# 2025 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2025 [South Florida Bulls football](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-florida-bulls-football) team represented the [University of South Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-south-florida) in the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season, the program's 29th season of play and its third under head coach Alex Golesh. Competing in the [American Athletic Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-athletic-conference) (AAC), the Bulls finished 9-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play, spent part of the season ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years, and lost the Cure Bowl to Old Dominion.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/fe3d66cc1d04c530ef9df8cbf0443923) • [3](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/12/14/13_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_BOWL.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record | 9-4 overall, 6-2 in AAC play; 6-0 at home, 3-3 away, 0-1 in a bowl[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Head coach | Alex Golesh, third season; Kevin Patrick served as interim head coach for the Cure Bowl[3](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/12/14/13_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_BOWL.pdf) |
| Signature wins | 34-7 over No. 25 Boise State (Aug. 28) and 18-16 at No. 13 Florida (Sept. 6)[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Key losses | 49-12 at No. 5 Miami, 41-38 at Navy, and 24-10 to Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Offense | 488.7 yards per game; No. 5 nationally in scoring offense at 41.6 points per game through the UAB game[4](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/stats/2025) • [5](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/11/18/USF_Game_Notes_vs._UAB.pdf) |
| Rankings | Entered the AP Top 25 two games into the season, ranked for the first time in seven years[2](https://apnews.com/article/fe3d66cc1d04c530ef9df8cbf0443923) |
| Aftermath | Golesh left for Auburn in the days after the regular season; Brian Hartline was named the program's seventh head coach on Dec. 3, 2025[6](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/12/02/whats-next-for-usf-after-historic-season-golesh-departure) • [7](https://gousfbulls.com/news/2025/12/3/brian-hartline-named-seventh-head-coach-of-usf-football) |
## Season expectations
USF opened the season with unusually high outside expectations for a Group of Five program. By opening against Boise State, Florida, and Miami, the Bulls became the sole program nationwide to kick off a season with three consecutive matchups versus preseason AP Top 25 teams, and also the only one whose non-conference slate contained three such opponents.[8](https://floridagators.com/documents/download/2025/9/2/2_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_Florida.pdf) A simulation run by Axios Tampa Bay using [EA Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/ea-sports)' College Football 26 predicted the Bulls would win the AAC title, after that same simulation had missed badly the previous year.[9](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/08/01/usf-wins-aac-title-in-ea-sports-cfb-26-prediction)
**Quarterback continuity** was a central reason. Byrum Brown returned for his third season in Golesh's offense; he was USF's first-ever player to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a season, a mark he set before 2025.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/08/14/what-to-expect-when-the-new-look-usf-bulls-kick-off-their-season)
## Season results
The Bulls opened with two ranked upsets. On August 28 they beat No. 25 Boise State 34-7 at [Raymond James Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/raymond-james-stadium), then won 18-16 at No. 13 Florida on September 6, a game in which [South Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-florida) led Florida 15–9 entering the fourth quarter, then Florida took a 16–15 lead before South Florida won 18–16; the final margin was two points.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [11](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/7/23/2025_MEDIA_DAY_PREVIEW.pdf) • [15](https://gousfbulls.com/news/2025/9/6/usf-football-stuns-no-13-florida-18-16-in-gainesville) The streak ended on September 13 with a 49-12 loss at No. 5 Miami, after which the Bulls' run in the Top 25 ended.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [12](https://apnews.com/article/3a999e15bc7e42276779c852ee3fd71c)
The decisive blow was a 41-38 road loss to Navy on November 15, which knocked USF out of the AAC Championship Game picture.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [13](https://www.usfbulls.com/article/can-the-new-look-bulls-still-win-the-american/) The Bulls closed the regular season with a 52-3 Senior Day win over Rice, finishing 9-3.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [6](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/12/02/whats-next-for-usf-after-historic-season-golesh-departure)
In the Cure Bowl at [Camping World Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/camping-world-stadium) in Orlando on December 17, USF lost 24-10 to Old Dominion under interim head coach Kevin Patrick, ending the season at 9-4.[1](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [3](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/12/14/13_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_BOWL.pdf)
