USFNation Game Balls & Top Performers: Kansas

The Bulls match-up against Kansas was one of the most exciting games in USF history. The Bulls came back from a 20-3 deficit to score 31 unanswered points, and won the game on the leg of true freshman kicker Maikon Bonai to stay undefeated. Find out who the staff at USFNation picked as the top-performers.

Player of the game:

• QB Matt Grothe –On a national against one of the more accurate passers in the league, the Bulls signal caller one again showed he can put the team on his back and carry them to victory. Grothe completed 32-of-45 passes for 328 yards, with two touchdowns through the air and also had 57 yards rushing and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. More importantly, Matt had zero interceptions on the night compared to the one crucial pick thrown by Reesing, and came out on top in the showdown of top QB’s. Through three games Grothe has 7-scores though the air and one on the ground.

Game Balls

• K Maikon Bonani - The true freshman playing in his first college game missed his first attempt of 41-yards, but never missed again on the night. Maikon finished 3-of-4 on the night and made all his PAT attempts, but no kick was bigger than the 43 yarder he had to attempt with the game tied at 34 and 2-seconds left in regulation. After a timeout called by Kansas to try an ice the freshman, Bonani showed he has ice running through his veins as he nailed the kick for one of the best finishes in USF history.

• S Nate Allen – No play was bigger on the night then when Reesing threw a long floater that Allen picked off and returned 40-yards with just over one minute left in the game to set up USF’s game-winning field goal. Nate showed he was a playmaker last season, but this was the Cape Coral native’s first interception of the season and the fifth of the his career, and couldn’t have come at a better time.

• RB Jamar Taylor – With Mike Ford and Ben Williams hobbled, Jamar had the hot hand and made the most of his opportunity. Taylor rushed for 72 yards on 11 carries against the Jayhawks and it was that rushing which was a big part of the 31 straight points scored for the Bulls. Taylor scored his first touchdown of the season with 1:09 left in the third quarter on a 13-yard run, and almost had another great run for that would have been a score but officials ruled his foot touched the line. Taylor played with inspiration after losing his grandfather during the week and showed the bulls have quite a stable of backs.

Other Top performers

• DE George Selvie –The Bulls All-American was all over the field and even though his numbers weren’t huge his presence was felt all night. Selvie became USF’s career sacks leader when he got to Kansas QB Todd Reesing in the fourth quarter, his first of the season, and finished with 4 tackles, a sack for a loss of 11-yards and an outstanding three pass break-ups.  

• CB Jerome Murphy –The junior corner led the Bulls defense for the second week in a row, finishing with 8.5 tackles and two pass break-ups. Murphy was flying all over the field, making plays, and delivering hits.  

• USF Receivers – The unit had a great game all around. Taurus Johnson, A.J. Love, & Jessie Hester Jr. combined for 17 catches for 210 yards and 2 scores. Johnson made a highlight catch in the end zone, and Love scored his first of the season as the receivers made big plays all night long. 

• Kansas QB Todd Reesing- The Jayhawk was simply amazing for 59 minutes of play before the fateful pick that led to the Bulls game winning field goal. Reesing finished with 373 yards on with 3 TD’s and one on the ground, and was everything he was touted to be. 

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