The USF Bulls are dialed in and ready to go in their season opener against No. 25 Boise St. on Thursday Night.
Quarterback Byrum Brown returns to the field for the first time in 11 months as he looks to lead USF to an upset win over the Broncos.
USF is coming off two consecutive 7-6 seasons with two bowl wins, and in Alex Golesh’s third year, they are looking to take that next step and challenge for the AAC conference championship.
The Bulls are doing everything they can to prepare to be competitive in conference play. They will play the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, beginning with Boise State, Florida, and Miami. Golesh said his team is well prepared and ready for the challenge as they begin the 2025 campaign.
“People were like, ‘What are you guys thinking? And I told them, Those guys have to play South Florida. And I’ll tell you the same thing now. Boise State has to come to Tampa and play South Florida at Ray-Jay on a Thursday night on national TV in the heat. For who we are, for us to take the next step, we’ve got to go win a marquee game. That happens to be the first one. It’s right there for us.”
The Broncos finished last season with a 12-2 record and made the College Football Playoffs, losing to Penn State in the quarterfinals.
“It’s an awesome way to start the season off,” Golesh said. “I have so much respect for that Boise State program. You watch that culture on film and you see guys who play extremely hard and guys who play extremely tough.”
Golesh also believes that this is chapter one of the season, culminating with the Bulls hopefully winning an AAC Championship.
This will be Brown’s first live game action since a leg injury last September, which caused him to miss the rest of the 2024 season.
The Broncos lost last year’s Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty to the NFL, but have a good 1-2 combination at running back, which they will employ on Thursday Night. Malik Sherrod and Sire Gaines will try to lessen the impact of Jeanty’s loss, as they will get the bulk of the work against USF. Quarterback Maddux Madsen returns after passing for 3,108 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
The Broncos have created a culture of winning over the last 14 years, going 141-45 and winning five Mountain West Conference Championships. Golesh gave high praise to Boise State for the culture that they have created. “They have guys that know how to finish, guys that know what it takes to strain to win, on top of being a talented group.”
The Bulls do not have any problem scoring points. This offense can go toe to toe with the best offenses in college football. The Bulls averaged 32 points per game last season and should continue to be a high-octane offense this season. The problem has been the defense’s inability to consistently get off the field on third down and allowing big plays.
The Bulls gave up 29.77 points per game last season, and if the Bulls have championship aspirations, the defense will have to step up and show marked improvements from the previous season.
Author’s Prediction
This is a winnable game for the Bulls. They have improved every position on the team. If USF can keep it close going into the fourth quarter, I believe the Bulls will start the season with a victory against a quality opponent.