TAMPA, Fla. — USF is bowl-eligible for the second straight season after a blowout 63-30 win against Tulsa on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.
It continues to be a remarkable story for head coach Alex Golesh, who has quickly turned around the program and established a winning culture. Despite not having starting quarterback Byrum Brown for the second half of the season, Golesh ensured his team had enough in the tank to have a 6-5 winning record with one more game to go in the regular season.
🗣️ YOUR BULLS ARE BOWL BOUND AGAIN#ComeToTheBay | #StayInTheBay pic.twitter.com/58F69E9haN
— USF Football (@USFFootball) November 24, 2024
The Bulls came out firing early in the game. The team scored 28 points in the first quarter against the Golden Hurricane. That set the tone for the rest of the match, as South Florida led 42-7 at halftime. The Bulls did not slow down their tempo in the second half. Backup quarterback Bryce Archie and company scored another 21 points to ultimately earn a blowout win.
Archie logged 305 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and one rushing touchdown.
The Bulls' run game was on full display, as four different players scored five rushing touchdowns.
Wide receiver Keshaun Singleton recorded the most reception yards for the Bulls (96) on the night and got himself a touchdown reception.
"I'm really proud of the defense and offensive production," Golesh said during the postgame press conference. "Now the challenge for us is to go down in Houston next week and finish the season off the right way with a win to continue to build [what we've established]."
It was an emotional night for 23 USF players who were recognized before Saturday's game against Tulsa. They ran onto the field for the last time suited up in a Bulls uniform — including wide receiver Sean Atkins. But the players got a goodbye in what was most likely the best outcome possible.
"I'm excited that our seniors were able to finish at home the right way," Golesh said. "I'm super grateful to them and to our fans for being here.
Golesh went on to express his excitement for the team being able to play meaningful football in November, but assured that he told his players not to lose sight of the ultimate goal.
"I told our guys in the locker room that in every imaginable way, the standard here cannot be bowl games," Golesh said. "The standard is that we will at whatever point when we are ready and make decisions to do all the right things that winning programs do, we will be competing for championships in Tampa. Obviously, we want that to be sooner than later. But we're gonna work incredibly hard to make sure we play for championships."
USF will wrap up its regular season against Rice on Saturday, Nov. 30, before finding out who the team will play in its bowl game. A win against Rice will ensure Golesh keeps his winning record as head coach for the Bulls.
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