Tag: USF

Feb 3, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; a general view of the stadium during the AFC versus NFC Pro Bowl practice and media day at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

USF-Memphis game moved to Orlando after Milton

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Already moved on the calendar because of Hurricane Milton, the upcoming game between South Florida and Memphis is also changing locations.

The American Athletic Conference announced Thursday that the game would be moved from Tampa to Orlando, at Camping World Stadium. Earlier this week, the game was moved from its original Friday slot to Saturday. Kickoff will remain at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Orlando will now host two games on Saturday, as UCF will face Cincinnati in a Big 12 game at the Knights’ FBC Mortgage Stadium.

Milton made landfall in the Tampa area on Wednesday evening and tore through much of Central Florida. As of Thursday night, at least a dozen people had been killed by the storm and more than 2 million remained without power. The storm also ripped most of the roof off Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers linebacker Chandler Martin (11) against Tulane Green Wave offensive linemen Rashad Green (69) during the second half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Memphis, South Florida, UTSA, Tulane pledge to stay in American

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The next spin on the conference realignment carousel won’t include Memphis, South Florida, UTSA or Tulane.

The American Athletic Conference released a statement Monday saying those four schools are committed to remaining in the league, following reports that they could be targets of the rebuilding Pac-12 Conference.

At the same time, all 15 member institutions published graphics on social media that plotted their locations on a map, with one word prominently featured: “Committed.”

“We are the American Athletic Conference. A conference that prioritizes student-athlete welfare, has proud academic institutions, produces fierce competition at the highest level, and has outstanding linear and direct-to-consumer national media partners,” the AAC’s statement read.

“Together, we are committed to continuing to build the American brand, exploring new opportunities for exposure and value, and developing innovative economic resources — all in service of our student-athletes.”

The statement acknowledged that some of its member institutions received interest from “other conferences.” Though the schools weren’t named, the corresponding social media post featured the logos of Memphis, South Florida, UTSA and Tulane across the top.

The AAC said it was “in our individual and collective best interests to uphold our commitment to each other.”

The Pac-12 began a regrowth of sorts two weeks ago when it was announced the league would add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West in 2026. Joining Oregon State and Washington State, that would bring the league to six members, with eight the minimum required for the league to be recognized as an FBS conference once again.

Memphis, Tulane and others were reported to be among the Pac-12’s next targets.

“The landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically in the past few years,” the University of Memphis said in its own statement. “With that, our focus has remained on ensuring our student-athletes are given the best possible environment to perform their sports and academics at the highest level. After considering other potential options, we have decided our current partnership with the American Athletic Conference is in the best interest of our student-athletes and the future of our University.”

The AAC has 14 football-playing members after losing SMU to the ACC but adding Army ahead of the 2024 season. Army and Navy are football-only members, while Wichita State plays most of its sports in the AAC but does not field a football team.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) runs for a touchdown against South Florida Bulls defensive lineman Rico Watson III (34) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

Jalen Milroe accounts for 4 TDs as No. 4 Alabama tops USF

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Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two to help No. 4 Alabama slide past South Florida 42-16 on Saturday night in nonconference play at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Jam Miller rushed for 140 yards and one score, Justice Haynes added a rushing touchdown and Kobe Prentice and Ryan Williams each caught touchdown passes for the Crimson Tide (2-0).

Milroe completed 17 of 27 passes for 199 yards for Alabama, which scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to break open a close affair.

Byrum Brown completed 15 of 35 passes for 103 yards and rushed for 108 yards on 23 carries for South Florida (1-1). Ta’Ron Keith rushed for a touchdown for the Bulls, who were outgained 393-309.

South Florida trailed by just five past the midway point of the fourth quarter before the Crimson Tide pulled away with three touchdowns in a span of 4:13.

Last season, South Florida gave Alabama a stern battle in Tampa, Fla. That contest was a one-score margin until the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown with 33 seconds left for a 17-3 victory.

This year, the Bulls moved within 14-13 on Keith’s 2-yard scoring run with 9:35 left in the third quarter.

The Crimson Tide increased their lead to eight when Milroe tossed a 16-yard scoring pass to Prentice with 10:04 left in the contest.

John Cannon kicked a 22-yard field with 6:45 remaining to bring South Florida within 21-16.

It took just three plays for the Crimson Tide to push their cushion to 12. Williams, the 17-year-old star freshman, caught a short pass from Milroe and turned it into a 43-yard score down the left sideline with 5:50 left in the contest.

Miller added a 56-yard run to make it 35-16 with 2:30 remaining, and Haynes scored on a 29-yard run with 1:37 to go.

