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Tag: USF Bulls

  • USF makes its debut on college playoff bracket

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    TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida’s latest football milestone made its debut Tuesday night when the Bulls were included in the College Football Playoff bracket.

    USF, at 7-2, came in at No. 12 in the bracket, representing the American Athletic Conference and the highest regarded Group of 5 team.

    The final bracket will be released Dec. 7. Playoff games start Dec. 19 at campus locations.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF latest football milestone made its debut Tuesday night when the Bulls were included in the College Football Playoff bracket

    • USF, at 7-2, came in at No. 12 in the bracket, representing the AAC and the highest regarded Group of 5 team

    • With plenty of football remaining to be played, anything could happen and everything could change 
    • TAKE A LOOK AT THE BRACKET: College Football Playoff

    That gives the Bulls (7-2, 4-1) a few weeks to solidify their position, starting with Saturday’s game at Navy (7-2, 5-1). USF also has contests remaining with AAC bottom dwellers Alabama-Birmingham and Rice before a potential AAC championship game.

    There are five one-loss teams in the American, and the jockeying has already started for spots in the conference title game and possibly that automatic CFP bid that USF is holding right now highest-ranked Group of Five champion.

    But with plenty of football remaining to be played, anything could happen and everything could change.

    The No. 25 USF-Navy matchup is a battle of one-loss conference teams.  

    Meanwhile this weekend, two-loss Memphis goes to one-loss East Carolina. Tulane is coming off its big win at Memphis and will need to be on point when Florida Atlantic visits. North Texas, the fifth one-loss team, goes on the road to play a UAB team that upset Memphis four weeks ago.

    After USF (39%), the best odds among G5 teams to reach the playoffs is James Madison (35.8%). But USF has better key wins this year with victories against Boise State and at Florida and at North Texas.

    As the playoff brackets are currently listed, No. 12 USF would play at No. 5 Georgia in the opening round.

    Other currently bracketed matchups include: No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Texas Tech; No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon.

    The four top squads currently with byes are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama. 

    Information in the Associated Press was used in this report.

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  • George Washington takes down South Florida 99-95

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    UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Tre Dinkins helped lead George Washington past South Florida on Saturday with 22 points off of the bench in a 99-95 win.

    Dinkins shot 6 for 9 (4 for 7 from 3-point range) and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Revolutionaries (2-0). Trey Autry added 16 points while going 6 of 10 from the floor, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and 2 for 3 from the line and also had seven rebounds. Rafael Castro shot 4 of 7 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds.

    The Bulls (1-1) were led by Josh Omojafo, who posted 33 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. CJ Brown added 22 points, four assists and four steals for South Florida. Izaiyah Nelson also had 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

    Autry put up nine points in the first half for George Washington, which led 44-40 at the break. Dinkins’ 16-point second half helped George Washington finish off the four-point victory.

    Up next

    These two teams both play Wednesday. George Washington hosts American and South Florida hosts Coppin State.

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  • Defensive TDs jumpstart South Florida to 55-23 win over UTSA

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Byrum Brown accounted for 348 total yards and three touchdowns and South Florida recorded two defensive touchdowns and beat UTSA 55-23 on Thursday night.

    The win pushed the Bulls (7-2, 4-1) into a three-way tie in the American Athletic Conference with Memphis and North Texas, all a half-game behind Navy.

    Brown completed 14 of 15 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 109 yards on nine carries and scored a touchdown. Nykahi Davenport ran for 94 yards on seven carries and scored two touchdowns and Keshaun Singleton had 122 yards receiving on four catches for two touchdowns for South Florida.

    Tavin Ward started South Florida off with a 40-yard, pick-6 of UTSA’s Owen McCown on the first play from scrimmage. Midway through the first, Jarvis Lee sacked McCown for a 13-yard loss and forced a fumble. Fred Gaskin picked up the ball and ran it back 85 yards for a 14-3 lead.

    After UTSA got on the board with Michael Petro’s 33-yard field goal late in the first quarter, five seconds into the second, Brown ran it in from 13 yards out to make it 21-3. UTSA responded on its following drive when McCown threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer but the Roadrunners (4-5, 2-3) never got closer.

    McCown threw for 200 yards and a touchdown and backup Brandon Tennison threw for 109 yards and a touchdown.

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  • Wes Enis’ 22 points lead USF past Florida A&M

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Wes Enis’ 22 points helped USF defeat Florida A&M 102-67 on Monday in the season-opener for both teams.

    Josh Omojafo added 17 points for the Bulls. Izaiyah Nelson had 16 points.

    Micah Octave finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Rattlers. Florida A&M also got 14 points and three steals from Tyler Shirley. Jordan Chatman finished with 11 points.

    USF took the lead with 9:45 remaining in the first half and did not trail again. Enis led their team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 47-33 at the break.

    USF extended its lead to 81-51 during the second half, fueled by a 9-0 scoring run. Nelson scored a team-high 11 points in the second half as their team closed out the win.

