by Carter Brantley
In a game where the Bulls entered as 31-point underdogs, it was a 1-point game entering the 4th quarter with USF down 14-13 in the newly-named Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but the 4th quarter got away from them, with USF losing 42-16.
USF managed to keep things close by playing smothering defense and capitalizing on some unforced errors by the Crimson Tide, in the form of a fumbled kickoff to begin the 2nd half, a fumbled snap inside the 5 to start the 4th quarter, a targeting call against star linebacker Justin Jefferson, and untimely penalties that erased big plays, such as a TD run from QB Jalen Milroe in the 1st half that came back due to a holding call.
Byrum Brown almost ended up with 100 rushing yards in the first half, as he managed to put together a solid drive in the 1st quarter that got the Bulls inside the 10, but the possession stalled out and resulted in a field goal.
The Crimson Tide couldn’t get anything going on the ground for most of the game, with under 60 yards rushing through the first 3 quarters and Milroe not able to accomplish much else through the air, as he ended up with 199 passing yards, a pair of rushing TDs and one TD through the air.
USF’s passing game missed some huge opportunities to put up points, with Brown unable to connect on the deep ball and ending up with a measly 103 yards passing and no TDs.
Missed chances was the theme of the game for USF, with many questioning head coach Alex Golesh’s decision to opt for a field goal inside the 10 when down 8 in the 4th quarter.
The Bulls will shrug off this loss, as they put up a far better fight than anyone expected, as they head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles next Saturday.
Southern Miss should be a bit less of a challenging environment to play in, and the program is in rough shape, having gone 3-9 last year and getting shutout by Kentucky in their opening game of 2024.
Starting the season 2-1 would be the ideal, expected outcome, and the Bulls can hold their heads high coming out of this loss and going into the rest of the season. Their next ranked opponent comes to Raymond James Stadium after the Southern Miss matchup in the form of the Miami Hurricanes, who kicked their season off with a bang by going into The Swamp and stomping on the Gators.
The Hurricanes will be an equally difficult matchup for South Florida, as they have a uber-talented roster filled with future NFL players, but USF will at least be in the comfort of their own home.