Porter's Playbook | The Coaching Career of DJ Porter

[ShireNiner]

I like to add the pressure. Winning by less than 14 here is a bad look.

[djp73]

[Soapy]

gooooooooooo bulls!

[djp73]

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FINISHING STRONG

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USF outscores Charlotte 21-3 in the second half to improve to 9-0

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Saturday October 28, 2028 | 4:00 PM | Jerry Richardson Stadium | Charlotte, North Carolina

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Charlotte, North Carolina - For a half, Charlotte had No. 12 South Florida uncomfortable, stressed, and searching for answers.

Then halftime arrived, and so did the adjustments.

Behind defensive coordinator Tony White’s second-half tweaks and a dominant rushing performance from Connor Suggs, USF turned a tight, tense matchup into a convincing 42–20 road win Saturday afternoon at Jerry Richardson Stadium, outscoring the 49ers 21–3 after the break to improve to 9–0 on the season.

Charlotte entered the game intent on testing USF through the air, and early on, it worked.

Quarterback Tyler Chambers carved up the Bulls’ secondary in the first half, repeatedly finding Vee-Jay Ellis and John Okine on vertical routes and intermediate throws. Ellis scored on a short touchdown pass late in the first quarter, and Okine followed with a back-breaking 68-yard strike midway through the second, keeping the 49ers right on USF’s heels.

Chambers finished the day with 304 passing yards and two touchdowns, but most of the damage came before halftime. At the break, USF held just a narrow 21–17 lead, having been forced to trade punches rather than dictate the game.

Everything changed after halftime.

USF came out with a more aggressive coverage plan, tighter underneath zones, and consistent pressure up front. Chambers suddenly had less space to operate, and Charlotte struggled to sustain drives. The 49ers’ only second-half points came on a third-quarter field goal, and from there, momentum swung decisively.

The turning point came early in the fourth quarter.

With USF clinging to a 21–20 lead, Locklan Hewlett drove the Bulls deep into Charlotte territory. On a potential scoring throw in the end zone, Hewlett’s pass was tipped at the line and intercepted, a gut-punch moment that could have flipped the game’s tone.

Instead, the defense answered immediately.

USF forced a quick three-and-out, flipped the field, and moments later Connor Suggs powered in from three yards out to make it 28–20. The sequence, interception, stop, touchdown, drained the life out of the stadium and fully swung control to the Bulls.

Once USF had breathing room, Suggs took over.

The junior back gashed Charlotte repeatedly, finishing with 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries. His final score, a 31-yard burst late in the fourth quarter, was the exclamation point on a performance that showcased USF’s physical edge.

Hewlett was nearly flawless despite the lone interception, completing 16 of 18 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including a 46-yard strike to Jordyn Bridgewater that pushed the lead to 35–20. Bridgewater finished with 168 receiving yards, consistently stretching the field once Charlotte was forced to commit extra bodies to the run.

The numbers tell the story of the second half dominance: USF averaged 11.3 yards per play, rushed for 249 yards, and allowed just 26 rushing yards all game. After being tested early, the Bulls leaned on their defense, ground game, and explosive playmaking, a formula that has defined their undefeated run.

Charlotte proved it could compete through the air, especially early, but once USF adjusted, the gap in physicality and depth became impossible to overcome.

For South Florida, it was another reminder that even when things aren’t clean early, this team knows how to finish.

And as the calendar turns toward November, that ability may matter more than anything else.

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Scoring Summary
First Quarter
USF – Turner McLaughlin 2-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 6:08
Charlotte – Vee-Jay Ellis 6-yard pass from Tyler Chambers (Bo October kick), 0:52
Second Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 67-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 8:44
Charlotte – John Okine 68-yard pass from Tyler Chambers (Bo October kick), 7:26
USF – Steven Snead 4-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 3:11
Charlotte – Bo October 19-yard field goal, 0:02
Third Quarter
Charlotte – Bo October 39-yard field goal, 2:36
Fourth Quarter
USF – Connor Suggs 3-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 5:46
USF – Jordyn Bridgewater 46-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Dom Bragg kick), 2:40
USF – Connor Suggs 31-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 1:37

