Porter's Playbook | The Coaching Career of DJ Porter

[djp73]

avoided notre dame, should have a chance against louisville

Looks like a good matchup with Ville. Hoping to play this afternoon

[djp73]

[ShireNiner]

Louisville 0-2 against ranked teams. This should be a good one. If the defense shows up, you got this one.

[djp73]

Louisville 0-2 against ranked teams. This should be a good one. If the defense shows up, you got this one.

let's find out

[djp73]

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BATTLE TESTED

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USF hangs on to claim schools first ever CFP victory

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Saturday December 16, 2028 | 4:00 PM | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida

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Tampa, Florida - In a game that demanded composure more than flash, grit more than margin, South Florida proved it belongs on college football’s biggest stage.

Behind a punishing ground attack, clutch special teams, and just enough late-game nerve to survive a furious rally, No. 7 USF held off No. 10 Louisville, 23–21, on Saturday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium, earning the first College Football Playoff victory in program history.

It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t comfortable. But it was earned, possession by possession, kick by kick, stop by stop.

Louisville wasted no time testing USF’s playoff resolve, opening the game with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Johann Cardenas powering in from a yard out for an early 7–0 lead. The Cardinals looked sharp and physical, exactly as advertised, but the Bulls responded with calm rather than panic.

After an early stall that included two incompletions to Jordyn Bridgewater, USF settled for a long Dom Bragg field goal to get on the board. The next Louisville possession went nowhere, derailed by a sack from Kevin Wynn, and that defensive stop flipped the tone of the afternoon.

USF leaned into its identity on the ensuing drive. Run after run softened the Cardinals’ front, forcing safeties closer to the line. When Louisville finally crept up, Locklan Hewlett struck, hitting Bridgewater over the top for a wide-open 38-yard touchdown that sent the stadium into a roar and put the Bulls ahead 10–7.

From there, the Bulls controlled the rhythm of the first half. Louisville punted twice more, while USF added another Bragg field goal after a drive stalled on three straight incompletions. Even when the offense wasn’t clicking through the air, the Bulls stayed patient, heading into halftime with a 13–7 lead and full control of the game’s tempo.

The third quarter turned into a grind. Louisville struggled to generate consistent movement, and USF continued to play the field-position game. Bragg drilled a 44-yard field goal midway through the quarter to extend the lead to 16–7, capping another possession where points mattered more than style.

Louisville had a chance to swing momentum when it reached the USF 20, but a missed field goal from the hash kept the Cardinals chasing. USF couldn’t capitalize on the next possession and punted, but the Bulls never lost their composure.

The fourth quarter brought the chaos expected of a playoff game. Louisville finally broke through with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Baker to Alex Sanchez, cutting the lead to 16–14 and injecting life into the Cardinal sideline.

USF answered with its defining drive of the season. Facing fourth-and-2 near midfield, Hewlett delivered a strike to Jeremiah Stoneburner for 16 yards, a play that may stand as one of the biggest conversions in program history. From there, the Bulls leaned on their backfield. George Shembo and Steven Snead chipped away at the defense before Shembo finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge, pushing the lead to 23–14 with just under three minutes remaining.

Louisville wasn’t finished. Baker, who was sharp all afternoon, led a nine-play touchdown drive highlighted by precision throws, finishing it with a 13-yard score to Bart Brownlee. With 1:25 left, the margin was down to two, and tension filled Raymond James Stadium.

The decisive moment came on the ensuing kickoff. Louisville attempted an onside kick, but USF recovered. Shembo ripped off a 10-yard run for a first down at the Louisville 35, and the Bulls drained the final seconds off the clock, sealing the moment.

Statistically, the game reflected how tight it was. USF finished with 360 yards of offense to Louisville’s 322, dominated the ground game with 203 rushing yards at 6.3 yards per carry, and played a clean game with zero turnovers. Louisville countered with 257 passing yards from Baker, but couldn’t consistently finish drives early or recover from missed opportunities.

The difference came down to execution in critical moments, a fourth-down conversion, three perfect field goals from freshman kicker Dom Bragg, and the ability to close out the game when it mattered most.

This wasn’t a blowout statement. It was something better. It was proof that USF can survive discomfort, absorb pressure, and win when the margin for error disappears. The Bulls didn’t overwhelm Louisville, they outlasted them.

