Head Coach Alex Golesh has preached that this isn’t the same South Florida, and if Saturday was indication, he’s right. The University of South Florida Bulls walked into the Swamp and recorded a program-defining 18-16 upset win over the University of Florida Gators.
The Bulls’ offense started slowly, settling into a field-goal battle, but a gutsy performance from the defense against a high-powered SEC attack helped keep them within reach long enough to break through. The highlight came on Byrum Brown’s 66-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keshaun Singleton, which gave South Florida its first lead.
Florida answered back with its lone touchdown of the day as DJ Lagway connected with receiver Eugene Wilson for a 4-yard touchdown catch, capitalizing on a 40-yard punt return by freshman Vernell Brown III.
For Florida, questionable play-calling an undisciplined play proved costly. The Gators committed 11 penalties for 103 yards including two costly flags on the final drive: A second-and-10 pass-interference penalty for a first down, followed on the next snap by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on defensive lineman Brendan Bett, who spat on a South Florida offensive linemen after a short run.
From there, Alvon Isaac’s 29-yard catch moved the Bulls into field goal range and it was just a matter of running out the clock before kicker Nico Grammatica drilled his third field goal of the game, this one to upset Florida as time expired.
The story of the game was Florida’s undisciplined play, which was a far cry from last week’s penalty-free performance. The Gators repeatedly erased explosive plays, put themselves behind the sticks, and extended South Florida’s drives with flags. Those penalties, paired with an interception and a wild snap that resulted in a safety, gave the Bulls just enough breaks to sneak past Florida.
Golesh, though excited about the win, took a humble approach and emphasized the need to continue working in their process. “The older I get I just continue to reinforce what I really believe in”, Golesh said. “Process-driven leadership, process-drive team, and I’m proud of our player, proud of our coaches, and proud of our support staff.”
The road doesn’t get easier for either of these teams as they both find themselves on the road next week against top-10 opponents. For South Florida, they will look to collect their third straight ranked win in a matchup against No. 5 Miami and their new quarterback Carson Beck. For the Gators, they will be traveling to Death Valley for a game under the lights against No. 3 LSU, the first of three straight top-10 matchups for the Gators.
