Post Record 87% Graduation Success Rate

Record 338 student-athletes earn Athletics Honor Roll Recognition;

3.30 Department Fall Term GPA is second-highest on record;

17 of 18 programs earned a Term GPA over 3.0;



TAMPA, JAN. 5, 2024 – University of South Florida student-athletes posted the second highest department term grade-point average on record and a record 353 Athletics Honor Roll recipients in the fall to extended USF Athletics’ record streak of the department GPA over 3.0 to 18 consecutive semesters and nine years (since the spring of 2015) after the recently completed 2023 fall term.

The Bulls also logged a record 87 percent Graduation Success Rate, encompassing USF scholarship student-athletes that entered school from 2013-16 and graduated within a six-year period. The score eclipsed the program-record of 86 percent posted in 2016 and was fueled by a record six programs that posted a perfect 100 percent GSR.



Earning perfect GSR scores for the Bulls were men’s basketball, men’s tennis, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s soccer and softball. All USF women’s sports earned a GSR of 88 percent of better. USF has posted a GSR over 82 percent or better for 10 straight years.



USF saw a record 338 student-athletes earn Athletics Honor Roll recognition following the fall semester and 17 of 18 programs post a term GPA over 3.0, as USF Athletics’ overall GPA for nearly 500 student-athletes for the fall term checked in at 3.30, the second-highest on record behind only a 2020 semester affected by adjustments to the COVID-19 pandemic.

USF also saw 16 of 18 programs maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and the cumulative GPA for Athletics moved up to 3.23 from 3.18 in last spring.

Over 72 percent of USF student-athletes earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher following the 2023 fall term, while 184 (36.36 %) had over a 3.50 and 17 posted a 4.00. The Bulls saw 43 student-athletes earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall semester.

USF’s men’s programs averaged a 3.07 cumulative GPA, while the women’s programs posted a 3.47 cumulative GPA. USF celebrated 26 student-athletes that earned their degree in the fall, making more than 600 to have done so since 2016-17.

“Success in the classroom, graduating student-athletes and supporting their achievements and preparation for a fulfilling career and service to their community remains at the core of our mission.” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “I am very proud of our student-athletes continued strong performance and commitment to academics and our talented academics staff that mentor and provide outstanding support.”

Head coach Alex Golesh’s football program contributed to the record Honor Roll recipients with a program record 60 honorees, after logging 41 in the 2022 fall semester. Close behind in the fall were women’s track and field/cross country (34), baseball (34), men’s soccer (28), softball (27), women’s soccer (27), men’s track and field/cross country (23), women’s lacrosse (22), sailing (17), volleyball (16) and women’s basketball (12) among the teams with 10 or more honorees.

The women’s golf program, led by head coach Erika Brennan, led all teams with a 3.67 fall term GPA while boasting eight members, the entire roster, earning Honor Roll recognition. Women’s tennis led all programs with a 3.64 cumulative GPA. The men’s tennis program, led by head coach Ashley Fisher, led all men’s programs with a 3.56 fall term GPA and boasted nine Honor Roll members while also posting the highest men’s cumulative GPA with a 3.48.

Kyle Cerge-Henderson formerly of Plant HS and former Georgia Tech defensive lineman as an assistant DL coach under KP. I’ve know Kyle since he was 16. Happy for him.

Not sure if Pryor is playing but he’s not starting. Walker is starting again. Temple’s 2nd leading scorer, Jahlil White, is out. He’s missed the last few games.

Bulls Ground Owls in AAC Opener




TAMPA, Fla. (January 4, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team returned to the friendly confines of the Yuengling Center on Thursday for the American Athletic Conference opener against Temple. Chris Youngblood led USF with 17 as four players finished in double digits on the way to a 76-68 victory.



With the win, the Bulls extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in AAC play. Temple fell to 7-7 overall and 0-1 in league games. South Florida improves to 15-32 in conference openers and 2-5 in AAC openers.



Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim became the first head coach in program history to win a season debut and a conference debut in their first season.



For the fifth time this season, the Bulls finished with four guys in double figures. Youngblood, Kobe Knox, Selton Miguel, and Jayden Reid all finished in double-digit points.



After neither team was able to score for the first two minutes of play, the Owls went on a 6-0 run to start the scoring. The Bulls were unfazed and answered with a 7-0 run which gave USF a 7-6 lead with 14:51 left in the first half. Temple followed with a 12-5 run and took an 18-12 lead into the under-10 media timeout.



Corey Walker Jr. and Miguel accounted for four points as South Florida and Temple traded baskets. The Owls held a 22-16 with 7:05 left until the break. USF was resilient and went on a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to just two, 24-22, with 3:41 left in the half.



The Bulls added a 6-0 run, capped off by a Sam Hines Jr. emphatic slam dunk, to extend their lead to 29-24 with 2:00 left in the half.



Temple outscored South Florida, 4-3, to end the half, but the Bulls took a 32-28 lead into the break.



The Owls scored the first five points of the second half. The two sides traded baskets and Temple took a 38-36 lead with 14:56 left in regulation.



The Bulls outscored 7-6 over the next 2:53 of play and cut the deficit to 44-43. During the 2:53 of play, Hines recorded his second highlight dunk of the game.



