USF vs. UTSA 2025 Recap: The Bulls Rumble Past the Roadrunners, 55-23

The Bulls returned to action on Thursday night against the UTSA Roadrunners in an American Conference clash. And, if people forgot, this game reminded the wider public of one thing: USF is for real. Starting from the first snap of the game, USF showed that they are a team worthy of the national praise, dispatching the Roadrunners by a score of 55-23.

The offense was electric, finding chunk plays through the air and on the ground. The defense, outside of a few big plays, was dominant and flew around all over the field. The coaching and schemes, on both sides of the ball, were some of the best that USF has had all season long.

USF Bulls vs. UTSA Roadrunners 2025 College Football Recap

Beginning a stretch that will likely decide their season, USF made a statement and showed that they have full recovered from the loss to Memphis a few weeks ago. Heading into their showdown against Navy next weekend, this is exactly what you want to see if you are USF. The Bulls have their own destiny in their hands for the remainder of the season, and if this game is any indication, USF is not looking to squander that chance.

An Efficient Offensive Masterclass

USF has bludgeoned some opponents this year, but the Bulls may have put together their best overall performance of the season against the Roadrunners.

Through the air, USF was efficient and deadly. Byrum Brown completed 14-of-15 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He was effective in the short game, getting the ball out quickly and decisively. In the intermediate area, Brown was even more impressive. Whether he was in the pocket or outside of it, the quarterback was accurate and pinpoint in his throwing.

Most impressively, though, was Brown’s deep ball accuracy. Both of Brown’s touchdowns were not only perfectly placed, but had the right amount of touch and accuracy on them to only allow his wideout to make a play on the ball.

However, one cannot mention Brown’s performance without also mentioning standout wideout Keshaun Singleton. Just as he has all season, Singleton made big play after big play for the Bulls. Not only did he have the two touchdowns, but the wideout also had two other chunk gains that flipped the field for the Bulls. Singleton can do everything for the Bulls at wideout, and keeps growing as a player. In this American Conference, and potentially beyond, there are not many players who will be able to hold Singleton down.

Outside of Singleton, the Bulls had their other targets contribute when necessary.

Jeremiah Koger notched two more receptions, displaying great route running and strong hands on intermediate routes. Christian Neptune also displayed his trademark versatility, looking effective on his one handoff while also displaying high-end route running and speed to register four receptions for 42 yards. Mudia Reuben and running back Alvon Isaac also contributed, with Isaac making a difficult contested catch for 29 yards.

On the ground, Byrum Brown led the charge once again for the Bulls. Only carrying the ball nine times, the star quarterback rumbled for 109 yards and a touchdown. Brown made players miss, showed his signature power, and utilized great speed. PFF, on its initial round of grading, had the quarterback with seven missed tackles forced in this game. Brown also showed a willingness to hurdle defenders at a rate that is unheard of for someone of Brown’s stature. To put it lightly, Brown was a force that UTSA could not stop on Thursday.

Additionally, Thursday’s game put Brown in rare air. He is the first FBS or NFL player in the last 30 seasons to have 200+ pass yards, 80+ rush yards & 1+ rush touchdown in five straight games, according to USF Athletics.

In addition to Brown, Nykahi Davenport continued to show that he needs to lead the USF backfield in 2025. On seven carries, Davenport rumbled for 94 yards and two touchdowns, displaying great power, vision, and speed. The running back’s first touchdown showed off the speed, as Davenport outraced the UTSA defense and powered into the end zone (with a major assist from Jonathan Echols on the block). The second touchdown showed the strength and vision as Davenport broke multiple tackles to get into the end zone.

Head coach Alex Golesh reinforced that after the game, as he said that Davenport “earned the opportunity” to start against UTSA and highlighted the running back’s work ethic being at a very high level (full quote below).

Davenport keeps getting better and better for the Bulls, and he is rewarding their faith in him. As the stretch run commences, it looks like he will be asked to help carry the offense on the ground, and it looks like the running back is more than capable.

USF could not have asked for a better offensive performance. Heading into Navy week, it looks like the Bulls are exactly where they need to be to make some good things happen

The Defense Bounces Back and Leads the Way

As much praise as the offense got for this game, the defense deserves just as much, if not more.

On the first play from scrimmage, the USF defense made its presence known to the Roadrunners. Jarvis Lee Jr. flew off the edge and drilled Owen McCown, who threw the ball directly to Tavin Ward for a pick-six. Before you could blink or even grab a drink, the Bulls were up 7-0.

The scoring was not over for USF, though. After a drive that saw UTSA reach a goal-to-go situation, Lee made yet another incredible play for the defense. The defensive back, in the process of sacking McCown, ripped the ball free and essentially threw the ball to Fred Gaskin, who rumbled the length of the field for a touchdown. Reminiscent of a WWE tag-team move, Lee’s excellence made the score 14-0 without the Bulls taking an offensive snap.

