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CINCINNATI -- The University of Cincinnati football team could not overcome four turnovers and fell to the University of South Florida, 45-20, in an American Athletic Conference East Division matchup, Saturday at Nippert Stadium.
USF QB Quentin Flowers and RB Marlon Mack ran for two touchdowns apiece and Mack became the Bulls' career rushing leader as the Bulls scored the final 28 points on the night.
Bearcats' freshman Ross Trail threw for one touchdown and ran for another but threw three interceptions before being replaced by Gunner Kiel after a USF pick-six. Tion Green had 98 yards rushing and a touchdown on 12 carries for Cincinnati (3-2, 0-1).
"We played with a lot of grit in the first half," UC Head Coach Tommy Tuberville said. "I thought we played how we wanted to play on both sides of the ball. Offensively, we didn't do much in the second half, we turned it over four times and when you do that against a good football team like that, especially one for a touchdown you're not going to win many football games."
Mack finished 118 yards on 20 carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that moved him past Andre Hall into first on South Florida's career rushing list. Mack, a junior, has 2,755 yards rushing in 28 career games.
Flowers completed 16 of 26 passes for 196 yards and added 74 yards rushing.
Mack's first touchdown, a 4-yard run, gave USF (4-1, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) a 24-20 lead with 1:40 left in the first half.
UC turned the ball over on three straight drives in the third quarter, with all three turnovers coming inside thier own 20-yard line. The Bulls converted 14 points out of those three drives.
"It was all about being able to control the ball in the second half," Tuberville said. "We had four turnovers they had zero and that's basically the ball game. We also need to find a way to make plays on offense. We didn't make one big play in the second half on offense. Dropping balls, turning it over, just didn't get it done. It was all my fault and we have to do a better job coaching the offense in the second half of big games. We have to get better and if we don't, we won't win many games. It's not a two-quarter game it's four quarters."
LB Eric Wilson's 12 tackles led the defense, which did not produce a turnover for the first time all season.
// THE TAKEAWAY
South Florida -- The Bulls came into the game ranked 24th in the FBS with eight takeaways. They had four more against the Bearcats: three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Cincinnati -- Kiel, who threw 40 combined touchdown passes in 2014 and 2015, completed his first three passes before finishing 3-of-11 passing for 47 yards. Sophomore Hayden Moore started the first three games of the season, throwing for 785 yards with seven TDs and three interceptions, before injuring his ankle in a 40-16 loss to Houston on Sept. 15.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati -- The Bearcats travel to Connecticut on October 8 for an 11:30 am game. Cincinnati was a 37-13 winner in their last meeting.