This not the way USF wanted to face Memphis in the most important American Atheltic Conference for both teams this season. Due the damage done in the Bay Area by hurricane Milton the game first scheduled for Friday night and a national audience was moved to Orlando and will be played at 3:30 p.m. airing on ESPN+.
USF comes into the game with a 2-3 record with two of those loses coming to Top 10 teams Alabama and Miami with the third loss coming in their AAC opener at Tulane. Memphis is 4-1 with their loss coming in the ACC to a better than expected Navy team.
Like Memphis, South Florida had two weeks to prepare for the matchup, yet they suffered a second consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Tulane. The Bulls’ season record dropped to 2-3 and 0-1 in the AAC, as they aimed to balance their yearly record. In the game against Tulane, South Florida quickly fell behind, trailing 14-0 after the first quarter and 31-0 shortly before halftime. They managed to score before the break, narrowing the gap to 31-10 after three quarters, but failed to produce more offense. South Florida was overwhelmed in total offense, 528-201, allowed 30 first downs to their 12, and were dominated in time of possession, 42:01 to 17:59. Additionally, they committed two turnovers without forcing any, contributing to their defeat.
Memphis bounced back from a high-scoring loss to Navy by shutting down Middle Tennessee at home in their last game. The Tigers, with a 4-1 overall record but 0-1 in the AAC, aim to balance their conference record with a win here. In the game against Middle Tennessee, Memphis turned a scoreless tie after the first quarter into a 14-0 lead at halftime with two second-quarter touchdowns. Despite conceding a score at the start of the second half, the Tigers stifled the Blue Raiders for the remainder of the game, securing the victory. Memphis had a 413-312 advantage in total offense, achieved 22 first downs to 13, and controlled the time of possession with a 34:09 to 25:51 ratio. Additionally, the Tigers forced two turnovers while only committing one themselves.