Battle-tested teams don’t always look dominant. Sometimes they just keep standing.

On Saturday in Tampa, USF did exactly that and with the program’s first CFP win secured, the Bulls move forward to face playoff perennial Oregon with belief that feels very real.

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Scoring Summary
First Quarter
LOU – Johann Cardenas 1-yard run (Nick Robbins kick), 2:50
Second Quarter
USF – Dom Bragg 41-yard field goal, 8:47
USF – Jordyn Bridgewater 38-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 4:50
USF – Dom Bragg 45-yard field goal, 1:18
Third Quarter
USF – Dom Bragg 44-yard field goal, 5:30
Fourth Quarter
LOU – Alex Sanchez 9-yard pass from Bryce Baker (Nick Robbins kick), 6:05
USF – George Shembo 1-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 2:46
LOU – Bart Brownlee 13-yard pass from Bryce Baker (Nick Robbins kick), 1:25

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USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 16/25, 157 Yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 64.0%, 6.2 YPA
Rushing
C. Suggs – 12 Car, 111 Yds, 9.2 Avg
S. Snead – 9 Car, 46 Yds, 5.1 Avg
G. Shembo – 8 Car, 38 Yds, 4.7 Avg, 1 TD
N. Daniel – 1 Car, 15 Yds, 15.0 Avg
Receiving
J. Bridgewater – 6 Rec, 77 Yds, 12.8 Avg, 1 TD
J. Stoneburner – 4 Rec, 43 Yds, 10.7 Avg
D. Sahara – 2 Rec, 19 Yds, 9.5 Avg
S. Snead – 2 Rec, 8 Yds, 4.0 Avg
Defense
E. Rance – 9 Tkl (5 Solo, 4 Ast)
G. Jenkins – 6 Tkl, 2 TFL
T. Bennett – 6 Tkl
K. Wynn – 3 Tkl, 1.0 Sack
I. Singleton – 3 Tkl, 1 TFL
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 3/3 FG (Long 45), 2/2 XP
D. McSurdy – 2 Punts, 104 Yds, 52.0 Avg
E. York – 2 PR, 11 Yds
L. Dragos – 1 KR, 20 Yds

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Louisville Stat Leaders
Passing
B. Baker – 23/28, 257 Yds, 2 TD, 0 INT, 82.1%, 9.1 YPA
Rushing
J. Cardenas – 16 Car, 63 Yds, 3.9 Avg, 1 TD
B. Baker – 5 Car, 4 Yds, 0.8 Avg
J. O’Shea – 1 Car, -2 Yds, -2.0 Avg
Receiving
G. Houser – 8 Rec, 93 Yds, 11.6 Avg
A. Sanchez – 5 Rec, 73 Yds, 14.6 Avg, 1 TD
B. Brownlee – 3 Rec, 46 Yds, 15.3 Avg, 1 TD
J. Paylor – 3 Rec, 30 Yds, 10.0 Avg
J. Cardenas – 3 Rec, 13 Yds, 4.3 Avg
Defense
M. Rice – 11 Tkl (3 Solo, 8 Ast)
T. Carter – 9 Tkl (3 Solo, 6 Ast)
J. Blount – 8 Tkl (5 Solo, 3 Ast), 2 TFL
M. Davis – 7 Tkl (5 Solo, 2 Ast)
J. Butler – 6 Tkl (0 Solo, 6 Ast)
D. Smith – 4 Tkl (1 Solo, 3 Ast), 1.0 Sack
Special Teams
N. Robbins – 3/3 XP
T. Kuhn – 3 Punts, 107 Yds, 35.6 Avg, 31.3 Net
D. Dixon – 3 KR, 83 Yds, 27.6 Avg

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Category	USF	Louisville
Score	23	21
First Downs	20	21
Total Offense	360	322
Total Plays	57	50
Yards Per Play	6.3	6.4
Rush | Yards | TD	32 | 203 | 1	22 | 65 | 1
Yards Per Rush	6.3	3.0
Comp | Att | TD	16 | 25 | 1	23 | 28 | 2
Yards Per Pass	6.3	9.2
Passing Yards	157	257
3rd Down Conv.	5 | 12 (41%)	4 | 8 (50%)
4th Down Conv.	1 | 1 (100%)	0 | 0 (0%)
2 Pt Conv.	0 | 0 (0%)	0 | 0 (0%)
Red Zone TD | FG | %	1 | 0 | 50%	3 | 0 | 75%
Turnovers	0	0
Fumbles Lost	0	0
Interceptions	0	0
PR Yards	11	9
KR Yards	57	83
Total Yards	428	414
Punts (Avg)	2 (52.0)	3 (35.7)
Penalties	2 | 10	0 | 0

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[James]

Home game W. Are you liking the Elgato for screen captures?

