By D.J. Crowther Has Given USF’s 3–0 Start Something It Needed: A Finisher
By Ken Filler | Tampa Bay Sports Journal
TAMPA — D.J. Crowther needed eight carries Saturday night to show what kind of impact he can have on the USF offense.
He carried the ball just eight times, yet found the end zone three times.
Crowther is just one more reason to think the Bulls’ 3–0 start has some staying power.
Crowther rushed for 101 yards, caught two passes for another 40 and scored three times in the Bulls’ 59–17 victory over Delaware State at Raymond James Stadium.
The American Conference named him its Offensive Player of the Week. An easy choice after a night in which he scored from 10, 38 and 39 yards.
Crowther scored on USF’s opening possession, giving the Bulls a 7-0 lead, and the fast start they wanted.
He would strike again later in the first quarter. Then, in the third, a 39-yard touchdown helped turn a comfortable lead into a game that was out of reach.
Crowther is becoming USF’s offensive finisher. He takes the yards the blocking gives him and makes the defense pay for every mistake.
For a team that opened the season searching for its offensive rhythm, Crowther’s emergence has paid huge dividends for the USF offense.
The Bulls beat FIU 16–3 largely because their defense forced turnovers and Nico Gramatica made four field goals.
Although the Bulls found a way to win, they still didn’t look like an offense ready to overwhelm anyone.
The next week at Army, we saw a sneak peek of the potential of the USF offense.
The Bulls handled a difficult road-game atmosphere, stayed patient throughout, and made enough plays to win 24–21.
Crowther’s contribution to the 3-0 start and what he means to this USF offense cannot be measured only by the game against Delaware State.
His value is that he gives a rebuilt offense a reliable running back it can turn to as the games change.
Saturday we saw the explosive version of Crowther.
The Bulls rolled up a season-high 611 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns, the second-most in a game in school history.
Against Delaware State, the Bulls finally put together the kind of offensive night fans have been waiting to see under Brian Hartline.
He averaged 12.6 yards per carry and also showed he can contribute in the passing game, finishing with a combined 141 yards from scrimmage.
That combination gives USF more ways to use him and gives opposing defenses another problem to solve.
According to USF’s game notes, Crowther became just the third Bull to rush for at least 100 yards and three touchdowns while adding at least 40 receiving yards in the same game.
Darrell Scott did it in 2011, and Andre Hall did it in 2004.
Crowther is the first USF player with three rushing touchdowns in a game since Jaren Mangham against Florida A&M in 2021.
Let’s keep in mind that Delaware State was also overmatched on Saturday. Crowther will face tougher fronts as the season goes on.
One big night cannot answer every question about USF’s running game.
But it can give us an answer: When there was room to run, Crowther made the most of it every time.
The Bulls have already shown they can win with defense and field goals.
They have shown they can survive a close game on the road. Now they have shown what their offense can look like when it gets rolling.
Crowther has a place in each version of this team.
At 3–0 for the first time since 2018, USF has earned some excitement. Crowther has earned more than that.
He has earned a bigger place in the conversation about how far these Bulls can go.
