Steelersforever.org
Photo Credit: FBSchedules.com
0
0
Building Momentum
While the College Football Playoff moves into the quarterfinals, the bowl season continues for teams across the country. One team that missed the playoffs but still celebrated a landmark year was the USF Bulls.
Coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons that included a shutout of Syracuse in the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl and a multi-overtime thriller against San Jose State in the 2024 Hawaii Bowl, expectations were high for 2025. Fans, players, and the coaching staff entered the spring with a singular goal: to prove that USF was more than just a six-win regular-season team. Coach Alex Golesh felt he finally had the roster to make that leap.
A Fast Start and State Supremacy
The schedule presented a daunting non-conference slate, beginning with a high-stakes opener against Boise State. While many experts picked the Broncos to win, USF made a statement with a dominant 34-7 victory.
The Bulls then turned their attention to two massive in-state road games. First, they traveled to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators. In a back-and-forth defensive battle, USF finally cleared the hurdle, escaping with a historic 18-16 win. The following week, the Bulls headed to Coral Gables to face Miami. While the Hurricanes handed USF their first loss in a game that was never truly close (49-12), the Bulls responded like a veteran squad.
The Mid-Season Surge
USF launched a four-game winning streak following the Miami loss, starting with a 63-14 demolition of South Carolina State. As conference play began, the offense stayed red-hot:
- Vs. Charlotte: A 54-26 blowout.
- At North Texas: A track meet in Denton where the Bulls poured on another 63 points.
- Vs. FAU (Homecoming): A 48-13 victory that moved the Bulls to 7-1 on the year.
The Final Stretch and Heartbreak in Orlando
With five games remaining, the road grew tougher. A painful loss at Memphis saw a late lead slip away in a game where the Bulls’ defense failed to record a turnover for the only time all season. They bounced back with a 55-23 win over UTSA, but a narrow 41-38 loss to Navy ultimately kept them out of the American Athletic Conference Championship game. Dominating wins over UAB and Rice closed the regular season at 9-3.
The Bulls accepted a bid to the Cure Bowl in Orlando, staying in-state to face the Old Dominion Monarchs. However, the postseason brought major distractions. Star quarterback Byrum Brown opted out of the bowl game to enter the transfer portal, and rumors swirled regarding Coach Golesh. Without their leader under center, USF struggled offensively, falling to ODU 24-10.
A New Era for 2026
The season ended with significant changes. Alex Golesh officially departed to become the head coach of the Auburn Tigers. Acting swiftly, USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins secured one of the most sought-after names in coaching, hiring former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as the Bulls’ new head coach.
As the program transitions to the Hartline era, the 2026 season will mark the final farewell to Raymond James Stadium. With a new on-campus stadium set to open in 2027, the future of Bulls football has never looked brighter.
What are your thoughts on the 2025 USF Bulls football season? Leave a comment below.
For all your NCAA football news log on to ngscsports.com.
Author Profile
-
Director of Operations for NGSC Sports
Covers USF Athletics in Football, Baseball, Lacrosse, and Softball.
Also covered both major and minor league baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays and Clearwater Threshers.
He also covers college football bowl and conference championship games.
It might seem like just covers team sports he also covers both the PGA & LIV Tour and the LPGA Tour. He also announces for the Pinellas Park High School Patriots football.
He also has two sports podcasts in the P&W Sports Report and The Walker Report.
Latest entries
AAC FootballDecember 24, 2025The Bulls’ Breakthrough: A Recap of USF’s Resurgent 2025 Season
AAC FootballDecember 19, 2025Old Dominion Dominates USF in Cure Bowl 24-10
AAC FootballDecember 16, 2025The Mission Continues: ODU vs. USF in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl
AAC FootballDecember 10, 2025A Tradition Like No Other: It’s Time for Army vs Navy
About the Author
