Sunday, 3 a.m.
Any thought that the USF football team had improved, it turns out, were premature.
The Bulls, once again, were clobbered on Saturday. Once again, they gave up 56 points to a losing team. This time, it was by Florida Atlantic, a team that has always been smaller, less impactful than USF, which won 56-14.
The Owls dominated USF, especially with a 35-0 second half. They had 12 plays of 20 yards or more, not counting a 67-yard punt return.
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The Bulls had won three of their first five games, and had lost a close game to powerful Alabama, so it had seemed the Bulls were on the rise. In the last two weeks, the Bulls have given up 112 points and 1,197 yards.
FAU quarterback Daniel Richardson threw for 382 yards. Receivers Tony Johnson (131) and LaJohntay Wester (123) caught passes for 254 yards.
USF plays at UConn at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
FSU 41, Syracuse 3: The fast start of the FSU Seminoles continued Saturday in a 41-3 walloping of Syracuse.
The Seminoles, 6-0 and ranked fourth in the country, were never threatened in their easy victory.. Star quarterback Jordan Travis threw for 284 yards, and receiver Keon Coleman caught nine for 140 yards.
Syracuse got 110 yards from LeQuint Allen. Lawrence Toefill got 93 yards for FSU.
FSU faces a test Saturday when it plays host to Duke.
Florida 41, South Carolina 39: On his finest day as a Florida quarterback, Graham Mertz pulled out a football game on Saturday.
Mertz brought the Gators from 10 points down in the final five minutes, throwing touchdown passes off four yards to Artis Boardingham and 21 yards to Ricky Pearsall. For the day, Mertz threw for 484 yards and three scores.
Pearsall caught 10 passes for 166 yards.
Florida plays No. 1-ranked Georgia in Jacksonville in two weeks.
North Carolina 41, Miami 31: Drake Maye threw for four touchdowns and the Tar Heels moved away from Miami in the second half.
Maye led the 12th-ranked North Carolina team to a 21-point third period. For the night, he had 273 yards, including 132 yards to Devontez Walker. Omarion Hampton rushed for for 197 yards for Carolina.
Tyler Van Dyke threw for 391 yards for Miami, which lost its second straight game. Jacolby George caught six passes for 125 yards.
Miami is home against Clemson at 8 p.m. on Saturday.