[djp73]

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USF POSTGAME REPORT

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USF 23 – Louisville 21

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Offense
–USF withstood a late rally and leaned on physicality, patience, and situational execution to secure a 23–21 win over No. 10 Louisville in the College Football Playoff First Round.
–After falling behind early, the Bulls settled in and controlled the flow of the game with a balanced approach that emphasized the run game and field position.
–Quarterback Locklan Hewlett was steady under pressure, completing 16-of-25 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown while avoiding turnovers against an aggressive Louisville secondary.
–Connor Suggs anchored the rushing attack, finishing with 111 yards on 12 carries and repeatedly punishing the Cardinals on early downs.
–USF’s offensive line imposed its will, helping the Bulls rush for 203 yards and average 6.3 yards per carry against a Louisville front that entered the game among the nation’s best.
–The defining offensive sequence came late in the fourth quarter, when USF converted a critical fourth-and-2 at midfield, then marched 10 plays for a go-ahead touchdown.
–George Shembo capped that drive with a one-yard touchdown run, giving USF a 23–14 lead with just under three minutes remaining.
–USF sealed the game by recovering an onside kick and bleeding the final seconds off the clock.

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Defense
–USF’s defense bent but did not break, delivering key stops while forcing Louisville to work for every score.
–After surrendering a touchdown on Louisville’s opening drive, the Bulls held the Cardinals scoreless for the remainder of the first half and most of the third quarter.
–The Bulls bottled up Louisville’s rushing attack, limiting the Cardinals to just 65 yards on 22 carries (3.0 yards per rush).
–Bryce Baker found success through the air, but USF prevented explosive momentum by tightening coverage in the red zone and on third down.
–Eric Rance led the unit with nine tackles, while Gavin Jenkins and Tracy Bennett provided physical presence at the point of attack.
–Kevin Wynn delivered a key sack early that stalled a Louisville drive and helped swing momentum back to USF.
–Despite Louisville scoring twice in the final quarter, USF’s defense forced the Cardinals into long drives and limited opportunities late.

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Special Teams
–True Freshman kicker Dom Bragg was flawless on the biggest stage, converting all three field-goal attempts, including makes from 41, 45, and 44 yards.
–Bragg also added two extra points, accounting for 11 of USF’s 23 points.
–Dorian McSurdy averaged 52.0 yards per punt, consistently flipping field position and keeping Louisville pinned deep.
–USF’s coverage units were disciplined, allowing no return touchdowns and setting up favorable defensive situations.
–The most important special teams play came late, when the Bulls recovered Louisville’s onside kick attempt to effectively end the game.

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Quotables
“That’s playoff football. You don’t get style points, you earn every inch. Battle tested!” – DJ Porter
“We stayed patient and trusted who we are.” – Locklan Hewlett
“Fourth-and-two, everybody knew we were getting it. That’s culture.” – George Shembo
“We didn’t panic when they scored. We’ve been in those moments before.” – Eric Rance

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News
–USF improved to 14–0 on the season and earned the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff victory.
–The Bulls outgained Louisville 360–322 and rushed for more than triple the Cardinals’ ground output.
–USF has now won eight straight games by holding opponents under 25 points.

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Injury Notes
–Bridgewater missed a couple plays after a big hit on a third down conversion but returned and played the rest of the game.

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Next Up
–USF advances to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

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[djp73]

Home game W. Are you liking the Elgato for screen captures?

big time w.
i do like the el gato, took a while to get it where i want it and still need a couple tweaks to be ideal but it is a big time saver vs waiting for uploads and the ease of grabbing screenshots is nice

[djp73]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

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AMERICAN CONFERENCE REPORT

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American Conference Standings

