Tag: South Florida Bulls

Braxton Woodson’s two TDs in relief puts Navy past No. 24 South Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Backup quarterback Braxton Woodson ran for 103 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Alex Tecza added 126 rushing yards with two TDs and Navy upset No. 24 South Florida 41-38 on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

The Midshipmen (8-2, 6-1 American) tightened their grip on the conference lead, drawing closer to a berth in the championship game despite starting quarterback Blake Horvath leaving a second-half shootout with an apparent right leg issue.

Slotback Eli Heidenreich finished with five catches for 146 yards and broke Navy’s career receiving yards record.

Byrum Brown powered South Florida (7-3, 4-2) with 327 yards and two touchdowns through the air plus 136 rushing yards and two more scores.

Both of Brown’s rushing touchdowns came after halftime, the latter a QB draw that turned into a 60-yard sprint. That cut South Florida’s deficit to 27-24 with 13:59 to go following a two-point conversion pass to Mudia Reuben.

Horvath had briefly left in the third quarter after trainers stretched his leg out. Woodson replaced him for good in the fourth; he completed a 32-yard throw to Heidenreich before rambling in from 20 yards to make it 34-24 with 9:29 left.

Just 3:15 later, the Bulls executed a double pass, and running back Nykahi Davenport hooked up with Jeremiah Koger (nine catches, 112 yards) for a 29-yard touchdown. But Nico Gramatica’s point-after attempt hit the left upright, leaving it a four-point game.

Woodson kept it on a zone read and raced down the right sideline for a 64-yard touchdown to make it 41-30 with 3:59 to play.

South Florida responded as Reuben caught a short pass and made multiple tacklers miss on a 41-yard scamper to the end zone. Again, the Bulls converted a two-point attempt to claw within three at the 1:55 mark.

But the Midshipmen recovered their onside kick attempt and bled out the clock. Horvath returned for the final possession.

Tecza broke free for a 76-yard TD run to put the Midshipmen on the board on their first possession. South Florida answered with Gramatica’s chip-shot field goal.

Brandon Chatman ran it in from 4 yards away for a 14-3 lead at the end of the first.

Brown found Keshaun Singleton for a 12-yard TD on the next drive, but the two-point attempt was overthrown.

Tecza tacked on a 14-yard TD reception, and two plays from scrimmage later, Brown tossed an interception to Phillip Hamilton who returned into the red zone. Nathan Kirkwood’s field goal gave Navy a 24-9 lead at halftime.

–Field Level Media

No. 24 South Florida, Navy square off at top of American Conference

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It appears the American Conference race will go down to the bitter end, with quasi-elimination games throughout November.

This week, South Florida checked in at No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings and took over Memphis’ foothold of Group of Five champion in the projected bracket. But the Bulls visit conference leader Navy for a crucial showdown on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

South Florida (7-2, 4-1 American) was ranked Tuesday by the CFP committee for the first time in program history. The Bulls look the part of a Group of Five contender: They demolished Boise State and upset Florida to earn a short-lived AP poll ranking early in the year, and their only conference loss was at Memphis two weeks ago.

Memphis absorbed its second American loss last week when it fell 38-32 at Tulane. The Tigers weren’t ranked but had been the projected Group of Five representative in the initial mock bracket. South Florida rebounded from its loss to Memphis by rolling UTSA 55-23.

Meanwhile, Navy (7-2, 5-1) has played one more league game and owns one more league win. The Midshipmen are a half-game up on South Florida, Tulane, North Texas and East Carolina in the conference standings, with their only remaining road game at Memphis on Thanksgiving.

South Florida coach Alex Golesh said this week that his players’ heads are in the right place.

“We talked about it after we had our sixth win,” Golesh said. “The feeling in the locker room was different (than previous years). There was no conversation of a sixth win. There were no ‘Bowl Bound’ T-shirts given out. That’s not the standard. I think they know that they’re playing meaningful football.”

