Miami Gardens, Florida - In driving rain and swirling wind at Hard Rock Stadium, South Florida didn’t blink. The Bulls absorbed Miami’s early punches, leaned on a punishing ground game, and closed with ruthless efficiency in the final minutes to pull away for a 24–13 upset Saturday afternoon, handing the Hurricanes an 0–2 start and giving USF one of its most complete road wins in recent memory.
From the opening kick, the game had the feel of a grind. Rain slicked the field, footing was unreliable, and every possession felt fragile. USF’s defense set the tone early, forcing punts on Miami’s first two drives and pinning the Hurricanes deep. Despite opportunities, the Bulls couldn’t cash in right away, undone by a dropped second-down pass that would have moved the chains and a pair of early punts that flipped field position but not the scoreboard.
Miami struck first midway through the second quarter on a 37-yard field goal, capitalizing on a short field after a shanked USF punt. But the Bulls answered with their first spark of the day in a moment that would change the game’s complexion. Locklan Hewlett stood tall in the pocket and found Jordyn Bridgewater on an in route before absorbing a hit. Bridgewater split the defense, accelerated through traffic, and turned it into a 79-yard catch-and-run to the Miami 5. Two plays later, George Shembo powered in from three yards out to give USF a 7–3 lead and inject life into the soaked visiting sideline.
The Hurricanes responded quickly. Manny Bomar extended a play with his legs and found Nate Betts all alone at the USF six yard line. A couple plays later, after Jathan Hatch and Eric Rance combined for a pair of TFLs, Bomar found Betts again leaking free in the left side of the end zone to retake the lead.
USF tried to make something with the limited time that was left in the first half by Hewlett was pressured and picked on an out route that he couldn't get enough on due to the pressure. Miami capitalized on the takeaway as Doug Revis added a booming 53-yard field goal as time expired in the half. Miami went to the locker room up 13–7, having weathered USF’s surge and seemingly regained control.
Instead, the Bulls dug in.
The third quarter became a defensive stalemate defined by pressure and discipline. The Bulls started off with a big plau on a screen pass to Connor Suggs but it was called back for holding, leading to a punt. USF’s front seven hunkered down, collapsing the pocket and stuffing runs in the backfield. Miami managed little beyond short completions, going three-and-out twice, while USF methodically moved into field-goal range late in the quarter. Dom Bragg drilled a 38-yarder to pull the Bulls within 13–10, setting the stage for a decisive final stretch.
Early in the fourth the Bulls were forced to punt after a promising drive stalled out just inside the 50 yard line. USF’s defense delivered again, forcing another pun after a long Bomar completion set Miami up with a first down at their 44. With just under five minutes remaining, USF took over at its own 16 and embarked on the drive that defined the afternoon.
Steven Snead ripped off a chunk run out to the 29 to start the drive. After an incompletion Hewlett hit Stoneburner on a slant and the big senior sprinted to the Miami 45 before being stopped. Snead burst down to the 28 then picked up another yard on the next play. George Camarda absorbed a hit while securing a critical catch inside the red zone. On first down George Shembo powered for a gain of ten to the 7 yard line. From there Snead powered through contact and crossed the plane from seven yards out, capping an 85-yard march and giving USF its first lead since early in the second quarter.
The Bulls weren’t done.
Kyrie Michaels, who has yet to make an impact on offense this season, blew up the Miami kick returner at the 13 yard line and set the tone for the upcoming possession. After the Hurricanes picked up five yards on a first down pass it was Ira Singleton firing off the edge and dropping the Miami runningback for a loss of five to bring up a third and ten from their own 13. Bomar had time and fired deep down the right sideline where Gavin Jenkins was there to break it up, bringing up a do or die 4th and ten for Miami. As Bomar took the snap and dropped back USF's Wynn exploded through the Miami offensive line and forced a quick pass that was dropped, turning the ball over to USF with just over one minute left on the clock.
Snead took a toss to the right and scampered to the three yard line. Shembo powered for a tough yard and with 50 seconds left, he hurdled a defender at the goal line for his second touchdown of the day, sealing the upset at 24–13.
After a big tackle by Jathan Hatch at the 15 on the kickoff Miami’s final possession went nowhere. Pressure forced hurried throws, coverage held on deep shots, and the clock expired with Bomar tackled short of midfield.
USF finished with 304 yards of offense and controlled the game where it mattered most, out-rushing Miami 125–86 and converting three red-zone trips into touchdowns. Snead led the way with 77 rushing yards and a score, while Shembo added two touchdowns and delivered the knockout blows late. Bridgewater’s four catches for 100 yards, highlighted by his explosive second-quarter burst, provided the lone true offensive flash in a game otherwise defined by toughness and patience.
Defensively, the Bulls were relentless. Hatch, starting at the rover position in place of the injured Nick Jones, posted 12 tackles and three tackles for loss, while Wynn and Traore consistently collapsed Miami’s protection. USF held the Hurricanes to just three third-down conversions and zero rushing touchdowns, forcing Miami to rely on long field goals and contested throws in the rain.
In miserable conditions and against a more heralded opponent, South Florida never panicked. The Bulls trusted their defense, leaned into the run, and delivered when the game tightened.
