Strength in Unity.
Strength in Unity.
Scoreboard watching time! How's this squad measure up to the one that won you a natty?
Strength in Unity.
This team is a lot younger for sure and not as good defensively as the 2021 team. Good question so going to give you a breakdown.
Position by Position
QB: 2021 (by far, Harrell was a mini-goat. if it wasn't for some of my house rules ie not running read option more than twice on a given drive, son would have put up dumb numbers)
HB: 2021 (Even before Henry's crazy junior season, he was still by far a better back than any of the current running backs)
WR: 2024 (Stone and Vincent weren't goated yet and this group has been pretty damn good and a lot deeper)
TE: 2024 (Everett is likely ending the season with 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards which as a true freshman that's splitting reps, ridic)
OL: 2021 (Probably was my best OL unit of all time)
DL: 2021 (I think Sanders had 20+ sacks that season, a young Jeremy Daniels and E.J. Newsome, that DL was really good)
LB: 2024 (Dallas Gross and Travis Hughes approaching Shelton Richardson category in terms of greatness)
DB: 2021 (I think everyone in that starting unit at some point ended up being an all-american.
Scoreboard watching wise, I think we control our destiny. Ohio State and Minnesota are the only other undefeated P5 schools and they play each other in the B10 title game. If we beat OU, I think we're in. Stanford/UCLA are a threat but I'd be pretty pissed if that happened lmfao
Strength in Unity.
Week 14 & 15 Top Stories
1. Alabama notches a conference win against Auburn behind the arm of Hall.
2. The Golden Gophers remain unbeaten as they knock off conference foe Rutgers.
3. Ohio State beats Michigan at The Big House.
4. Notre Dame's win over USC eases the pain of losing DE Gary Jacobs.
5. Virginia is floored in a lopsided 31-3 ACC loss to Virginia Tech.
6. Rivero and Navy are devastated after losing to rival Army.
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Week 14 Big XII Results
USF 27 - UCF 10 :: OKST 37 - KU 31 OT :: TEX 42 - BAY 31
TTU 31 - TCU 7 :: OU 38 - WVU 14 :: ISU 34 - KSU 28
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Conference Championship Week
Big XI :: Oklahoma (8-4, 6-2) at #3 USF (12-0, 8-0)
C-USA :: Louisiana Tech (7-5, 6-2) at Marshall (8-4, 6-2)
SEC :: #25 Florida (7-5, 6-3) at #10 Alabama (9-3, 7-2)
MWC :: New Mexico (8-4, 6-2) at #23 San Jose State (10-2, 7-1)
Pac-12 :: #4 UCLA (10-2, 7-2) at #5 Stanford (11-1, 8-1)
ACC :: Wake Forest (7-5, 6-3) at #7 Virginia Tech (10-2, 7-2)
Big Ten :: #2 Minnesota (12-0, 9-0) at #1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0)
MAC :: Ball State (7-5, 6-3) at Kent State (9-3, 8-1)
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BCS Rankings
1. Ohio State, 12-0
2. Minnesota, 12-0
3. USF, 12-0
4. Stanford, 11-1
5. UCLA, 10-2
6. Texas, 11-1
7. Virginia Tech, 10-2
8. Penn State, 10-2
9. North Carolina, 8-4
10. Alabama, 9-3
11. Colorado, 8-4
12. Michigan, 9-3
13. Georgia Tech, 9-3
14. Oregon, 9-3
15. Ole Miss, 9-3
16. Notre Dame, 7-4
17. Miami, 8-4
18. Navy, 10-2
19. Auburn, 9-3
20. Missouri, 8-4
21. BYU, 9-3
22. Syracuse, 8-4
23. Florida, 7-5
24. San Jose State, 10-2
25. Iowa, 8-4
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Heisman Finalist
QB Clifton McFarland (Texas): 249 of 350, 3680 yards, 41 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 137 carries, 540 yards, 9 touchdowns.
QB Alphonse Bush (Ohio State): 146 of 274, 2003 yards, 25 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 175 carries, 887 yards, 13 touchdowns.
HB Rory Jackson (Georgia Tech): 239 carries, 1611 yards, 21 touchdowns.
