The Bulls Come to Town for a Highly Anticipated Top 20 Showdown
The University of South Florida Bulls have taken the college football world by storm, knocking off the 25th-ranked Boise State Broncos and marching into the Swamp to upset the 13th-ranked Florida Gators. Those wins vaulted the Bulls up to No. 18 in the AP Poll ahead of their showdown with your Miami Hurricanes.
The Canes are off to a hot start of their own, continuing their dominance over Notre Dame and handling business against Bethune Cookman. That strong start has kept Miami firmly in the top five, ranked No. 5 heading into this matchup at Hard Rock Stadium.
Although the schools share the same state, this will be just the eighth meeting between the two programs. Miami holds a 6–1 edge in the series, with USF’s lone victory coming in 2010, a 23-20 overtime win in Miami. This matchup also carries some extra history, as it marks the first time the two schools have ever met as ranked opponents.
USF has been one of the biggest surprises in the nation this season. The Bulls are just the third unranked team since 2000 to start 2-0 with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. Preseason rankings may not mean everything, but the feat still highlights how impressive their start has been.
This game also breaks a drought for both programs. It is the first time they have been ranked at the same time since Week 7 of the 2018 AP Poll, when USF came in at No. 23 and Miami sat at No. 18.
This year’s contest should be much closer than last season’s 50-15 Miami rout. The Bulls look like a different team, eager to back up their head coach’s words: “This ain’t the same old South Florida.”
For Miami, the challenge will be breaking through a stout, revamped USF defense. The Bulls held Boise State to a single touchdown and limited Florida to just 16 points. Built largely through transfers, the unit has quickly emerged as one of the nation’s best. For the Canes, controlling the football and keeping a balanced attack will be critical to avoiding predictability.
Quarterback Carson Beck has looked sharp so far, but he will need to test the Bulls secondary. Opposing quarterbacks have found completions against USF, but most have been kept short. To succeed, Beck must stretch the field and continue feeding CJ Daniels and Malachi Toney.
Defensively, Miami’s biggest task will be containing quarterback Byrum Brown and eliminating explosive plays. Against Florida, USF’s offense sputtered on third downs (6-for-16), but a 66-yard touchdown, a quick 60-yard scoring drive, and Brown’s ability to extend plays with his legs kept them alive.
Brown has yet to commit a turnover this season, so the Hurricanes must find a way to flip that script. Winning the turnover battle, pressuring Brown, and holding onto the football themselves will be the key to victory.
With the same energy Hard Rock Stadium brought for the Notre Dame game, Miami will look to ride its home-field advantage in what promises to be one of the most electric matchups of the season.
For Miami, it will be hard to get past a strong, newly improved USF defense. The Bulls have already shown how tough they are by stopping Florida to 16 points and Boise State to just one touchdown bitlife. With a lot of help from moves, this unit has quickly become one of the strongest in the country.