No player in the American Conference produces more total offense than Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown at 323.1 total yards per game (2,203 yards passing, 705 rushing). Brown passed for 239 yards and two scores and added 109 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine attempts in the blowout of UTSA.

The Bulls were propelled by two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter, one interception and one fumble recovery, before the offense put up 31 in the second quarter.

That defense now must prepare for a Navy offense that’s added a dangerous passing attack to its triple-option offense thanks to quarterback Blake Horvath. Navy has scored 31 rushing touchdowns, second-most in FBS; Horvath is tied for third nationally with 13 rushing TDs and has added seven through the air.

“You have this stigma of what Navy does offensively, that they just run the ball up and down the field. (But) they’ve thrown it incredibly well,” Golesh said. “When they changed offenses a year ago, it has done wonders for them.”

Horvath missed Navy’s 49-10 loss to Notre Dame last week due to an upper-body injury. Navy coach Brian Newberry is confident Horvath will be ready to play South Florida; Braxton Woodson would go if Horvath cannot.

“I think he’s made improvement every day, starting to feel better and better as we go. … Feel good, optimistic,” Newberry said.

Newberry’s Midshipmen defeated South Florida 28-7 on the road last season, but Brown and running back Nykahi Davenport (career-high 94 yards, two touchdowns last week) make this Bulls team different.

Navy may not be a big part of the playoff conversation yet, but a win Saturday could change that. And a loss might take the conference title game off the table.

“You kind of have to look at it that way,” Newberry said. “Five teams, right, with one loss. … A team with two losses is certainly not gonna get into the championship game, you wouldn’t think.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Keelan Marion (0) runs with the football against the South Florida Bulls during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

No. 5 Miami handles upset-minded No. 18 South Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carson Beck threw three touchdown passes and Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for two more to lead the host Miami Hurricanes to a 49-12 victory over South Florida on Saturday night in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The No. 5 Hurricanes (3-0) totaled 576 yards and jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the No. 18 Bulls (2-1), who earned their ranking after beating then No. 25 Boise State and then-No. 13 Florida to open the season.

Fletcher ran for 120 yards on 16 carries while Beck completed 23 of 28 passes for 340 yards and the Georgia transfer threw his first two interceptions as a Miami quarterback.

But the Hurricanes’ defense rendered the miscues inconsequential as Miami beat USF for the seventh time in eight meetings all-time.

Beck sealed the outcome when he faked a handoff and delivered a 1-yard touchdown pass to CharMar Brown with 7:05 left in the fourth.

USF quarterback Byrum Brown completed 20 of 36 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown on a 12-yard connection with Christian Neptune, and one interception.

Beck’s first two touchdown passes went to freshman Joshua Moore — from 8 and 39 yards — to give the Hurricanes their early edge.

The first of two Nico Gramatica field goals, a 45-yarder, cut Miami’s lead to 14-3 in the first quarter.

The game was then delayed for an hour and 42 minutes due to severe weather.

Chas Nimrod led the Bulls with four catches for 128 yards, and two of those big-chunk gains led to USF’s first two scores.

Leading 14-6, the Hurricanes made sure there would be no major momentum shift following the delay as Fletcher ran for 38 yards — his longest of the season — and weaved through USF defenders to the end zone to push Miami’s lead to 21-6 with 10:05 left in the second quarter.

Jarvis Lee and James Chenault recorded interceptions for the Bulls. After Beck’s second interception, Miami’s Jakobe Thomas stripped Brown of the ball and Chase Smith recovered.

Brown led USF into the red zone again, but he was stopped on a run up the middle for 1 yard on fourth-and-3 from the Hurricanes’ 9, turning the ball over on downs with 4:08 left in the third quarter.

Miami receiver C.J. Daniels exited the game with 13 minutes left in the third quarter and did not return after being tackled and landing on his shoulder.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) does a postgame interview after their win over the Stanford Cardinal at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

No Nick Nash, San Jose State sets sights on South Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

All those curious to see if San Jose State wideout Nick Nash is the real deal will have to wait.

