October 17, 2026 | Football
GAME 7: Bulls vs. Golden Flashesย ย ย ย Title sponsor: Florida Blue
Giveaway: 30th Anniversary Acrylic Commemorative Ticket
ย ย -ย honoring the very first ticket ever issued for South Floridaย football (first 5,000 fans)
Raymond James Stadium (65,000) โข Saturday, Oct. 17 โข 7:00 PM
TV:ย ESPN+ - Play-by-Play:ย T.J. Rives; Analyst: Patrick Murray
RADIO: Q105FM &ย Bulls Unlimited (digital) - Play-by-Play: Jim Lighthall, Analyst:ย Joey Johnstonย Sideline: Rock Riley
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Head coach Brian Hartline said he was attracted to South Florida's football program because the expectations are high.
"I wouldn't want to be at a place where they aren't,'' Hartline said.
At a tipping point of South Florida's season, where the Bulls (4-2) have dropped two consecutive American Conference games after failing to protect fourth-quarter leads in both of them, Hartline said he's confident that his team will give a good account of itself in Saturday night's homecoming contest against the Mid-American Conference's Kent State Golden Flashes (2-4) at Raymond James Stadium.
High expectations shouldn't be a surprise at South Florida. The Bulls were predicted to be one of the American Conference's elite teams, partially because the program offers strong financial resources, a key variable in the parlance of modern college football. Hartline acknowledges that and remains grateful for the support of USF's administration.
But Hartline said resources only put you in a position to win โ no guarantees. He's expecting other factors to make the difference after the Bulls grapple with Kent State and undergo some self-scouting during the bye week. Then there's a season-defining stretch run of five consecutive conference opponents.
Do the Bulls have what it takes? Hartline is counting on another type of investment โ the bonding and work ethic that defined offseason workouts โ to make the difference. Hartline said he believes the team's practice and preparation have been stellar this fall. Ultimately, he feels it should translate to a favorable finish.
"Culture matters, people matter, the connection matters and the brotherhood in your locker room matters,'' Hartline said. "I love the fact that the importance of the culture, the camaraderie and the ability to train together are all very important in our sport.
"One of the biggest reasons why I wanted to be here is because the expectations are here. I didn't want to go to a place with no expectations. What are we talking about, right? We have great fans and they have great expectations. I love chasing those expectations and trying to elevate those expectations. Resources are important. But all the things that take no talent, the things that aren't necessarily money driven, those are still very important in our sport. They always will be. I'm glad that's still the case.''
Kent State was a late addition to South Florida's schedule. In an unusual twist, it's the second MAC opponent this season (along with the trip to Bowling Green on Sept. 26).
"Whether it's conference or non-conference, they're all important from a growth standpoint,'' Hartline said.
Here are the keys for South Florida to advance to 5-2 heading into its bye week.
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1. Force Some Turnovers
"Tips and overthrows โฆ gotta get those.''
That was the mantra of defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge, who was big on grabbing lots of interceptions. It hasn't happened โ at least not at the rate he imagined. The Bulls have just two picks and both occurred in the first game against FIU.
"We dropped a couple (of potential interceptions) at Bowling Green and there was one we could've had against Temple,'' Aldridge said. "We've got to find a way to finish in the secondary and put our guys in position to make those plays.
"We've been kind of banged up in the secondary, but ultimately that falls on me because we've got to find a way to get it done. We're getting decent pressure on the quarterback and I think we're doing a good job of matching the routes for the most part. But we've got to find a way to get those turnovers back to our offense.''
Kent State QB Dru DeShields had 18 touchdown passes against only three interceptions last season, but has thrown six picks in this season's six games.
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2. Avoid Mistakes
On the flip side, Bulls QB Michael Van Buren Jr. has done a wonderful job of avoiding interceptions. He has thrown zero in 152 pass attempts, setting a record for the longest interception-less streak to start a season for the Bulls.ย
Six games without throwing an interception? Major positive.
"He (Van Buren) has grown up a lot,'' offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "He has learned that it's OK to be second-and-10 (instead of forcing a pass on first down). We talk about first and second down maturity.
"He's learning where to go with the football versus all the coverages and variations. That has allowed him to play fast and confident. In retrospect, he's able to take care of the football because of that.''
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3. Start Quickly
Every team wants a quick start. The Bulls are doing a better job of getting ahead of things in the first quarter. In four of its last five games, South Florida has scored on its opening drive (three touchdowns, one field goal).
At UTSA, the Bulls had touchdown drives of 65 and 75 yards on two of their first three possessions, which signaled huge progress. In the first quarters of the previous four games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, the Bulls had just one total touchdown (at Army on the opening drive).
Beck said the playbook has opened wider since the first game against FIU, partially because the players are getting more comfortable, partially because the coaches trust them to do more.
"You think back to the first game of this season and how different it looks (now) โฆ it's all part of the growth,'' Beck said. "We're giving them more responsibility. We can do more things, like more tempo.''
Beck is the lead play-caller, but said he collaborates often with Hartline (the head coach), Mike Hartline (the quarterbacks coach) and Mike Sollene (the run game coordinator/offensive line coach).
Beck said the Bulls have done a good job recently of executing opening drives, which are generally scripted in advance with some variations. The key will be to avoid mid-game chasms like the one that existed at UTSA (when the Bulls ran just eight plays in the third quarter).
"At the end of the day, we have to do a good job of doing our job,'' Beck said. "Make the routine plays routine. Take what the defense gives us. Don't force things.''
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4. Build Depth
If the Bulls can handle things properly against Kent State, living up to South Florida's status as a 20 1/2-point favorite, there's an opportunity to get rarely used players some extended playing time.
More carries for Alvon Isaac, Chase Garnett and Tray Kinkle?
Perhaps a series or two for backup QB Luke Kromenhoek?
And maybe a chance for some young linemen to rotate into the fray?
All of that would be beneficial as the Bulls enter their bye week and prepare for a stretch run of five consecutive American Conference games. Quality depth always pays off in November.
If the Bulls win comfortably โ and everyone gets into the game โ that makes for a successful homecoming.
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โ#GoBullsโ
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Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
