As Tulsa receiver Joseph Williams made a dash towards the end zone, USF’s Ben Knox sprinted behind him, catching up just in time to reach around and punch the ball out of Williams’ hands. 

As the ball flew out of Williams’ grasp, Knox snagged it mid-air to recover the fumble.

The recovery was just one of the plays on Saturday that secured USF’s bowl-game eligibility with a 63-30 win over the Golden Hurricane.

Despite clinching the Bulls’ second consecutive bowl game, USF head coach Alex Golesh said it should be a “minimum expectation” for the program.

“I told our guys in the locker room that, in every imaginable way, the standard here cannot be bowl games,” Golesh said after the game.

The Bulls lost three straight games against Tulsa (3-8, 1-6 AAC) prior to the matchup, most recently losing 48-42 in 2022. 

Graduate running back Kelley Joiner showed out in his final home game as a Bull, rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Joiner scored in a 48-yard sprint just three plays into the game. 

Related: USF’s Kelley Joiner is rising to the occasion in his final season – The Oracle 

The Bulls were unrelenting early, scoring on three of their next five drives. 

“That’s just straight momentum,” junior quarterback Bryce Archie said about the hot start.

Related: USF QB Bryce Archie questionable for potential bowl-clinching game – The Oracle 

The Bulls’ passing attack stepped up against the Golden Hurricane after a series of touchy performances. Archie threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, his personal career-high in passing yards. 

“I’ve been putting my head down and grinding, not trying to prove others wrong, but prove myself right,” Archie said after the game.

USF dominated the first half, jumping to a 35-0 lead before letting up on defense. 

“We came out, put the ball down and we’re locked in on both sides of the ball for a whole half,” Golesh said.

Related: A look at USF’s quarterback play this season – The Oracle 

Tulsa’s 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter was its only success of the half.

The Bulls defense picked up a pair of turnovers and closed out the first half 42-7.

After a 63-yard Tulsa kick return, the second half looked similar to the first. 

USF intercepted Tulsa quarterback Cooper Legas twice in Tulsa’s first two drives and ended the game with a total of three interceptions.

Golesh stressed the importance of the turnovers.

“That’ll be a difference in the game every single time,” Golesh said. 

Senior running back Ta’Ron Keith jogged in for a 30-yard score two plays after the interception. 

Related: Column: Is USF football regressing or just rebuilding? – The Oracle

The Bulls dominated on the ground, rushing for 308 yards and five touchdowns.

In the last two games, USF has combined for 11 rushing touchdowns. 

In the fourth quarter, both teams went back and forth. Tulsa scored three touchdowns while USF only scored two.

Freshman quarterback Israel Carter threw the first touchdown pass of his career as the Bulls ran up the score.  

The Bulls finished the game with their most points since 2015, when USF beat Cincinnati 65-27.

USF travels to Houston to play Rice in its final regular season game at 2 p.m. Nov. 30. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.