Nash, a consensus All-American, has opted out of the Hawaii Bowl and won’t be suited up when the Spartans battle South Florida on Tuesday night at Honolulu.

Nash won the college receiver triple crown by leading the nation with 104 catches, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions. He is San Jose State’s first consensus first-team All-American and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award won by Colorado’s Travis Hunter.

On Wednesday, he ended the suspense by announcing he would skip the game.

“It has been an amazing ride,” Nash said on social media. “After much consideration, I have decided that it is best that I do not participate in the upcoming bowl game.”

Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo said Nash will begin preparing for the NFL draft. He said he kept the door open for Nash to play as long as he could.

“He’s been our best player and he was thinking about things, but finally made a decision with his family after all the pros and cons that he was going to get ready for the next level,” Niumatalolo said.

“… Nick needs to do what’s best for him. I understand it. I definitely would love for him to play but he’s earned it.”

The Spartans (7-5) still figure to be able to move the ball through the air as quarterback Walker Eget topped 300 passing yards in four of his six starts.

Eget has passed for 2,224 yards and 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He replaced Emmett Brown as the starter for the game against Wyoming on Oct. 19.

Defensively, San Jose State leads the nation with 20 interceptions with safety Robert Rahimi (five) and cornerback DJ Harvey (four) leading the way. Harvey won’t be playing after entering the transfer portal and choosing Southern California.

Also, linebacker Jordan Pollard has a team-best 110 tackles.

South Florida (6-6) averaged 49.7 points in its victories and scored 51 total points in five of its six setbacks.

The Bulls traveled roughly 4,700 miles from Tampa to Honolulu and coach Alex Golesh and is focused on making sure his players get to enjoy the locale without compromising football preparations.

“When it’s time for ball, it’s time for ball. When we’re locked in, you make it about the football,” Golesh said. “When it’s time to get away, then you can make it about your teammates. I mean, I realize we’re going to one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’ll be the first time for just about everybody. I want them to enjoy and reap the rewards of earning the right to do this, while keeping the primary reason we’re out there at the forefront.”

South Florida kept its focus last season when it steamrolled Syracuse 45-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is close to a return after missing the past seven games due to a lower-leg injury sustained against Tulane on Sept. 28. Bryce Archie is expected to start and has thrown for 1,679 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

“I don’t know if it (Brown’s potential return) will be truly an emotional lift,” Golesh said. “Obviously, the operation going back to what they’re used to would certainly be nice. But I think Bryce has really settled in nicely in terms of being able to function.

“I don’t want to overplay it or underplay it. That’s your starting quarterback and he certainly didn’t leave the way he wanted to, getting hurt in the middle of a game we were fighting to stay in.”

The Bulls also feature Sean Atkins, who holds the school record of 189 career receptions and ranks second with 2,063 receiving yards.

The teams have met once with South Florida notching a 42-22 victory at San Jose in 2017.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrates after hitting Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jermaine Burton (3) for a touchdown at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Texas defeated Alabama 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr. -USA TODAY Sports

No. 10 Alabama looking to outclass South Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 10 Alabama failed its first big test of the season and will attempt to achieve a higher grade on Saturday when it faces South Florida in non-conference play at Tampa, Fla.

The Crimson Tide fell 34-24 at home to then-No. 11 Texas last weekend, a setback that delivered a big blow to Alabama’s national championship aspirations.

“It was a test for everybody,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said of the Week 2 showdown. “It was a test for the coaches, it was a test for me, it was a test for all the players.

“And we obviously didn’t do very well. But it’s the mid-term, it’s not the final.”

The loss also ended Alabama’s streak of 57 regular-season non-conference victories. The run dated to 2007 — Saban’s first season — when Alabama lost to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14.

The Crimson Tide (1-1) will aim to start a new streak against the Bulls (1-1), who dropped a school-record 11 straight games before posting a 38-24 win over FCS program Florida A&M last Saturday.

Alabama guard Tyler Booker said there is no reason for the players to hang their heads.

