Sunday, 3 a.m.
Before the game, there was some question of who was going to play quarterback for USF.
Afterward, the only question was which one had played better.
-- Starter Jordan McCloud hit nine of 12 passes for two touchdowns.
-- Backup Jah'Quez Evans ran for 99 yards and a touchdown.
-- Backup Kirk Rygol hit six of 12 passes and threw a touchdown play.
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It was all too much for East Carolina to contend with in a 45-20 loss to the Bulls Saturday afternoon. USF had most of its weapons working. Jordan Cronkrite ran for 129 yards on just 12 carries. As a team, the Bulls ran for 347 yards and gained 525 yards of total offense.
"To come on the road and get another conference win, it was really good," USF coach Charlie Strong said. "We ran the ball really well, rushed for over 300 yards and the offense did a great job. We ended up playing three quarterbacks, but it was just good to see them play so hard. Defensively, we were able to get the stops at the right time.”
Strong liked the play of Evans.
“He’s very dynamic and very athletic, a guy that can make a lot of plays with his feet. He can throw the ball well, too. We just knew that we had to give him a chance and get him on the field, because when the ball was in his hands, you just saw what he can do.”
USF gave up a touchdown return to open the game, but then outscored the Pirates 35-3 in the first half.
The margin could have been greater, but USF was called for penalties 13 times for 124 yards.
The Bulls play Temple at home on Nov. 7.
FSU 35, Syracuse 17: Once again, the FSU Seminoles lost the fourth quarter.
This time, it didn't matter.
Saturday, all Syracuse did with two fourth-period touchdowns was make the score closer. FSU built a 35-3 going into the final period.
Cam Akers ran for 144 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Seminoles. Alex Hornibrook started at quarterback for FSU and threw for 196 yards.
After the game, FSU coach Willie Taggart said he thought Akers was "the best running back in the country"
"It was good to see Cam do what he said he was going to do," Taggart said. And that was? "He was going to break the touchdown record. He was going to run for a lot of yards.He was going to put this football team on his back, and he did that."
FSU is home against Miami next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Miami 16, Pitt 12: Quarterback Jarren Williams, the former starter for the Hurricanes, went a long way toward recapturing his old job Saturday afternoon.
Williams came off the bench midway through the fourth quarter and threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to K.D. Osborn with 58 seconds to play. He drove the Canes 62 yards for the win.
The Hurricanes had given up 87 points in their previous three games, but held the Panthers to just four field goals.
Miami didn't move the ball much itself, rushing for only 54 yards.
“Extraordinarily proud of the staff and players,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said. “It’s another week in the ACC Coastal. ...The outstanding red-zone defense — keeping the score down and keeping Pitt out of our end zone — ultimately gave us a chance to put together one drive at the end of the game for the win.
“It’s a league of very fine margins, and today we were the team that made the plays in the critical situations.’’
Miami plays FSU in Tallahassee Saturday.
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