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  • USF voice of the Bulls is hanging up the headset

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    TAMPA, Fla. — If you are a USF football fan, you recognize the voice.

    That’s because it’s the only voice in the football program’s 29-year history.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jim Louk has been the voice of the Bulls for football games since the team’s inaugural season in 1997

    • He’s been with USF for 43 years, calling more than 3,000 sporting events

    • After he retires at the end of the season, Jim Lighthall, the Bulls men’s basketball play-by-play announcer, will take over the football duties


    “There’s a lot of exciting things going on here, you know, a new stadium, and the team is playing so well,” Louk said. “It’s not the smartest time to step away professionally, but personally, it was the right time.”

    Hard to step away when it’s all that he’s known for 43 years. That’s how long he’s been at USF, calling more than 3,000 sporting events. And he’s been there from the very beginning when the football team kicked off its inaugural season in 1997. Louk has witnessed the program’s growth into national relevance and has been on the call for so many amazing moments.

    He has narrated the good times and the bad. He’s notorious for his passion and his preparation. All of that comes through in his broadcasts.

    “It’s been a privilege to be there for all these games and all these years, but every broadcast is multiple people,” he said. “And everybody except me is gonna be back next year, so I think people are really going to continue to enjoy the broadcasts.”

    One of his sidekicks and USF men’s basketball play-by-play voice, Jim Lighthall, will replace Louk. And he’s got a big headset to fill. When you’re the only one who has done something for so long like Louk, letting go isn’t easy — especially when there is so much that goes into every game.

    “The relationships, the coaches, the players, the broadcasts are fun, but it’s like anything else, it’s all about the people,” Louk said. “That’s the best, and that’s probably what I’ll miss the most.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Memphis rallies for 34-31 win over No. 18 USF

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    By  CLAY BAILEY

    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Quarterback Brendon Lewis connected with Cortez Braham Jr. for a 10-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining to give Memphis a come-from-behind 34-31 victory over No. 18 USF on Saturday.

    South Florida kicker Nico Gramatica missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to preserve Memphis’ victory.

    “I just wanted to make sure the fans stayed for all four quarters,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said with a laugh.

    Memphis trailed 31-17 entering the fourth quarter, but a 13-yard run by Greg Desrosiers Jr. early in the period and a 28-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic pulled Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) within 31-26. That set the stage for the winning drive by Memphis, including the 2-point conversion.

    Lewis, who finished with 307 yards passing, threw a fade route to Braham on the right side of the end zone for the winning score.

    “I’d seen that it was one-on-one with me and the (defensive back), and I had a feel B. Lewis was going to come to me,” Braham said. “It was just winning my one-on-one and doing what I needed to do.”

    Lewis added: “The defense, I don’t know what they were thinking. They left (the defensive back) one-on-one on an island, and Tez did what he does.”

    But Memphis still had to endure a final minute of the Bulls driving down the field and getting in range for Gramatica, whose kick sailed wide left.

    “I’m disappointed we didn’t score,” South Florida coach Alex Golesh said. “But the only thing going through my mind is where we are going to go in overtime with our first play.

    “There ain’t a kicker in the country I’d rather have than (Gramatica) in our locker room.”

    South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown accounted for three touchdowns and 390 yards of total offense.

    Brown rushed for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns and threw for 269 yards, including a scoring pass of 5 yards to Jeremiah Koger as the Bulls (6-2, 3-1), had their four-game winning streak snapped. Sam Franklin added a 73-yard touchdown run in the second half.

    Brown used his versatility to lead the Bulls offense. His lone mistake of the first half was an interception by Memphis’ Everett Roussaw Jr. that set up a 19-yard scoring run by Frank Pleasant. That was the only offensive success generated by Memphis until the closing minute of the half when Lewis connected with Braham for a 5-yard touchdown.

    For the Bulls, it was their first conference loss of the season, but Golesh said they are in the process of building a culture. While he didn’t want to lose, he said the game and the season thus far is part of USF’s growth.

    “We’ve never looked ahead. We’ve never talked about a conference championship,” Golesh said. “It’s never been about anything past who we are playing. It’s never been about anything other than trying to be the very best version of ourselves.”

    Up next

    USF hosts Texas-San Antonio on Thursday, Nov. 6

    Memphis travels to Rice on Friday, Oct. 31.

    ___

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  • USF women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez leaving for WNBA job

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Jose Fernandez, who coached USF women’s basketball to 485 victories and 10 NCAA Tournaments during his tenure, is leaving to pursue an opportunity to coach in the WNBA.

    “While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose to realize a professional dream, and we are incredibly proud of him,” said USF CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins.

    Fernandez coached the Bulls for 25 years, winning 20 games 12 times.

    “His impact on USF Athletics and our university community is profound, and his legacy will be remembered and celebrated for years to come,” Higgins said.

    Higgins said Michele Woods-Baxter, who has been with the program for 17 years, will serve as interim coach for this season.

    You can read Higgins’ statement in full below.

