A Look at Florida’s Opponent: USF Bulls
Despite a 7-6 showing in 2024, USF is already making a statement in college football this season, presenting a challenge for No. 13 Florida in Saturday’s 4:15 p.m. matchup at Florida Field.
The Bulls beat then No. 25 Boise State, 34-7, in their season opener Aug. 28 in Tampa, USF’s first win against a top-25 opponent since 2016.
Tennessee-Like Offense
Senior quarterback Byrum Brown is the leader for the Bulls. His two rushing touchdowns and 210 passing yards against the Broncos showcased his dual-threat abilities, while leading his team to an attention-grabbing victory.
Florida coach Billy Napier compared Brown’s playing style to former Tennessee quarterbackHendon Hooker.
“Big, physical player, will drop his pads. Tackling him, there are some physical things that come with that. I think he does break tackles. He has the ability to outrun angles, and he has arm talent,” Napier said.
USF coach Alex Golesh brings experience from Knoxville, as he was previously the offensive coordinator for the Volunteers.
Senior running back Cartevious Norton scored a rushing touchdown against Boise State, while Gainesville native Alvon Isaac led USF in rushing yards (52).
Junior wide receiver Keshaun Singleton caught the one passing touchdown of the game from true freshman quarterback Locklan Hewlett. Tennessee transfer Chas Nimrod led the Bulls with 96 receiving yards.
Defensive Dominance
The Broncos scored first in the game, but the Bulls defense shut them down the rest of the night.
Grad student Jhalyn Shuler led USF with a career-high 14 tackles. The linebacker had five solo tackles with one for a loss of two yards on top of one fumble recovery. He was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.
Shuler played in 10 games in 2024, recording 61 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
Sophomore linebacker Ira Singleton picked up his first two career fumble recoveries against Boise State. He had one forced fumble in the 12 games he played in his freshman campaign.
After transferring from Tennessee, senior corner De’Shawn Rucker recorded seven solo and 11 total in his first game with the Bulls. Outside linebacker Mac Harris and safety Tavin Ward each had eight tackles against the Broncos.
Rico Watson III was the one Bull to record a sack on the night. He had 2.5 in the 13 games in the 2024 season.
Napier said the linebackers are impressive to him in addition to the defenders up front.
“I think they play with effort,” Napier said “I think that they’re sticky in coverage. I think the gap integrity is good. And I think they do a nice job tackling, so overall they’ve got enough variables up front.”
The Florida leader also said USF defensive coordinator Todd Orlando is a tough prep.
“He’s been around the block, so variety of fronts, variety of pressures and changes it up pretty good in the back end as well. It keeps you on your toes, and certainly for the quarterback and the offensive line, it is a real challenge from a mental perspective, so they got good pieces to work with,” Napier said.
Florida (1-0) and USF face off on SEC Network+ and 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: College Football, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, USF
