The Rutgers Scarlet Knights went into Tampa and pulled off a 23-13 upset over South Florida on national television Thursday night. Rutgers took advantage of South Florida turnovers and mistakes in the second half to pull off the 10-point win. The Scarlet Knights defense was stout all night against B.J. Daniels, and quarterback Gary Nova came through with some timely drives in the second half to clinch the win.
With six minutes remaining, Nova would lead the Scarlet Knights down the field on a six-play, 52-yard drive that resulted in a Kyle Federico chip-shot field goal. Nova fired a strike to Tim Wright for a 46-yard gain that promptly moved Rutgers from midfield to inside the ten. The field goal would prove to be the winner as the defense stepped up over the final five minutes.
Rutgers took advantage of three USF turnovers in the third quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a touchdown lead. But B.J. Daniels and the Bulls did not go quietly in the fourth, as the veteran quarterback led a game-tying touchdown drive to knot things up at 13-13. The big play of the drive came when Daniels hit Derrick Hopkins on a fade to the left side for 32 yards. Hopkins hauled it in right at the pylon, and Demetris Murray punched it in from one yard out on the very next play.
But after Federico's third field goal of the game, the Rutgers defense would stand tall and force a turnover on downs as Daniels tried to lead the Bulls down the field for a game-tying field goal. Jawan Jamison iced the game and put it away with a breakout run to the left side, a 41-yard scamper to put the lead at 10. A gif of the dynamic spin move that broke the run:
Rutgers pounded the ball with Jamison all night, with the back finishing with 40 carries for 149 yards.
Kyle Flood's team will now have a long week to prepare for an SEC showdown with Arkansas next Saturday.
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