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  • Byrum Brown, No. 19 USF run over Florida Atlantic, 48-13

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and rushed for a score as No. 19 USF racked up 522 yards in a 48-13 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.

    USF (6-1, 3-0 AAC) got touchdown receptions from Jeremiah Koger, Jonathan Echols and Wyatt Sullivan. The Bulls scored the final 27 points to turn a 21-13 lead into a blowout victory.

    Brown was 14 of 24 for 256 yards and ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Nykahi Davenport rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown. Koger had four catches for 90 yards.

    Florida Atlantic’s Caden Vetkamp was 35 of 50 for 244 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Assad Wassem had eight catches for 56 yards.

    The takeaway

    Florida Atlantic (3-4, 2-2) had its two-game win streak snapped and fell a game below .500.

    USF joins Tulane and Navy as the only teams with an undefeated ACC record. The Bulls will travel to No. 22 Memphis next weekend after the Tigers were upset by UAB.

    Up next

    Florida Atlantic: At Navy on Oct. 25.

    USF: At No. 22 Memphis on Oct. 25.

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  • Longtime voice of the USF Bulls retiring: Jim Louk set to step aside

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    TAMPA, Fla. – The only radio voice University of South Florida football has known is stepping aside.

    Jim Louk, who has called USF football since its 1997 debut, is retiring at the end of this season.

    What You Need To Know

    • The only radio voice University of South Florida football has known is stepping aside

    • Louk has called more than 3,000 USF Athletics contests over a 43-year career, delivering memorable play-by-play on both radio and television broadcasts

    • Louk heads into Saturday’s Homecoming matchup vs. FAU having called 341 USF football games, including the Bulls’ inaugural game on Sept. 6, 1997, and 12 bowl appearances

    His Bulls’ basketball history goes back even further as he has called USF games in that sport since 1983.

    Louk has called more than 3,000 USF Athletics contests over a 43-year career, delivering memorable play-by-play on both radio and television broadcasts.

    “Thank you, Bulls fans for watching and listening for all these years,” Louk said in a message posted to X. “I would have had a short run if you weren’t willing to do that. Instead, I got to have just the kind of career I dreamed about as a kid growing up in upstate New York.”

    Though stepping away from the football booth, he will continue to call select basketball and baseball games on ESPN+ and make occasional appearances on football radio broadcasts and other athletics events.

    Longtime voice of USF men’s basketball Jim Lighthall will assume Louk’s play-by-play duties for football beginning in the 2026 season. Lighthall, who enters his 29th season calling Bulls basketball in 2025-26, has also been a mainstay on South Florida football pre- and post-game shows since the first season of Bulls football and is a familiar presence at athletics events.

    Louk heads into Saturday’s Homecoming matchup vs. FAU having called 341 USF football games, including the Bulls’ inaugural game on Sept. 6, 1997, and 12 bowl appearances.


    “Jim Louk has been a big part of the history and tradition of South Florida Football throughout his incredible career,” said Head Coach Alex Golesh. “He’s been a valued and trusted part of our program and will certainly be missed. I know he’s looking forward to spending more time with his growing family, and I congratulate him on a tremendous run.”

    Since 1983, Louk has been the voice of South Florida Athletics, beginning with men’s basketball and transitioning to football in the program’s first season. He’s also called action across USF Athletics —football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and volleyball—on networks including SportsChannel, Fox Sports Florida, Brighthouse Sports Network, and ESPN+.

    Louk has partnered in the booth for the last eight football seasons with former Bulls linebacker Sam Barrington, and for the first 21 seasons with former NFL standout Mark Robinson.

    Beyond the broadcast booth, Louk served USF Athletics in multiple roles. From 1995 to 2012, he oversaw ticket sales, and later led the Bulls Vision video production unit until his 2021 retirement from the department. He also served as the voice of USF commencement ceremonies from 2013 to 2021 and authored the longtime GoUSFBulls.com series Letters from Louk.

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  • Byrum Brown leads South Florida to 54-26 romp over Charlotte

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 98 yards — in the first half — and South Florida rolled to a 54-26 victory over Charlotte on Friday night in the Bulls’ American Athletic Conference opener.

    South Florida (4-1, 1-0) took a 7-0 lead 59 seconds into the game on a 37-yard touchdown run by Cartevious Norton, who played for Charlotte (1-4, 0-2) last season.

    Brown connected with Jeremiah Koger for a 38-yard touchdown and Mudia Reuben for a 10-yard score. Jair Murphy blocked a punt in the end zone between the touchdown tosses and the Bulls led 23-0 after one quarter.

    Nico Gramatica’s 43-yard field goal and Brown’s 18-yard scoring strike to Chas Nimrod led to a 33-7 advantage at halftime.

    Brown had a 1-yard touchdown toss to Evan Dangler before scoring on a 13-yard run to up the lead to 47-18 in the fourth quarter. Nykahi Davenport added a 7-yard TD run with 43 seconds left.

    Brown completed 19 of 34 passes for 211 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 162 yards on 17 carries.

