USF Uses Lightning-Fast Start to Dominate UTSA 55-23

The South Florida Bulls (7-2) trounced the University of Texas–San Antonio Roadrunners (4-5) 55-23 on Thursday night.

USF’s resounding win came ten days after a gut-wrenching 34-31 loss to Memphis — the Bulls’ first conference defeat of 2025.

“A really good response to the nasty feeling we had leaving Memphis 10 days ago,” head coach Alex Golesh said. He added that the performance “defines what USF is.”

The Bulls have dominated opponents at Raymond James Stadium this season, winning by an average margin of 34.2 points.

USF took control immediately. On the first play of the game, sophomore cornerback Jarvis Lee hit Roadrunners junior quarterback Owen McCown, and the ball sailed into the hands of senior safety Tavin Ward, who returned the interception 40 yards for a touchdown. It was Ward’s first interception of the season and his first career touchdown — and the fastest interception to start a game in USF history.

The Bulls weren’t done scoring on defense. On the next possession, Lee hit McCown again, this time forcing a fumble that sophomore safety Fred Gaskin scooped up and returned 85 yards for his first career touchdown.

“The way the defense played — it was contagious, it was powerful,” Golesh said. “Those guys played on a mission.”

The Bulls now have 19 takeaways this season, fourth most in the nation. Their four defensive touchdowns rank third in the FBS.

It was a long night for UTSA’s offense, which managed just 23 points after scoring 48 against Tulane last week. McCown completed 16-of-23 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown but also committed two turnovers. He was replaced in the second half by sophomore Brandon Tennison, who went 13-of-21 for 109 yards and a touchdown.

UTSA senior running back Robert Henry entered the game averaging 119.4 yards per contest, third most in the country, but USF’s defense held him to just 27 yards. The Roadrunners finished with 72 total rushing yards, and Henry averaged only 2.7 yards per carry — well below his season average of eight.

Lee was a force for the Bulls, recording six tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss in addition to his turnover-forcing plays. Graduate linebackers Mac Harris, Jhalyn Shuler and D.J. Harris, along with sophomore linebacker Ira Singleton, each recorded a sack.

USF’s offense didn’t take the field until 2:07 remained in the first quarter due to the defensive scores and a special teams miscue when a punt deflected off junior cornerback Jair Murphy for a turnover. The game kicked off at 7:35 p.m., but the Bulls’ offense didn’t trot onto the field until 8:17.

“As unique of a first quarter as I’ve been a part of in my coaching career,” Golesh said, adding that it was the first time he’s ever had his offense warm up during a TV timeout.

There was no sign of rust once the offense got going. USF scored on its first six possessions and put up 31 points in the second quarter — the most in a single quarter in program history against an FBS opponent. The Bulls are averaging 50.2 points per game in conference play and averaged 9.43 yards per play Thursday.

Senior quarterback Byrum Brown delivered another stellar performance, completing 14-of-15 passes for 239 yards, rushing for 109 and totaling three touchdowns. Brown is the first player in 30 years — college or professional — to record at least 200 passing yards, 80 rushing yards and a touchdown in five consecutive games. He heads into the weekend tied for second nationally with 28 total touchdowns.

USF’s rushing attack was equally dominant, finishing with 238 yards on 7.4 yards per carry — the Bulls’ sixth straight game over 200 yards on the ground.

Sophomore running back Nykai Davenport led the way with 94 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. Davenport, who started Thursday’s game, has four rushing touchdowns this season and three runs of 40 yards or more.

Sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton led all pass catchers with 122 yards and recorded his first career multi-touchdown game. Junior tight end Houston Thomas led UTSA with seven catches for 77 yards.

After the game, Golesh addressed comments made earlier in the week by UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor, who implied USF’s success stemmed largely from NIL resources.

“Don’t discredit the fact that our guys work as hard as anybody in the country,” Golesh said. “Our guys have developed, and yeah, we have resources because we’ve made a commitment to building a special football program and a special athletic department here. But don’t act like anybody’s buying players here, because that ain’t the case.”

Thursday night marked USF’s first win against UTSA in program history. The Roadrunners became the third team the Bulls have beaten for the first time this season, joining Florida and Boise State.

The win capped off a special day for USF. Earlier in the day, SportsCenter hosted a live show at the Marshall Student Center, where Bulls fans showed up in droves and set the tone for an exciting night that ended with a dominant performance on the field.

USF’s win kept the Bulls in the driver’s seat for an American Conference championship appearance. Next week, they’ll travel to Annapolis to face Navy in a key test.

“This game we’re about to prepare for is a test of discipline and accountability — everything you want to be as a football program, you’re going to face in nine days in Annapolis,” Golesh said.

Next Saturday will be a fork in the road for the 2025 Bulls. If USF can continue to play with the tenacity and execution they showed Thursday night, that road could lead them to an American Championship and even the College Football Playoff.