No teams are unbeaten in American Conference play and there are five teams with just one conference loss and two of them meet on Saturday when Navy plays host to South Florida.
Navy has lost two in a row on the road, 31-17 at North Texas and last week 49-10 at Notre Dame.
South Florida bounced back from a 34-31 loss at Memphis to win last week at home against UTSA 53-23.
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How to Watch USF-Navy
The South Florida-Navy game will start at noon ET on Saturday and will be televised on ESPN2.
USF-Navy Betting Odds
As of this writing, South Florida is a 10-point college football betting favorite via BetMGM. The Over/Under is 62.5.
USF-Navy Records
South Florida (7-2, 4-1 American Conference)
Navy (7-2, 5-1)
USF-Navy Coaches
South Florida: Alex Golesh (21-14)
Navy: Brian Newberry (22-12)
USF-Navy Last Meeting
On Nov. 9, 2024, Navy won 28-7 at South Florida to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
USF-Navy Preview
For USF
South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown continued his season of excellence last week against UTSA when he completed 14 of 15 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Brown also ran for 109 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.
Brown has completed 64.6% of his passes for 2,203 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He leads the Bulls in rushing with 705 yards and nine touchdowns.
The game against UTSA was the fourth time that South Florida has scored 50 or more points. South Florida is fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 42 points per game. The Bulls have allowed 24.2 PPG, which is fifth in the American.
Besides the loss to Memphis, the other defeat came in the third week of the season when the Bulls lost 49-12 at Miami.
Keshaun Singleton is the leading receiver with 33 receptions for 573 yards and five touchdowns.
Linebacker Mac Harris leads the team in both tackles (75) and sacks (six).
For Navy
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath didn’t play against Notre Dame due to an upper body injury. Junior Braxton Woodson started at quarterback and rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He completed 3 of 8 passes for 22 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Navy entered the game leading the nation with 317 rushing yards per game. The Midshipmen rushed for 206 yards on 45 carries against the Fighting Irish.
Navy still leads the nation with 304.9 rushing yards per game.
In eight games, Horvath has rushed for 926 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has completed 63.5% of his passes for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.
On Monday, Newberry said he is optimistic that Horvath will be able to play against South Florida. While his availability is key, Navy still has to worry about its defense.
Navy allows 26.8 points per game. In its last five contests, Navy is allowing 34.8 points per game.
The Midshipmen are just 11th in the American in rushing defense, allowing 251.1 yards per game. South Florida, led by Brown, averages 258.3 rushing YPG.
USF-Navy Prediction
I predict USF will win and cover the spread, regardless of who is at quarterback for Navy simply because the Midshipmen defense has struggled.
Brown has rushed for 100 or more yards in three straight games and four of the past five, and I think containing him will be a major challenge. In the last five games, he is averaging 117 rushing yards per game and has scored seven touchdowns.
Navy just allowed 249 rushing yards against Notre Dame. Granted, the Fighting Irish have arguably the top running back in the country, Jeremiyah Love, who rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns against Navy, but the Midshipmen allowed 6.2 yards per game against the rest of the Notre Dame running backs.
After a bye next week, Navy’s final conference game is Nov. 27 against Memphis, which is fighting to stay in the league title race. Navy’s game with Army doesn’t count as an American Conference game since it is played after the league championship.
Unless Navy’s defense is ready to turn things around, I think the Midshipmen will continue to struggle. They will be facing an explosive USF team that only has UAB and Rice left on the schedule and remains a major contender to reach the American title game.