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Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Jay Jacobs [ATH #1]: 6'3", 185lbs | Norwalk, CA | University of South Florida
#2 Jacob Jackson [ATH #2]: 6'1", 228lbs | Lima, OH | University of Southern California
#3 Jack Jenkins [HB #1]: 6'1", 205lbs | Newington, CT | Penn State
#5 George Ostrander [ATH #3]: 6'1", 213lbs | Almonte Spring, FL | University of Minnesota
#6 Jake Davison [WR #2]: 6'3", 215lbs | River Road, NC | Virginia Tech
#7 Paul Coleman [HB #2]: 6'2", 206lbs | Lyman, WY | University of Southern California
#8 Nik McClelland [DT #1]: 6'1", 295lbs | La Porte, IN | Ohio State University
#10 Lionel Jude [ATH #5]: 6'0", 211lbs | North Ridgeville, OH | Notre Dame
#11 Chris Heinz [TE #1]: 6'3", 220lbs | Euless, TX | University of Wisconsin
#12 J.J. Crowell [ATH #6]: 5'11", 201lbs | Valdese, NC | University of North Carolina
#13 Josh Curry [WR #3]: 6'0", 194lbs | Port Orange, FL | University of Minnesota
#14 Victor Flowers [DT #2]: 6'0", 295lbs | Milwaukee, WI | Vanderbilt University
#15 Kevin Bergstrand [HB #3]: 6'0", 196lbs | River Ridge, LA | University of Nebraska
#17 Vince Carroll [ATH #7]: 6'2", 188lbs | McGehee, AR | University of Michigan
#18 John Little [TE #2]: 6'5", 273lbs | Borger, TX | Texas Christian University
#19 Jimmy Burns [WR #4]: 6'2", 205lbs | Athens, AL | University of Miami
#20 Cornelis Parker [DT #3]: 6'1", 275lbs | Mineral Wells, TX | Texas Christian University
#22 Sam Carrington [ILB #1]: 6'0", 223lbs | San Ramon, CA | Clemson University
#23 Robbie Taylor [DT #4]: 6'5", 256lbs | Mullins, SC | Clemson University
#24 Robbie Lowe [QB #1]: 6'0", 180lbs | Ithaca, NY | Syracuse University
#26 Darrell Jones [TE #3]: 6'6", 247lbs | Weddington, NC | Notre Dame
#27 Eric Miller [WR #5]: 6'0", 199lbs | Dillon, SC | University of Pittsburgh
#28 Hayden Stovall [HB #6]: 6'2", 192lbs | Bath, ME | University of Colorado
#29 Kurt Jackson [ATH #9]: 6'3", 219lbs | Westfield, NJ | University of Texas
Strength in Unity.
Bulls land four commitments ahead of recruiting dead period as class takes shape
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Christmas came a bit early for the South Florida Bulls.
Four-star defensive end Jim Horner along with linebacker Kenny Frye, wide receiver Bradley Wilkinson and running back Ronnie Smith all committed to the Bulls this past week after being hosted on campus this past weekend.
The visits were the last for this calendar year as the recruiting dead period will be in place until after the bowl season. The four players were able to lock up a spot on USF's class which is now nearing to completion with fourteen players committed.
Horner is just the third defensive linemen in the class and the second defensive end. A Georgia kid with good measurables, Horner is probably a year or two away from entering the rotation but has plenty of upside. He's dealt with character issues in the past, causing Clemson to drop him as a commitment. USF is taking a chance on a talented player that paired with Mike Atkins, provides a nice two-pack combo for this class at a position of need.
Another out of state get was Frye who is originally from Whitehall, Pennsylvania before spending his senior season at IMG in hopes to raise his recruiting profile. He did get an offer from USC but for the most part, Frye's recruitment was largely a quite one. The biggest knock on Frye is the lack of a true position. He played defensive end his first three seasons, registering 26 sacks but has played primarily stand up linebacker/edge at IMG and has struggled when asked to move in space and cover. He's a tweener and could stand to add some weight to his frame. The ideal position for him might be Sam linebacker where they have more pass rushing responsibilities than coverage.
For Smith and Wilkinson, it's pretty easy to see why USF went after them as they are some of the fastest players in their respective states at their position. Wilkinson is one of the faster players in the entire country and if he's ever able to figure out the position, he could be dangerous. A potential switch to running back is not out of the question although his slender frame is not ideal.