South Florida outrushed the Crimson Tide 108-34 in the first half but had to settle for two field goals from Cannon and trailed 14-6 at the break.

Cannon kicked a 34-yard field goal on the first possession of the game for the Bulls.

Milroe put Alabama ahead on a 10-yard scoring run with 5:08 left in the opening quarter. Cannon booted a 25-yarder to move South Florida within 7-6 with 9:45 left in the first half.

Milroe rushed for a 5-yard scoring run with 3:28 left in the half to give Alabama a 14-6 lead.

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2023; Boca Raton, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) drops back to pass against the Syracuse Orange in the first quarter during the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

South Florida throttles Syracuse in Boca Raton Bowl

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Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and two South Florida players scored on long fumble returns as the Bulls trounced Syracuse 45-0 on Thursday night in the Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Fla.

Brown twice found Sean Atkins for a touchdown as part of a 19-of-26 passing performance in which he threw for 214 yards without an interception. Atkins finished with six catches for 93 yards, while Brown also registered a team-high 64 rushing yards for the Bulls (7-6).

The Orange (6-7) played without their top two quarterbacks due to injuries. Freshman Braden Davis made his first college start and finished 6 of 13 for 84 yards. The team also ran much of their offense out of a wildcat formation that featured running back LeQuint Allen (20 carries for 2 yards) and tight end Dan Villari (11 rushes for 37 yards and 4-of-11 passing for 55 yards).

Syracuse went 1 for 17 on third downs and had four turnovers in losing its bowl game for the second straight season.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, South Florida marched 64 yards on 10 plays, capped by Brown’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Atkins in the back of the end zone.

The Bulls doubled their lead late in the first quarter on Aamaris Brown’s 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Orange were attempting a field goal, but they botched the hold, leading to the fumble.

Early in the second quarter, Byrum Brown found Khafre Brown deep over the middle for a 31-yard score, making it 21-0. John Cannon added a 40-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the period.

The cherry on top of the first-half uprising was Tramel Logan’s 61-yard fumble return with nine seconds left. Daquan Evans sacked Davis on the play, and Logan made the recovery.

Byrum Brown’s 35-yard pass to a wide-open Atkins made it 38-0 early in the third quarter. Nay’Quan Wright’s 2-yard touchdown run accounted for the only points of the fourth quarter as South Florida rolled to its first bowl win since 2017.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen (1) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse runs into USF, Boca Raton Bowl thinking ground game

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Without the coach and quarterback who helped the Orange reach the postseason, Syracuse stomps forward to face South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday.

The Orange (6-6) fired coach Dino Babers last month near the end of his eighth season at Syracuse. His temporary replacement was Nunzio Campanile, who defeated Wake Forest in the regular-season finale to make the Orange bowl-eligible, before the program hired Fran Brown as its next head coach earlier this month.

It’ll be Campanile who will be guiding Syracuse in Thursday’s clash in Boca Raton, Fla. He will have to defeat the Bulls without quarterback Garrett Shrader, who underwent shoulder surgery after passing for three touchdowns and running for another in the win over Wake Forest.

“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” the senior quarterback said. “I would have (gotten surgery) earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”

In Shrader’s absence, the Orange could opt for backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who threw three touchdowns and six interceptions in limited action this season. Or the team could revisit its creative wildcat offense that it used while Shrader was injured late in the regular season.

In either event, the Orange are looking forward to playing in a bowl game for the second straight season. Previously, they had not played in back-to-back bowl games since 2012 and 2013.

“You have two teams that are trending in the right direction,” Campanile said, “and I just think it’s a really exciting opportunity. … It should be a really fun, entertaining game.”

The Bulls (6-6) showed drastic improvement this season under first-year coach Alex Golesh. The team had won a total of four games in the previous three seasons combined and now will play in their first bowl game since 2018.

“To get here in year one and to continue to lay a foundation for what we’re building in Tampa, it’s absolutely huge for us,” said Golesh, whose squad also became bowl-eligible by winning its regular-season finale. USF trounced Charlotte 48-14 in that contest behind four passing touchdowns and a rushing score from Byrum Brown.

The Bulls’ defense was among the worst in the nation in points allowed per game (34.9) and yards allowed per game (455.3). So, they’ll be banking on their dynamic offense and hope that their defense can contain Orange running back LeQuint Allen, who ran for 1,062 yards (including 100-plus yards in five of the last six games).

Also, USF will be relying on its expected home-field advantage.

“For us to be in our home state, playing against a really good football team, I would hope there’s a bunch of green and gold in the stands,” Golesh said. “It’ll feel like a home game in that regard.”

