Despite a disastrous start to the first quarter for South Florida (2-1) against Southern Mississippi (1-2), USF head coach Alex Golesh and his offense rose up to secure a second victory of the season against the Golden Eagles 49-24 on Saturday.

Junior quarterback Byrum Brown and his offensive team stood aggressive against Southern Miss in a game that saw them sweep past the Golden Eagles and score seven touchdowns, despite trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. 

“You don’t want to start like that, but it was really good to climb back,” Golesh said in a post-game press conference. “It’s all part of learning, part of our journey, and sometimes it happens like that.”

The USF offense capitalized on Southern Miss’ vulnerability on the ground by emphasizing rushing yards rather than passing yards.

The team’s defensive counterpart compensated for their initial shortcomings in the first quarter that made the Bulls fall behind 14-0, allowing only another 10 points past themselves.

Related: USF secure victory over Southern Mississippi 49-24

Here are some observations about the game.

The offense was perceptive and aggressive

Brown and his receivers were able to utilize their opportunities rightfully this time around. South Florida was able to take advantage of turnovers better this time, converting a fumble recovery and an interception to touchdowns.

Brown led the offense to seven touchdowns throughout the game, three of which he scored himself.

Brown had a better pass completion rate compared to the game against the Crimson Tide – a jump from 43% to 66%, as he completed 19 of his 29 passes.

The connection between Brown and graduate wide receiver Sean Atkins sparked again. Atkins completed 87 receiving yards against the Golden Eagles.

USF graduate running backs Kelley Joiner and Nay’Quan Wright both notched over 100 yeards during Saturday’s game 

Joiner made a 43-yard run in the first quarter to secure USF’s second touchdown of the game, and Wright increased the lead to 42-21 in the third quarter after a 33-yard run game.

Related: USF vs Alabama takeaways: Offense fails to step up in loss

USF won the battle, but the war remains

Despite the improvement from last game, the real test for South Florida comes this Saturday. the Bulls will play their schedule’s final non-conference team, No. 8 Miami (3-0), at Raymond James stadium.

A victory against the Hurricanes could give USF a chance at making it to the college football playoffs. 

With Miami boasting a flawless record and averaging 53 points a game thus far, it will take Golesh’s crew an even greater effort than against Southern Miss to keep the Hurricanes at bay.

USF will face off against Miami at 7 p.m. Saturday in Raymond James Stadium.​​ The game will be broadcast on ESPN and Bulls Unlimited.