    Grayson Loftis completed 2 of 11 passes for minus-1 yard for the 49ers before he was replaced by Zach Wilcke, who totaled 150 yards on 14-for-18 passing. Wilcke had a 2-yard touchdown toss to E. Jai Mason and a 16-yarder to Derrick Eley in the fourth

    quarter. C.J. Stokes had a 1-yard touchdown run.

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  • New CEO of USF Athletics, Rob Higgins, bleeds green and gold

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Rob Higgins stood in front of a standing-room-only crowd at USF and proudly produced a letter from his pocket he had been holding onto for 35 years. And then he hugged the man who sent it to him.

    What You Need To Know

    •  Rob Higgins is the new CEO of USF Athletics

    •  Higgins replaces former Athletic Director Michael Kelly, who left USF for Navy

    •  USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said Higgins’ new title is the first of its kind in the nation


    The letter was from former USF Men’s Basketball assistant coach and Bulls alum Tommy Tonelli. Dated April 24, 1990, the letter thanked Rob for his role as the team’s manager and for helping the Bulls make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

    “Just like everything Rob’s ever done, he does the best he can possibly do, and it always turns out great,” Tonelli said. “And I’m sure he’ll do the same in his role at USF.”

    The fact that Higgins kept that letter all these years tells you everything you need about the new chief executive officer of USF Athletics. That love was on display at his introductory press conference that included fanfare, cheerleaders, Rocky the Bull and an array of Tampa Bay sports dignitaries.

    “This is a celebration of appreciation,” Higgins said. “A celebration of Bull pride and a celebration of USF’s rightful place among the hierarchy of team Tampa Bay.”

    The fact that Higgins doesn’t carry the athletic director title, like those who came before him, and instead is CEO of the athletics department speaks volumes about the evolution of college sports. While addressing the crowd and talking about why Higgins was their choice, USF Board of Trustees chair Will Weatherford proudly declared Higgins not only USF’s first CEO of athletics, but the nation’s first.

    “Where we’re going is very different from where we’ve been,” Weatherford said. “And for us to think about what it takes to run an athletics program at a university today is completing different than what it took 10 years ago.”

    Higgins is prepared to wear his green and gold heart on his sleeve and roll up those sleeves and get to work. His No. 1 focus is the student-athletes. He said he wants their experience from the moment they set foot on the USF campus until they leave to be a next-level one.

    “My focus and my excitement and what our team will bring to the table is making sure we do anything and everything we can to elevate USF Athletics’ next chapter,” Higgins said.

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    Katherine Smith

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  • Byrum Brown’s 4 TD passes lead USF past South Carolina State 63-14

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Byrum Brown threw four touchdown passes, South Florida scored five touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Bulls blew past FCS-opponent South Carolina State 63-14 on Saturday.

    Brown completed 14 of 20 passes for 236 yards, Chas Nimrod caught four passes for 119 yards with two TDs, and Sam Franklin ran for 91 yards with two touchdowns on four carries.

    South Carolina State took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards downfield before Mac Harris picked off a pass and returned it 93 yards for a South Florida touchdown. Harris had 10 total tackles, four of them solo, and two sacks.

    The Bulls (3-1) led 21-7 at halftime and blew the game open in the third quarter, scoring 35 points, with their defense forcing the Bulldogs to go three-and-out three times in four drives. In the third, Chas Nimrod caught touchdown passes of 42 and 22 yards from Brown, Nykahi Davenport ran 43 yards for a score, Ashton Mosley returned a blocked punt 4 yards for a touchdown and Sam Franklin wrapped up the quarter with a 30-yard touchdown run. Franklin’s 54-yard run midway through the fourth quarter made it 63-14.

    The Bulldogs scored on a 1-yard run by Kacy Fields in the second quarter and a 17-yard run by Julian Milligan in the fourth.

    William Atkins IV was 18 of 28 passing for 151 yards for the Bulldogs (2-2).

    South Florida improved to 29-1 all-time against FCS opponents.

    ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • No. 5 Miami rolls past No. 18 USF, 49-12

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    By  TIM REYNOLDS

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The last team that started a season with three consecutive wins over AP-ranked opponents was Miami in 1987.

    And the Hurricanes made sure that didn’t change.

    Carson Beck threw three touchdown passes, Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 5 Miami remained unbeaten with a 49-12 win over No. 18 USF on Saturday.

    It was Miami’s biggest victory margin over a ranked opponent since beating Washington 65-7 in 2001, the Hurricanes’ most recent national championship season. And it denied USF (2-1) the chance at a third straight ranked win to start this season, following victories over Boise State and Florida.

    “There was a lot of motivation going into this thing, besides the fact that they were a ranked football team because I have a lot of respect for their coaches and their players,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “This was an in-state game. And those games, you have to play your very best.”

    The Hurricanes are 6-0 since the start of last season against in-state opponents, winning those games by an average of 34.5 points.