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USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 16/18, 226 Yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 88.9%, 12.5 YPA
Rushing
C. Suggs – 15 Car, 184 Yds, 12.3 Avg, 3 TD
S. Snead – 6 Car, 51 Yds, 8.5 Avg
T. McLaughlin – 2 Car, 10 Yds, 5.0 Avg, 1 TD
G. Shembo – 1 Car, 4 Yds, 4.0 Avg
Receiving
J. Bridgewater – 7 Rec, 168 Yds, 24.0 Avg, 1 TD, Long 46
C. Suggs – 2 Rec, 31 Yds, 15.5 Avg, Long 17
J. Stoneburner – 3 Rec, 14 Yds, 4.7 Avg, Long 9
D. Sahara – 2 Rec, 9 Yds, 4.5 Avg, Long 5
S. Snead – 1 Rec, 4 Yds, 4.0 Avg, 1 TD
G. Camarda – 1 Rec, 0 Yds
Defense
E. Rance – 9 Tkl (2 Solo)
J. Hatch – 8 Tkl (2 Solo), 3 TFL, 2.0 Sack
J. Dalias – 6 Tkl (5 Solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 Sack
C. Keys – 5 Tkl (5 Solo), 1 INT (16 Yds)
I. Singleton – 4 Tkl (3 Solo), 3 TFL, 1.5 Sack
K. Wynn – 2 Tkl, 2 TFL, 1.5 Sack
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 6/6 XP
L. Dragos – 2 KR, 39 Yds (19.5 Avg), Long 20
E. York – 2 KR, 33 Yds (16.5 Avg), Long 18, 1 PR, 19 Yds

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Charlotte Stat Leaders
Passing
T. Chambers – 23/32, 304 Yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 71.9%, 9.5 YPA
Rushing
T. Mason – 11 Car, 33 Yds, 3.0 Avg
L. Chosen – 1 Car, 2 Yds, 2.0 Avg
T. Chambers – 11 Car, -9 Yds, -0.8 Avg
Receiving
J. Okine – 5 Rec, 106 Yds, 21.2 Avg, 1 TD, Long 68
V. Ellis – 8 Rec, 104 Yds, 13.0 Avg, 1 TD, Long 37
T. Mason – 4 Rec, 36 Yds, 9.0 Avg, Long 13
B. Dalton – 4 Rec, 36 Yds, 9.0 Avg, Long 13
I. Labinjo – 2 Rec, 22 Yds, 11.0 Avg, Long 11
Defense
K. McManus – 10 Tkl (4 Solo), 1 TFL
A. Andrews – 7 Tkl (1 Solo)
Q. Mon – 6 Tkl (2 Solo)
Z. Cordova – 4 Tkl (2 Solo), 1 TFL
A. Walker Jr. – 3 Tkl, 1 TFL
K. Manumaleuna – 2 Tkl, 1 INT (9 Yds)
Special Teams
B. October – 2/2 FG (Long 40); 2/2 XP
K. Stoneburner – 2 Punts, 83 Yds (41.5 Avg), Net 32.0, 1 TB
L. Chosen – 1 KR, 30 Yds (30.0 Avg), Long 30
V. Ellis – 3 KR, 72 Yds (24.0 Avg), Long 33

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Team Stats Comparison

Category	USF	Charlotte
Score	42	20
First Downs	21	20
Total Offense	475	330
Total Plays	42	55
Yards Per Play	11.3	6.0
Rush | Yards | TD	24 | 249 | 4	23 | 26 | 0
Yards Per Rush	10.4	1.1
Comp | Att | TD	16 | 18 | 2	24 | 32 | 2
Yards Per Pass	12.6	9.5
Passing Yards	226	304
3rd Down Conv.	2 | 4 (50%)	5 | 11 (45%)
4th Down Conv.	1 | 1 (100%)	2 | 3 (66%)
2 Pt Conv.	0 | 0 (0%)	0 | 0 (0%)
Red Zone TD | FG | %	3 | 0 | 42%	1 | 2 | 75%
Turnovers	1 (0)	1 (0)
Fumbles Lost	0	0
Interceptions	1	1
PR Yards	19	0
KR Yards	72	102
Total Yards	566	432
Punts (Avg)	0.0	41.5
Penalties	2 | 25	0 | 0

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[djp73]