“All our goals are still attainable,” he said. “We can still win the SEC West. We can get a College Football Playoff spot. This was just a wake-up call for us, and we’re all taking heed to what coach is saying.”

Said linebacker Dallas Turner: “We can’t let a game from Week 2 determine how our season’s going to be. There’s still a lot more things to look forward to.”

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was just 14-of-27 passing but totaled 299 yards (255 passing, 44 rushing) against Texas while displaying progress. He has passed for 449 yards and five touchdowns, with two interceptions, in two games and also has two rushing scores and a team-high 92 yards on the ground.

South Florida has a new coach in Alex Golesh, who is very familiar to the Crimson Tide.

Golesh was offensive coordinator at Tennessee last season when the Volunteers notched a 52-49 home win over Alabama.

Golesh doesn’t have similar talent this time around but is planning to use the game as a measuring stick.

“It’s another step for the growth of our program,” Golesh said. “That’s obviously a big-time football program and a big-time coaching staff. It’ll be really, really cool to see us go and compete against one of the better teams in the country. If you want to say you want to be a top 20 program, you’ve got to go play against those guys.”

Golesh is certainly facing a big task. The Bulls have lost 17 straight games against FBS competition dating to a 34-14 home victory over Temple on Oct. 23, 2021.

He looked at the win over Florida A&M as the start of putting the foundation in place.

“It has to be process-driven here,” Golesh said. “I know the expectation is to win — and it should be. But there has to be a foundation laid here and in anything, whether it’s life or business. I felt like we walked into a situation where there was no foundation, there was no identity.”

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown has passed for 363 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. He has four rushing scores and leads the Bulls with 183 rushing yards.

Alabama won the lone previous meeting 40-17 in 2003.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Alex Golesh calls during fall practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Kns Tennessee Fall Practice

USF hires Tennessee OC Alex Golesh as head coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

South Florida officially named Alex Golesh as the sixth head coach in program history on Sunday.

He replaces Jeff Scott, who was fired in November after a 1-8 start.

Special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato closed out the season as interim coach and the Bulls finished 1-11 overall, 0-8 in the American Athletic Conference.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Golesh as the new leader of our program,” USF athletic director Michael Kelly said. “He is a dynamic coach and recruiter who is relentless in pursuit of excellence, as evidenced by his outstanding track record of elevating numerous programs. He also happens to be one of the most creative and successful offensive minds in college football.”

Golesh, 38, is a finalist for the 2022 Broyles Award as the nation’s best assistant coach for his work this season as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee. His Volunteers lead the nation in total offense (538.1 yards per game) and scoring (47.3 points per game).

Golesh has prior experience coaching in Florida, working as the co-offensive coordinator at UCF in 2020 before joining the staff at Tennessee in 2021.

“I’m excited to be back in the state of Florida and work with the great high school coaches in this state,” Golesh said. “This program will have an identity both offensively and defensively, and with special teams.

“We will be the most aggressive team in the country, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.”

His coaching history also includes stops at Iowa State, Illinois and Toledo. This is Golesh’s first head coaching job.

He inherits a program in Tampa, Fla., that has fallen on hard times, going 4-26 in two-plus seasons under Scott.

The Bulls posted back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins in 2016 and 2017 under coaches Willie Taggart and Charlie Strong, respectively.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; UCF Knights quarterback John Rhys Plume (10) scrambles with the ball as South Florida Bulls safety Will Jones II (7) defends during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

No. 22 UCF survives USF after blowing 24-point lead

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Backup quarterback Mikey Keene tossed a touchdown pass with 20 seconds left and No. 22 UCF escaped with a 46-39 victory over host South Florida on Saturday night in Tampa, Fla.

The Knights had to rally after squandering a 24-point lead in the third quarter.

UCF earned a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game. The Knights (9-3, 6-2 AAC) will play regular-season winner Tulane in New Orleans next Saturday.

Keene took over in the second half when starter John Rhys Plumlee left the game after apparently aggravating a hamstring injury.

Plumlee rushed for 133 yards and was 9-of-9 passing for 73 yards and a score in the first half in leading UCF to a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter and a 28-7 cushion at the break.

