USF Football: 3 takeaways from victory over Illinois

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TAMPA, FL – SEPTEMBER 15: Quarterback Quinton Flowers #9 of the South Florida Bulls is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown against Illinois Fighting Illini at Raymond James Stadium on September 15, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images) /

1. Quinton Flowers is back

It’s safe to say this now after a rocky start to the season, but Quinton Flowers is back on track, folks. I was starting to worry about the senior quarterback after two so-so performances to begin the 2017 campaign.

In fact, he had 398 passing yards and four touchdowns as well as 137 rushing yards and a score through two games. On Friday night against the Illini, he had 280 passing yards, four touchdowns through the air, 106 rushing yards and another score. A truly impressive game for the preseason Heisman candidate.

The Miami-native played smart all game long and rebounded in a big way after throwing a tough pick in the end zone during the first half. He shook his head, told his teammates “that’s on me” and put together a solid finish to the game. He made Illinois look like nothing more than another Group of Five opponent.

Flowers made some good passes all night long, fitting the ball into tight spaces and he truly looked like the under-the-radar Heisman candidate we were all expecting at the beginning of the year.

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A few more performances like this for the senior quarterback and he will be right back in that race for the coveted trophy. A good showing on a national stage.

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