Today at noon, South Florida is set to celebrate its long-awaited homecoming, postponed earlier due to Hurricane Milton. The Bulls are gearing up to face Navy (6-2, 4-1 in the American Athletic Conference), with USF (4-4, 2-2 AAC) looking to extend their two-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Midshipmen arrive after experiencing their first ever loss to Rice.
Today’s match marks only the fifth time these two teams have competed on the football field and the second instance they have played in Tampa. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, featuring the commentary duo of Roy Philpott and Sam Acho.
After a challenging beginning, the Bulls have managed to rally, now on a two-game winning streak with victories over UAB 35-25 and Florida Atlantic 44-21 last Friday night. Despite facing a tough schedule with losses to nationally-ranked teams like Alabama and Miami, as well as Tulane and Memphis in the AAC, their 4-4 record is respectable. As they enter the less demanding portion of their schedule, they aim to secure more than six wins and earn a spot in a postseason bowl game.
Coastal Carolina’s transfer junior, Bryce Archie, filled in admirably for the injured Byrum Brown (who has returned but did not start against FAU), delivering impressive performances. Archie has completed 71 out of 130 pass attempts, accumulating 739 yards with 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. On the other hand, Brown has a record of 78 completions out of 132 passes for 836 yards and 2 touchdowns. Collectively, the USF quarterbacks’ 4 interceptions place them at 17th in the FBS rankings.
Graduate student Kelley Joiner spearheads the USF rushing offense with 453 yards and 7 touchdowns from 73 carries, and fellow graduate student, Florida transfer Nay’Quan Wright, contributes with 379 yards and 3 touchdowns on 74 carries. Leading USF in receiving, graduate student Sean Atkins has secured 42 receptions for 415 yards and a touchdown, while Purdue transfer and graduate student Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen has made 17 catches for 223 yards. Additionally, Atkins ranks 16th nationally in punt returns, averaging 11.5 yards per return.
The USF defense is spearheaded by graduate student outside linebacker Mac Harris, who has achieved 51 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks, alongside graduate student linebacker and FAU transfer Jamie Pettway, with 43 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Junior cornerback and James Madison transfer Brent Austin ranks 10th nationally in passes defended, with an average of 1.3 per game (including pass deflections and interceptions).
The Bulls’ defense ranks 20th in the FBS for fourth down defense, with a .375 conversion rate by opponents, and 24th in red zone defense at .759. They are also 12th in the nation for tackles for loss, averaging 7.6 per game. USF stands 15th in net punting, with an average of 42.3 yards per punt. Their punt return defense is exceptional, allowing only 3.8 yards per return, which is 19th in the country. The USF punt return team is 25th nationally, with an average of 12.4 yards per return. Senior punter Andrew Stokes ranks 18th in the nation with an average of 44.9 yards per punt.
The Navy football team is exceeding expectations, having been selected 11th in the 14-team AAC preseason poll, and is now in 3rd place with a 4-1 record, including a victory over the preseason favorite, Memphis. The Midshipmen, facing three of the top four teams in the preseason poll (Memphis, Tulane, South Florida), have the opportunity to secure their own path to the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. Victories over USF, Tulane, and ECU would guarantee Navy a spot in the championship, as they would hold the tiebreaker over Tulane.
This season, Navy has amassed 293 points in 8 games, which is 81 more than the total 212 points scored in the 12 games of the previous year. The Midshipmen have impressively scored a touchdown on the first play of a drive five times this fall, ranking third in the FBS. Averaging 251.4 rushing yards per game, Navy boasts the fifth-highest average in the FBS and the best for the program since 2019, when it set a school record with an average of 360.5 rushing yards per game. In the red zone, Navy has a success rate of 26-29 (.897) this year, with 24 touchdowns; notably, the team’s first 20 red zone visits all resulted in touchdowns before they opted for a field goal against Charlotte. Additionally, Navy is tied for fourth nationwide in red zone touchdown efficiency, with a rate of .830.