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USF POSTGAME REPORT

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USF 42 – Charlotte 20

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Offense
–USF paired explosive efficiency with a punishing second-half ground attack, pulling away from Charlotte late for a 42–20 road victory at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
–Quarterback Locklan Hewlett was nearly flawless, finishing 16-of-18 for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while guiding the Bulls to 21 second-half points.
–With his performance, Hewlett broke the USF career passing yards record, surpassing Marquel Blackwell’s long-standing mark of 9,108 yards (1999–2002). Hewlett now sits at 9,276 yards while still having a full year of eligibility remaining.
–Despite the record-setting day, Hewlett’s lone mistake proved pivotal. Early in the fourth quarter, a tipped pass in the end zone was intercepted, stalling a drive that could have pushed USF ahead by two scores. However, the defense immediately answered, forcing a quick three-and-out that flipped momentum back to the Bulls. Moments later, Connor Suggs powered in from three yards out to make it 28–20, the play that finally broke Charlotte’s resistance.
–Suggs spearheaded the offensive shift, rushing for 184 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries, consistently wearing down a Charlotte defense that had little answer after halftime.
–“We want to get back to being bullies,” Head Coach DJ Porter said. “That starts with running the football, setting a tone, and letting Connor earn the right to carry it. He did that today.”
–Jordyn Bridgewater delivered the dagger through the air, hauling in a 46-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter before Suggs closed the door with a 31-yard scoring run.

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Defense
–USF’s defense bent early but dominated late, holding Charlotte to just three second-half points after allowing 17 before halftime.
–Charlotte quarterback Tyler Chambers found success through the air early, finishing with 304 passing yards and two touchdowns, but pressure and tighter coverage shut down the rhythm after halftime.
–The Bulls consistently collapsed the pocket in the second half, racking up sacks and negative plays that prevented Charlotte from sustaining drives.
–Jathan Hatch led the charge with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks, while Jermaine Dalias, Ira Singleton, and Kevin Wynn added relentless pressure.
–Cameron Keys delivered a key interception, returning it 16 yards to help flip field position during a critical stretch of the game.
–“What I loved was the response,” Defensive Coordinator Tony White said. “Nobody hung their head. Nobody packed it in. The guys believed in the adjustments and trusted each other, and it showed.”

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Special Teams
–Kicker Dom Bragg was perfect on the day, converting all six extra-point attempts in a clean performance.
–USF’s return units provided steady field position, highlighted by Ethan York’s 19-yard punt return and solid kickoff coverage throughout the afternoon.

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Quotables
“Records are cool, but wins matter more. I’m proud of Locklan, but I’m prouder of how we finished,” – DJ Porter
“The guys believed in the plan. Once we tightened things up, it felt like the game tilted our way,” – Tony White
“That run game in the second half was us making a statement,” – Connor Suggs
“It means a lot to pass a name like that, but we’ve still got more to do,” – Locklan Hewlett

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News
–USF improved to 9–0 on the season and remained unbeaten in American Conference play.
–Locklan Hewlett became the all-time leading passer in program history, surpassing Marquel Blackwell’s record that had stood for more than two decades.

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Injury Notes
–USF exited the game without any significant new injuries, despite a physical contest in the trenches.

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Next Up
–USF returns home next week to host Rice (8-1|5-0) in a big American Conference showdown that will play a significant role in the conference championship game.

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[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
#13 USF	9-0	1.000	5-0	276	161	+115	+12.8	5-0	4-0	W9
Rice	8-1	.889	5-0	242	162	+80	+8.9	4-0	4-1	W8
UAB	5-3	.625	3-2	224	193	+31	+3.9	3-2	2-1	W3
Tulane	5-3	.625	3-2	256	205	+51	+6.4	3-1	2-2	W2
Memphis	4-5	.444	3-2	204	294	-90	-10.0	4-1	0-4	W1
Temple	4-4	.500	2-2	229	241	-12	-1.5	1-2	3-2	W1
Florida Atlantic	4-4	.500	2-3	215	214	+1	+0.1	3-2	1-2	L3
UTSA	4-5	.444	2-4	269	239	+30	+3.3	1-3	3-2	L2
North Texas	4-4	.500	1-3	215	174	+41	+5.1	2-3	2-1	L2
East Carolina	2-6	.250	1-3	219	274	-55	-6.9	1-3	1-3	L3
Tulsa	3-5	.375	1-3	201	200	+1	+0.1	3-2	0-3	W1
Charlotte	3-5	.375	1-5	226	214	+12	+1.5	2-3	1-2	L3

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American Conference Week 9 Scores
Tulsa 28, Rutgers 24
UAB 38, Sam Houston 10
Tulane 55, Florida Atlantic 21
#13 USF 42, Charlotte 20
Memphis 21, North Texas 20
Temple 42, East Carolina 28
Rice 30, UTSA 27