    Beck completed 23 of 28 passes for 340 yards and ran for a touchdown for Miami (3-0). Fletcher had a two-TD game for the second consecutive week and Joshua Moore had two first-quarter scoring catches.

    “The young man’s lost three games in his college career,” USF coach Alex Golesh said of Beck, a Georgia transfer. “He’s tough. He’s gritty. I thought he was super accurate tonight. … I think that young man’s really, really good.”

    Byrum Brown completed 20 of 36 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown for USF. Brown threw an interception late in the first half, ending his school-record streak of 252 passes without being picked off.

    Christian Neptune had a 12-yard touchdown catch for the Bulls, who got 128 yards on four catches from Chas Nimrod. USF had four passes go for more than 25 yards, including 53- and 43-yarders to Nimrod.

    The game was delayed for 1 hour, 41 minutes in the first half because of severe weather in the area. It ended just shy of five hours after kickoff.

    “We certainly didn’t execute like we have been,” Golesh said. “Just didn’t look like us.”

    The takeaway

    South Florida: USF led Miami 15-14 with 2 minutes left in the half of their game last year. Miami outscored the Bulls 36-0 the rest of the way in that game — and was up 28-6 with 2 minutes left in the half this year. Add it up, and USF was outscored 64-6 by the Hurricanes over 60 minutes of play.

    Miami: The game was essentially sealed when the Hurricanes’ Rueben Bain Jr. stopped Brown on a fourth-and-3 carry from the Miami 9 late in the third quarter, with the hosts leading 28-6. Miami needed only six plays to go 91 yards; Beck had three passes for 64 yards on the drive and Fletcher capped it with a 13-yard TD run.

    Up next

    South Florida: Hosts South Carolina State next Saturday.

    Miami: Hosts Florida next Saturday.

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • No. 5 Miami rolls past No. 18 USF, 49-12

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    By  TIM REYNOLDS

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The last team that started a season with three consecutive wins over AP-ranked opponents was Miami in 1987.

    And the Hurricanes made sure that didn’t change.

    Carson Beck threw three touchdown passes, Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 5 Miami remained unbeaten with a 49-12 win over No. 18 USF on Saturday.

    It was Miami’s biggest victory margin over a ranked opponent since beating Washington 65-7 in 2001, the Hurricanes’ most recent national championship season. And it denied USF (2-1) the chance at a third straight ranked win to start this season, following victories over Boise State and Florida.

    “There was a lot of motivation going into this thing, besides the fact that they were a ranked football team because I have a lot of respect for their coaches and their players,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “This was an in-state game. And those games, you have to play your very best.”

    The Hurricanes are 6-0 since the start of last season against in-state opponents, winning those games by an average of 34.5 points.

    Beck completed 23 of 28 passes for 340 yards and ran for a touchdown for Miami (3-0). Fletcher had a two-TD game for the second consecutive week and Joshua Moore had two first-quarter scoring catches.

    “The young man’s lost three games in his college career,” USF coach Alex Golesh said of Beck, a Georgia transfer. “He’s tough. He’s gritty. I thought he was super accurate tonight. … I think that young man’s really, really good.”

    Byrum Brown completed 20 of 36 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown for USF. Brown threw an interception late in the first half, ending his school-record streak of 252 passes without being picked off.

    Christian Neptune had a 12-yard touchdown catch for the Bulls, who got 128 yards on four catches from Chas Nimrod. USF had four passes go for more than 25 yards, including 53- and 43-yarders to Nimrod.

    The game was delayed for 1 hour, 41 minutes in the first half because of severe weather in the area. It ended just shy of five hours after kickoff.

    “We certainly didn’t execute like we have been,” Golesh said. “Just didn’t look like us.”

    The takeaway

    South Florida: USF led Miami 15-14 with 2 minutes left in the half of their game last year. Miami outscored the Bulls 36-0 the rest of the way in that game — and was up 28-6 with 2 minutes left in the half this year. Add it up, and USF was outscored 64-6 by the Hurricanes over 60 minutes of play.

    Miami: The game was essentially sealed when the Hurricanes’ Rueben Bain Jr. stopped Brown on a fourth-and-3 carry from the Miami 9 late in the third quarter, with the hosts leading 28-6. Miami needed only six plays to go 91 yards; Beck had three passes for 64 yards on the drive and Fletcher capped it with a 13-yard TD run.

    Up next

    South Florida: Hosts South Carolina State next Saturday.

    Miami: Hosts Florida next Saturday.

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • No. 18 USF takes on no. 5 Miami in a matchup of quarterbacks

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami quarterback Carson Beck hasn’t thrown an interception since November, which obviously means he’s been fairly accurate tossing the football.

    Now, consider South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, who hasn’t thrown an interception since November — that is, November 2023.

