University of Houston
8-1 , 6-0
USF
2-7 , 1-4
Cougars Hold off Bulls 54-42
11/6/2021 9:05:00 PM | Football
Dell, Carter tally 100+ receiving yards; Henry, McCaskill record 100+ rushing yards
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Clayton Tune was 21 of 26 for 385 yards and three touchdowns, Ta'Zhawn Henry had a 97-yard TD run and No. 20 Houston held off an upset bid by South Florida in a 54-42 victory Saturday night.
Henry had 130 yards on 10 carries, and Alton McCaskill picked up 125 yards on 22 attempts. Nathaniel Dell made eight catches for 164 yards and a score.
McCaskill got his third rushing TD from 8 yards out to make it 54-42 with 2:27 to play. The Cougars (8-1, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) have won eight in a row for the first time since 2016.
Houston star defensive back-kick returner Marcus Jones was shaken up midway through the third but returned later in the quarter. He wasn't on the field for part of the fourth period.
Brian Battie had two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and a 29-yard TD run to help South Florida (2-7, 1-4) take a 28-26 halftime lead. Battie, who has three 100-yard kickoff returns this year, brought back the game-opening kick for a score and went the distance again with 2:16 left in the second quarter.
South Florida quarterback Timmy McClain went 22 of 46 for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.
The Bulls gained 232 first-half yards against Houston's fourth-ranked defense that had allowed 286.9 yards and 19 points per game coming in. South Florida finished with 399 total yards, but Houston piled up 646.
Jake Herslow made a nifty leaping catch in the back of the end zone on an 18-yard pass from Tune midway through the first quarter, but the Cougars trailed 14-9 after the opening 15 minutes.
Houston entered the game outscoring opponents 107-24 in the first quarter.
Jones, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a clinching TD with 17 seconds remaining in Houston's 44-37 win over SMU last week that lifted the Cougars into the Top 25 for the first time since October 2018, was sent airborne on a tackle by Timarcus Simpson after a 19-yard runback on the kickoff following Battie's first TD return.
Jones had a 100-yard second-quarter interception return neglected by a holding call, but the Cougars scored on the ensuing possession when Tune hooked up with Dell on a 55-yard scoring strike.
UP NEXTThe Cougars continue on the road at Temple on Saturday, Nov. 13 with kickoff at 11 a.m. CT.
Team Stats
HOU 0, USF 7
USF - Battie,Brian 100 yd kickoff return (Shrader,Spencer kick)
HOU 7, USF 7
HOU - Herslow,Jake 18 yd pass from Tune,Clayton (Witherspoon,Dalton kick) 7 plays, 56 yards, TOP 02:51
HOU 7, USF 14
USF - Battie,Brian 29 yd run (Shrader,Spencer kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:51
HOU 9, USF 14
HOU - Bell,Atlias 0 yd safety
HOU 12, USF 14
HOU - Witherspoon,Dalton 19 yd field goal 8 plays, 56 yards, TOP 03:37
HOU 12, USF 21
USF - Brinkman,Mitchell 33 yd pass from McClain,Timmy (Shrader,Spencer kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:33
HOU 19, USF 21
HOU - McCaskill,Alton 6 yd run (Witherspoon,Dalton kick), 5 plays, 54 yards, TOP 01:51
HOU 26, USF 21
HOU - Dell,Nathaniel 55 yd pass from Tune,Clayton (Witherspoon,Dalton kick) 3 plays, 87 yards, TOP 00:40
HOU 26, USF 28
USF - Battie,Brian 100 yd kickoff return (Shrader,Spencer kick)
HOU 33, USF 28
HOU - McCaskill,Alton 2 yd run (Witherspoon,Dalton kick), 5 plays, 67 yards, TOP 02:06
HOU 40, USF 28
HOU - Henry,Ta'Zhawn 97 yd run (Witherspoon,Dalton kick), 1 plays, 97 yards, TOP 00:14
HOU 40, USF 35
USF - Carter,Chris 14 yd pass from McClain,Timmy (Shrader,Spencer kick) 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 03:05
HOU 47, USF 35
HOU - Singleton,Jeremy 27 yd pass from Tune,Clayton (Witherspoon,Dalton kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:14
HOU 47, USF 42
USF - McClain,Timmy 11 yd run (Shrader,Spencer kick), 9 plays, 60 yards, TOP 02:34
HOU 54, USF 42
HOU - McCaskill,Alton 16 yd run (Witherspoon,Dalton kick), 3 plays, 44 yards, TOP 01:31
