South Florida wins 29-2, but its offense makes the defense wait again

South Florida beat Kent State by 27 points Saturday night without scoring an offensive touchdown until the final minute of the third quarter. The 29-2 homecoming win ended a two-game losing streak, but the Bulls again needed their defense to carry them through the first half.

C.J. Hicks provided the decisive play. With Kent State leading 2-0 and threatening from the South Florida 1, quarterback Dru DeShields fumbled a third-down snap. Hicks scooped up the ball at the 4 and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown. The Bulls never trailed again.

South Florida's official game clip shows how quickly Kent State's scoring chance became a Bulls lead:

The return matched the program record, according to South Florida's postgame report. Its importance went beyond the distance: the Bulls finished the first half with only three offensive points, supplied by Nico Gramatica's 49-yard field goal just before the break.

A familiar first-half problem

WUSF reported this was South Florida's fourth consecutive game without a first-half offensive touchdown. Coach Brian Hartline said the recurring mistakes belonged to the coaching staff as well as the players, according to WUSF's postgame report. The win moved his team to 5-2, but the slow start remained an issue heading into its bye week.

Kent State had enough opportunities to make the game more uncomfortable. A 77-yard drive ended on downs at the South Florida 3. On the next snap, Dion'Dre Taylor tackled D.J. Crowther in the end zone for the Golden Flashes' only points.

Then came the goal-line fumble and Hicks' return. Kent State later missed a 46-yard field goal before halftime. Early in the third quarter, after South Florida failed on fourth down at its own 43, the Golden Flashes reached the 13 and mishandled another field-goal snap.

The offense finally finishes two drives

The Bulls answered that third-quarter reprieve with a 15-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. Luke Kromenhoek scored from a yard out with 54 seconds remaining in the period, extending the lead to 17-2. The possession took 8 minutes, 30 seconds.

Michael Van Buren Jr. then found Cameron Seldon for a 36-yard touchdown to finish a 65-yard drive. Van Buren passed for 193 yards, and Seldon had four catches for 60. South Florida totaled 271 yards, including only 78 rushing on 32 attempts.

The defense kept the result secure. Kent State produced just 31 second-half yards, finished 0-for-4 on fourth down and allowed a late safety when Jabari Smith stopped Nolan Good in the end zone.

The Bulls completed their nonconference schedule 4-0. Their next game is October 31 against UAB, giving Hartline a bye week to address an offense that took nearly three quarters to score its first touchdown against Kent State.