It’s the end of October, and while the USF Bulls have played in many demanding and tough matchups, the 2025 season is still far from over. South Florida football is on a historic run, showcasing who they are, and what they want to be known for each and every week. In year three under head coach Alex Golesh, the Bulls became bowl eligible for the third straight season following their Week 8 victory against Florida Atlantic. Now, they look ahead to a trip further up north, facing off against a pivotal conference opponent, the Memphis Tigers.

USF Bulls vs. Memphis Tigers: History and Excerpts

Dating back to 2001, a lot of football has been played between these two teams. Memphis currently leads the series 9-4, and USF’s most recent win against the Tigers came in 2016 with a 49-42 victory in the Liberty Bowl. While there has been some close scoring games, historically, Memphis has heavily dominated in this series.

The last time the Bulls and the Tigers met was last season in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, just a few days after USF’s mandatory evacuation as Hurricane Milton had wrestled through much of Florida. Whether that game should have been played at all was heavily debated, but nonetheless, Memphis took that one home with a score of 21-3.

Both teams are 6-1 on the season with USF 3-0 in conference play and tied for second place in the American with Tulane. Memphis is standing at 2-1 in conference matchups after a tough fall to UAB last week, now landing at fourth overall.

Memphis is a very dominant team that has had a lot of success this season. Following the upset, it will be interesting to see if they will come out a little shaken up or will be seeking revenge this week. As of now, the battle between the two is polled at about half and half with the Tigers slightly favored 51 percent to 49 percent. All in all, it’s a statement game for both programs.

USF vs. Memphis 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

Key Players for South Florida

Quarterback Byrum Brown continues to be a dominant force in both the pass and rushing games. The offense as a whole thrives off of his execution and leadership. Brown currently leads the team in rushing, with 475 yards on the season, 200 yards more than Sam Franklin, the leading running back. Leading wide receiver Chas Nimrod will not play in this game, due to an ankle injury he suffered in USF’s Week 7 matchup against North Texas. Brown has reliable options he can turn to including Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Christian Neptune, and Mudia Rueben. The entirety of this wide receiver unit has put on a performance each game.

The defense continues to be led by one of the most dynamic linebacker duos in college football, Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler. The two have continued to impress and raise the bar each week. Harris currently has 56 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.

The secondary has also been vital in shutting down production from the opposing offense. Safety Tavin Ward, and cornerback De’Shawn Rucker are the leaders of this unit, while Jarvis Lee, James Chenault, and Fred Gaskin are major contributors in holding down the fort as well.

Key Players for Memphis

The South Florida defense is preparing to go up against potentially one, two, or maybe more of Memphis’s quarterback’s and are unsure of who is going to get the start. Starter Brendon Lewis has over 1300 passing yards for the season but suffered a lower body injury last week at UAB, currently being listed as day-to-day. Freshman A.J. Hill came into relieve for that rest of the game, so it’s possible he will be receiving the snap against USF. It’s also possible that the Tigers will play another freshman quarterback in Arrington Maiden, or multiple quarterbacks altogether.

Memphis has an explosive running back unit with a very fast Sutton Smith who has 480 rushing yards. Right behind him is Greg Desrosiers Jr., he’s another go-to handoff. The wide receiver core is very dynamic in Cortez Braham Jr., leading with 29 receptions for 491 yards and five touchdowns. Jamari Hawkins can also keep things moving downhill.

The Tigers have a solid, powerful defense and a play-stopping secondary. Defensive back Drue Watts leads with 42 tackles and one sack. Deep in the secondary you can also find defensive backs Kamari Wilson and Chris Bracy, they have a combined total of 77 tackles. Linebackers Sam Brumfield and DeMarco Ward have been enormous for the defense as well. Brumfield currently leads the team with 3.5 sacks.

2025 Game Preview: How USF Wins vs. Memphis in Week 9

Keep the ball safe

This was a much improved issue last week, as compared to previous games. Being able to maintain that high level of ball security will be key.

Play clean

Misreads or penalties may ultimately give Memphis additional opportunities to capitalize upon and put points up on the board. Playing their cleanest football will allow the Bulls to make the most out of their possessions and stay in control of the game. This especially includes coming out of halftime strong, despite how well or not well the first half went.

Halt any momentum

USF’s defense is on a high but will also be heavily tested this week. Stopping the run and causing the Tigers to go three and out will limit their ability to get things rolling and start to pull away. Additionally, this will be crucial in high pressure situations that may come at the end of the game.