Keene finished 15-of-19 passing for 129 yards and hit Javon Baker with a 41-yard pass to South Florida’s 29-line on the final drive before connecting with Holler on a 14-yard strike for the decisive score. He also had a TD pass to Kobe Hudson.

Byrum Brown was 13-for-20 for 140 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulls (1-11, 0-8 AAC). His 42-yard TD run gave the Bulls a 39-38 lead with 7:02 remaining but his final pass into the end zone as time ran out fell incomplete.

Brian Battie posted his fifth consecutive triple-digit rushing game to tie a school record set by Jordan Cronkrite in 2012. Battie ended up with 144 yards on 19 carries, including a 14-yard touchdown run.

After their early dominance, the Knights had a disastrous third quarter.

The Bulls scored on Brown’s 4-yard run to start the second half, then took advantage of UCF fumbles on consecutive series to add two more scores to outscore the Knights 22-3 in the third quarter.

The Bulls had a scoring opportunity in the first quarter end when Brown’s fumble at UCF’s 4-yard line sailed into the end zone, where Justin Hodges recovered for a touchback.

The Bulls put together a 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Brown’s 2-yard pass to Sean Atkins with just 40 seconds left in the second quarter before the flood gates opened in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) lets go of a pass during Saturday's game against ACU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Sept. 4, 2021. Mordecai threw an SMU-record seven touchdowns as the Mustangs won 56-9. Hof 7364 2

SMU looks for offensive encore against struggling USF

Posted on | by Field Level Media

SMU, off a record-setting offensive performance, looks to guarantee a spot in the postseason when it travels to struggling South Florida on Saturday afternoon in an American Athletic Conference game in Tampa.

The Mustangs (5-4, 3-2 AAC) roll into Saturday’s game on the strength of an eye-popping 77-63 win at home over Houston on Nov. 5. SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai racked up nine touchdown passes, including seven in the first half, along with 379 passing yards and a rushing TD in the victory.

Mordecai now has an SMU-record 13 games with 300 passing yards or more in his career. SMU has won two straight games and is still in the thick of the race for the conference championship game berth and a bowl game.

“I’ll say this about this team,” said Mordecai, who transferred from Oklahoma before the 2021 season. “I’ve been on different teams, different coaches, this team. But this team, no matter what, we play hard. One thing you can’t say is that we don’t lay it all out, so that’s what I’m really proud of.”

Five SMU receivers had at least one touchdown catch in the win, led by Ben Redding’s three scoring receptions. The Mustangs scored touchdowns on their first nine drives of the game.

The 140 combined points set the FBS single-season scoring record for two teams in regulation. The Mustangs established program records for points in a game, total touchdowns (11), passing touchdowns (nine) and 433 total yards in the first half.

USF (1-8, 0-5) is at the bottom of the league standings and heads home after a 54-28 loss at Temple on Nov. 5. Coach Jeff Scott was fired on Sunday a day after the Bulls dropped their seventh consecutive game. USF’s only win this season came against Howard, an FCS team, on Sept. 10.

Scott’s 4-26 record over two-plus seasons is the worst in state history among major-college coaches who lasted more than one year. The Bulls also fired defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. USF elevated special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato to interim coach while former co-coordinator Ernie Sims will head the defense for the final three games.

“In the days ahead, I will share information about our search for a new head coach,” USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly said. “Our focus right now is on the talented young men in our football program.”

South Florida’s defense allowed 621 yards in the loss to Temple. The Bulls are 129th out of 131 teams in points allowed per game (39.9) and 130th in average total yards allowed (502.9).

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; South Florida Bulls receiver Yusuf Terry (9) catches a pass under the pressure of Louisville Cardinals defensive back Kei'Trel Clark (13) during the second quarter at Cardinal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Malik Cunningham’s dual attack leads Louisville past USF

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Malik Cunningham rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 186 yards and a score as Louisville dominated South Florida 41-3 Saturday afternoon in Louisville, Ky.

