2009 Football Team

In 2009, USF, led by NAIA Player of the Year Lorenzo Brown (3,221 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 844 rushing yards, and 16 rushing touchdowns); rolled to a school-record 15-0 mark and its secondstraight NAIA title. USF defeated No. 3 Lindenwood, 25-22, in the title game. DeBoer directed an offense that rolled up a school record 775 points or 51.7 points per game. Thirteen times USF scored 44 or more points.

The Cougars opened with a 63-21 victory over No. 14 Minot State in the playoffs first round as USF rolled up 318 rushing yards, which included 136 by Ryan Lowmiller. In the next round, USF registered a 49-21 victory over No. 7 Morningside to advance to the NAIA semifinals. Against Morningside, USF recorded 492 yards in total offense, which included 146 rushing yards by Lowmiller and 132 by Kristian Porter. In the NAIA semifinals, No. 1 USF upended No. 4 Saint Xavier, 48-6, to reach the title game. USF had 528 yards in total offense, which included 324 on the ground. Lowmiller paced the USF attack with 161 rushing yards and Lorenzo Brown added 133. Brown also threw for 204 yards with three touchdowns. Lowmiller rushed for over 100 yards in the final five games of the season, which included all four playoff wins by USF.

In the championship game at Rome, Georgia, the Cougars rallied from a seven-point third quarter deficit with a touchdown by Lowmiller and a 42-yard field goal by Braden Wieking (9:50 to play) to lift USF to its second-straight title. Wieking was named offensive player of the game with three field goals (42, 41, 37), two extra points and a 44-yard punt. Junior linebacker Dominic Studzinski was defensive player of the game with seven tackles and two sacks.

The 2009 team rolled up 256.1 yards per game rushing, 231.4 yards per game passing or 487.5 yards per game in total offense. The defense was solid and one of the best in school history by allowing just 10.5 points per game and 210.5 total yards per game. USF gave up just seven rushing touchdowns and 63.8 rushing yards per game.