Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
A Fourth-and-3 Draw and a 55-Yard Field Goal Decided What 1-of-10 on Third Down Already Suggested
A weekly, unique recap show for each college football team that played a game. This unique look at what occured has a forward-looking approach and gets you what you need to know. For hardcore fans, casual onlookers and the gambler looking for an edge. Check out the Depth Dossier!
This is the Depth Dossier: the South Florida Bulls, Week 10.
South Florida's third-down number tells you almost everything you need to know about how this one ended. The Bulls went just one-for-ten on third down, were scoreless in the third quarter, and still lost 20 to 17 on a walk-off 55-yard field goal from East Carolina's Andrew Conrad. That's South Florida's third loss this season by seven points or fewer, and it came despite outgaining the Pirates by 32 yards.
Here's the quick version of how it happened. Quarterback Kromenhoek, making his first career start, opened the game with a nearly perfect five-for-five drive capped by a touchdown to wide receiver Bryson Rodgers. He finished 17 of 21 for 179 yards. Running back Crowther ran for 111 yards with a couple of explosive gains, but he left the game during the fourth-quarter tying drive with an injury. Running back Jason Collins punched in the score that tied it at 17, but the defense couldn't get a final stop, and Conrad beat the clock with that 55-yarder.
Now, why did a team that moved the ball well still lose? Start with that third-down number. South Florida averaged five and a half yards per play, which is solid, but converting only one of ten third downs means you can't stay on the field. East Carolina converted 40 percent of theirs, and that gap was basically the difference in a three-point game.
The biggest single swing came in the third quarter. South Florida drove to the East Carolina 28 to start the second half, went for it on fourth and three instead of kicking, and Kromenhoek's quarterback draw lost three yards. East Carolina scored on the very next possession, turning a tied game into a seven-point hole. It was an aggressive call, an understandable one, but it cost them.
There was also points left on the board in the red zone. South Florida drove to the ten-yard line late in the first half and had to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown, exactly the kind of points that matter in a game decided by three.
And the finish had its own wrinkles. East Carolina started its last drive at its own 14 with under two minutes left. A pass interference call on defensive back Tavin Ward gave the Pirates new life, and they later converted a third and seventeen with an 18-yard catch to get into field goal range. South Florida had that drive on the ropes and couldn't finish it.
A couple of other notes worth keeping. Wide receiver Evan Dangler's only catch of the game was a 27-yard gain that set up a scoring chance at the one-yard line, a huge moment from a guy otherwise quiet. And South Florida didn't turn the ball over once, which makes the third-down and red-zone issues sting even more, since this wasn't lost on giveaways.
Turning to the depth chart, the biggest storyline is Crowther's health. He piled up 153 yards from scrimmage, including back-to-back runs of 23 and 25 yards, before leaving the game on that same tying drive. There's no word yet on what the injury is or how serious it might be, but he was the engine of the offense's best stretch, and his availability next week is the thing to watch most closely.
At quarterback, Kromenhoek's first career start looks like a real positive despite the loss. Throwing for 179 yards and a touchdown on just 21 attempts, with a near-flawless opening drive, is a strong debut, even with three sacks and that failed fourth-down draw mixed in. With starter Michael Van Buren Junior still working back from the injury that opened this door, Kromenhoek has given the coaching staff a real case to keep him in there once Van Buren's ready to go.
On defense, linebacker Grayson Howard logged a career-high 13 tackles, his third straight game leading the team. He's firmly the most consistent piece on that side of the ball. If Crowther ends up out or limited, expect the backfield questions that popped up earlier this season to come right back as South Florida tries to avoid a fourth loss by one score.
This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.