Fourth-Quarter Rally Lifts USF Past Falcons, 14-6

Saturday, September 26

Bowling Green, Ohio

5 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

0-4 , 0-0

South Florida

4-0 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
South Fla.	0	0	0	14	14
Bowling Green	3	3	0	0	6

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Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

September 26, 2026 | Football

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Bradley has monster defensive game, with 4.5 sacks, two fumbles forced & one recovery

By: BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The University of South Florida scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally past the Bowling Green State University football team, 14-6, on Saturday (Sept. 26). The game, part of the Falcons' Homecoming weekend, took place at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

The Falcons (0-4) held the Bulls (4-0) off of the scoreboard for the game's first 47-plus minutes, and BGSU got a pair of first-half field goals from Travis Kenner. But, the visitors found the end zone with 12:07 left in the contest, as Luke Kromenhoek's two-yard run tied the score and Nico Gramatica's successful point-after try gave the Bulls a 7-6 lead. The visitors added to the lead on D.J. Crowther's one-yard run with 5:34 remaining.

Trailing by eight, the Falcons began the ensuing drive at their own 18 and got as far as the USF 30 before the drive was halted. The final play of that drive saw quarterback Jay Kastantin scramble away from multiple pass-rushers, ultimately finding Winn Sharp. But, the completion, on a fourth-and-16 play, came up two yards shy of the first-down marker, and USF took over on downs with 37 seconds remaining.

Myles Bradley had a monster game for the Falcons, with four-and-a-half quarterback sacks. Bradley forced the USF QB to fumble on two of those sacks, recovering the ball himself on the latter play.

Defense ruled the day, as the Falcons held USF to just 214 total yards of offense and 16 first downs, while the Bulls limited BG to 207 yards and 14 first downs – seven rushing and seven passing.

Crowther had 143 yards rushing on 23 carries, while Austyn Dendy paced the Falcons with 48 yards on the ground. Jay Kastantin went 16-for-28 for 122 yards through the air, with Winn Sharp catching five of those passes for 56 yards.

HOW IT HAPPENED

South Florida won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Bowling Green elected to receive while defending the south end zone.
On the Falcons' first defensive drive, Eriq George recorded a second-down tackle for loss, which led to a third-down Myles Bradley strip-sack in plus territory. George pounced on the loose ball to give BGSU possession.
With 10:06 remaining in the first quarter, Travis Kenner nailed a career-long 43-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
Later in the first quarter, Bradley once again caused a fumble, and recovery to put Bowling Green in plus territory.
To start the second quarter, the Falcons were able to force South Florida to a fourth down, and the BG defense made the stop at the USF 49-yard line. Cashmire Lewis broke up a fourth-down pass.
In the Falcons' first offensive drive of the second quarter, Austyn Dendy ran for a 10-yard gain after multiple completions by Jay Kastantin. True freshman Kentrell White followed up with a 9-yard rush to help the Falcons into field-goal range, where Kenner converted on a 28-yarder, his second of the game.
The Bulls drove into BGSU territory, with quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. scrambling for 30 yards to the BGSU 24. With one second remaining in the half, USF lined up for a field-goal try, but Nico Gramatica's 41-yard effort was wide right.
Myles Bradley started off the second half with not one, but two solo sacks to force a South Florida punt on the opening drive of the third quarter.
The Falcons possessed the ball for nearly seven minutes in the third quarter, then held USF to a three-and-out on the next drive. But, the Bulls got a stop on a fourth-down play near midfield on the first play of the fourth quarter.
That led to a six-play, 44-yard drive that culminated with Luke Kromenhoek's two-yard touchdown run. Gramatica's PAT gave the visitors the lead with 12:05 to go.
And, on USF's next drive, the Bulls went 72 yards in six plays, culminating with D.J. Crowther's one-yard run, with Gramatica again adding the point after.
The Falcons started the next drive from the BGSU 18, and Kastantin completed passes to Jeremiah Scoby, Dendy and Brennan Ridley to most the ball to the BGSU 44. Several plays later, the BG QB found Winn Sharp for 12 yards and a first down on a third-down play.
The drive reached the USF 28 after another Kastantin-to-Sharp completion, but after a three-yard completion to Eli Jacon-Duffy, an incompletion and a sack set up fourth and 16 for the Falcons. That fourth-down play saw Kastantin roll to his right, and under tremendous pursuit, the QB threw a completion to Sharp in traffic. But, the pass went for 14 yards, two shy of the first-down sticks, and the Bulls took over on downs. Three kneel-down plays ran out the clock.

GAME NOTES

Both first quarter sacks for BGSU came from Myles Bradley, matching his career-high for sacks in a game less than eight minutes into the action. Bradley added on more throughout the game, becoming the first Falcon with 3.5+ sacks in a game since Chris Jones at Central Michigan on Oct. 30, 2010. Bradley ended the game with 4.5 sacks, which is believed to be a program record based on available information. Bradley entered the game with one of BGSU's three sacks on the season.
Through the first two games, South Florida had just one sack allowed. The Falcons registered two in the first quarter alone, ending with six in the game.
For the second straight year, the Falcons didn't allow any points in the first half on Homecoming. In 2025, BGSU held Liberty scoreless in the first half during Homecoming as well.
Coming off his 59-yard touchdown at Iowa State, Winn Sharp hauled in a team-leading five receptions, a new career-high, while totaling a team-high 56 yards.
Travis Kenner started the game off in career-high fashion, connecting on a career-long 43-yard field goal for the first points of the game.
In the second quarter, Kentrell White carried the ball for nine yards, his first career rush or reception as a Falcon.

STAT LEADERS

Myles Bradley: Program-Record 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup
Kal-El Pascal: 9 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss
Dorian Pringle: 7 tackles
Jay Kastantin: 16-for-28 passing, 122 passing yards
Winn Sharp: 5 receptions, 56 receiving yards
Austyn Dendy: 18 carries, 48 rushing yards

UP NEXT

Bowling Green will hit the road for the MAC opener, heading to Miami (OH) on Oct. 3 to face the RedHawks for a 3:30 p.m. kick.
The Falcons will return home to Doyt Perry Stadium on Oct. 10 for the first of two consecutive home games, hosting Sacramento State on Oct. 10 and Ball State on Oct. 17.