USF beats FAU 44-21 as rivalry heats up as Golesh and Herman leave the field after the game
FAU Coach Tom Herman wants a rivalry and USF head coach Alex Golesh is happy to give to him
The University of South Florida Bulls improved their record to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference with a win over Florida Atlantic, who fell to 1-4 overall and remained winless 0-3 in the AAC, with a score of 44-21 on Friday night.
USF used an explosive run game that rolled up 319 yards on 7.4 yards per carry led by Nay’Quan Wright ( 117 yards and a touchdown), Kelley Joiner ( 89 yards and a touchdown) and Ta’Ron Keith (81 yards and a touchdown). The Bulls defense also turned in a program-record tying seven sacks and a strong second half performance that forced FAU into a turnover, three punts and three turnovers on downs. Junior quarterback Bryce Archie, in his third career start, posted his second win under center throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulls did not commit a turnover while logging 13 tackles for loss.
As the Bulls dominated the Owls in route to their fourth win of the season.
FAU wanted a rivalry and now they have it
The game, broadcast to a national television audience, highlighted the burgeoning rivalry between the American Athletic Conference foes. In the lead-up to the game, FAU head coach Tom Herman candidly acknowledged the rivalry with USF, declaring, “We don’t like them, and I hope they don’t like us.”
Last season in Tampa, during the inaugural meeting between the two AAC members, FAU ran up the score against the Bulls, 56-14, an event that Bulls’ first-year coach Golish has not forgotten. The Owls attempted and recovered an onside kick, then chose to go for it on fourth down while leading by 42 points in the fourth quarter.
USF didn’t forget the gamesmanship from Herman
On Friday night in Boca Raton, Golesh reciprocated as, on the final play of the game, the Bulls opted go for it on a fourth down while leading by 23 points and succeeded with a 10-yard pass. It was a subtle indication that USF intended to leave Boca Raton having made a definitive statement.
As the game concluded, USF head coach Golesh engaged in a brief, cold handshake with Herman, seemingly triggering an outburst from Herman. He followed Golesh, verbally confronting him for a few moments. At one juncture, Herman appeared poised to confront Golesh once more, only to be pulled away by his wife Michelle, who grasped his shirt sleeve.
Golesh addressed the postgame handshake in his press conference
Golesh made sure Herman knew they were rivals
“Not a whole lot of back and forth. Nothing really, I said a year ago, we would be back to get it and we came back to get it. Whatever’s said is said, I’m good. I think it was said that we recruit against each other, I think it’s said we don’t like each other. I got a lot of respect for the staff. I think they do a really good job. I don’t specifically think we recruit against each other, at least I can’t think of a guy that we had to go beat them on.
“We certainly run into them, I got a lot of respect for a lot of those guys, but I said we were coming back to get it. Last year at the end of the game, we got embarrassed at home. We came and got it, and we’ll continue to do so.”