    What You Need To Know

    • No. 18 USF travels to take on no. 5 Miami, Saturday, Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. in Miami Gardens 

    • USF (2-0) is coming off impressive wins against Boise State and Florida, which wer eboth ranked teams at the time 

    • Miami is 2-0 after wins against Notre Dame and Bethune-Cookman

    There are many ways to dissect a suddenly bigger-than-many-might-have-expected matchup on Saturday between No. 5 Miami and No. 18 South Florida — a pair of teams off to 2-0 starts — but the way the quarterbacks excel is probably atop the list. Brown has gone 240 passes without an interception while Beck has gone 185 going back to his days at Georgia last season.

    “I don’t think either of us are really worried about stats,” Beck said. “I know him. I’ve trained with him before. I mean, he’s a good kid. He’s obviously had a lot of success this year, so, again, hopefully he does well the rest of the year. I’m rooting for him. But this game, hopefully our defense comes in and attacks him.”

    If Miami’s defense can’t find a way to slow Brown down, it could be trouble.

    USF was the nation’s only team to face AP-ranked teams in Week 1 and Week 2 — and the Bulls won both, running past then-No. 25 Boise State 34-7 to begin the season and then going to then-No. 13 Florida last week and winning 18-16.

    The test just gets tougher this week for the Bulls.

    They’ll become the first program since 2020, when Arkansas and Missouri both did it in the COVID-ravaged season, to open against three consecutive AP-ranked opponents. The last team to do it in a non-COVID year was Miami in 2009; the Hurricanes actually opened with four consecutive ranked foes that year. And the last team to open 3-0 against three ranked teams was Miami in 1987.

    “I give our kids a ton of credit for taking the coaching,” USF coach Alex Golesh said. “They’ve been really, really easy to coach. They’re really, really engaged right now and then more than anything, I think I give a lot of credit to our leadership on our team.” 

    Miami quaterback Carson Beck watches from the sideline during the Hurricanes win against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, Sept. 6 (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

    The series

    Miami leads USF 6-1 in the all-time series and is coming off a 50-15 win in Tampa last fall.

    USF led that game 15-14 late in the first half; the Hurricanes outscored the Bulls 36-0 in the final 32 minutes.

    USF — a team with 33 seniors — remembers that and Miami knows it’ll be a motivating factor. The Hurricanes also know they have to find a way to counter that.

    “I think any time you step on the field for a game, it better mean more to you than it does to the other side,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

    USF’s defense

    The Bulls’ defense has given up two touchdowns through two games, and both were set up by short fields.

    Boise State’s lone touchdown was on a 38-yard drive after USF turned the ball over on downs; Florida’s lone touchdown came on a 20-yard drive set up by what essentially was a 55-yard punt return — 40 on the actual return, 15 more on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

    Against the state

    Miami has won five consecutive games against in-state opponents, all by at least 20 points. The Hurricanes haven’t won six in a row against Sunshine State foes since a stretch spanning October 2008 through September 2010.

    Since 2000, Miami is 33-17 against other FBS-level programs from the state of Florida — the best record among Sunshine State schools in that span.

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  • No. 18 USF takes on no. 5 Miami in a matchup of quarterbacks

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami quarterback Carson Beck hasn’t thrown an interception since November, which obviously means he’s been fairly accurate tossing the football.

    Now, consider South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, who hasn’t thrown an interception since November — that is, November 2023.

    What You Need To Know

    • No. 18 USF travels to take on no. 5 Miami, Saturday, Dept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. in Miami Gardens 

    • USF (2-0) is coming off impressive wins against Boise State and Florida, which wer eboth ranked teams at the time 

    • Miami is 2-0 after wins against Notre Dame and Bethune-Cookman

    There are many ways to dissect a suddenly bigger-than-many-might-have-expected matchup on Saturday between No. 5 Miami and No. 18 South Florida — a pair of teams off to 2-0 starts — but the way the quarterbacks excel is probably atop the list. Brown has gone 240 passes without an interception while Beck has gone 185 going back to his days at Georgia last season.

    “I don’t think either of us are really worried about stats,” Beck said. “I know him. I’ve trained with him before. I mean, he’s a good kid. He’s obviously had a lot of success this year, so, again, hopefully he does well the rest of the year. I’m rooting for him. But this game, hopefully our defense comes in and attacks him.”

    If Miami’s defense can’t find a way to slow Brown down, it could be trouble.

    USF was the nation’s only team to face AP-ranked teams in Week 1 and Week 2 — and the Bulls won both, running past then-No. 25 Boise State 34-7 to begin the season and then going to then-No. 13 Florida last week and winning 18-16.

    The test just gets tougher this week for the Bulls.

    They’ll become the first program since 2020, when Arkansas and Missouri both did it in the COVID-ravaged season, to open against three consecutive AP-ranked opponents. The last team to do it in a non-COVID year was Miami in 2009; the Hurricanes actually opened with four consecutive ranked foes that year. And the last team to open 3-0 against three ranked teams was Miami in 1987.

    “I give our kids a ton of credit for taking the coaching,” USF coach Alex Golesh said. “They’ve been really, really easy to coach. They’re really, really engaged right now and then more than anything, I think I give a lot of credit to our leadership on our team.” 

