USF Football Returns to AP Top 25 Rankings

November 09, 2025

Bulls also rank in the Top 25 of 20 national statistical categories.

TAMPA, FLA., NOV. 9, 2025 – Three days after South Florida raced to an impressive 45-10 halftime lead before dispatching UTSA, 55-23, before a national television audience on ESPN, the Bulls reentered the Associated Press Top 25 rankings for the fifth time on the season.

The Bulls (7-2; 4-1 American) checked in at No. 25 in the latest AP Poll and just missed re-entering the Coaches Poll, acquiring enough votes to rank No. 26 in that poll.

South Florida, which is averaging 46.5 ppg in its last six American Conference games, posted its sixth straight home win by 25 points or more and has posted its best nine game start to a season since 2018.

The Bulls rank in the top 25 of 20 national statistical categories, including six offensive, eight defensive and six special teams statistics. The USF offense ranks No. 5 nationally posting 42.0 ppg and No. 7 with 485.2 total yards per game. The Bulls run game, which has produced six straight games of 235 yards or more and three touchdowns on the ground, now stands 10th in the nation averaging 226.9 ypg.

On defense, the Bulls added two more defensive touchdowns in Thursday's rout and rank No. 3 nationally with four on the year. The Bulls stand No. 7 with 19 turnovers gained on the year, No. 9 in tackles for loss (7.2), No. 14 in sacks (2.78), and have been stout in the red zone, ranking No. 24 allowing 76.3 percent scoring.

Dynamic quarterback Byrum Brown, who became the first NFL or NCAA player in the last 30 years to post 200 passing yards, 100 rushing yards and a 90 percent completion percentage while accounting for 348 yards and three touchdowns vs. UTSA, ranks in the top 25 nationally in six categories. He stands No. 3 in points responsible for (18.7 ppg) and No. 4 in total offense (323.1 ypg) while ranking in the top 25 of both passing (No. 17 with 19) and rushing (No. 25 with 9) touchdowns on the year.

Up Next:

USF heads to Annapolis, Md. for the first of back-to-back road matchups that begin the final three-game stretch of American Conference regular season play. The Bulls will take on Navy (7-2; 5-1 American) on Saturday in a noon kickoff on ESPN2, the Bulls sixth-straight nationally televised game and ninth on the season.

Tickets:

Single-game tickets for the 2025 USF football season can be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.

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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL

The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. Head coach Alex Golesh posted a program-best six-game turnaround and a Boca Raton Bowl victory in his first season in 2023. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 17 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 33 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.

– #GoBulls –

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