USF vs. Charlotte 2025 Recap: Bulls Get Sloppy Week 6 Win, 54-26

In a Friday night matchup under the lights at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, the South Florida Bulls returned from their bye week for their first conference game of the season against the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte entered the matchup at 1-3 and were hungry for a win. While USF ultimately walked away with a 54-26 victory, Charlotte put up a fighting chance. With that said, let’s recap the main takeaways from this USF vs. Charlotte 2025 matchup.

USF vs. Charlotte 2025 Recap: Bulls Scrape By in Week 6

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Don’t let the score fool you, this game was messy.

The Bulls started out strong with a touchdown brought in by running back Cartevious Norton on the first drive of the game, which lasted just under a minute. The defense repeatedly forced three-and-outs for Charlotte, with major contributions from Jhalyn Shuler, Jarvis Lee and De’Shawn Rucker. Lee looked especially impressive, causing explosive plays and bringing a high level of physicality. The defense initially made it very difficult for the 49ers to find their footing or establish any sort of rhythm.

Quarterback Byrum Brown had ultimately his best game of the season, possibly even his career. Despite two interceptions, Brown threw for 211 yards and marked a career-best 162 rushing yards. He also refused to get sacked, breaking through tackles and extending drives himself. Running back Sam Franklin also recorded several long runs, and wide receiver Jeremiah Koger emerged as a new key target, providing reliability for Byrum throughout the game.

But then, the wheels started to fall off.

Causes For Concern

In a bizarre turn of events, the Bulls appeared disoriented late in the second quarter, just before halftime. The technical execution seemed off, including a lot of faulty snaps, miscues, penalties, fumbles and dropped passes. It was as if the team did a complete 180-spin from their performance in the first quarter of the game.

There were also a bunch of injuries for both teams. This included running back Cartevious Norton. Norton went down with a serious injury concerning his neck in the fourth quarter and was taken to Tampa General Hospital as a precaution.

To make matters worse for USF, Charlotte was able to find some momentum after Zach Wilcke came in to replace Grayson Loftis at quarterback. A lot of the credit goes to running back CJ Stokes, who consistently moved the ball downfield and served as a key contributor for the 49ers.

It was also a long night; one much longer than it should have been given how the initial 15 minutes played out. The official game time stretched to three hours and fifty minutes.

Shrine Bowl Prospect Watch

Jarvis Lee CB, USF: Jarvis Lee brings a level of physicality and drive that elevates the defense. He’s a reliable defender downhill, and has the tools to be a major contributor.

Jhalyn Shuler LB, USF: Jhalyn Shuler continues to impress each each week. His grit, toughness, and dedication to the game stand out above all.

CJ Stokes RB, Charlotte: CJ tokes is a go-to runner who finds creative lanes through the line and keeps drives alive. He put together an incredibly impressive performance in Week 6.

Sean Brown WR, Charlotte: Sean Brown is a dependable target for the quarterback, capable of making difficult catches and delivering big plays when the offense needs a spark.

What’s next for USF?

This did not look like the same USF team from a couple of weeks ago. Something, or several things didn’t quite click for them throughout this game. Nevertheless, USF moves to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

A new and perhaps greater challenge lies ahead as the Bulls travel to Denton, Texas, next week for another Friday night conference matchup against the currently undefeated North Texas Mean Green.