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Daniels, USF rout Ball State

Sep 11, 2011 - 4:55 AM Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - B.J. Daniels threw for 359 yards and one touchdown on 28-of-39 passing to lead No. 22 South Florida to a 37-7 thrashing of Ball State on Saturday.

Darrell Scott rushed 11 times for 82 yards and one score -- including a long run of 31 yards -- while Demetris Murray carried the ball 14 times for 49 yards and a touchdown for South Florida (2-0).

Victor Marc grabbed four passes for 81 yards and a touchdown for the Bulls, while Terrence Mitchell hauled in seven balls for 60 yards.

Maikon Bonani connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts for South Florida, which was coming off last week's victory at Notre Dame.

Keith Wenning completed 24-of-35 passes for 148 yards, while Jahwan Edwards rushed seven times for 42 yards and Ball State's only touchdown.

Jack Tomlinson caught five balls for 39 yards for Ball State (1-1), which defeated Indiana last Saturday.

South Florida wasted no time scoring as Ball State returner Phil Dudley fumbled the opening kickoff and Mark Joyce recovered the ball and scampered 17 yards to give the Bulls an early 7-0 lead.

On the Bulls' second possession, the offense utilized a nice balance of running and passing plays to march 76 yards on 12 plays, capping the drive with a 31-yard field goal from Bonani for a 10-0 advantage.

South Florida poured it on in the second quarter. Bonani booted a 24-yard field goal to make it 13-0 and the Bulls used a nine-play, 80-yard march to score again. This time, Murray punched it in for a two-yard touchdown and a 20-0 lead.

"I guess it's the time and the work that we put in all spring and summer," Daniels said of being able to read defenses. "The receivers and I are trying to make sure we are all on the same page and it's the little things; timing and trust and things like that. Being a second year in the offense makes the difference."

Following a Ball State three-and-out, South Florida added another Bonani field goal from 38 yards, and closed out a dominant first half with an effective four-play, 71-yard drive and a 22-yard strike from Daniels to Marc for a 30-0 advantage.

Late in the third quarter, the Bulls offense kept humming along. Starting at his own 35-yard line, Scott broke a big run for 31 yards, down to the Ball State 34-yard line on the first play of the drive, and got down to the Cardinals' one-yard line before punching it in for a 37-0 lead.

Ball State finally broke the shutout early in the final quarter. Starting from their own 27 yard line, the Cardinals put together a 77-yard drive in nine plays, capping it with a 13-yard touchdown run from Edwards.

"I mean you have to give credit to their defense, they're a lot faster than we're used to, that was the hard part about not moving the ball," Wenning said of his team's inability to produce on offense.

Game Notes

Claude Davis recorded two sacks for the Bulls...Justin Brockhaus-Kann punted four times for South Florida, averaging 45.8 yards per kick and placing one inside the 20 yard line...Ball State punter Scott Kovanda punted eight times for an average of 41.9 yards and a long of 56 yards.