> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # USF begins quest for history Friday night vs. Charlotte - URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/usf-begins-quest-for-history-friday/ - Published: 2025-10-02T13:02:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T15:46:30.000Z - Author: Collin Sherwin - Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44 TAMPA, Fla. — The South Florida Bulls (3-1) open American Conference play against the Charlotte 49ers (1-3) on Friday night at Raymond James Stadium. USF has finished 4-4 in conference play each of the past two seasons under head coach Alex Golesh. The Bulls are 1-2 coming off bye weeks during his tenure. “As we go into conference play there’s not a magical message. It’s us controlling our own process, attitude, effort, intent and more than anything else our focus as we head into this stretch of games,” Golesh said Tuesday. The Bulls enter American play with momentum. They have faced the nation’s 13th-toughest schedule and already beaten multiple ranked opponents for just the second time in school history. Their 3-1 start is their best since 2018, when they opened 4-0. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/74b5d5f9-be0e-4dce-8a1b-ee3276a18c82_4749x3166-jpeg.jpg) Vanessa Wenzl | The Bay Area Examiner Over USF’s years in the Big East, Conference USA and the American, the program has never reached a conference championship game. If the Bulls hope to change that, the push begins Friday. USF’s defense has set the tone. The Bulls have held opponents to 12.3 points per game in their three victories. Senior linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler anchor the unit, both ranking in the top 25 nationally with nine tackles per game. Harris has added four sacks, five tackles for loss and three forced turnovers. His 84.0 Pro Football Focus grade ranks fourth among linebackers in the American and inside the top 30 nationally. The Bulls average two takeaways per game, 10th best in the country. Sophomore cornerback James Chenault leads with two interceptions. That defense will challenge Charlotte, which is averaging just 10.3 points per game, ranking 132nd nationally. The 49ers also sit outside the top 120 in scoring offense, total offense, turnover margin and red-zone efficiency. They are averaging a measly 1.9 yards per rush this season. First-year head coach Tim Albin, a two-time Mid-American Conference coach of the year at Ohio, helped lead the Bobcats to the most successful three-year stretch in school history. He now is trying to rebuild a Charlotte program that has gone 6-8 against American opponents in its two years in the league. USF head coach Alex Golesh likened the situation Albin inherited to the one he faced when he took over the Bulls in 2023. The 49ers will be without senior quarterback Connor Harrell, who is out for the year with a lower-body injury. Duke transfer Grayson Loftis will start. The junior has completed 52.3% of his passes for 296 yards and one touchdown in limited action. Senior receiver E. Jai Mason leads Charlotte with 308 receiving yards. Sophomore running back Rod Gainey Jr. leads the team with 145 rushing yards. USF senior quarterback Byrum Brown has thrown for 1,006 yards and rushed for 166 more this season. He is averaging a career-best 13.5 yards per completion, with nine completions of 30 yards or more. Six of those went to senior receiver Chas Nimrod. Nimrod, a Tennessee transfer, is averaging 26.2 yards per catch and has 367 receiving yards. He has posted back-to-back 100-yard games against Miami and South Carolina State, becoming only the fifth player in school history to record consecutive 100-yard receiving performances. The Bulls rushed for 252 yards on nine yards per carry against South Carolina State, their best ground performance of the year. Still, their rushing attack has been inconsistent. USF’s rushing success rate of 35.6% ranks 123rd nationally, and no player averages more than 30 yards per game on the ground. Golesh said Tuesday that playcalling is a group effort between him, offensive coordinator Joel Gordon and co-offensive coordinator Kodi Burns. Gordon, however, has been “leading the charge,” a change from last season when Golesh called plays himself. Charlotte’s defense has allowed 195 rushing yards per game and 27.3 points per game this season. Opponents are averaging 414 yards per contest, and the 49ers have yet to intercept a pass or stop an opponent in the red zone. Friday’s matchup is the first of two straight Friday night games for USF. Only five of their eight remaining games will be played on a Saturday. This week’s theme at Raymond James Stadium is “Flashback Friday.” The Bulls will wear throwback helmets featuring the “Robo-Bull” logo, used from 1997 through 2002\. USF last wore the helmets in 2023 in a loss to Florida Atlantic. The Bulls will look to get a win this time around, with Kickoff set for 7 p.m. Friday on ESPN2.