Bulls Outmuscle Bandits in Florida Showdown

The Jacksonville Bulls delivered a methodical, physical performance on Sunday afternoon, grinding out a 27–17 win over the Tampa Bay Bandits at Tampa Stadium. Running back Craig Turner was the engine of the Bulls’ offense, carrying the ball 27 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns while also catching four passes. Jacksonville dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for over 37 minutes and converting an impressive 11 of 18 third downs, steadily wearing down the Tampa Bay defense.

The Bulls’ defense also played a crucial role, forcing four turnovers—including a fourth-quarter interception by John Little and a late-game fumble recovery that sealed the outcome. Despite a solid showing from Tampa Bay’s Gary Anderson, who totaled 95 yards and a touchdown, the Bandits couldn’t keep pace. Quarterback John Reaves threw for 219 yards and a touchdown but also tossed two costly interceptions and was sacked three times, stalling several promising drives.

Tampa Bay briefly narrowed the deficit to 20–17 early in the fourth quarter, but Jacksonville responded with a clock-chewing 13-play, 72-yard drive capped by Ed Luther’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark. The Bulls’ balanced approach—209 passing yards from Luther and a punishing ground game—kept the Bandits off balance all day. With the win, Jacksonville improves to 3–1 and remains a contender in the Southern Division, while Tampa Bay falls to 1–3 and faces growing urgency to right the ship.