The Cardinals (2-2) amassed 542 yards in total offense with 283 rushing while holding the Bulls (1-3) to 158 in total yardage and a meager 48 on the ground. That’s the lowest rushing total for an opponent since Louisville held Virginia to 35 yards last year.

Cunningham’s output moved the senior into a tie for second in program history in career touchdowns with 20 and into third place among Cardinal rushers with 3,014 yards. He is fifth in career passing yards with 8,629 yards.

The loss extended USF’s road losing streak to 14 games as its offense never got in gear. Gerry Bohanon Jr. was only 9-of-17 passing for 62 yards before turning game over to Katravis Marsh early in the third quarter. Marsh finished 4-of-11 for 48 yards in his first action of the season.

After punting on the opening series, the Cardinals scored touchdowns on their next four possessions with Cunningham scoring on rushes of 40, 35, and 8 yards and throwing a 26-yard pass to Jaelin Carter to take a 28-0 lead into the break.

Cunning had more rushing yards (106) than passing (100) in the first half as the Cardinals amassed 329 yards in total offense to just 84 for the Bulls.

South Florida managed 22 yards on the ground and had three turnovers, two on Bohanon’s fifth and sixth interceptions of the season, through the first half.

The Bulls foiled Louisville’s shutout bid on Spencer Shrader’s 37-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals responded with Tyler Evans’ 3-yard scoring run to make it 38-3 and James Turner added a second field goal to round out the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Oct 30, 2021; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall (3) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

No. 25 BYU takes early-season prowess to South Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Opening a season on a winning note has become embedded in BYU’s DNA.

The No. 25 Cougars have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic when they travel to Tampa, Fla., to face South Florida in the season opener for both teams on Saturday.

BYU is 5-1 in season openers under head coach Kalani Sitake, with the loss coming against archrival Utah in 2019. The Cougars have won 13 of their last 15 season openers.

BYU quarterback Jaren Hall attributes a willingness to do homework for the program’s win-early tendencies.

“You have more time to study their scheme, plays, and watching film than for a normal game week,” Hall said. “The more you can burn all of that into your memory, then when you’re in the stadium, you can turn off your brain, stop thinking and go have fun. You can allow all your preparation to come out through your energy.”

Hall will be eager to show what he can do against the Bulls. The fifth-year junior was sidelined with a rib injury when the Cougars beat South Florida 35-27 last season to open the schedule with a 4-0 record.

Former BYU quarterback Baylor Romney filled in and threw for 305 yards with three touchdowns. Hall made his first career start when the two teams met at Tampa in 2019 – a 27-23 loss for BYU.

Figuring out how to contain Hall will be a dilemma for the Bulls. Hall had a 156.1 pass efficiency rating last season and posted four 300-yard games in 10 starts. He had 2,583 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air overall.

South Florida has defeated just one FBS opponent over the last two seasons, although the trend could change in a hurry in 2022.

The Bulls are returning 18 starters from last season’s 2-10 squad while adding key transfers. Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon won the starting quarterback job in fall camp. South Florida top rusher Jaren Mangham and top receiver Xavier Weaver are both back to lead the offense.

The infusion of transfers with veteran contributors already has had a positive impact on team culture.

“I think my first two years, a lot of guys were trying to find a way off the field,” USF coach Jeff Scott said. “They were trying to find ways not to practice, not to take reps, and just wait until game day. That culture has shifted where guys are now out there pushing themselves and encouraging their teammates.”

BYU was preparing to face hot and humid conditions at Tampa on Saturday. Now there’s a chance the Cougars could be dealing with rain instead. The team is fully prepared to handle either scenario.

“We have had some practices already where it has been kinda wet and had a scrimmage that was kind of wet,” Sitake said. “I don’t know if we really need to flood the field or put the ball in a bucket of water. We just show up and play. They have to play in the same weather that we play in, too.”

BYU’s lone previous win in the state of Florida was a 49-23 triumph over UCF in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl.

–Field Level Media