Canes Corral Bulls in Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. — The crowd was fired up. The upper deck was unleashed. Even fighter jets zoomed overhead at the outset.
But while the USF Bulls delivered on a raucous home-field environment, the Miami Hurricanes ultimately – and emphatically — passed another road test.
The eighth-ranked Canes pulled away in the second half to notch a 50-15 win over USF Saturday night before a gathering of 58,660 at Raymond James Stadium.
Miami improved to 4-0 for the second straight season, while the Bulls fell to 2-2. Down 15-14 in the second quarter, the Canes scored 36 consecutive points, shutting out USF 28-0 in the second half.
Quarterback Cam Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns, surpassing 15,000 passing yards for his career. Running back Damien Martinez had three short touchdown runs, and wide receiver Isaiah Horton had a career night with eight catches for 108 yards and a score.
Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo had six catches for 99 yards and one touchdown, eclipsing 2,000 career receiving yards. Fellow wideout Sam Brown, Jr. had a 76-yard touchdown reception and running back Jordan Lyle rushed for 104 yards on just six carries, including a 91-yard scoring scamper.
USF quarterback Byrum Brown completed 19 of 30 passes for 254 yards and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Sean Atkins, who had 11 receptions of his own for 125 yards.
Miami amassed 574 total yards — averaging 9.6 yards per play — and converted 7 of 9 third downs. The Canes’ defense pitched a shutout in the second half and racked up four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa paced Miami with 11 tackles, while safety Meesh Powell had nine stops and an interception. Defensive tackle Simeon Barrow recorded six tackles and a sack.
The teams combined for 22 penalties as the game lasted nearly four hours.
The Canes faced 3rd and 13 on the third snap of the game, but Ward hit Restrepo for 17 yards to pick up a first down. Three plays later, Ward dumped off a pass to Martinez for 14 yards to move the ball across midfield.
Ward scrambled for 17 yards and the Bulls were flagged for two penalties on the play, which gave Miami first and goal at the five-yard line. Martinez finished the drive with a two-yard scoring plunge and the Canes had an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulls, playing up tempo, moved the ball to the Miami 40 and on 4th and 10 Nico Gramatica boomed a career-long 58-yard field goal to pull USF within 7-3.
On the next drive Ward connected with wide receiver Jacolby George who fumbled as he turned up field and the ball popped into the arms of USF cornerback Brent Austin. The Bulls took over at the Miami 45. Three plays later Atkins took a reverse and passed it to Brown for a 12-yard touchdown. USF had a 9-7 lead after the Canes blocked the PAT.
The Bulls tried an onsides kick but were called for offsides. Ward scrambled for nine yards to convert another third down and then again found Martinez in the flat. He raced 32 yards and the Canes were back in USF territory.
Ward threw a dart to Horton for 22 yards to the USF 18. Three plays later, Ward connected with Horton again on a six-yard touchdown and the Canes were back in front.
On the ensuing drive, Brown completed a 28-yard pass to Atkins but the drive stalled at the 33 before Gramatica hit another long field goal, this time a 51-yarder that trimmed the Miami lead to two points early in the second quarter.
USF’s defense forced the first punt of the game and Dylan Joyce pinned the Bulls back at their six-yard line. Brown completed two third-down throws to get the ball to the Miami 43, where the Bulls faced 4th and 1. Running back Nay’Quan Wright picked up six yards on a pitch to keep the drive alive, and a 15-yard penalty on defensive end Tyler Baron moved the ball to the 20-yard line.
Sacks by safety Jaden Harris and Barrow stalled the drive, but John Cannon kicked a 45-yard field goal to give USF a 15-14 lead. The Bulls had the ball for 19 plays and chewed up 8:30 of clock time.
Ward didn’t need that much time to help the Canes regain the lead. On 2nd and 6 from the UM 24, he looked deep for Brown down the left sideline and the result was a 76-yard touchdown. Ward then connected with Martinez on the two-point conversion and the Canes were back up by seven points.
The Bulls faced a 3rd and 16 from its 19-yard line but Brown threw a short pass to running back Ta’Ron Keith, who raced 64 yards to the Miami 17. Harris made a key third-down stop behind the line of scrimmage, forcing another field goal attempt. Cannon missed from 31 yards out and the Canes headed to the locker room with a 22-15 lead.
Miami’s defense forced a punt to open the second half and Ward went back to work. He threw a 17-yard pass to Horton before connecting with tight end Elijah Arroyo and running back Ajay Allen on consecutive throws for 27 yards to the USF 24. Allen moved the chains on a third-down rush and two plays later Martinez scored from a yard out to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive. Miami had a 14-point lead.
USF drove to the Miami 37 and Brown appeared to pick up a 4th and 5 on a nifty scramble. But the Bulls were flagged for holding on the play and punted. The Canes picked up a first down on a pass interference call and then Ward converted 3rd and 8 with a 15-yard pass to Horton. On the next snap, Ward lofted a pass down the right sideline to Restrepo for 28 yards and Miami was back inside the red zone.
Ward dropped a dime to Horton for what was initially called a 19-yard touchdown reception. Officials ruled on replay that Horton was down at the one-yard line, but Martinez scored his third touchdown on the next play and the Canes’ lead grew to 21 points.
Bryce Archie came in for Brown at quarterback and the Bulls went for another fourth down in Miami territory and cornerback Jadais Richard was called for pass interference, giving USF a first down at the Canes 13. But Powell picked off Archie in the end zone and Miami got the ball back.
Ward marched the Canes right back down the field and on 3rd and goal from the five-yard line, Restrepo made a circus catch in the end zone. to push Miami’s lead to 43-15.
The Canes forced another punt, and Lyle broke free for a 91-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring and push Miami over the 50-point mark for the third straight contest.
The Canes commence conference play Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium against Virginia Tech. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