2025 USF Recruiting Class
WR/DB Jay Jacobs [ATH #1]: 6'3", 185lbs | Norwalk, CA | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 340 Bench Press, 240 Squat | USF, Washington, UNLV
QB Jed White [QB #6]: 6'5", 239lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press, 345 Squat | USF, Georgia Tech, Florida State
DE Jim Horner [DE #11]: 6'1", 240lbs | Druid Hills, GA | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press, 510 Squat | USF, Akron
TE Tariq Smith [TE #9]: 6'8", 267lbs | North Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 270 Squat | USF, Florida, Auburn, Miami, Florida State
TE Nick Thompson [TE #12]: 6'1", 221lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | 4.86 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 255 Squat | USF, UCF
DE Mike Atkins [DE #22]: 6'5", 237lbs | Delray Beach, FL | 4-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 620 Squat | USF, Texas
CB Pierre Francois [CB #27]: 5'9", 187lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 380 Bench Press, 255 Squat | USF, Ole Miss
DT E.J. Jones [DT #62]: 6'3", 301lbs | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 3-star | 5.00 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press, 520 Squat | USF, Miami, South Carolina
OLB Kenny Frye [OLB #38]: 6'3", 209lbs | Whitehall, PA (IMG) | 3-star | 4.66 40-yd dash, 365 Bench Press, 555 Squat | USF, USC
HB Ronnie Smith [HB #64]: 6'3", 216lbs | La Marque, TX | 3-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 265 Bench Press, 290 Squat | USF, Navy, Syracuse
WR Bradley Wilkinson [WR #114]: 6'0", 185lbs | Pembroke Pines, FL | 3-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 275 Bench Press, 265 Squat | USF, FIU, SMU
CB Jonathan Mirvil [CB #35]: 6'2", 166lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | 4.42 40-yd dash, 210 Bench Press, 260 Squat | USF, UCF
S Ralph Gray [S #28]: 6'0", 199lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 345 Bench Press, 310 Squat | USF, UCF
T Bryan McDonald [T #71]: 6'6", 313lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.92 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press, 595 Squat | USF, South Carolina, Florida State
2025 USF Recruiting Board
TE Blake Grigsby [TE #7]: 6'6", 245lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Florida, USF, Florida State
OLB Cory Harrison [OLB #32]: 6'3", 241lbs | East Bradenton, FL | 3-star | USF, UCF
C Jason Harrington [C #32]: 6'1", 304lbs | Tampa, FL | Clemson, Texas, Oklahoma State, NIU, USF
G Chris Simpson [G #59]: 6'3", 308lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | FIU, USF, Marshall, UCF
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HB George Ostrander [ATH #3]: 6'1", 213lbs | Almonte Springs, FL | 5-star | Committed to Minnesota
C Matt Purcell [C #1]: 6'5", 310lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Committed to UAB
HB Stan Dean [HB #10]: 6'1", 202lbs | Wharton, TX | 4-star | Committed to South Carolina
WR Eric Sellers [WR #13]: 6'1", 190lbs | University West, FL | 4-star | Florida, UCF
FB Matt Kennedy [FB #9]: 6'2", 245lbs | Port St. Lucie, FL| 3-star | Duke, Virginia
Strength in Unity.
Big XII Preview: vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 8-4, 6-2 Big XII
Head Coach: Chase Murphy (8-4 at Oklahoma, 1st year, 25-24)
Team Leaders
Passing: Nathan Woods (61.6% completion, 3074 yards, 28 TD, 7 INT, 156.7 QB rating)
Rushing: Nathan Woods (1062 yards, 4.6 ypc, 11 TD)
Receiving: Chris Fontenot (75 receptions, 1219 yards, 12 TD)
Defense: Jamaal Bryant (50 tackles, 13 TFL, 5.5 sacks)
Team Rankings
Total Offense: 18th
Total Defense: 54th
Points Per Game: 44th
Turnover Differential: 61st
Team Schedule
vs. FCS MW: W 48-16
vs. #3 USF: L 19-13
at UCF: W 38-24
vs. #6 Texas: L 34-32
at Army: L 34-30
at Kansas: W 27-14
vs. Oklahoma State: W 21-20
vs. Kansas State: W 24-18
at Iowa State: W 49-27
at #25 Florida: W 35-27
vs. #21 BYU: L 27-24
at West Virginia: W 38-14
Injuries
OLB Wendell Gaines, Rs Senior | 6'3", 238lbs | 80 ovr, 84 spd, 98 acc, 78 tkl, 84 bsh, 70 zcv
