USF’s season-long struggle with consistency was on full display Saturday, as it failed to muster enough offense in a 28-7 Homecoming loss to Navy.

Missed opportunities and turnovers continued to plague a Bulls team searching for stability in the final stretch of the season.

Head coach Alex Golesh took responsibility for the team’s lackluster performance.

“A lot of credit to [Navy], but a lot of it falls on me to not have us ready to rock and roll the way that we need to and I’ll own it,”Golesh said.

The Bulls had four red zone opportunities against the Midshipmen. USF’s one successful red zone trip occurred with just over one minute remaining, with the team already down 28–0.

Related: ​​USF’s offensive struggles persist in Homecoming loss to Navy

Offense stalls again

Coming into the matchup, South Florida’s offense had been hot, scoring 35 or more points in their previous two victories against FAU and UAB. 

A huge part of that success was the run game, as USF scored seven rushing touchdowns the previous two weeks.

On Saturday, the Bulls’ rushing attack struggled to get going, finishing with 60 yards on a mere 2.4 yards per carry. The match against Navy marked the fourth time this season USF finished with less than 100 rushing yards – each of those matches ended in a loss.

Golesh said his plan was to lean on the passing game to create opportunities for the ground offense.

“You knew with what they do defensively, it was going to have to be one on the perimeter to set up the run game,” Golesh said. “We just never were in sync in terms of deal line protecting well enough for us to be able to get the throws down the field that we needed.”

The passing game struggled just as much as the run Saturday. Junior quarterback Bryce Archie had three turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble.

Archie said he remains confident in his ability despite the tough game.

“I let what they do on defense affect how I think, but at the end of the day I’m confident in myself,” Archie said.

Related: USF’s Bryce Archie has been waiting to prove himself. Now is the time.

On USF’s last drive of the half, Archie attempted a deep pass that was intercepted by sophomore Navy cornerback Irabonoise Oniha. 

The quarterback has had trouble moving the ball downfield this year, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. The rate is tied for the third-lowest mark in the American American Athletic Conference according to ESPN.

Early game defensive woes

Defensively, the Bulls put themselves in a hole quickly, giving up three touchdowns by halftime. 

Going down early has been a trend for the Bulls this season, as it has faced a halftime deficit in seven of its nine games.

Senior linebacker Jhalyn Shuler said maintaining consistency has been a challenge for the defensive unit.

“It’s easy to maintain discipline on a couple of drives, but  being able to do it throughout the whole game is probably the most difficult part of it, ” Shuler said.

USF’s defense has been stout after halftime this season, not allowing multiple second-half touchdown scores since its loss against Tulane on Sept. 28. 

Up Next

With three games remaining on the schedule, USF needs to secure two wins to become bowl eligible. 

The Bulls will play its next contest on the road, facing AAC opponent Charlotte on Saturday.

The Bulls will take on a 49ers team coming off its bye week. Last year’s matchup was the first ever between the two, and South Florida walked away with a 48-14 win.

USF will take on Charlotte on the road at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 16. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.