Nico Gramatica's game-winning field goal delivers program's first Top 25 wins in back-to-back games
 
TAMPA, FLA., SEPT. 6, 2025 – South Florida football (2-0, American) used a stout defense, clutch special teams and timely offense to make history Saturday at a sold-out Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., as the Bulls stunned No. 13 Florida (1-1, SEC), 18-16, to improve to 2-0.
 
The victory marked the program's second-straight win over a Top 25-ranked team to start the season, the first time in program history the Bulls defeated ranked opponents in back-to-back games. USF opened the season with a 34-7 domination of No. 25 Boise State. The Bulls have beaten two ranked opponents in the same season for just the third time in program history and the first time since 2009. It was the second-highest ranked opponent USF has beaten on the road behind a win at No. 5 West Virginia in 2006.
 
South Florida also became the first program in the state of Florida to win on the home field of each of the other six FBS programs in the state of Florida. The Bulls also became just the ninth program ever to record wins at Florida, Florida State and Miami.
 
For the second straight trip to Gainesville, South Florida found itself in a one score game in the fourth quarter. The South Florida defense put on another strong show, allowing Florida inside the Bulls 20 just three times – forcing field goals in each of the first two trips – while forcing four punts, getting an interception, and recording a safety. Florida's lone touchdown came on a short 20-yard drive in the fourth quarter following a long punt return that set up the short field.
 
The defense forced two of those punts on Florida's final two drives late in the fourth quarter as the Gators clung to a 16-15 lead. USF forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 2:52 to play.
 
Quarterback Byrum Brown led an eight-play, 87-yard drive that started at the USF11 to put Nico Gramatica in position for the game-winning field goal as time expired. Two Florida penalties – pass interference and a personal foul – got the Bulls moving to the 39. Brown hit running back Alvon Isaac for a 29-yard gain to the UF32. After reaching the UF14, Brown ran three times up the middle to force the Gators to use all their timeouts and put the ball on the UF2. Gramatica's 20-yard field goal split the uprights, the clock hit zero and the South Florida sideline and a healthy number of Bulls fans in the stands went into jubilation.
 
With the Florida offense stymied since midway through the second quarter, the Gators took a 16-15 lead with 12:29 to play after Vernell Brown's 40-yard punt return followed by a personal foul on USF gave the Gators the ball on the USF20. Five plays later, DJ Lagway hit Eugene Wilson with a four-yard touchdown pass.
 
The Gators had to reclaim the lead after South Florida's offense came to life late in the third quarter. The Bulls took over on their own 14 trailing 9-6 with 3:10 to play in the quarter. They moved to the 34 on three plays and on 3^rd-and-5 from the USF34 Brown uncorked a high arching ball to Keshaun Singleton. The Bulls receiver split two defenders, jumped and grabbed the ball around the UF35, and found himself with nothing but green in front of him. He raced 66 yards to the endzone and gave the Bulls a 13-9 lead with 2:03 to play in the third quarter as a stunned Florida crowd looked on and Bulls fans in the stands roared.
 
The defense forced a three-and-out on Florida's next possession and the Gators snapped the ball over the punter's head on fourth down. The ball went out of the back of the endzone for a safety and South Florida led 15-9. The Bulls were forced to punt following the Florida free kick, setting up Vernell Brown's return and the Gators lone touchdown of the game.
 
The first half saw the teams trade field goals and field position as Florida held a tenuous 9-6 lead after the first 30 minutes of play.
 
The Bulls final drive of the half ran out of time at the UF7. Brown's 20-yard scramble in the closing seconds nearly got the Bulls in the endzone, but inside the 10 with two seconds remaining South Florida settled for a Gramatica 25-yard field goal to complete a strong 68-yard drive to end the half.
 
The Bulls' defense was bend but don't break as Florida gained 212 first half yards and scored on each of its three first half drives, but stalled three times in South Florida territory and settled for field goals of 28, 36 and 41 yards. Drives of 14, 13 and eight plays all resulted in field goals. Florida reached the USF9 on its opening drive, but got inside the 20 just twice more the rest of the game as the Bulls defense forced the Gators to grind their way down the field and stiffened in its own territory.
 
Mac Harris led the defense with a career-best 10 tackles, Jhalyn Shuler added seven and James Chenault got a second half interception.
 
South Florida got on the board in the Bulls second drive of the game as Brown moved USF 55 yards to the UF20 and Gramatica hit a 38-yard field goal.
 
Brown finished 23-of-36 passing for 263 yards and a touchdown and led the Bulls running 17 times for 66 yards.
 
KEY STATS
• The Bulls went six straight quarters without allowing a touchdown to ranked opponents (the last 3 quarters against Boise State and the first 3 quarters against Florida).
• South Florida limited the high-power Florida offense to its fewest points since 2023, when they only scored 15.
• The Bulls recorded their first safety since doing so vs. Houston on October 27, 2018.
 
NOTABLES
• LB Mac Harris – Tallied a career-high 10 tackles, including a sack.
• WR Keshaun Singleton – Recorded two catches for 75 yards and one receiving touchdown. His touchdown of 66 yards was one yard shy of tying a career-long. The 66-yard reception is the longest play of the season.
• WR Christian Neptune – Produced a career-high five receptions for a career-high 39 yards in his first career start.
• K Nico Gramatica – Recorded his first game-winning field goal. It was the first game-winning field goal since October 12, 2018.
• P Chase Leon – Produced four punts inside the 20, tying a career high, produced four punts over 50 yards and averaged 47.8 yards per punt.
 
UP NEXT
USF will continue the nation's toughest non-conference schedule when the Bulls head south next Saturday to take on No. 5-ranked Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. on The CW Network.
 
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.