The teams have met 10 times previously, all between 2005 and 2016. South Florida won eight of those matchups with all eight of those victories coming by at least 14 points.

–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

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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

A pylon with a USF logo before the game between the Florida Gators and the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Flgai 091121 Gatorsfb Usf 1252 Mattpendleton

South Florida board OKs plans for $340M stadium

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The board of trustees at South Florida approved a plan Tuesday for a new on-campus stadium that will cost an estimated $340 million and be ready for use by fall of 2026.

The new stadium will hold 35,000.

The board approved debt spending of $200 million. The remaining $140 million will come from four other sources, including $81 million from future capital gifts ($50M) and the capital improvement trust fund ($31M), according to a news release.

Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the current home of the Bulls. USF opened a new $22 million indoor football facility in January.

The Bulls are coming off a 1-11 season and are 4-29 over the past three seasons.

–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

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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

Oct 8, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; South Florida Bulls running back Brian Battie (21) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Underwhelming seasons collide when Tulsa faces USF

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South Florida and host Tulsa will chase down a rare victory when the teams meet Friday night.

The two American Athletic Conference programs find themselves at the bottom of the standings, with the Bulls owning the cellar due to an eight-game skid. Tulsa is standing right outside the door after dropping three straight.

USF (1-9, 0-6) earned its only win when it defeated FCS Howard 42-20 on Sept. 10 in Week 2. The campaign’s low point occurred Nov. 6 when the Bulls fired head coach Jeff Scott after a 54-28 road loss to Temple.

Interim head coach Daniel Da Prato stepped in Saturday against SMU. The Bulls played better at times, forging a 17-17 tie at halftime before succumbing in a 41-23 setback on their home field.

“Obviously, a difficult week for our young men and for our department. We were able to fight through that for the week and we came out and I’m proud of our kids and their effort,” Da Prato said. “But at the end of the day you play this game to win.”

Quarterback Katravis Marsh was stretchered off the field in the fourth quarter but was “in good spirits, with movement in his extremities,” according to Da Prato.

Running back Brian Battie recorded his third straight 100-yard game, with 145 on the ground, and is within 127 yards of the school’s 10th 1,000-yard rushing season.

In its home finale Friday, ninth-place Tulsa (3-7, 1-5) will try to avoid slipping into last place by improving on offense. Behind quarterbacks Davis Brin and Braylon Braxton, the Golden Hurricane offense generated just 207 yards in Saturday’s 26-10 loss to Memphis. The pair combined to go 17 of 37 for 176 passing yards.

Through its first three games, Tulsa’s offense topped FBS schools with over 43 points per game and 413 passing yards per game, but it has regressed with Brin’s injuries and Braxton’s inconsistency.

“Early in the season, I thought we were hitting on all cylinders and things were coming together,” Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery said. “Where I thought this offense was going to be able to go is in a totally different end of the spectrum than where we are right now.”

USF holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series, but Tulsa has won the past two meetings — 32-31 last season in Tampa and 42-13 in 2020 at Tulsa.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA;South Florida Bulls head coach Jeff Scott prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

South Florida fires coach Jeff Scott

Posted on | by Field Level Media

South Florida, in the midst of a 1-8 season, fired head football coach Jeff Scott on Sunday.

Special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato was named interim head coach for the rest of the season.

“When Jeff came to Tampa in December of 2019, we had high expectations for where he could take our football program,” athletic director Michael Kelly said in a statement. “While he did so many things right, including rebuilding our culture, pushing forward our Indoor Performance Facility, and engaging our community, the on-the-field results fell well below our standards. He is a tremendous person and class individual and we wish him, Sara, Savannah and Hunter all the best in the future.”

The Bulls lost their seventh straight game Saturday when host Temple pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 54-28 win. South Florida is 0-5 against American Athletic Conference opponents and won its only game against Howard, an FCS opponent.

Scott was hired ahead of the 2020 season after serving as Clemson’s wide receivers coach, run game coordinator and co-offensive coordinator between 2008 and 2019. He originally signed a five-year deal and also inked a two-year extension following the 2021 season.

But South Florida went just 4-26 under Scott, including a paltry 1-19 in conference.

“I would like to thank our players, coaches and staff members for all their hard work during my time as the head coach at USF,” Scott said in a statement. “I especially want to thank USF President Rhea Law and Vice President/Director of Athletics Michael Kelly for giving me the incredible opportunity to lead the football program the last three years. I will miss this team and will do anything in my power to help them in the future. I am disappointed that our hard work didn’t translate to more success on the field, but I am confident that we have set a new foundation. I know the future of USF football is bright and my family and I will always remember our time at USF as a very special chapter in our lives.”

–Field Level Media