavier Weaver collected five receptions for 77 yards, and a score. He has set a new career-high in yards in a season with 218 yards.
  • Auburn transfer Matt Hill led the team with eight tackles.
  • USF 3-for-15 on third downs. They were 2-for-9 on third and short (1-4 yards).