November 29, 2025
South Florida (8-3; 5-2 American) vs Rice (5-6; 2-5 American)
Saturday, November 29 • 7:00 PM • Raymond James Stadium (65,000) • Tampa, Fla.
SURFACE: Bermuda Grass
TV: ESPN+: Eric Rothman (P-by-P), Patrick Murray Jr. (Analyst) & Savanna Collins (sideline)
RADIO: Q105 FM & Bulls Limitless (digital)
SERIES: Tied 1-1, final, L, 35-28 at Rice in 2024
IN TAMPA: 1-0, final, W, 42-29 in 2023
IN HOUSTON: 0-1, final, L, 35-28 in 2024
LAST TIME: Rice received 35-28 in Houston in 2024
VS AMERICAN: 43-60,
AMERICAN HOME GAMES: 23-26, final: W vs. UTSA, 55-23
AMERICAN ROAD GAMES: 19-31; final: received one
SOUTH FLORIDA GAME NOTES
FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT GIVEAWAYS
BULLSEYE COACHES SHOW
HERD HERE FIRST
The what-might-have-been high quality of USF’s soccer season is an unavoidable matter. What’s finished is finished. Heartbreaking three-point defeats at Memphis and Navy — six awful factors — took away USF’s hopes of reaching the American Convention Championship Sport.
However good soccer groups stay targeted on what they will management. This season nonetheless represents a quantum leap ahead in loads of methods.
The Bulls (8-3, 5-2 American) can clinch this system’s fourth total unbeaten residence document (and first since 2002) by defeating the Rice Owls (5-6, 2-5) Saturday evening at Raymond James Stadium. USF additionally stays within the hunt for a double-digit victory season (achieved solely twice earlier than) and a 3rd consecutive bowl win (achieved simply as soon as earlier than).
The wins towards Boise State, Florida and North Texas may appear to be an eternity in the past, however they nonetheless rely simply the identical. And if the Bulls end sturdy by defeating Rice and profitable their bowl recreation, this workforce could have a spot close to the highest of this system’s hierarchy.
Listed below are the keys for USF to defeat Rice on Senior Night time and Fan Appreciation Night time (with giveaways galore for the loyal supporters).
1. Management The Feelings — It is Senior Night time, time for 30 USF gamers (and their households) to be acknowledged throughout an on-field ceremony. There is not any telling how everybody will react. And for some gamers, their soccer careers are coming to a detailed.
Everybody needs to play properly in that scenario. To attain that, the Bulls should make use of a businesslike, composed method, whereas not making an attempt to do an excessive amount of.
"It is lots of guys who’ve finished a lot for our program and will probably be nice to see that acknowledged,” head coach Alex Golesh stated. "After that, we have to go win a ballgame.”
Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon stated his feelings will likely be heightened as a result of the Senior Day group consists of a couple of dozen gamers who carried out for the 1-11 workforce of 2022. They helped construct the muse of a USF program that has turned it round.
"We respect these guys a lot,” Gordon stated. "No person sees the behind-the-scenes, the heartache they went via, the work they put in to assist get this factor going. These guys will at all times be particular to us.”
2. Defensive Self-discipline — Keep in mind a couple of weeks in the past towards Navy? Keep in mind the buzzwords similar to "hole self-discipline” and "eye management” and "staying at residence?”
These ideas have returned.
Rice’s offense is not a carbon copy of Navy, however there are some similarities. Beneath first-year head coach Scott Abell, the Owls have employed the "gun triple possibility,” which is heavy on a deceptive-looking operating recreation. Rice’s gamers can make use of their quick-thinking, decision-making expertise. It labored very properly at Abell’s earlier cease (Soccer Championship Subdivision member Davidson School).
"We won’t recruit like lots of applications cannot recruit,” Abell stated. "This provides us a possibility to be a bit totally different.”
Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando stated his unit could have its work minimize out — once more.
"There are some comparisons to Navy, however the shotgun run by Rice provides a brand new dimension,” Orlando stated. "They wish to run it downhill. They are going to be very purposeful in what they attempt to do. So once more, now we have bought to be sound and disciplined or else they will harm you.”
3. Keep away from Errors — The Bulls took care of enterprise properly through the second half of final week’s 48-18 victory at UAB.
Nevertheless it wasn’t a clear recreation.
The Bulls had a season-high 13 penalties for 104 yards — eight flags within the first half alone — together with a misplaced fumble by WR Mudia Reuben on the UAB 25-yard line.
"The penalties are in all probability the factor that I am most upset with, and it actually was on either side of the ball,” Golesh stated. "That was as many (13) as we have had, and it will point out a stage of lack of focus, a stage of undisciplined play with a few of it. Some penalties … they occur. You’ll be able to stay with them. You’ll be able to coach via them and hold it transferring. However some I used to be actually upset in. We had been down 10-7 on the finish of the primary quarter after which I believed either side settled in and we had been in a position to go be the most effective model of us.”
It wasn’t tremendous crucial as a result of USF largely had the sport in hand, however you by no means wish to see that pattern proceed. Rice has compelled simply six turnovers all season — solely Georgia State (4) has fewer — to tie for a hundred and thirtieth nationally in that class.
A scarcity of penalties and NO turnovers (achieved thrice this season) would make everybody actually pleased.
4. Byrum Brown (Shocker!) — This has now grow to be a weekly class — and why not?
If Byrum Brown is not acknowledged as a serious key to virtually all the pieces completed by USF soccer, what are we even speaking about?
Brown wants 117 passing yards and 96 dashing yards to grow to be the twelfth Soccer Bowl Subdivision participant ever with 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 dashing yards in the identical season (that listing together with 4 Heisman Trophy winners).
Brown leads the nation in complete offense (344 yards per recreation) and factors chargeable for (20.5 per recreation).
"Byrum’s ceiling is loopy excessive,” Golesh stated. "I see a dude who has continued to get higher each single week. From Week One to the place he’s proper now in his confidence stage … that has additionally improved. His vitality (in observe) was loopy. I believe he is having fun with each second. He is having fun with his teammates and he is having fun with the method. His vitality is so contagious.
"I’ve stated it 100 instances. When you possibly can level to your quarterback for example of what course of ought to appear to be, what toughness ought to appear to be, what grit ought to appear to be, what character ought to appear to be, what aggressive nature ought to appear to be, properly, then you definately’ve bought (an ideal workforce).”
For Gordon, the reminiscences of Brown’s season will proceed to linger.
"The numbers and statistics are monumental,” Gordon stated. "However what I am going to bear in mind is how Byrum Brown continued to enhance and introduced the vitality in observe each single day. That provides you vitality as a coach and as a workforce total.”
–#GoBulls–
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