Western Kentucky vs. South Florida: Miami Beach Bowl Recap, Score, What’s Next

WKU vs. USF Miami Beach Bowl recap, score and what’s next for the Hilltoppers and Bulls.

Miami Beach Bowl Recap

Score: Western Kentucky 45, South Florida 35

And You Care Because … For the second straight game, Western Kentucky overcame a sluggish first half to pull away for a double-digit point victory. The Conference USA champs, who also stumbled out of the gate against Southern Miss in the Dec. 5 league title game, erased a halftime deficit to South Florida by scoring four third-quarter touchdowns. Hilltopper Brandon Doughty threw three touchdown passes in the period, including a pair to Nicholas Norris, to build a lead that would never be erased. The Bulls rallied in the final quarter to pull within 38-35 on a 53-yard Quinton Flowers strike to Rodney Adams. But WKU RB Anthony Wales salted the game away with a 42-yard scamper down the sideline with 5:09 left.

What Else?

WKU QB Brandon Doughty finished his record-setting career by completing 32-of-45 for 461 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of picks.

South Florida QB Quinton Flowers was one of three 100-yard rushers, going for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

Five different Hilltopper receivers caught at least five balls, led by Taywan Taylor’s eight receptions for 114 yards.

The Bulls and Hilltoppers combined for more than 1,200 yards of total offense.

Each team committed nine penalties, but only Western Kentucky turned the ball over, both on Doughty interceptions.

South Florida lacked offensive balance; while they nearly doubled Western Kentucky on the ground, Flowers connected on only 14-of-34 passes.

In the third quarter alone, WKU produced four touchdowns and 222 yards of total offense.

Game Rating: B+

The Miami Beach Bowl lived up to the hype in a game that was supposed to produce plenty of fireworks. The matchup was competitive until deep into the fourth quarter, featured a number of trick plays and produced eight touchdowns after halftime.

What’s next for Western Kentucky?

Jeff Brohm has done a brilliant job of directing the Hilltopper offense. But now the coach has his toughest challenge to date, replacing prolific, record-setting QB Brandon Doughty. Junior Nelson Fishback is first in line after serving as the backup. The encouraging news is that the entire line returns, along with top rushers Anthony Wales and D’Andre Ferby and leading receivers Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris.

The Toppers will have a lot of holes to fill this offseason on defense and special teams. The biggest one will be at linebacker, where Nick Holt used to roam the field. Western Kentucky will also be shorthanded at defensive tackle and cornerback, the old stomping ground of Wonderful Terry and Prince Charles Iworah. All-league PK Garrett Schwettman must be replaced as well.

What’s next for South Florida ?

The parts are in place for the Bulls to build on the offensive momentum they built late in 2015. All-star RB Marlon Mack and emerging dual-threat QB Quinton Flowers were just sophomores, and just about everyone who caught a pass is back. The O-line will be the big worry, since three starters have graduated, namely all-league LG Thor Jozwiak.

Willie Taggart’s defense will be a blend of good news and bad news. On the one hand, DT Deadrin Senat, LB Auggie Sanchez and CB Deatrick Nichols will ensure that there’ll be a playmaker at each level. However, on the other, the unit loses a number of veterans up front, as well as underrated P Mattias Ciabatti, who helped immensely with field position.