USF Bulls Pull Off Shocking Upset Over Florida Gators in Week 2, 18-16

After last week’s throttling of Boise State, the USF Bulls decided to up the ante in Week 2. against the Florida Gators Going into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and a sold-out crowd, USF defeated the UF by a score of 18-16. It was a battle on both sides of the ball, but thanks to some timely plays from some key contributors, the Bulls moved to 2-0 on the season.

Saturday was arguably one of the best wins in school history for USF, and they have a chance to keep it rolling next week in Miami Gardens.

USF vs. Florida 2025: Week 2 Game Recap

The Defense Comes to Play

In their victory over Boise State, USF’s defense was a significant reason that the Broncos could not get anything going. And while their matchup against Florida was more difficult, the USF defense was huge once again.

The conversation cannot start with anyone else besides Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler. Just like last week, both linebackers were the leading tacklers for the Bulls, as Harris had 10 tackles while Shuler had seven. Both players had a tackle for loss, Harris had a sack, and Shuler had a pass breakup.

Just as important as their on-field production, though, was the way that Harris and Shuler set the tone for the defense. Both players were flying around all game, hitting Florida ball carriers and making sure their teammates did the same. The linebackers set the tone, and the rest of the defense followed.

In the secondary, the Bulls had a plethora of players play solid games against a tough opponent in Florida. Standout player De’Shawn Rucker was not only a great coverage player the entire night, but he also made multiple important tackles for the USF defense.

Jonas Duclona and James Chenault were very good in coverage once again, with Chenault having an impressive interception on a deep throw from DJ Lagway. Tavin Ward, Fred Gaskin, and Jarvis Lee Jr. were also impressive in coverage.

Despite facing an extremely dynamic group of weapons on the Gators, it was rare to see anyone get truly burnt over the course of the game. More importantly, the secondary continued to battle and make plays when they were needed most. From Rucker to Gaskin, and everywhere else in between, the unit is completely locked in with each other. And, as a result, the Bulls were able to limit any true damage from Lagway, who ended up with 22 passing yards.

USF faces another tough offense in the Miami Hurricanes next weekend. Similar to the Gators, Miami is loaded with offensive talent, and may have an even better offensive line than Florida. It will be a great challenge for the Bulls, but if the first two games of 2025 have proven anything, USF will be ready to come out flying against the Canes.

Brown Powers the Offense

Sometimes, an offense has to do just enough to win a football game, and that is exactly what the Bulls did on Saturday.

At quarterback, Byrum Brown was in full control of the offense from the first snap of the game. He handled the crowd noise, got the Bulls in the correct position, and was able to execute at a high level against a ferocious Florida crowd and defense.

The quarterback was 23-of-36 for 263 yards and a touchdown through the air, while rushing the ball 17 times for 66 yards. Even with a few bad misses, Brown was mainly accurate with the football and allowed his receivers to make plays.

Brown consistently tried to make smart decisions with the football, never throwing the ball into double coverage or trying to do too much when on the verge of taking a sack. On the one time he did, though, Brown ensured that it was a free play (even without it being called) and hit wideout Keshaun Singleton for a game-changing touchdown.

Most importantly, though, Brown showed his trademark escapability works against the best opponents. The quarterback scrambled for multiple first downs tonight after shrugging off defenders at the point of contact.

Even with his flaws, Brown put the team on his back for the majority of this game. He kept the offense on time, in rhythm, and allowed them to make explosive plays.

So much of this USF offense flows through Brown, who is truly a football unicorn that can do anything on the field. And it is for good reason; after all, the Bulls are 2-0.

However, the scary part is that there is plenty of room to grow.

Once big plays start hitting on a consistent basis, the Bulls’ offense, and especially Bryrum Brown, will be hard to stop. Miami will be a hard task for USF, but the coaching staff will have a good game plan while Brown elevates his game to another level.

Young Players Step Up on Offense

Byrum Brown was not alone in his conquest of The Swamp.

Wideout Kehsaun Singleton continued to show that he is the big-play machine. Going up against two Florida defensive backs, the wideout made a leaping grab and raced into the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown. Fellow wideout Mudia Reuben provided gritty receptions and nice YAC on a consistent basis

Running back Alvon Isaac showed incredible running and catching ability. Even against an SEC opponent, Isaac made defenders look slow whenever he had the ball. The running back racked up 69 yards after the catch and averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Isaac is a big-play waiting to happen, and it seems that the Bulls are more than willing to repeatedly press his number.

Starting his first-ever college game, Christian Neptune had five catches for 39 yards. He ran great routes, created constant separation, and immediately became a reliable target for Brown. If he could have come up with an acrobatic jump-ball attempt, Neptune’s totals could have been much higher. Regardless, it was an awesome first game for the freshman, who should only become even more of an asset for the Bulls as the season marches on.

Outside of these players, the Bulls have even more underclassmen who could be counted on at a moment’s notice. Once they get the early-season rust out of the way, the rushing and passing attacks have the potential to make the Bulls one of the most fun offenses in the country.

Postgame Quotes

HC Alex Golesh on WR Christian Neptune: “He started his second game here. In front of 90,000 people. He is a pretty special cat. He and Mudia Ruben did a great job. Mudia has been a little banged up, and Christian is a special player. Special player, special young guy. I grabbed him on Wednesday because I could sense he was getting a little bit anxious. I told him to take it one play at a time, we believe in you, and we love you. Byrum (Brown)  was the one who brought him in and said you should grab him for a second to talk to him. Christian said I needed that, and he is a special young man.”

QB Byrum Brown on WR Keshaun Singleton’s benefit to the offense: “He is amazing at winning those 1-on-1s. Anytime the ball is in the air for Keshaun, I like to call them 60-40 balls. We have all the advantage, because anytime the ball is in the air or in his vicinity, he is going to come down with it. ”

WR Keshaun Singleton on his mentality when the ball is in the air: “I am coming down with it. Every time. No matter if there are two people on me or three people on me, I am coming down with the ball. I will always get it.”

What’s Next for USF?

The USF Bulls travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes in a monstrous Week 3 showdown. It will be the final ranked team in their three-game opening stretch, and arguably this matchup may be the most important. We’ll see if the Bulls can keep bucking in 2025, or if they will fall to exhaustion in Miami.