Bucky Irving runs for 165 yards as Bucs beat Cowboys 24-16

Buccaneers Get First Win Behind Ground Game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won for the first time this season on Thursday, Oct. 8, beating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 in front of 92,351 fans at AT&T Stadium. Tampa Bay improved to 1-4, while Dallas fell to 2-3.

Bucky Irving carried the Tampa Bay offense, running 21 times for 165 yards. He scored twice: on a 5-yard catch from quarterback Jalon Daniels in the second quarter that tied the game 7-7, and on a 1-yard run in the third quarter that made it 21-10.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown and Scoring Plays

Dallas took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Javonte Williams scored on a 1-yard run, with Brandon Aubrey adding the extra point. After Irving's touchdown catch tied it, Aubrey's 41-yard field goal put the Cowboys back in front 10-7 at halftime.

Tampa Bay took control in the third quarter with 17 straight points. Receiver Emeka Egbuka gave the Bucs their first lead with a 14-yard touchdown run, Irving's 1-yard plunge followed, and Chase McLaughlin's 41-yard field goal stretched the lead to 24-10.

Dallas answered in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to George Pickens, but the two-point try failed and the score stayed 24-16. Pickens finished with nine catches for 130 yards and the touchdown.

Key Performances

Daniels, an undrafted rookie making his second start, completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. Tez Johnson had one catch for 64 yards.

For Dallas, Prescott threw for 316 yards on 24-of-42 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Williams ran 12 times for 45 yards and scored the Cowboys' first touchdown.

Irving averaged nearly eight yards per carry, and the Cowboys, despite the big passing total, could not make up the 14-point deficit from the third quarter.

Sources

ESPN