USF eyes conference supremacy in showdown at Memphis
The Bulls head into Memphis for a game that has huge stakes
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The South Florida Bulls are in unfamiliar territory as they head into their clash with the Memphis Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers have been the class of the American Athletic Conference since its inception in 2013. Memphis has won the conference outright twice (2014, 2019) and finished with ten or more wins five times during the league’s existence.
When the Bulls have met the Tigers, it has so often been a story of USF jockeying for an upset. Stories like this would normally present scenarios of what would need to go right for the Bulls to shock Memphis — but times are changing.
The story for USF this Saturday isn’t about how it can spring an upset or needing a Herculean effort. It’s about the Bulls playing to their standard and taking care of business on the road.
USF hasn’t beaten Memphis since 2016. The Bulls have lost four straight to the Tigers, including two during head coach Alex Golesh’s first two seasons.
Last year’s loss came in the wake of Hurricane Milton. The game was moved to Camping World Stadium, where the Bulls lost 21-3. It was an emotional low point for the program amid the storm’s impact and the passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim. Since that defeat, USF has posted an 11-3 record.
The No. 18 Bulls enter this game riding a four-game win streak, scoring more than 40 points in each contest. That ties the 2001 Bulls for the most consecutive 40-point games in program history. USF ranks seventh nationally, averaging 41.7 points per game.
On the other side, the previously unbeaten Tigers come off a stunning loss to UAB. Memphis was a 21.5-point favorite entering the game against the Blazers, who had fired head coach Trent Dilfer earlier in the week.
“Is Memphis a worse team because they got beat by UAB? No, it’s the same team and the same players,” Golesh said. “It’s only today that matters.”
The Bulls’ offense goes as quarterback Byrum Brown goes — and he’s playing at an elite level. Brown’s 189.2 passer rating against FAU was his highest of the season. He has recorded four or more total touchdowns in each of the Bulls’ last four games. Brown ranks seventh among FBS quarterbacks with 67.9 rushing yards per game.
The Bulls’ rushing attack has been the catalyst behind their scoring streak. USF is averaging 306 rushing yards per game over the last four outings. Memphis allowed UAB to rush for 219 yards in last week’s loss.
USF will be without leading receiver Chas Nimrod on Saturday. The senior sustained a leg injury against North Texas, and Golesh said the team “hopes to get him back at some point this season.”
Sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton has 363 yards this season and has come up big in USF’s biggest moments — with a 45-yard touchdown against Boise State and a 66-yard score against Florida.
The freshman receiver duo of Jeremiah Koger and Christian Neptune have been a bright spot for the Bulls. Koger has 259 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while Neptune has 143 yards, one receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown.
The matchup will feature two of the nation’s stingiest defenses. USF leads the country with 17 takeaways, while Memphis ranks eighth with 14.
USF’s offense avoided turnovers last week against FAU — a welcome sign after seven giveaways combined against Charlotte and North Texas.
A key storyline will be the health of Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis. The senior went down early in the second half of last week’s loss and did not return. He was seen in a boot on the sideline and is considered “day to day.” Lewis has a 69.5% completion rate, 1,337 passing yards, 435 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns in 2025.
Freshman quarterback A.J. Hill stepped in for Lewis last week and completed 13-of-25 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Hill, a four-star prospect out of Georgia, was recruited by USF before choosing Memphis. Junior quarterback Seth Arrington has also seen snaps this season.
The Tigers boast a potent rushing attack no matter who is under center. Memphis is averaging 220.9 rushing yards per game on 5.6 yards per carry. Their 0.33 expected points added per rushing attempt is the best mark in the nation.
Junior running back Sutton Smith leads the Tigers with 480 yards this year, while senior Greg Desrosiers Jr. has 389 yards in just five games. Both average over six yards per carry.
USF opponents are averaging just 3.3 yards per rush this season, the fewest in the American. Last week, FAU was held to 23 rushing yards.
Senior receiver Cortez Braham Jr. leads Memphis with 491 receiving yards. The Nevada transfer followed Lewis to Memphis this year.
Graduate linebacker Mac Harris earned American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors last week after posting ten tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He leads the Bulls in sacks, tackles for loss and takeaways this season.
The Bulls’ defense will get a boost with senior Michael Williams II returning to action for the first time this season. Williams led the Bulls in quarterback pressures last year and recorded 2.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.
The journeys to this point have been very different for these programs. Memphis has played the 127th-hardest schedule in the country and hasn’t faced a ranked opponent. USF has played the 45th-hardest schedule, including three ranked foes.
According to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor, USF has the ninth-best chance in the nation to make the College Football Playoff at 46%.
A win Saturday would increase that percentage exponentially and give the Bulls the inside track to the American Conference championship.
If USF wants to reach the top, it’ll have to go through the team it has so often been chasing. A win Saturday would mark an arrival to a place USF has never been before.