USF head coach Alex Golesh stood at the podium after Saturday’s loss against Alabama and defended his fourth-quarter decision to kick a field goal over going for the touchdown.   

“I thought you had to go get points there in the drive and make it a one possession game,” Golesh said. “And I thought it was gonna be hard to chase it with just over five minutes left there.” 

Golesh – who usually has a penchant for aggressive fourth-down calls – opted for the safe choice. A touchdown would’ve made it a one-point game with just over six minutes to play. 

   After that, the onslaught ensued. 

Related: USF falls to Alabama in fourth quarter collapse

Alabama (2-0) flexed its muscles on a tired Bulls (1-1) defense and closed out the game with three straight touchdowns – bringing the final score to 42-16.

Here are some observations from Saturday’s loss.  

There were shades of last season in Saturday’s game. Much like last year’s 17-3 loss to Alabama, USF hung in there as long as it could – it was a one-score game throughout much of the match. 

Related: Live updates: USF vs. Alabama

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the game falls on junior quarterback Byrum Brown and the offense. Brown struggled to connect with his receivers, sailing several passes over his targets.

Brown looked errant and uncomfortable in the pocket. After completing 65% of his passes against Bethune-Cookman on Aug. 31, his accuracy took a nosedive in Saturday’s game. He only managed to complete 15 of his 35 pass attempts.

The Bulls failed to stretch the field vertically, only chalking up 3.8 yards per play. 

But if there’s one glaring observation from Saturday’s loss, it’s the inability to capitalize on opportunities. 

The Bulls offense was painfully inconsistent, even the few times USF moved into Alabama’s red zone. Out of four trips, USF could only walk away with one touchdown – a 2-yard rush by senior running back Ta’Ron Keith in the third quarter.  

The defense, conversely, played a solid game. USF sacked junior Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe three times and forced three Crimson Tide turnovers. 

The Crimson Tide rarely make mistakes with the football – they only turned the ball over 11 times all of last season. 

USF was only able to score seven points from those turnovers. 

Up next

USF will hit the road for the second-straight week and take on Southern Mississippi on Saturday. 

The Golden Eagles (1-1) are led by former Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who made one start for the Seminoles last season. 

USF is 1-3 all-time against Southern Mississippi, having last met in a 27-20 loss for the Bulls in 2004.