#25 South Florida (7-2; 4-1 American) at Navy (7-2; 5-1 American)
Saturday, November 15 • 12:00 PM • Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) • Annapolis, Md.
SURFACE: Field Turf
TV: ESPN2: Roy Philpott (P-by-P), Sam Acho (Analyst) & Taylor Davis (Sideline)
RADIO: Q105 FM & Bulls Unlimited Digital
SERIES: Navy leads, 3-2
IN TAMPA: 1-1, last, L, 28-7 in 2024
IN ANNAPOLIS: 1-2; last, W, 44-30 in 2023
LAST TIME: Navy won 28-7 in Tampa in 2024
VS AMERICAN: 42-59, won 8 of last 11
AMERICAN HOME GAMES: 23-26, last: W vs. UTSA, 55-23
AMERICAN ROAD GAMES: 18-30; last: L at Memphis, 34-31
GAMES ON ESPN2: 20-26; last: L at Memphis, 34-31
SOUTH FLORIDA GAME NOTES
BULLSEYE COACHES SHOW
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Through 29 seasons, there have been 344 games for USF's football program. There was an 80-3 decision in the hello-world opener. There were notable earth-shaking upsets that put everyone on notice. There were fan-pleasing victories against the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes. There were bowl games in all sorts of places, including Canada and Hawaii. There were ups and downs on the ride through Division I-AA, brief independence, Conference USA, the Big East and the American Conference.
And that brings us to Saturday afternoon at Annapolis, Md. It's an important game because it's the next game. But it's also a moment in time where the stakes are almost beyond imagination.
The Bulls have never seen anything like game No. 345.
In the small picture, the No. 24-ranked Bulls (7-2, 4-1) always knew they would face a difficult test against the Navy Midshipmen (7-2, 5-1). Ask any coach from anywhere. They'd rather undergo a root canal than tangle with Navy's triple-option offense, which now features run-pass option wrinkles and delivers the ultimate test for any defense's discipline and composure.
It's on the road. It's a noon kickoff. And while it won't be a frozen tundra, it will be chilly and wind could be a factor.
Then there's the big picture.
Tuesday night was a seminal moment for USF fans everywhere. The Bulls were unveiled at No. 24 in the College Football Playoff standings, the first appearance in program history, meaning there's a clear path for USF to earn a spot in the 12-team field. It simply must win out — beating Navy, UAB and Rice — before capturing the American Conference championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 (potentially at Raymond James Stadium).
Simply?
Actually, there's nothing simple about it, although most impartial observers would likely say that beating Navy unlocks the key to everything.
"It's November and you're in the thick of a conference race and I would tell you our guys have elite confidence,'' head coach Alex Golesh said. "I think we just have to go play our game. When we're the best version of ourselves, we're highly confident and we're highly effective. We have really bought into the daily process of continuing to improve and creating elite habits. We're not perfect by any means, but we're continuing to get better and that's all you can ask for right now.''
Here are the keys to USF winning at Navy, getting the eighth win in a season for the first time since 2017 and continuing down the path toward a spot in the 12-team playoff:
1. Make Every Play Count — With Navy's proclivity for possessing the ball, it's highly likely that the go-go Bulls will have limited opportunities to score.
If USF's defense can force a few three-and-out's — or get a turnover or two — that could actually decide the game.
But when USF does have an offensive possession, it's imperative that the Bulls value the ball and get points. Almost like never before, every single play counts — a lot.
"The time of possession piece is not going to go in our favor because Navy is going to be able to hold onto the ball and extend drives — they always have and they always will,'' Golesh said. "More than anything, it's going to be points per possession. Obviously, that's what we're striving for.
"The way we play offense here, we're going to find every way that we can to play fast and make people defend us. The execution piece is what separates it. We've got to take advantage of every possession.''
Navy's opponents generally get about 10 possessions per game (USF averages 12.7 possessions per game).
"You've got to create some turnovers and get yourself up to 11, 12 or 13 (possessions),'' Golesh said. "Our defense, up until this point, has done as good a job as anybody in the country (at forcing turnovers). But more than anything else, it's taking advantage of the possessions that you get.''
2. Force Turnovers — OK, let's complete that thought.
Obviously, if USF can get some interceptions or recover some fumbles, the game will take on a completely different look.
We saw that first-hand on Nov. 6 in the 55-23 win against the UTSA Roadrunners. On the game's first play, safety Tavin Ward scored on a 40-yard interception return after nickel-back Jarvis Lee hurried the throw from QB Owen McCown. On the next possession, after the Roadrunners drove into USF's red zone, Lee produced a strip-sack against McCown and the ball wound up in the hands of safety Fred Gaskin, who raced 85 yards for another score.
USF has forced 19 turnovers overall to rank seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Navy, meanwhile, has committed just nine turnovers in its nine games.
"Our ability to get some turnovers is an absolutely huge factor in this game,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "It happened a little bit to Navy when they played North Texas (the Midshipmen committed three turnovers, including two interceptions by quarterback Blake Horvath, in a 31-17 defeat against the Mean Green). We've got to get off the field. We're as fast as anybody in the country in terms of pace of play and they're close to the bottom in terms of being methodical and limiting possessions. So, turnovers (or lack of turnovers) absolutely looks like a key to the way this game goes.''
3. Show Discipline — We can put this one on a continuous loop because it comes up every single time that USF faces Navy.
Eye discipline. Gap integrity. Staying at home. Doing your job.
These aren't just coaching cliches. These are reality checks against the Midshipmen. Without discipline, Navy will find ways to gash you two or three times and then it's game over.
"We've got to own the A-gap,'' nose tackle Devin Lee said. "I've got to stay at home and stop the dive. It doesn't matter if the guy doesn't have the ball. I've still got to stop the dive.''
"I think all of it goes back to how healthy your locker room is, how much everybody gets along with each other,'' Orlando said. "Because most of the time when somebody is doing undisciplined stuff, they're thinking about themselves. From that standpoint, when we got here (in 2023), there were a bunch of guys who just said, 'You know, I'm just going to go make a play.' Now our players will not let their teammates down and make sure they're doing their job at a high level. No question, though, facing Navy is the ultimate test for your discipline throughout the entire 60 minutes.''
4. Byrum Brown: Do Your Thing — With all due respect to Navy QB Blake Horvath, who has rushed for 926 yards and 13 touchdowns (after missing last week's 49-10 defeat at Notre Dame with injury), USF QB Byrum Brown is the game's most compelling factor.
Brown has a laundry list of impressive statistics — such as being on pace to become the 12th player in FBS history with a single season of 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing (four of those previous players won the Heisman Trophy and 10 of them finished in the Heisman's top eight voting).
This week, Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde put Brown ninth on his list of top 10 Heisman contenders and other respected national voices are aware of Brown as well.
In the win against UTSA, Brown accounted for 348 yards (which is about normal for him). But that total occurred with only 24 "touches'' — 15 pass attempts (14 completions) and nine rushes.
That's ridiculously efficient.
"Some of Byrum's numbers, those are pretty hard to accomplish,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "That's just him. We're putting the ball in his hands. Some of his plays are designed and some are not. But let's also remember that he had great protection. The offensive line is doing a great job. And the guys are catching the ball on the other end of it. Overall, we're playing good offensive football and Byrum is the catalyst of that.''
And Navy's defense undoubtedly is aware of that.
–#GoBulls–