Oklahoma Sooners Projected Starters
QB Nathan Woods, Rs Freshman | 6'3", 190lbs | 93 ovr, 77 spd, 83 acc, 96 thp, 86 tha
HB Curtis Kendrick, Freshman | 6'0", 220lbs | 77 ovr, 87 spd, 80 acc, 78 btk, 77 car
WR Chris Fontenot, Senior | 5'11", 190lbs | 92 ovr, 97 spd, 97 acc, 89 cth
WR Doug Scott, Junior | 6'1", 205lbs | 88 ovr, 85 spd, 98 acc, 89 cth
WR Jeff Chavis, Senior | 5'11", 198lbs | 85 ovr, 93 spd, 98 acc, 80 cth
TE Lee Nichols, Senior | 6'8", 268lbs | 91 ovr, 84 spd, 89 acc, 97 cth, 74 rbk
LT Avery Ross, Junior | 6'4", 304lbs | 87 ovr, 88 str, 85 pbk, 92 rbk
LG Mike Bain, Sophomore | 6'5", 263lbs | 84 ovr, 91 str, 85 pbk, 87 rbk
C Matthew Parham, Senior | 6'3", 325lbs | 90 ovr, 89 str, 88 pbk, 88 rbk
RG Tim Watkins, Sophomore | 6'7", 333lbs | 82 ov, 85 str, 85 pb, 85 rbk
RT Jamaal Paris, Senior | 6'2", 297lbs | 80 ovr, 92 str, 81 pbk, 82 rbk
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DE Steve King, Rs Senior | 6'5", 269lbs | 81 ovr, 63 spd, 80 acc, 75 str, 82 pmv, 74 fmv, 88 bsh
DE Jamaal Bryan, Rs Senior | 6'3", 259lbs | 79 ovr, 68 spd, 82 acc, 72 str, 86 pmv, 86 fmv, 83 bsh
DT Sam Strickland, Junior | 6'2", 288lbs | 87 ovr, 80 acc, 88 str, 87 pmv, 76 fmv, 78 bsh
DT Xavier Davis, Senior | 6'5", 304lbs | 87 ovr, 77 acc, 83 str, 91 pmv, 83 fmv, 82 bsh
OLB/S Kyle McKinney, Rs Junior | 6'2", 182lbs | 82 ovr, 92 spd, 94 acc, 75 tkl, 74 bsh, 81 zcv
ILB Taylor Wheeler, Rs Senior | 6'1", 260lbs | 79 ovr, 80 spd, 91 acc, 74 tkl, 90 bsh, 77 pur
OLB Blake Smith, Rs Junior | 6'2", 232lbs | 81 ovr, 80 spd, 91 acc, 79 tkl, 81 bsh, 76 zcv
CB Roland Brooks, Junior | 5'11", 194lbs | 89 ovr, 98 spd, 98 acc, 89 mcv, 97 zcv, 82 press
CB Danny Roberts, Junior | 6'3", 168lbs | 85 ovr, 93 spd, 95 acc, 95 mcv, 92 zcv, 85 press
S Brent Brown, Sophomore | 5'11", 176lbs | 83 ovr, 89 spd, 94 acc, 79 zcv, 82 tkl, 87 hit power
S John Larson, Senior | 6'3", 201lbs | 89 ovr, 82 spd, 93 acc, 96 zcv, 80 tkl, 99 hit power
Strength in Unity.
Report: McFarland to start in Big XII championship game
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist
USF redshirt junior quarterback Mike McFarland will suit up and start for the Bulls in the Big XII championship game against Oklahoma according to sources.
McFarland, 22, has completed 75.8 percent of his passes this season and has 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions ever since taking over the starting spot from incumbent starter James Pittman. Pittman started the last two games in McFarland's absence ever since he suffered an injury.
In his full season as a starter, Pittman also threw 24 touchdowns but had thirteen interceptions and averaged under nine yards per attempt. McFarland, the former #1 QB in his class, is averaging over 10 yards per attempt.
McFarland has been listed as high as a third-round pick in the latest mock drafts and after a turbulent start to his USF career, the next two games could help solidify his college career as a success.
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Captain Canada
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Strength in Unity.
Need to get to that Natty. In McFarland, We Trust.
Strength in Unity.
been a cool story. i know i wrote him off after those bad picks and injury history. had he been healthy and started all year, might have broken some records this season.
Strength in Unity.
Francois slams Big 12 for non-conference scheduling, revenue splits
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
The Francois' shouldn't expect a holiday card from the Bowlsby's this holiday season.
During a media availability set up by the Big 12 for the league's conference championship game, USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. did not hide his feelings for the conference and specifically the leadership.
When asked about his thoughts on Missouri and Texas A&M officially joining the conference, Francois took the opportunity to air out what could be categorized as grievances towards the league.