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American Conference Players of the Week (Week 9)
Defensive: Adrian Laing – CB – Temple | W 42–28 at East Carolina | 4 TKL, 2 INT
Offensive: Evan Austin – WR – Temple | W 42–28 at East Carolina | 11 REC, 174 REC YDS, 3 TD

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American Conference Week 10 Schedule
Bowling Green at Charlotte – Sat, Nov 4 – 1:30 PM
Rice at #13 USF – Sat, Nov 4 – 2:00 PM
UTSA at New Mexico – Sat, Nov 4 – 2:00 PM
Temple at Florida Atlantic – Sat, Nov 4 – 3:15 PM
UAB at Memphis – Sat, Nov 4 – 3:15 PM
North Texas at Tulsa – Sat, Nov 4 – 7:00 PM
East Carolina at Tulane – Sat, Nov 4 – 9:00 PM

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[djp73]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP

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NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

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College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings

RANK	TEAM	W-L	LAST WEEK	THIS WEEK
1	LSU	8-0	W 38–24 at South Carolina	Ole Miss
2	Alabama	8-0	W 51–33 at Tennessee	South Carolina
3	Oregon	8-0	W 48–38 vs USC	at #12 Penn State
4	Pittsburgh	8-1	W 52–3 vs South Alabama	at UConn
5	Texas	7-1	W 42–30 vs #10 Georgia	Kentucky
6	Michigan	8-1	W 56–27 at Wisconsin	#9 USC
7	North Carolina	8-0	W 36–14 at Duke	at #15 Florida State
8	Clemson	7-1	W 51–17 at Georgia Tech	at Virginia
9	USC	7-1	L 48–38 at #3 Oregon	at #6 Michigan
10	Georgia	7-1	L 42–30 at #5 Texas	Florida
11	Notre Dame	9-1	W 31–3 at Navy	—
12	Penn State	6-2	W 45–24 vs Indiana	#3 Oregon
13	USF	9-0	W 42–20 at Charlotte	Rice
14	Ohio State	7-2	W 47–21 vs Minnesota	—
15	Florida State	5-3	W 26–17 at Miami	#7 North Carolina
16	Arkansas	7-2	W 49–23 at Texas A&M	—
17	Oklahoma	6-3	—	at Missouri
18	Iowa State	7-2	W 24–20 vs Baylor	—
19	BYU	6-2	W 28–24 vs Kansas	Houston
20	Louisville	6-2	W 21–14 at SMU	California
21	Nebraska	6-3	W 23–17 vs UCLA	—
22	Louisiana	8-0	W 34–23 vs Louisiana Tech	Southern Miss
23	Miami	5-3	L 26–17 vs Florida State	at Syracuse
24	Utah	5-3	W 31–10 at Arizona State	at Colorado
25	Mississippi State	6-2	W 40–27 vs Florida	at Tennessee

Dropped from CFP rankings: N/A

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National Players of the Week (Week 9)
Defensive: Fabian Keith – CB – Georgia State | W 55–28 at Old Dominion | 5 TKL, 3 INT, 1 PBU
Offensive: Clint Watts – WR – Oklahoma State | W 50–49 vs West Virginia | 10 REC, 249 REC YDS, 24.9 AVG, 3 REC TD

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2028 Heisman Watch
Malik Clark – WR – Tennessee | Last Game vs #2 Alabama (W 51–33) | 4 REC, 57 REC YDS, 14.3 AVG, 1 REC TD
Zac Holliday – QB – Ole Miss | Last Game vs Kentucky (W 38–6) | 24–33, 346 PASS YDS, 10.5 YPA, 3 PASS TD; 14 CAR, 87 RUSH YDS, 2 RUSH TD
George Woodhead – WR – Colorado | Last Game at Arizona (W 38–31) | 6 REC, 84 REC YDS, 14.0 AVG, 1 REC TD
Julian Lewis – QB – Colorado | Last Game at Arizona (W 38–31) | 29–42, 368 PASS YDS, 8.8 YPA, 4 PASS TD
Ethan Houck – QB – Notre Dame | Last Game at Navy (W 31–3) | 16–29, 200 PASS YDS, 6.9 YPA, 2 INT; 6 CAR, 11 RUSH YDS

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[Soapy]

print the shirts

[djp73]

print the shirts

biggest conference game of the season coming up

[ShireNiner]

Closer than expected for three quarters but then then the O woke up.

Better start faster against or you in trouble.