South Florida was 9-0 when leading after the first quarter this season, and judging from the first 15 minutes of Thursday's Birmingham Bowl, it didn't look like South Carolina was the team to break that trend.
Things changed quickly though, as the Gamecocks turned in their best offensive performance of the season, and the best in Birmingham Bowl history, after recording just 33 yards in the first period. The Gamecocks would score the game's last 18 points to force overtime, but it wasn't enough, as USF prevailed 46-39 in overtime.
Quinton Flowers capped off his MVP performance with a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, and the Gamecocks weren't able to answer, as Jake Bentley was sacked on fourth down to end the game.
The USF defense came in as one of the nation's worst, and Jake Bentley and company took advantage, putting together 481 yards of total offense. Bentley had a career-high 390 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 32 of his 43 attempts.
Deebo Samuel was his favorite target, as the redshirt sophomore caught 14 passes for 190 yards and a score, and he added his sixth rushing touchdown of the season as well.
The AAC Offensive Player of the Year, Flowers stole the show early, as the dual-threat quarterback ran for three touchdowns in the game's first 20 minutes, propelling his Bulls to a 22-7 lead.
The Gamecocks pulled within eight with 1:12 left in the half, but Flowers wasn't done. Coming into the game, USF had 41 touchdown drives of two minutes or less, and the junior showed his poise in the hurry-up, leading his team down the field.
Flowers brought the Bulls to the USC 37, when a coverage lapse left D'Ernest Johnson open for a 37-yard touchdown with just seven seconds left in the half, putting USF up 29-14 as the teams headed for the locker room.
The Gamecocks seized the momentum back on their opening drive of the second half, getting into the end zone with an eight-play, 65-yard drive punctuated by a Samuel jet sweep.
The Bulls responded with 10 straight points to build a 39-21 lead, benefited by a pick-six thrown by Bentley. The true freshman responded, leading the Gamecocks inside the USF 25 on their next five drives, but the team had trouble punching the ball into the end zone.
The Gamecocks got down to the two yard line before a Rico Dowdle fumble, squandering the red zone opportunity. The next drive started at the USF 27, South Carolina settled for a field goal to cut the lead to 15.
After scoring a touchdown on the next drive on a fourth-down diving catch by Bryan Edwards, the Gamecocks got inside the USF 5 again, but this time, A.J. Turner coughed it up, and the Bulls took over.
South Carolina forced a quick three and out, and Chris Lammons would return the USF punt inside the five, where the Gamecocks converted this time with a run from Turner. Bentley tossed a two-point conversion on a jump ball from Hurst, tying the game and completing the 18-point comeback to force overtime.