ANNAPOLIS, MD., Nov. 15, 2025 – No. 24-ranked South Florida (7-3, 4-2 American) found itself trailing 14-3 early following explosive plays from the Midshipmen and couldn't gain control of the lead in a 41-38 loss to Navy (8-2; 6-1 American) Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
 
Navy improved to 6-0 at home and the nation's leading rushing team, which came in averaging 304 yards per game, posted 338 on the Bulls, including touchdown runs of 76 and 64 yards.
 
Down two scores, 27-16, with 14:17 left in the game, USF saw Byrum Brown rip off a 60-yard scoring run and convert a two-point play, hitting Mudia Rueben in the back of the endzone, to cut the lead to 27-24 in just 18 seconds.
 
But, after the USF defense had held Navy mostly in check through the second and third quarter, the Midshipmen responded with back-up quarterback Braxton Woodson leading an eight-play, 75-yard drive and extending the Navy lead to 34-24 with a 20-yard touchdown run with 9:29 to play.
 
Brown, again led the Bulls down the field, gaining big yards with his legs to move to the Navy 29. Then running back Nykahi Davenport took over, completing a 29-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Jeremiah Koger on a trick play to cap an 83-yard drive. Nico Gramatica's extra point attempt went wide, leaving the Bulls down four, 34-30, with 6:14 to play.
 
Navy again extended the lead behind the play of Woodson, who was in for an injured Blake Horvath who started the game. This time, Woodson went off the left side for a 64-yard touchdown run that gave Navy a 41-30 lead with 3:59 to play.
 
USF wasn't done, and Brown again led the Bulls down the field completing a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Reuben. Brown's two-point conversion pass to Keshaun Singleton got the Bulls within three, 41-38, with 1:55 to play.
 
Following a USF onside kick attempt, Navy recovered at the USF43 and used its rushing attack to bleed the clock, picking up a big first down with 59 seconds to play that sealed the deal. After a fourth down play that ran the clock down to one second, USF got the ball one last time for a desperation lateral play that came up short.
 
Brown again was spectacular, posting a season high 463 total yards and four touchdowns, including his sixth straight 300-plus yard total offense game and fourth straight 100-yard rushing effort. Brown threw for a season-high 327 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Koger posted career-highs of nine catches and 112 yards and had a touchdown. Keshaun Singleton had 86 yards on five catches and a touchdown.
 
Linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler led the USF defense. Harris posted a career-best 15 tackles and a recovered fumble, while Shuler logged 13 stops.
 
The Bulls found themselves down 15 at the half, 24-9, as the Navy rushing attack posted 168 yards in the first two quarters. Navy scored on four its first six possessions and used big plays to take an early 14-3.
 
The Midshipmen struck first, using a delayed hand-off on third and long to break a 76-yard scoring run by Alex Tecza up the middle of the field.
 
USF answered with a 77-yard drive but stalled at the Navy 4 and settled for a 22-yard Gramatica field goal.
 
Navy struck again with another big play as Horvath hit Eli Heidenreich deep over the middle for an 82-yard gain to the USF4. One play later, Brandon Chatman ran it in for a 14-3 lead.
 
The Bulls responded moving 75 yards on five plays and cutting the lead to 14-9 when Brown hit Singleton for a 12-yard touchdown in the back corner of the endzone. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
 
The Bulls defense then forced a three-and-out. Navy's punt pinned the Bulls inside their own 5 and the offense failed to gain a first down and had to punt out of its own endzone. Navy took over on the USF44 and capitalized, scoring in four plays when Horvath hit Tecza with a 14-yard touchdown pass to take a 21-9 lead with 7:00 to play in the half.
 
Brown was intercepted on the Bulls next possession, and Navy threatened the blow the game open, taking over on the USF28. But the USF defense stiffened and a Midshipmen personal foul on a chop block forced Navy to settle for a 44-yard field goal and a 24-9 lead.
 
USF looked to cut the lead before the half and moved to the Navy31 where they faced a 4th-and-1. The Bulls went with a heavy set and handed off to guard Cole Skinner, who has scored two touchdowns on the year, but he was stopped short.
 
KEY STATS
• Navy ran for 338 yards (6.4 ypc) and produced 524 yards of offense.
• The Midshipmen scored on big runs of 76 and 64 yards and set up another touchdown with an 82-yard pass play.
• South Florida produced 556 yards of offense, including a season-high 356 passing to stay in the game and nearly pull off the comeback.
 
NOTABLES
• QB Byrum Brown logged his sixth straight 300-plus yard total offense game, with a season-best 463 total yards and four touchdowns, including his fourth straight 100-yard rushing effort and 10^th career. Brown threw for a season-high 327 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
• Freshman WR Jeremiah Koger posted career-highs of nine catches and 112 yards and had a touchdown. WR Keshaun Singleton had 86 yards on five catches and a touchdown.
• LB's Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler led the USF defense. Harris posted a career-best 15 tackles and a recovered fumble, while Shuler logged 13 stops.
 
UP NEXT
USF returns to the road next Saturday for a match-up at UAB in Birmingham, Ala. Kick time and television designation will be announced in the coming days.
 
Tickets:
Season tickets for the 2025 USF football season tickets are on sale and may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.
 
Single-game tickets for the 2025 USF football season can be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.
 
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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. Head coach Alex Golesh posted a program-best six-game turnaround and a Boca Raton Bowl victory in his first season in 2023. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 17 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 33 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.