Team	W-L	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	MOV	HOME	AWAY	STK
#7 USF	14-0	1.000	8-0	451	210	+241	+17.2	8-0	5-0	W14
#19 UAB	9-5	.643	6-2	409	396	+13	+0.9	5-2	4-2	L2
#20 Tulane	9-3	.750	6-2	404	278	+126	+10.5	5-1	4-2	W6
Rice	9-4	.692	6-2	317	299	+18	+1.4	5-0	4-3	L1
Temple	8-5	.615	5-3	419	406	+13	+1.0	3-3	4-2	W1
Florida Atlantic	5-7	.417	3-5	370	365	+5	+0.4	3-4	2-3	W1
UTSA	5-7	.417	3-5	344	333	+11	+0.9	1-4	4-3	L1
North Texas	7-6	.538	3-5	366	318	+48	+3.7	2-5	4-1	W2
Memphis	4-8	.333	3-5	250	380	-130	-10.8	4-2	0-6	L3
East Carolina	3-9	.250	2-6	281	423	-142	-11.8	2-5	1-4	L2
Charlotte	5-7	.417	2-6	339	320	+19	+1.6	3-4	2-3	W2
Tulsa	3-9	.250	1-7	298	341	-43	-3.6	3-4	0-5	L4

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American Conference Bowl Week 1 Scores
CFP First Round: #7 USF 23, #10 Louisville 21
Armed Forces Bowl: Ole Miss 49, #19 UAB 28
Fenway Bowl: Duke 42, Rice 16
Frisco Bowl: Oklahoma State 41, Temple 43
Myrtle Beach Bowl: North Texas 31, Appalachian State 28

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American Conference Players of the Week (Bowl Week 1)
Defensive: Joshua Pierce – EDGE – USF | W 31–28 vs Appalachian State | 10 TKL, 2 SACKS, 4 TFL
Offensive: Lamar Johnson-Fuller – WR – Temple | W 43–41 vs Oklahoma State | 9 REC, 120 REC YDS, 13.3 AVG, 2 REC TD

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American Conference Bowl Week 2 Schedule
Gator Bowl: Tennessee vs. #20 Tulane – Tue, Jan 2 – 8:00 PM - Jacksonville, FL
Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal): #7 USF vs. #2 Oregon – Tue, Jan 2 – 12:00 PM - Pasadena, CA

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[djp73]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

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2028 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SEASON

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Bowl Week 1 Results
CFP First Round: #9 Georgia 40, #8 Alabama 17
CFP First Round: #7 USF 23, #10 Louisville 21
CFP First Round: #6 Florida State 35, #11 North Carolina 28
CFP First Round: #5 Notre Dame 54, #12 BYU 22

68 Ventures Bowl: Troy 28, #24 Toledo 25
Alamo Bowl: San Diego State 38, Utah 30
Arizona Bowl: San Jose State 39, #25 Akron 28
Armed Forces Bowl: Ole Miss 49, #19 UAB 28
Birmingham Bowl: #13 Clemson 49, Oklahoma 43
Boca Raton Bowl: Georgia State 30, Western Kentucky 15
Cure Bowl: Central Michigan 31, Missouri State 28
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: UTEP 30, Liberty 10
Fenway Bowl: Duke 42, Rice 16
Frisco Bowl: Temple 43, Oklahoma State 41
GameAbove Sports Bowl: Wake Forest 44, Eastern Michigan 3
Gasparilla Bowl: Miami 40, Auburn 23
Hawai‘i Bowl: Washington 63, Wyoming 20
Holiday Bowl: Boise State 38, New Mexico 28
Independence Bowl: Middle Tennessee 53, Kansas State 51
LA Bowl: Old Dominion 21, UNLV 16
Las Vegas Bowl: #18 Texas A&M 45, Colorado State 28
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State 56, #17 Iowa State 30
Military Bowl: Oregon State 25, Boston College 24
Myrtle Beach Bowl: North Texas 31, Appalachian State 28
New Mexico Bowl: TCU 34, Southern Mississippi 14
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State 47, Florida International 21
Pop-Tarts Bowl: Hawai‘i 24, #22 Arizona State 20
Rate Bowl: Maryland 38, Cincinnati 28
Salute to Veterans Bowl: Georgia Southern 54, Ball State 35

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National Players of the Week (Bowl Season – Week 1)
Defensive: Deshaun Okine – MIKE – Georgia State | W 30–15 vs Western Kentucky | 14 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PBU
Offensive: Josh Paul – WR – Washington | W 63–20 vs Wyoming | 11 REC, 160 REC YDS, 14.5 AVG, 4 REC TD

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