A 49-12 loss to the Hurricanes prevented a 3-0 start against ranked opponents
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – While Mother Nature halted proceedings early in the second quarter for an hour and 42 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium, it was the Miami Hurricanes who rained on USF’s early-season parade.
Alas, the No. 18/23 Bulls navigated a season-opening schedule against three ranked teams (two on the road) in pretty nice fashion, didn’t they?
While a 49-12 loss to the No. 5/6 Hurricanes was certainly disappointing, it shall not be a reason for despair among the green and gold faithful that lived through an 8-43 run of misery from mid-2018 through 2022. Said misery ended with Alex Golesh’s arrival.
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Indeed, the larger picture that is 2025 dictates the Bulls (2-1) have nine regular-season games in front of them, beginning with visiting South Carolina State next Saturday. Following a week off, the curtain rises on conference play on October 3 against Charlotte at Raymond James Stadium.
As for Saturday’s defeat, the ‘Canes (3-0) took the opening kick and emphatically set the tone with a nine-play, 75-yard TD drive that consumed the game’s first 5:26. By halftime, Miami had scored more points (28) than the Bulls allowed (23) in defeating then-No. 25/25 Boise State and No. 13/15 Florida.
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Former Georgia quarterback, Carson Beck, threw for 340 yards, three touchdowns – also two INTs – and ran for a score to lead the ‘Canes. USF quarterback Byrum Brown (274 yards passing 1 TD/1 INT) had his streak of pass attempts without an interception snapped at 252, a run that dated to the final regular season game of 2023.
With the wins over the Broncos and Gators, the Bulls had put themselves in position to begin a season by knocking off three straight ranked opponents. The last team to do that? Jimmy Johnson’s 1987 national champion Miami Hurricanes.
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