USF quarterback Bryce Archie said Tuesday there's room for growth.
"I'm not the quarterback I want to be,'' Archie said. "I'm working through that every day, making more completions, making smart decisions, run-game details, just being more detailed as a quarterback. I want to grow in every aspect.''
Through his first three USF starts, Archie has shown steady improvement. He's hoping that continues Saturday afternoon when the Bulls (4-4, 2-2 American Athletic Conference) shoot for their third consecutive win by hosting the Navy Midshipmen (6-2, 4-1) for Homecoming at Raymond James Stadium.
Archie, called into duty when Byrum Brown was injured Sept. 28 at Tulane, had his best effort in Friday night's 44-21 victory at Florida Atlantic. Archie was 19-for-32 with 206 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 25 yards and another score.
"What you've seen from Bryce the last three weeks is just growth every single week,'' head coach Alex Golesh said. "He allows you to coach him. It has been awesome, even on the sideline. What you see, he can communicate it. There are no highs, no lows. It's 'here's what I saw, here's what I did,' which makes it super, super easy to coach.
"You want to see growth in your football team and certainly in your quarterback. It's absolutely critical. I think just his ability to get coached, his ability to communicate, that's why you've seen the jumps that you've seen. He has very much been growing in front of our eyes, growing as a leader. I think Bryce has always had that, but it's hard to see it until you're really under the lights.''
Golesh, who has known Archie since his sophomore year of high school, developed a fondness for the player, making for an easy transition when Archie transferred to USF from Coastal Carolina. But with Byrum Brown winning the job in 2023, then quickly becoming entrenched at that position, Archie's opportunities were minimal.
After spending last spring as a pitcher for USF's baseball team, where his fastball reached 96 mph, Archie again competed for the position during spring and fall training camps. But Brown, listed on five different preseason award watch lists, had an unshakable hold at quarterback.
"It's hard to be the backup, where we expect you to prepare like the starter mentally, but you're always one play away,'' Golesh said. "I probably told Bryce that 150 times in the first month of the season, but until you're actually there, you're not 'the guy.' So, it takes some mental toughness because you know the only way you're playing is if something bad happens, whether the guy (starter) gets hurt or the guy isn't playing well.''
Archie (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) kept his even-keel demeanor, and he was ready when Brown went down. And even though Archie appears to be making good on his opportunity, he said his close relationship with Brown has been unchanged. Brown, too, has become Archie's biggest cheerleader.
"You don't really find that much in quarterback rooms because you're kind of competing for the same job,'' Archie said. "But me and Byrum are like brothers. I mean, I talk to him every day and we hang out. That's my guy.
"It was the same thing when he was the starter. I'd be the first one off the sideline to congratulate him. That's how this team is and how this quarterback room is.''
Archie, who got the call on Oct. 12 against Memphis (in Orlando) for his first start since senior year of high school, said the years of being a backup helped to develop his toughness and preparation.
"When I was young, it was tough because you want to get on the field,'' Archie said. "You want to play. But in reality, you're not ready. Those years I sat, I was getting ready for this moment right here and I feel like that just built me into who I am today.
"You put your head down and grind, but you are always one play away. You never know what that is. Anything can happen. But I think all those years have paid off.''
Archie, whose favorite quarterback is Patrick Mahomes, said he expects the best could be yet to come for USF's offense. Against FAU, the Bulls scored on six consecutive second-half possessions and rushed for 319 yards overall.
"I saw this all the time: If we can run the ball, I feel like no one can really stop us,'' Archie said. "Our running game is a big threat and we have a really good room of running backs. If we use them all and they have the game like they did? Yeah, like I said, nobody can really stop us.
"I wouldn't say the game is slowing down (for me), but it's getting more comfortable. I get more comfortable back there each day, each day I step in the film room, each day I step on the field. I'm getting more comfortable with my guys by just being around and learning football each day.''
–#GoBulls–