From there, the USF defense settled in to have a mostly dominant game.

The Bulls flew all over the field to make plays in the run game, limiting what was arguably the Roadrunners’ best offensive attribute. Robert Henry Jr., one of the best running backs in college football, was limited to 27 yards on ten touches in this game. Mac Harris was a force in this area again, notching three defensive stops, six tackles, and a PFF run defense grade of 77.7. Tied with Harris were Lee and Ward, who both played a huge role in shutting down an opposing offensive momentum.

In coverage, USF had multiple players play at a high level. De’Shawn Rucker and Jonas Duclona limited the big-play ability of the Roadrunners all night. Rucker specifically had multiple shutdown reps and big tackles in space. Gaskin, outside of a few missed tackles, was very reliable in coverage. Lee, just as he did in the run game, flew all over the field to make plays in the passing game. Most impressively, though, was the emergence of the USF pass rush.

Jarvis Lee Jr. set the standard with his two sacks and four pressures. It truly felt like he was unblockable at times for the Bulls. Behind him, though, were DJ Harris, Jhalyn Shuler, and Ira Singleton. All three players consistently demonstrated impressive motor skills to pursue the passer. Shuler moved with pure strength, while Harris and Singleton utilized a variety of speed and power. Add in some other players who flashed at a big-time level (more on that shortly), and there is a reason the Bulls constantly got after the quarterback in tonight’s matchup.

Perhaps most impressively, and importantly, were the young players who flashed in the waning stages of the game for the Bulls.

Levi Smiley showed impressive bend as a pass rusher and more than enough skill to contribute as a run defender. Rodnery Hill Jr. showed top-notch pursuit speed and instincts, while Zavier Hamilton showed a little bit of everything as a potential standout at the linebacker position. James Chenaukt had a great pass breakup on a vertical shot play down the field late in the game. Even Ryan Jenkins and Ashton Molsey got in on the fun; both players showed nice pass-rushing skill sets when their time came ot be on the field.

The performance of the backup unit was not perfect, as they did allow a touchdown and a good chunk of yards  in the fourth quarter. Yet with the talent they showed, and the great overall performance of the defense, it is clear that USF is in a very good spot both now and going forward.

The Scheme Shines Through All-Around

From an overall sense, head coach Alex Golesh had his guys ready to roll from jump. There was no letdown, lull, or dragging from the Bulls. From the moment the first play unfolded, the Bulls played at an elite level. This is no easy task in the slightest, as plenty of teams melt out of the bye week, and Golesh deserves plenty of credit.

From a scheme and playcalling perspective, it felt like USF was ahead of UTSA every step of the way.

Offensively, the Roadrunners had not answered for Byrum Brown all game. Golesh used that to his advantage all night, building off of chunk run plays to hit big-tike throws all over the field. UTSA looked like they did not know what to call on a given play, and it allowed the Bulls to get whatever they were looking for.

Defensively, what Todd Orlando did to Owen McCown felt similar to what a Bron Breakker spear does: shatters you in half.

The defensive coordinator took advantage of some apparent blocking and adjustment issues from the Roadrunners, allowing his players to get free runs at the quarterback on a semi-consistent basis. It truly felt like the Roadrunners had no idea where the pressure was coming from on third downs, allowing the Bulls to slam the door shut on any chance of UTSA shaving their lead by a decent amount.

With this game under their belt, I am very excited to see what Golesh and company have in store for their game against Navy. If it is anything close to what the UTSA game looked like, USF fans, and college football fans as a whole, may be in for a treat.

Quote of the Day

“Don’t discredit our guys, who work as hard as any guys in the country.”- HC Alex Golesh in response to midweek comments UTSA HC Jeff Traylor made about the USF football program. 

2026 NFL Draft: Stock Watch

Mac Harris III, LB, USF: Stock Up: The numbers may not be off the charts, but Mac Harris was a force once again for the Bulls on Thursday. The linebacker’s instincts are truly top-notch; he knows exactly how and when to react, and more times than not, he makes a key play to help his defense. Add in his upper-tier leadership ability, and the only real question to me is how NFL teams will view his coverage ability. He is also good for some top-notch quotes.

Robert Henry Jr., RB, UTSA: Stock Hold: I am not holding tonight’s game against Henry Jr. The UTSA standout was a victim of his offensive line and passing attack tonight; the USF defense shut down what the Roadrunners wanted to do, and they suffered as a result. Henry Jr. flashed the burst, speed, and strength tonight, but he did not get too many opportunities to go off against the Bulls. Down the stretch of their season, though, I think Henry Jr. will remind people why he is an upper-level player.

The Look Ahead

USF, with some extra rest, will now prepare to face the Naval Academy next weekend in a critical American Conference showdown.