The USF Bulls continued to chase school records and milestones Saturday night as they wrapped up the 2025 regular season. They defeated Rice on Senior Night at Raymond James Stadium 52-3.
Before kickoff, the Bulls honored all 30 seniors, thanking them for their contributions and giving each senior a brief moment in the spotlight.
With all the distractions surrounding the USF program this last week, it didn’t matter one bit. The Bulls came out focused and were all business, building a 7-0 lead before anyone could even break a sweat.
The only ugly moment for the Bulls in the first half came when LB Jhalyn Shuler was called for targeting and ejected with 18 seconds remaining in the half, giving Rice good field position and setting them up for a 44-yard FG as time expired in the first half. USF led 28-3 at the half.
The Bulls got the ball to start the second half and took just under five minutes to score, culminating with Byrum Brown’s fourth touchdown of the game as the Bulls took a 38-3 lead and put it on cruise control the rest of the night.
With the win, the Bulls finish the season 9-3 overall and 6-1 in conference play. The Bulls go undefeated at home (7-0) for the first time since 2002 and for only the second time in program history. The Bulls’ nine wins are also the most since 2017, and they will have a chance to get one more win in a bowl game.
Wide receiver Keshaun Singleton came into the game needing 58 yards to become the fourth player in program history to surpass 800 receiving yards in a season. Singleton would reach that mark on his second touch of the game as he and Brown connected on a 53-yard touchdown pass with 2:59 to play in the first quarter to put the Bulls up 14-0. Singleton would finish the game with six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
With three touchdowns in the first half, Brown tied his own USF record with 27 total touchdowns on the season.
Early in the fourth quarter, Brown had a five-yard touchdown run, giving him 99 rushing yards on the night, making him the 12th player in FBS history with 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Jayden Daniels of LSU was the last quarterback to put up those numbers. Daniels accomplished that feat in his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2023. Brown would end the game with five total touchdowns on the night.
Brown talked about the elite company he joined: “Truly a blessing. My coaches, teammates, running backs, and tight ends have all helped me to put up these numbers. So truly just a team accomplishment at the end of the day.”
Brown added that he has given no thought to his future and addressed rumors of possibly joining head coach Alex Golesh at Arkansas: “I was focusing on this game, and, you know, coming out and sending these seniors off right, and, you know, whatever’s next is next, but, you know, that was my mindset going into this game.”
Golesh talked about Brown and what he brings to the quarterback position: “Byrum will be an NFL quarterback. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around crowds and guys who are NFL quarterbacks playing in that league. Byrum possesses all those traits. You’ve got to be intelligent. You’ve got to be able to see the field. There’s such a mental side of playing quarterback at that level when the guys on the other side are all just world-class athletes that can run. And he can, he can see the field, he can use his legs to create. He’s got so much better as a passer, both in the deep ball in the intermediate game and the quick game.”
There is no question that Byrum Brown is the greatest quarterback ever to wear the green and gold. No disrespect to Quinton Flowers, Matt Grothe, Marquel Blackwell, and BJ Daniels, but Brown is on another level. You could make a case that he is the greatest ever to wear the USF football uniform.
It’s a darn shame that six points in the Memphis and Navy losses separate the Bulls from playing for a conference championship and a possible College Football Berth.
We did not have to wait long for Golesh to address the Arkansas rumors after the game. “I told our team on Wednesday night, when all that stuff came out, that all I ask is for an opportunity to finish the season the right way,” he said. “Finish the season in a 1st class manner, finish the season with a win, and then give me the time to sit down with my family and figure this whole thing out.”
Golesh added, “But I think, in all fairness to me, in all fairness to everybody that’s been here with me, I need some time to process it, and I will, and I’m gonna make the best decision for the entirety of our organization, make the best decision for everybody that came here three years ago and has stuck with me, has stuck with this team, has stuck with us.”
So now we wait over the next few weeks for decisions that will impact this program in the future. Where will Alex Golesh be coaching next season? Will Byrum Brown return for another season?
These questions and many more will be answered in the next few weeks.