    Miami quaterback Carson Beck watches from the sideline during the Hurricanes win against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, Sept. 6 (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

    The series

    Miami leads USF 6-1 in the all-time series and is coming off a 50-15 win in Tampa last fall.

    USF led that game 15-14 late in the first half; the Hurricanes outscored the Bulls 36-0 in the final 32 minutes.

    USF — a team with 33 seniors — remembers that and Miami knows it’ll be a motivating factor. The Hurricanes also know they have to find a way to counter that.

    “I think any time you step on the field for a game, it better mean more to you than it does to the other side,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

    USF’s defense

    The Bulls’ defense has given up two touchdowns through two games, and both were set up by short fields.

    Boise State’s lone touchdown was on a 38-yard drive after USF turned the ball over on downs; Florida’s lone touchdown came on a 20-yard drive set up by what essentially was a 55-yard punt return — 40 on the actual return, 15 more on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

    Against the state

    Miami has won five consecutive games against in-state opponents, all by at least 20 points. The Hurricanes haven’t won six in a row against Sunshine State foes since a stretch spanning October 2008 through September 2010.

    Since 2000, Miami is 33-17 against other FBS-level programs from the state of Florida — the best record among Sunshine State schools in that span.

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  • Rob Higgins announced as USF’s first CEO of Athletics

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    TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida on Tuesday announced that Rob Higgins will be the university’s first-ever CEO of Athletics. 

    Higgins has served as executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission since 2004. During that time, the region has hosted two Super Bowls, a College Football Playoff National Championship and a long list of other high-profile events.

    “As we embarked on this search, it became clear that this moment was different for the University of South Florida. Our next leader couldn’t just be an athletics director – we needed a CEO of USF Athletics,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said.

    “Rob Higgins has proven during his time with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission that he isn’t afraid to dream big,” Weatherford said. “He’ll bring that same ambition to USF, and we’re excited to welcome him back home to lead our next chapter.”

    Higgins served as the president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee in 2021 and was on the bid and operations committee that hosted Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

    His connection to USF started at an early age. Shortly after attending his first men’s basketball game at age 8, he became a ball kid for the team. After graduating from USF, he worked as a staff member for USF Athletics, helping oversee facilities and event management.

    He was inducted into USF’s Zimmerman School of Advertising Hall of Fame in 2015 and in May 2025 received the Distinguished Citizen Award at USF Commencement. 

    “I never imagined that an opportunity to volunteer as a young boy at USF basketball games would take me down a path to a career of over 20 years serving at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and now the opportunity to return to my alma mater as the first CEO of Athletic,” Higgins said. “Cliches are often rooted in some truth, but this truly is a dream come true. I could not be more honored to take on this responsibility and could not be more excited to get started. Go Bulls!”

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  • Gramatica’s kick lifts USF to an 18-16 upset at No. 13 Florida

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Nico Gramatica hit a 20-yard field goal as time expired and South Florida stunned No. 13 Florida 18-16 on Saturday to give the Bulls consecutive wins against ranked opponents to start the season.

    Gramatica missed a 58-yarder with 2:52 remaining but got a chance to redeem himself after Florida defensive lineman Brandon Bett spit at a South Florida player on the Bulls’ next possession. Bett was ejected with a little more than two minutes to play, and the Bulls (2-0) got 15 yards and an automatic first down to spark an 87-yard drive.

    It was the latest setback for embattled Florida coach Billy Napier, whose team is 1-1 for the fourth consecutive year.

    The Gators looked as though they would rally after freshman Vernell Brown III returned a punt 40 yards to set up DJ Lagway’s lone touchdown pass. But the Gators flopped down the stretch, an all-too-familiar feeling during Napier’s tenure.

    Napier’s play-calling was scrutinized as much as Lagway’s rehabilitated throwing shoulder, and the Gators found themselves trailing 15-9 in the fourth quarter following a defensive breakdown and a safety caused by a poor snap.

    Poll implications

    The Bulls will break into the AP Top 25 College Football Poll after upsetting then-No. 25 Boise State last week. The Gators surely will drop.

    The takeaway

    South Florida became only the third unranked team since 2000 to start 2-0 by beating two ranked teams, joining 2012 Oregon State and 2008 East Carolina.

    Florida: The Gators have bigger issues than Lagway’s rust. Their offensive line allowed too much pressure and failed to create enough holes against USF.

    Up next

    South Florida: Plays at No. 5 Miami next Saturday, the Bulls’ third consecutive game against a ranked team.

    Florida: Plays at No. 3 LSU next Saturday. The Gators last won in Baton Rouge in 2016.

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  • USF routs No. 25 Boise State 34-7 for 1st win over Top 25 since 2016

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    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Byrum Brown ran for two touchdowns, Keshaun Singleton caught a 45-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt and South Florida routed No. 25 Boise State 34-7 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.

    South Florida beat a Top 25 opponent for the first time since topping then-No. 22 Navy 52-45 on Oct. 28, 2016. The Bulls had lost 18 straight against ranked teams.