## Program milestones
**Home dominance.** The Bulls went 6-0 at Raymond James Stadium, the fourth undefeated home season in program history after 2002 (6-0), 2001 (7-0), and 2000 (6-0).[3](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/12/14/13_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_BOWL.pdf)
**Offensive production.** USF averaged 488.7 yards per game on offense for the season, and through the UAB game ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring offense at 41.6 points per game, having scored 30 or more points in eight games.[4](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/stats/2025) • [5](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/11/18/USF_Game_Notes_vs._UAB.pdf)
**Rankings.** Two games into the season, USF appeared in the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years; according to that week's poll, the Bulls would attempt to become just the fifth program, and the first since the 1987 Miami squad, to begin a year with three victories against ranked teams.[2](https://apnews.com/article/fe3d66cc1d04c530ef9df8cbf0443923) Axios later reported the Bulls briefly entered the [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff) rankings during the season.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/08/14/what-to-expect-when-the-new-look-usf-bulls-kick-off-their-season)
## Coaching change and aftermath
Within days of the regular season ending, Golesh left USF for Auburn, and quarterback Byrum Brown followed him; 14 players in total left USF to join Golesh at Auburn, including leading receiver KeShaun Singleton.[6](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/12/02/whats-next-for-usf-after-historic-season-golesh-departure) • [10](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/08/14/what-to-expect-when-the-new-look-usf-bulls-kick-off-their-season) On December 3, 2025, USF announced [Brian Hartline](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-hartline), previously a wide receivers coach at Ohio State, as the seventh head coach in program history.[7](https://gousfbulls.com/news/2025/12/3/brian-hartline-named-seventh-head-coach-of-usf-football)
The season was also the Bulls' penultimate one at Raymond James Stadium. Ground was broken on a $349-million on-campus stadium and operations center on November 8, 2024, part of a $375-million investment in football, with the new stadium scheduled to open in 2027.[5](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/11/18/USF_Game_Notes_vs._UAB.pdf) • [14](https://gousfbulls.com/documents/download/2025/8/22/2025_USF_FB_MG__RECORDS_HISTORY__WEB.pdf)
## References
1. [2025 Football Schedule, USF Athletics](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
2. [Oregon jumps to No. 4 in AP Top 25; South Florida ranked for first time in seven years, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/fe3d66cc1d04c530ef9df8cbf0443923)
3. [2025 USF Game Notes, Bowl, USF Athletics](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/12/14/13_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_BOWL.pdf)
4. [2025 Football Cumulative Statistics, USF Athletics](https://gousfbulls.com/sports/football/stats/2025)
5. [2025 USF Game Notes vs. UAB, UAB Sports](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/11/18/USF_Game_Notes_vs._UAB.pdf)
6. [What's next for USF after historic season, Golesh departure, Axios Tampa Bay](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/12/02/whats-next-for-usf-after-historic-season-golesh-departure)
7. [Brian Hartline Named Seventh Head Coach of USF Football, USF Athletics](https://gousfbulls.com/news/2025/12/3/brian-hartline-named-seventh-head-coach-of-usf-football)
8. [2025 USF Game Notes vs. Florida, Florida Gators](https://floridagators.com/documents/download/2025/9/2/2_-_2025_USF_Game_Notes_-_Florida.pdf)
9. [USF wins AAC title in EA Sports CFB 26 prediction, Axios Tampa Bay](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/08/01/usf-wins-aac-title-in-ea-sports-cfb-26-prediction)
10. [What to expect when the new-look USF Bulls kick off their season, Axios Tampa Bay](https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/08/14/what-to-expect-when-the-new-look-usf-bulls-kick-off-their-season)
11. [2025 USF Football Season Preview, USF Athletics](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usf.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/7/23/2025_MEDIA_DAY_PREVIEW.pdf)
12. [AP Top 25: Notre Dame first ranked 0-2 team since 1988, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/3a999e15bc7e42276779c852ee3fd71c)
13. [Can the New-Look Bulls Still Win the American?, USFBulls.com](https://www.usfbulls.com/article/can-the-new-look-bulls-still-win-the-american/)
14. [2025 USF Football Media Guide, Records and History, USF Athletics](https://gousfbulls.com/documents/download/2025/8/22/2025_USF_FB_MG__RECORDS_HISTORY__WEB.pdf)
15. [USF Football Stuns No. 13 Florida, 18-16, In Gainesville - USF Athletics](https://gousfbulls.com/news/2025/9/6/usf-football-stuns-no-13-florida-18-16-in-gainesville)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2025 season articles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license