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What you may have missed from USF-Temple

 
Published Oct. 22, 2016

PHILADELPHIA — A few things you might have missed (especially if you were covering your eyes) during USF's 46-30 loss Friday to Temple:

• Those staggering offensive streaks posted by the Bulls met their demise against a stiff Temple defense, and a stubborn Owls offense that kept them off the field.

USF finished with 165 rushing yards, snapping its nation-best streak of 12 consecutive games of at least 200 yards on the ground. Their nation-leading streaks of games with at least 35 points and 440 yards (the Bulls finished with 352) also ended.

Their program-record conference win streak also ended at seven games.

• Three injured Bulls — S Devin Abraham (thumb), WR Ryeshene Bronson (shoulder) and WR Stanley Clerveaux (n/a) — didn't make the trip to Philadelphia. Also staying back home was promising freshman LT Logan MacDonald (unspecified reasons), who might have logged a few reps in the second half.

The Bulls momentarily were forced to scramble up front when LT Kofi Amichia went down with an apparent left leg injury on their first possession of the second half. Redshirt freshman Marcus Norman switched from right tackle to Amichia's spot, and converted defensive lineman Eric Mayes went to right tackle.

Amichia returned later in the game. Elsewhere, TE Kano Dillon (ankle) returned after a two-game absence, though freshman Mitchell Wilcox started again. CB Ronnie Hoggins (calf) made the trip but didn't play.

• With 67 yards on 13 carries, TB Marlon Mack now has 3,081 yards for his career, which supplants former Gators standout Fred Taylor for 14th place on the state's career rushing chart. With 51 yards next Friday against Navy, Mack will move past UCF's Willie English for 13th place.

• Four days after the Big 12 decided not to expand, American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco said he plans to meet with ESPN in the next two or three weeks to discuss renegotiating the league's TV contract.

The AAC's current deal pays $126 million over seven years, but few would argue the conference has strengthened since its 2013 formation. The league had 18 games with at least a million viewers in 2015, and the recent Houston-Cincinnati contest attracted the conference's best Thursday night audience (2.2 million).

"We want to do something with ESPN and we think that they recognize our value," Aresco said moments before Friday's kickoff. "We are far more valuable than we were 3 1/2 years ago. It is not even close. It is night and day."

• For all of Temple sophomore Ryquell Armstead's breakaways (he ran for 210 yards) and Jefferson High alumnus Ventell Bryant's clutch receptions (five catches, 115 yards), the unsung hero for the Owls may have been 240-pound fullback Nick Sharga.

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A two-way player in 2015 (fullback and linebacker), Sharga served as a lead blocker throughout the night, and his efforts didn't go unnoticed.

"Nick Sharga is amazing," Armstead said. "By the end of the third quarter he had USF players falling to their knees out of fear of making contact with him."

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.