"If they're coming to pull their weight, it's great and I'm all for it but I'll believe it when I see it. I didn't get a call about them [joining the conference], no one [at USF] got a call until it was time to vote on the matter and by then it seemed like everyone had already made their mind up and I'm over here begging for new facilities and all that and I see the money coming in for the conference and it's crazy to me. We played tough [expletive] games all year long, we go on the road, we play really good teams and when it's time to play each other, we dominate [the Big 12]. So no, I'm not excited about adding teams to split up the pie some more when we're doing all the cooking. Kansas, West Virginia, a lot of them, they're just trying to get to six wins, keep their jobs and then get a nice big check from our hard work, from us elevating the conference. [Expletive] that, go play Alabama on the road, Notre Dame, play some tough games and improve your program like we did and if you're not going to do that then let's have some incentives and divvy up the money differently. We'll whoop Texas A&M, Missouri, anyone else they want to bring in but at some point, there's a price to be paid for that and right now, we're not being paid it."
Francois declined to comment on the matter when follow up questions were asked.
Strength in Unity.
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OU (8-5, 6-3) | 17 | 21 | 7 | 3 || 48
#3 USF (13-0, 9-0) | 3 | 7 | 28 | 17 || 55
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Dallas Gross Leads Miracle in Houston as Bulls Rally to Beat Sooners, Win Big 12 Championship
An overlooked corner out of Texas and a linebacker named Dallas was just the cherry on top as Malcolm Francois and USF won yet another round of the USF vs. Big XII battle.
Just 48 hours after his controversial comments on the conference, Francois and the Bulls came back from a 28-point deficit in the first half to beat the Oklahoma Sooners behind pick sixes from Dallas Gross and Ronnie Gay, the latter being the eventual game winner.
USF trailed 38-10 at the half after Malcolm Francois Jr.'s return for a touchdown with 39 seconds left was matched with a touchdown drive by Nathan Woods. Woods would complete his first 23 passes before things started to fall of the rail.
After the teams traded touchdowns, USF was able to score on three straight drives due to a Woods pick six and then a third-down deflection to setup Derrick Green's touchdown to end the third and cut the Sooners lead to seven.
The Bulls got the ball to the red zone with four minutes left in the game but failed to capitalize, having to settle for a field goal which was matched by Oklahoma to bring their lead back to seven. With 1:44 left in the game, Mike McFarland saved his best throw of the game for a 50-yard bomb to Joel Bass to tie the game. Nine seconds later, it was Ronnie Gay who jumped off his coverage assignment to interception Woods' pass and score.
The defense would finish its impressive second half performance with a fourth down stop by Gross, his 17th tackle of the game. Gross would win MVP for his performance.
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Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[OU] B. Brown, returned fumble 22 Yds (9:05)
[OU] R. Young, 49 Yd FG (4:53)
[USF] K. Justice, 39 Yd FG (2:16)
[OU] C. Fontenot, 35 Yd pass from N. Woods (0:21)
Quarter 2
[OU] L. Nichols, 2 Yd pass from N. Woods (6:54)
[OU] B. Bright, 4 Yd pass from N. Woods (0:49)
[USF] M. Francois Jr, returned kickoff 104 Yds (0:39)
[OU] D. Scott, 39 Yd pass from N. Woods (0:04)
Quarter 3
[USF] M. McFarland, 2 Yd run (7:30)
[OU] C. Kendrick, 35 Yd run (5:24)
[USF] J. Dixon, 3 Yd run (4:01)
[USF] D. Gross, returned interception 19 Yds (3:50)
[USF] D. Green, 3 Yd run (1:15)
Quarter 4
[USF] K. Justice, 32 Yd FG (4:19)
[OU] R. Young, 37 Yd FG (2:43)
[USF] J. Bass, 50 Yd pass from M. McFarland (1:44)
[USF] R. Gay, returned interception 37 Yds (1:35)
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#3 South Florida Bulls
QB Mike McFarland: 17 of 26, 224 yards, touchdown, sacked 6 times.
HB Derrick Green: 16 carries, 107yards, touchdown.
HB David Fuller: 4 carries, 20 yards (left game with injury).
WR Darius Downs: 8 receptions, 122 yards.
WR Joel Bass: 1 reception, 50 yards, touchdown.
LB Dallas Gross: 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, sack, interception, touchdown.
CB Ronnie Gay: 4 tackles, tackle for loss, interception, touchdown.
Oklahoma Sooners
QB Nathan Woods: 36 of 44, 364 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions.
HB Curtis Kendrick: 25 carries, 116 yards, touchdown.
TE Lee Nichols: 7 receptions, 29 yards, touchdown.
WR Brandon Holmes: 5 receptions, 83 yards.
WR Chris Fontenot: 5 receptions, 72 yards, touchdown.
WR Benji Bright: 5 receptions, 30 yards, touchdown.
LB Blake Smith: 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.
DE Steve King: 3 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.