One of the most important games of the season is taking place this Saturday as the South Florida football team returns home to kick off the second half of the season at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls host conference foe UAB in the first of three huge home games during the final run of the 2024 campaign.
Due to Hurricane Milton relocating last week’s tilt against Memphis, this is only the second true home game for USF since the season opener back on August 31, and it’s the first AAC home game of the year. It’s a welcome return to Ray J for head coach Alex Golesh, who has expressed his excitement this week to be back in front of a hyped up home crowd. USF vs UAB kicks off at 3:30 pm on Saturday, October 19, and tickets for the exciting return are available now.
“When we get back to Ray-Jay, we need our students back out,” Golesh said this week. “We need our fans back out. We need to create an incredible atmosphere and we need to generate a home-field advantage.”
And while you’re making plans to check out games, don’t miss Homecoming against Navy on November 9, and the Fan Appreciation Game to close out the 2024 home slate on November 23. Tickets to all future games are available here.
Bulls eyeing major rebound in season’s final stretch
After playing one of the country’s toughest schedules in the first six weeks, the Bulls emerged at 2-4 with a clear path forward to reach the postseason for the second year in a row, which would be a remarkable achievement for the program. According to ESPN’s FPI, USF had the 8th-hardest schedule over the first six games. Going forward? Those same metrics give the Bulls the 128th hardest schedule in FBS over the final six. If Golesh and his squad can find four or more wins in that stretch, they’ll be bowling again this holiday season.
The story for the first half of the season was one of impressive starts and key defensive wins that have sometimes been waylaid by injuries or fourth quarter letdowns. After a 48-3 ransacking of Bethune-Cookman, USF went up to Tuscaloosa and gave the highly-ranked Crimson Tide all they could handle until the final minutes of the game. Going into the 4th quarter, Bama led by just one point at 14-13, and with only six minutes left, USF was still within 5 points, despite a final score of 42-16.
The up-and-down nature continued for a few weeks as the Bulls bounced back impressively with a 49-24 road win over Southern Miss, then struggled to find the endzone over the ensuing weeks, in addition to an injury sidelining star quarterback Byrum Brown, who Golesh says will be a game time decision this weekend.
The bright spot among all the hurricane-shuffled plans was an impressive defensive performance by the Bulls defense in Orlando last week. While USF ultimately dropped the contest, the Bulls stingy D limited Memphis to just 345 yards, the Tigers second lowest on the year, and two touchdowns (the Tigers scored a third TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone), holding the offense scoreless for the final 54 minutes of the game.
With a more favorable schedule on the horizon, we’re eager to see what Golesh and his squad have up their sleeves as they march toward the postseason. Tickets to future USF Bulls home games are available here.
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