USF Falls at East Carolina 20-17 on a 55-Yard Field Goal as Time Expires

Andrew Conrad kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired Friday night to give East Carolina a 20-17 win over USF at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, handing the Bulls their third American Conference loss and likely ending their hopes of reaching the league championship game. USF, in its first season under coach Brian Hartline, fell to 6-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play. East Carolina improved to 5-4 and 3-2.

The Bulls had erased a seven-point deficit early in the fourth quarter and were level at 17 when they were forced to punt with under two minutes left. East Carolina then drove 49 yards in 10 plays and 1:42 to set up Conrad's kick, according to WUSF. An announced crowd of 33,708 stormed the field after the ball cleared the crossbar.

How the scoring unfolded

USF scored first and finished with no turnovers, but the Bulls managed just one touchdown after the opening quarter. The scoring summary, from ESPN:

The tying drive featured runs of 23 and 25 yards by D.J. Crowther and a 27-yard completion from Kromenhoek to tight end Evan Dangler, who was wide open along the right sideline, WUSF reported. Crowther was hurt on that drive, according to the station, and the Bulls did not score again.

The final drive

East Carolina's winning march did not come easily. USF's Asani Redwood sacked Williams to leave the Pirates facing third-and-17 from their own 42-yard line, but Williams found Ashton Gray on a screen over the middle for 18 yards and a first down with 16 seconds to play, according to WUSF. A 15-yard personal foul and pass interference penalties against USF also helped East Carolina move into range.

Conrad, who had not attempted a kick until that moment, then drilled the 55-yarder. Noah Perez handled East Carolina's other kicks, making a 44-yard field goal and both extra points, according to ESPN's box score.

Kromenhoek's first start

Luke Kromenhoek made his first start of the season in place of Michael Van Buren Jr., who was hurt in the second quarter of USF's 30-10 win over UAB on Oct. 31 and did not return. Hartline did not disclose the nature of Van Buren's injury after that game. Kromenhoek ran for 92 yards in relief against UAB, according to Green, Gold and Bold's coverage on Yahoo Sports.

Against East Carolina, Kromenhoek completed 17 of 21 passes for 179 yards and the touchdown to Rodgers, with no interceptions. WUSF reported that breakdowns along the offensive line limited the passing game. He also carried 15 times for just 19 yards; East Carolina sacked him three times, and college statistics count sack yardage against a quarterback's rushing total.

Crowther led USF with 111 rushing yards on 17 carries, and Rodgers caught five passes for 50 yards. The Bulls finished with 329 total yards to East Carolina's 361 and held the ball for 31:17, but they converted just 1 of 10 third downs and failed on their only fourth-down try. East Carolina won the first-down battle 25-19 and converted 6 of 15 third downs.

Sides and Williams lead East Carolina

East Carolina lost its starting quarterback early. Mitch Griffis went 7 of 11 for 48 yards before being injured in the second quarter, and Emory Williams took over, completing 19 of 27 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Landon Sides was his favorite target, catching 14 passes for 126 yards and both scores. Gray rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries.

USF linebacker Grayson Howard led all players with 13 tackles, and Redwood finished with 1.5 sacks. Punter Luke Goater averaged 46.4 yards on seven punts. The Bulls recovered one East Carolina fumble, by Sides, and committed six penalties for 54 yards.

Close losses define the season

USF's three defeats have come by a combined 14 points, according to WUSF: 17-13 at home against Temple on Oct. 3, 31-24 at UTSA on Oct. 8 and now 20-17 at East Carolina. The Bulls became bowl-eligible for the fourth straight season with the win over UAB, which pushed them to 6-2. Their full results, from ESPN's schedule:

All three losses have come against American Conference opponents, which is why a 6-3 overall record sits alongside a losing league mark.

A postgame without Hartline

Hartline did not speak to reporters afterward. Mike Basford, USF's associate vice president for communications, said the interview area East Carolina had set aside for the visiting team became untenable once fans ran onto the field, and a USF statement said the Bulls had no setup provided by ECU, WUSF reported. East Carolina coach Blake Harrell, speaking after the win, said tough times don't last but tough people do, according to the station.

What's next

The Bulls return to Raymond James Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 12, to host Memphis (7-2) at 8 p.m. in a national ESPN telecast. ESPN's SportsCenter is scheduled to broadcast live from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at the Bulls Bay plaza outside the stadium's south gates, according to WUSF. USF then visits in-state rival Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton on Nov. 21 before closing the regular season at home against Tulane on Nov. 27. Whether Van Buren is available for Memphis is the most pressing question for Tampa Bay's college football fans this week.