Two down, one to go.
For the third straight week, South Florida will face a team in the Associated Press Top 25 when the Bulls visit No. 5 Miami. USF has beaten then-No. 25 Boise State 34-7 at home and last week won 18-16 at then-No. 13 Florida.
It’s the first time in school history that USF has defeated a Top 25 opponent in consecutive weeks.
Earning a third straight win will be a challenging task.
No doubt, this will be the biggest test for the Bulls since Miami clearly has hopes of earning a College Football Playoff berth, something that eluded the Hurricanes after losing at Syracuse last year in their final regular season game.
In just two weeks, South Florida has clearly earned its way into the conversation as a serious threat for a Group of Five College Football Playoff berth. A lot of football has to be played, but an upset win over Miami would only add to an already strong early-season resume.
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How to Watch USF-Miami
The USF-Miami game will be at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and televised by the CW Network.
USF-Miami Betting Odds
Miami is a 17.5-point college football betting favorite via BetMGM. The Over/Under is 57.5.
USF-Miami Records
USF (2-0)
Miami (2-0)
USF-Miami Coaches
South Florida: Alex Golesh (16-12)
Miami: Mario Cristobal (24-16 at Miami, 86-76 overall)
USF-Miami Last Meeting
Sept. 21, 2024, Miami won 50-15 at USF to increase its lead in the series to 6-1.
USF-Miami Preview
For USF
Last week, USF was a 17.5-point underdog but won in Gainesville as Nico Gramatica kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal as time expired.
Byrum Brown completed 23 of 36 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also rushed for 66 yards on 16 carries. Brown has thrown a school-record 240 consecutive passes without an interception.
Keshaun Singleton had two receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. After the two wins, he has seven receptions for 168 yards and two scores.
Linebacker Mac Harris led the defense with a career-high 10 tackles.
USF is averaging 26 points per game but has allowed just 11.5. Linebacker Jhalyn Shuler leads the Bulls with 21 tackles, while Harris has recorded 18.
For Miami
Miami didn’t sweat in last week’s 45-3 home win over Bethune-Cookman. The Hurricanes opened the season with a 27-24 victory over visiting Notre Dame.
Georgia transfer Carson Beck has given the Hurricanes a major boost at quarterback, replacing Cam Ward, who was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Beck has completed 76.4% of his passes for 472 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Against Notre Dame, he completed 20 of 31 passes for 205 yards and two scores. Beck has come back strong after hurting his elbow in the SEC title game and missing the playoffs last year.
Mark Fletcher Jr. has rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
LSU transfer CJ Daniels has 10 receptions for 119 yards and three touchdowns, while Malachi Toney has 12 catches for 162 yards and one score.
Defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. has a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Mohamed Toure, a Rutgers transfer, has eight tackles.
USF-Miami Prediction
Why stop now? For the third consecutive week, I am picking South Florida to cover the spread.
The main reason is Brown, who is playing the way he did in the 2023 season when he and LSU’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Jayden Daniels, were the only players in the nation to post 3,000-plus passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards in the regular season.
Last year, Brown suffered a season-ending leg injury in the fifth game.
Brown is among the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. After the two wins, he has completed 65% of his passes for 473 yards and one touchdown. Brown has rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
USF will have to stop Beck, but the Bulls have held two quality quarterbacks in check.
Boise State’s Maddux Madsen completed 25 of 46 throws for 225 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also averaged just 2.8 yards on 11 carries.
Last week, Florida’s DJ Lagway completed 23 of 33 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He averaged just 1.5 yards on six carries.
Beck is a better passer than both of these quarterbacks, so it will be more of a challenge.
If Brown can play well in the quarterback battle, then USF should be competitive against what is an extremely talented Miami team.
