BY: RUTH CAGUIAS
No. 18 South Florida (6–2, 3–1 AAC) couldn’t hold off a late surge from Memphis (7–1, 3–1 AAC), falling 34–31 Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Bulls led by 14 entering the fourth quarter, but the Tigers scored 17 unanswered points to extend their home win streak to 11 games and hand USF its first conference loss of the season.
Bulls Built a Lead Behind Byrum Brown’s Big Night
USF quarterback Byrum Brown was electric, racking up 390 total yards and three touchdowns — including 121 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. He now has eight career 100-yard rushing games and moved into third all-time at USF with 25 career rushing touchdowns. Brown struggled in 3rd-and-longs late in the 4th as the bulls were scoreless in the final quarter and the Memphis Tigers has their way.
Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Koger continued his breakout season with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown — his fourth straight game with a TD grab. Running back Sam Franklin added 81 rushing yards, including a season-long 73-yard touchdown run that gave USF a 31–17 lead heading into the final quarter.Defense Dominated Early, But Memphis Broke Through Late
Defense Dominated Early, But Memphis Broke Through Late
The Bulls defense held Memphis to just 53 rushing yards through three quarters and limited the Tigers to 6-of-16 on third down. Linebacker Mac Harris posted a career-high 13 tackles, while Jarvis Lee added seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.
But Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis led the Tigers on a game-winning 70-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Braham Jr. with 1:07 remaining. USF’s final drive reached the Memphis 24, but a holding penalty pushed the Bulls back, and Nico Gramatica’s 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired.
Key Stats
- Total Offense: USF 564 yards | Memphis 450 yards
- Rushing Yards: USF 295 | Memphis 129 (76 in 4th quarter)
- Turnovers: USF 1 | Memphis 0
- Third Down Conversions: USF 5-of-13 | Memphis 6-of-16
- USF’s 15-game turnover streak snapped
Notables
- Byrum Brown: 390 total yards, 3 TDs (121 rush, 269 pass)
- Jeremiah Koger: 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD
- Sam Franklin: 81 rushing yards, 73-yard TD run
- Mac Harris: Career-high 13 tackles
- Jarvis Lee: 7 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack
What’s Next
The Bulls head into a bye week before returning home to Raymond James Stadium for a Thursday night showdown with UTSA on Nov. 6. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
