By By Ken Filler | Tampa Bay Sports Journal
TAMPA — Brian Hartline’s first game as a college head coach did not look anything like the offensive fireworks many USF fans probably expected.
That does not mean it was a failure, far from it.
The Bulls opened the Hartline era with a 19-9 victory over FIU on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. It was not pretty. It was not explosive. But it was disciplined, physical and, most importantly, a win.
USF finished with only 208 yards of offense and scored just one touchdown. Still, the Bulls protected the football, forced three turnovers, committed only four penalties, and leaned on Nico Gramatica’s right leg to remain in control.
Hartline was not hired to produce 19 points and 208 yards every week. Everyone understands that. But the opening night offered the first real look at what he wants this program to become.
Here are five things we learned about Hartline and the Bulls from the season-opening victory.
1. Hartline truly means it when he talks about complementary football
Coaches talk about complementary football so often that the phrase can begin to sound empty. Hartline showed Saturday that it is more than a slogan for him.
When the offense struggled, he didn’t get impatient and start calling reckless plays. USF played for field position, trusted its defense, and took the points Gramatica provided.
“We’re going to play complementary football,” Hartline said. “We’re going to play tough, sound football. Whatever it takes is what we’re going to do.”
That is precisely how USF won. The defense created short fields. Special teams converted opportunities. The offense did not give the game away.
It was a dramatic change from the fast-paced, high-scoring style Bulls fans watched under Alex Golesh. There will be nights when Hartline’s offense has to score 40 points. Saturday was not one of them, and he did not coach as though it was.
2. This defense could become the backbone of the team
The most encouraging part of the opener was Josh Aldridge’s defense.
FIU gained 381 yards, including 301 through the air, but those numbers did not tell the complete story.
USF allowed only 80 rushing yards, forced three turnovers, and kept the Panthers out of the end zone until the final play.
Tayvion Beasley changed the game by recognizing a screen pass, jumping the route and returning an interception 25 yards to the FIU 35.
That takeaway set up D.J. Crowther’s 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Amarion Fortenberry made an important fourth-down stop and later recovered a fumble.
Tavin Ward added an interception. Eight of FIU’s 11 possessions ended with a punt, turnover, or failed fourth-down attempt.
The defense bent, but it repeatedly made the play that mattered.
Ward was still bothered by the touchdown USF allowed as time expired.
“That’s not the way we want to finish,” Ward said. “That finish was unacceptable, regardless of what the outcome of the game was.”
That response tells you something. This group is not judging itself by the final score alone.
3. Hartline will not apologize for winning ugly
USF fans have spent years wanting the Bulls to become relevant again. Saturday night, 41,847 people—including 9,873 students—showed up to see the beginning of a new era.
They probably expected more offense. Hartline understands that. He also knows style points don’t count in the standings.
“Winning’s always hard,” Hartline said. “It’s never easy. Never take it for granted, because if you do, it’s fleeting.”
That is the perspective of a coach who spent years around a program where every victory was expected, and anything less than dominance was questioned.
Hartline knows USF must improve, but he also knows rebuilding a roster with 62 new players and starting 19 newcomers is complicated. Opening night was about finding a way through the uncertainty.
There is value in learning that you can win when the offense is not sharp. Good teams do not always play well. They still find a way to leave the stadium with a victory.
4. The offense remains a major work in progress
Here is the uncomfortable part: USF will not beat the better teams on its schedule with Saturday’s offensive production.
Michael Van Buren completed 11 of 18 passes for 100 yards. The Bulls rushed 38 times for 108 yards, an average of only 2.8 yards per carry.
They produced 14 first downs, did not have a play longer than 14 yards, and reached the red zone only once.
For an offensive line promoted as one of the biggest in program history, there was not enough consistent movement at the line of scrimmage. Jason Collins Jr. led the Bulls with 59 yards on 17 carries, while Crowther added 42 yards and the team’s only touchdown.
Hartline acknowledged that the Bulls wasted too many chances.
“We had a couple drives and opportunities, and we were shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said.
“Whether it was a missed assignment, execution, a penalty, or a drop, those things add up. We’ve got to clean them up.”
Van Buren deserves credit for taking care of the football and calmly handling his first USF start.
But Hartline, one of college football’s most respected receiver developers, surely knows the passing game must become more aggressive and more explosive.
The Bulls cannot ask their defense and kicker to carry this much weight every week.
5. Hartline has already established a disciplined baseline
The offensive struggles were obvious, but so were several signs of a well-prepared team.
USF did not commit a turnover. The Bulls were penalized only four times for 30 yards. There were no delay-of-game penalties, no major sideline confusion, and no stretch when the game seemed too big for a roster filled with newcomers.
That matters in a season opener.
Gramatica made field goals from 37, 53, 30 and 29 yards. His 53-yarder extended his school record to six field goals of at least 50 yards, and his reliability gave Hartline the freedom to stay patient.
Van Buren called Gramatica “automatic,” and on Saturday night, that was exactly what he was.
Hartline also did not pretend the performance was better than it was.
“Usually your biggest growth is from Week 1 to Week 2,” he said. “That will be a huge goal of ours.”
It has to be. USF travels to West Point next Saturday to face Army in its American Conference opener. The Bulls will need better blocking, more explosive plays, and sharper execution.
Still, the first game taught us something important about Hartline. He is willing to win in different ways.
His team remained composed, protected the football, and responded when the game reached the fourth quarter.
The offense is not close to where it needs to be. The defense may be further along than expected. The special teams already look like a weapon.
And the Brian Hartline era is 1-0.
That is a pretty good place to start.