USF didn’t just survive the storm.
They owned it.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Miami – Doug Revis 37-yard FG, 4:15
USF – George Shembo 3-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 2:29
Miami – Nate Betts 11-yard pass from Manny Bomar (Doug Revis kick), 0:39
Miami – Doug Revis 53-yard FG, 0:00
Third Quarter
USF – Dom Bragg 38-yard FG, 1:53
Fourth Quarter
USF – Steven Snead 7-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 1:56
USF – George Shembo 1-yard run (Dom Bragg kick), 0:50
USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 15/26, 179 Yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
S. Snead – 12 Car, 77 Yds, 6.4 Avg, 1 TD (19 YAC)
G. Shembo – 9 Car, 30 Yds, 3.3 Avg, 2 TD
C. Suggs – 5 Car, 18 Yds, 3.6 Avg
Receiving
J. Bridgewater – 4 Rec, 100 Yds, 25.0 Avg, Long 79 (70 RAC)
J. Stoneburner – 5 Rec, 42 Yds, 8.4 Avg, Long 26 (25 RAC)
S. Snead – 3 Rec, 12 Yds, 4.0 Avg, Long 7 (11 RAC)
G. Camarda – 1 Rec, 10 Yds, 10.0 Avg, Long 10
D. Smith – 1 Rec, 8 Yds, 8.0 Avg, Long 8
C. Suggs – 1 Rec, 7 Yds, 7.0 Avg, Long 7
Defense
J. Hatch – 12 Tkl, 3 TFL
E. Rance – 8 Tkl, 1 TFL
C. Keys – 6 Tkl, 1 TFL
T. Bennett – 5 Tkl
G. Jenkins – 4 Tkl
K. Wynn – 4 Tkl, 2 TFL, 1.0 Sack
K. Michaels – 3 Tkl
D. Igbinoghene – 3 Tkl
J. Dalias – 3 Tkl
K. Brents – 3 Tkl
D. Felton – 2 Tkl
V. Woodward III – 2 Tkl
P. Traore – 2 Tkl, 1.0 Sack
Special Teams
D. Bragg – 1/1 FG, Long 38; 3/3 XP
D. McSurdy – 4 Punts, 128 Yds (32.0 Avg), Net 30.2, 1 Inside 20
E. York – 2 KR, 34 Yds (17.0 Avg), Long 18; 2 PR, 16 Yds (8.0 Avg), Long 11
L. Dragos – 1 KR, 16 Yds (16.0 Avg)
Miami Stat Leaders
Passing
M. Bomar – 16/24, 169 Yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Rushing
M. Bomar – 9 Car, 36 Yds, 4.0 Avg
C. Desiderio – 6 Car, 28 Yds, 4.6 Avg
C. Wheatley-Humphrey – 12 Car, 22 Yds, 1.8 Avg
Receiving
N. Betts – 4 Rec, 59 Yds, 14.7 Avg, 1 TD, Long 35 (11 RAC)
J. Moore – 3 Rec, 40 Yds, 13.3 Avg, Long 24 (7 RAC)
D. Hodges – 4 Rec, 23 Yds, 5.7 Avg, Long 10 (1 RAC)
J. Nicholson – 1 Rec, 19 Yds, 19.0 Avg, Long 19 (8 RAC)
C. Wheatley-Humphrey – 2 Rec, 13 Yds, 6.5 Avg, Long 9 (12 RAC)
Defense
E. Rabe – 12 Tkl
T. Trahan – 10 Tkl
S. Stewart Jr. – 7 Tkl
R. Tuman – 7 Tkl, 1 TFL, 1 INT
D. Vildor – 5 Tkl
D. Childers – 4 Tkl
C. Lester III – 3 Tkl
B. Pickett – 3 Tkl
D. Jerman – 3 Tkl
B. Judge – 2 Tkl, 1 TFL
A. Jones – 2 Tkl, 1 TFL
Special Teams
D. Revis – 2/2 FG, Long 54; 1/1 XP
C. Jackson – 5 Punts, 141 Yds (28.2 Avg), Net 25.0, 3 In 20
A. Turk – 3 KR, 52 Yds (17.3 Avg), Long 20
D. Hodges – 1 PR, 7 Yds (7.0 Avg)
Team Stats Comparison
| Category | USF | Miami |
| Score | 24 | 13 |
| First Downs | 18 | 14 |
| Total Offense | 304 | 255 |
| Total Plays | 52 | 51 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.8 | 5.0 |
| Rush | Yards | TD | 26 | 125 | 3 | 27 | 86 | 0 |
| Yards Per Rush | 4.8 | 3.2 |
| Comp | Att | TD | 15 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 24 | 1 |
| Yards Per Pass | 6.9 | 7.0 |
| Passing Yards | 179 | 169 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 4 | 9 (44%) | 3 | 10 (30%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 1 (0%) |
| 2 Pt Conv. | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 (0%) |
| Red Zone TD | FG | % | 3 | 0 | 100% | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Turnovers | 1 (-1) | 0 (+1) |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| PR Yards | 16 | 7 |
| KR Yards | 50 | 67 |
| Total Yards | 370 | 329 |
| Punts (Avg) | 32.0 | 28.2 |
| Penalties | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 |