No. 18 USF faces toughest test yet at No. 5 Miami

The No. 18 South Florida Bulls (2-0) will face the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes (2-0) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on the CW Network [Ed. Note: lolol].

The Bulls are ranked for the first time since 2018. Their wins against Boise State and Florida marked the first time in program history they’ve beaten ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks.

Still, USF is focused on the next opportunity.

“Anytime you have a win of any magnitude it gives you the opportunity to coach even harder,” head coach Alex Golesh said. He added that he and his staff are working to improve areas that need to be “cleaned up” and noted his players “have been really easy to coach.”

Miami is the highest-ranked team USF has faced this season, another road test against a storied program.

The Bulls are 1-6 all time against the Hurricanes. Their lone win came in 2010, when Demetris Murray scored a rushing touchdown in overtime for a 23-20 victory. [Ed. Note: Bobby Eveld Hive Stand Up!]

The teams last met in 2024, a 50-15 Miami win where the Bulls led 15-14 late in the second quarter before the wheels fell off. UM quarterback Cam Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns in the victory before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2025.

This season, Miami is led by senior transfer quarterback Carson Beck, who joined the Hurricanes after two years as Georgia’s starter. Beck is 24-3 in his career as a starter.

He has plenty of weapons. Junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (6’2, 225 lbs.) has rushed for 152 yards on 5.8 yards per carry. True freshman receiver Malachi Toney has 162 yards, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. Senior transfer receiver C.J. Daniels has three touchdowns, including a highlight one-handed grab in Miami’s Week 1 win over No. 6 Notre Dame.

Miami also returns four of five starters on the offensive line, including junior right tackle Francis Mauigoa, a projected first-round NFL draft pick.

The Hurricanes will face a much tougher defense than they did last season. USF is allowing 11.5 points per game this year, down from 29.8 in 2024.

“Those guys are bought into the identity of what we want to be as a team. Physically and mentally tough, trust within each other and focused at all times,” Golesh said of his defense’s turnaround.

He credited senior linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler, along with senior safety Tavin Ward, as leaders. The trio has combined for 53 tackles this season.

On offense, senior quarterback Byrum Brown has carried the load. He has 473 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and three total touchdowns through two games. Former Heisman Trophy winner and Fox College Football analyst Robert Griffin III listed Brown as his early Heisman front-runner.

Brown has accounted for 45% of USF’s rushing yards, though the Bulls are looking for more contributions from others. Sophomore running back Alvon Isaac has emerged as a candidate, averaging 11 yards per carry with 64 receiving yards.

Miami’s defense presents a challenge. The Hurricanes are allowing just 3.03 yards per rush and have forced four turnovers in two games.

Junior defensive end Rueben Bain, a projected first-round pick, has posted a 93.7 PFF grade with two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. USF’s offensive line has already allowed five sacks this season.

Explosive plays have fueled USF’s offense. The average length of the Bulls’ touchdowns this year is 31.4 yards. Their explosive play rate is 9.4%, compared with 4.7% for opponents. Their overall offensive success rate is 35.9%, ranking 114th nationally.

Sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton has been the explosive play poster child, with seven catches for 168 yards and touchdowns of 45 and 66 yards.

Finishing drives will be key. Last year against Miami, USF attempted four first-half field goals but failed to convert opportunities, opening the door for the Hurricanes to pull away in the second half.

If the Bulls win Saturday, they will be the first team since 1987 to open a season with three straight wins over ranked opponents. Ironically, that 1987 team was Miami.

The Bulls face another road test, though not as daunting as last week at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which seats 89,909. Hard Rock Stadium’s capacity is 65,326. Playing in an NFL venue won’t be new for either team — USF and Miami are two of just five college programs that share home fields with NFL franchises.

USF fans may recall another matchup between a No. 18 Bulls team and a No. 5 opponent. On Sept. 28, 2007, the Bulls upset West Virginia 21-13.

If USF can repeat history this weekend, Bulls fans may once again feel echoes of 2007, when the program climbed as high as No. 2 in the nation. [Ed. Note: For a week—technically four days.]

The Bulls enter as underdogs, but they’ve been in that position before this season — and made a statement each time.