    “I told our team last night that this is going to be a display of our identity,” South Florida coach Alex Golesh said. “We’ve worked. We’ve got a bunch of seniors that have been through a lot. Some that are in their sixth year here.”

    Brown was 16 of 24 for 210 yards and added 43 yards on the ground. Cartevious Norton had an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

    Singleton had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, and Chas Nimrod had receptions for 96 yards.

    Boise State’s Maddux Madsen was 25 of 46 for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to Chris Marshall. Boise State lost three fumbles and failed to convert on fourth down three times in USF territory. Latrell Caples led Boise State with four catches for 58 yards.

    “Whoever wins the turnover margin and wins the explosive battle, it’s like 98% of the time you win the game — college or NFL,” Broncos coach Spencer Danielson said. “We were not explosive enough on offense. We’ve got to look and see why. ”

    Get the AP Top 25 college football poll delivered straight to your inbox every week with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here.

    Takeaway

    Boise State will certainly drop from the Top 25 and will likely have to win out to get back in the playoff conversation. The Broncos will have a chance to impress voters when they face Notre Dame on Oct. 4.

    South Florida will face two more ranked opponents — Florida and Miami — before their conference schedule begins.

    Fake punt

    With South Florida facing a fourth down at the Broncos 45, Golesh decided to sneak backup quarterback Locklan Hewlett in as the punter. The freshman was able to execute the fake punt to perfection, hitting an open Singleton inside the 20 and the receiver broke three tackles from there to get in the end zone.

    “We didn’t see that in time and that’s on me,” Danielson said. “And that’s a fake area of the field, in the 40s, and we didn’t execute the right way.”

    Remembering Abdul-Rahim

    Golesh began his press conference by honoring former South Florida basketball coach Amir Abdul-Rahim, who died on Oct. 24, 2024, of complications from a medical procedure. Abdur-Rahim led the Bulls team to a school-record 25 wins and an AAC regular-season conference championship in his only year as coach.

    “He was one of the coolest, greatest men that I’ve been around. I was only around him for a year and a half. I quoted Amir (to the football team after the game), ‘This ain’t the same old South Florida anymore’ and I truly believe that.”

    Up next

    Boise State: Hosts Eastern Washington on Sept. 5.

    South Florida: At Florida on Sept. 6.

    ___

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • With Brown back and healthy at quarterback, USF seeks to boost record from 7-6

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    TAMPA, Fla. — When USF kicks off its football season at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against preseason Associated Press Top 25 Boise State, the Bulls are confident because senior quarterback Byrum Brown is back. 

    Brown missed eight games last season with an injury to his lower left leg in a loss to Tulane in late September. He took some limited snaps after that, including in the Hawai’i Bowl, but could not play significant time.

    What You Need To Know

    • Byrum Brown will take the snaps at quarterback after an offseason of recovering from a lower-leg injury

    • In 2023, he was one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, completing 276 of 427 pass attempts for 3,292 yards and 26 touchdowns

    • The Bulls seek to improve from their 7-6 record the past two seasons

    • Get the latest on the upcoming season with Spectrum Sports’ 30-minute College Football Preview Show at 6:30 p.m. Thursday

    In 2023, Brown completed 276 of 427 pass attempts for 3,292 yards and 26 touchdowns and also ran for 809 yards, one of the best performances in all of college’s Football Bowl Subdivision.

    He should get strong protection from the Bulls’ veteran offensive line.

    “I challenged the older guys to grab the young guys and show them what it looks like to get ready for a game,” coach Alex Golesh said. “The biggest challenge is stay completely focused on the task at hand, which is just going one day at a time as we get closer to playing.”

    He also could get help from a new running back. USF used the transfer portal to bring in senior Cartevious Norton from Charlotte, where he rushed for 525 yards and seven touchdowns in one season after joining the Broncos from Iowa State.

    Junior wide receiver Keshaun Singleton is back after ranking third on the team with 27 receptions for 408 yards and three touchdowns in his first season, and so is junior Jeyquan Smith, who played in all 13 games last season and caught six passes for 106 yards. Graduate student Mudia Reuben out of Stanford also was added through the transfer portal.


    The Bulls are looking to improve upon last season, when they finished 7-6 after a 41-39 victory against San Diego State at the Hawai’i Bowl. It was the second season in a row that the Bulls finished with that record under Golesh.

    “We’ve talked so much this offseason about our identity, now going into year 3, and going into a veteran football team,” Golesh said. “It’s time that we put this identity that we have preached and preached and preached and preached and worked and lived for 2-1/2 years. It’s time we put it on display for the entire country to see. That means we’re physically and mentally the toughest football team on that field, week in and week out.”

    The coach said better health heading into the season should help, too.

     “I’m excited, we’re in a good spot as a team,” Golesh said. “We are getting healthy off of camp. This was a huge, huge week for us to get a bunch of guys healthy back, a bunch of guys back to the weights they’re supposed to be, kind of out of the true grind of what camp is into the true grind of what the season is.”

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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