Wednesday, 4 a.m.
It wasn’t the biggest bowl game you will ever see. It wasn’t the most watched.
Ah, but USF’s victory was still something to see.
The Bulls pulled out a 41-39 victory in five overtimes against San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl Tuesday night. It was a game that will be remembered for a long time, perhaps as long as it took to play it. The five overtimes was a record for a bowl game.
So who were the stars for USF?
How about kicker John Cannon, who doinked a 41-yard field goal off the right upright as time expired to tie the game?
How about Bryce Archie, who found Ke’ShawnSingleton for a two-point conversion and the winning points?
How about Mac Harris, who knocked away a pass that would have given San Jose State a tie?
It all led to a second straight bowl victory for Alex Golesh. The Bulls led 21-7 at one point in the game, but then had to come from behind to force extra time.
There were some memorable moments then, too.
How about a 93-yard kickoff return by Ta’Ron Keith for a touchdown?
How about an 11-catch, 104-yard receiving effort by Sean Atkins?
How about a 12-tackle performance by Jhalyn Shuler?
Yeah, there were good memories all around. San Jose State compiled 441 yards of offense, but the Bulls kept coming back.
USF had won just four games in three seasons before Golesh. In his two seasons, Golesh has 14 wins, including two bowl games.