From the under-16 media time out at 14:56 until 4:58 left in the game, USF went 11-for-11 from the field. The Bulls went on an 18-9 run and took a 61-53 lead with 7:24 left to play. During the run, South Florida knocked down four 3-pointers from Jayden Reid, Kobe Knox, Selton Miguel, and Youngblood.



Temple outscored South Florida 7-5 and cut the USF lead to six, 66-60, with 3:37 left in regulation. The Bulls closed out the game outscoring the Owls 10-8. Kasean Pryor recorded a steal and a fastbreak dunk to give USF a 76-67 lead with 22 seconds left. Jordan Riley knocked down a free throw for the Owls before time expired as the Bulls claimed a 76-68 victory.



Youngblood posted a team-high 17 points. He added two assists and one rebound. Knox notched a 15-point performance to go along with three rebounds and one assist. Miguel finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Reid rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points. He ended the night a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range. He dished out a game-high five assists. He chipped in with five rebounds and one steal. Pryor finished tied for a game-high nine rebounds to go along with his six points, career-high six assists, two steals, and one block.



Riley led the Owls with a game-high 21 points. He finished with eight boards, two steals, one assist, and one block. Hysier Miller chipped in with a 17-point game to go along with four assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Shane Dezonie closed out the double-digit scorers for Temple with 10. He added four rebounds.



The USF bench outscored its opponent for the 11th time this season. The South Florida bench tallied 20 points, while the Temple bench was limited to eight points, which was the second-fewest on the season. The Bulls had a slight advantage on fastbreak points, 11-10. The two sides were even with 32 points in the paint.



Notables

· Chris Youngblood posted a team-high 17 points. It was his ninth game in double figures. He added two assists and one rebound.

· Kobe Knox notched a 15-point performance, his third game in double digits, to go along with three rebounds and one assist.

· Selton Miguel tallied 14 points, his 10th game in double figures and his eighth straight. He added seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

· Jayden Reid scored 14 points. He ended the night a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range. He dished out a game-high five assists. He chipped in with five rebounds and one steal.

· Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim became the first head coach in program history to win a season debut and a conference debut in their first season.

· For the fifth time this season, the Bulls finished with four guys in double figures.

· The USF bench has outscored its opponent in its 11th game as South Florida’s bench outscored Temple’s bench 20-8.

· South Florida improves to 15-32 in conference openers and 2-5 in AAC openers.

· The Bulls extended their winning streak to six games.

· South Florida improved to 7-15 against Temple.



Next Up

The Bulls head to Birmingham, Alabama, for their first road AAC test. USF takes on UAB on Sunday, January 7, at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

He couldn’t take the time to show up for the Penix visit! What a jerk! Penix could have totally altered the trajectory of the program. 2018 began our demise and a big part was QB play initially.

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I'll throw this one out as a possible scenario once we see a P2 breakaway that assumingly takes FSU, Clemson, North Carolina and Miami.

What could potentially play out is the restructure of the Big 12, ACC and Select G5 schools to form a national conference with geographic divisions to keep costs down and reinvigorate rivalries. While I have no idea how this would exist in relation to the P2 or the rest of the FBS it would make to consolidate the best of the rest into a single conference.

With that I give you the Big American Conference (or other snazzy name that some PR firm will get paid millions to come up with) - 36 schools in 4 geographic divisions.

Northeast
Boston College
Syracuse
Pitt
Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Cincinnati
UConn*
Temple*

Southeast
North Carolina State
Duke
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Louisville
UCF
South Florida*
Tulane*
Memphis*

Midwest
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
Baylor
Houston
SMU

Pacific
Washington State
Oregon State
Cal
Stanford
BYU
Boise State*
San Diego State*
Colorado State*
UNLV*

*promoted from The G5

Nice early get for the Bulls. https://usf.rivals.com/news/usf-lands-2025-ol-caleb-harris

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One-time USF commit who as I recall didn't qualify and got dropped.

If the SEC and Big 10 don't come a calling.

Could and does FSU have enough cache to go independent? They did before and it was arguably the reason they reached their peak with Bobby Bowden. At worst they were a 9-4 team in the ACC and at its best they were they nations best football program, feared by the SEC and Big 10 and built their program by playing anybody AND on the road.

Michigan and Ohio State and the rest of the Big 10 don't want to be second and third tier teams to a team from the south, and the SEC feels the same way. Both leagues are scared shitless of having FSU in their comfortable conferences, and if you think FSU recruits well now, they would have a top 3 recruiting class every year.

I'll need a couple of drinks in me to do the defense. lol

The Clemson transfer is again looking for a new place to call home. He's in the portal per our sources and multiple reports.

Dukes rushed for 350 yards this season. Login to view embedded media

Bulls set 12 team and 16 individual program records in six-win improvement over 2022;

Bulls win in Boca Raton Bowl only FBS bowl victory among four state programs that reached bowls in 2023



TAMPA, Jan. 2, 2024 – First-year head coach Alex Golesh and USF Football wrapped-up a record-breaking resurgence in 2023 with a 45-0 victory over Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl that stands as the only FBS bowl victory for a state of Florida program in 2023.



The Bulls set 12 team records and 16 individual marks during the 2023 season and logged the program’s highest ranked recruiting class in a decade (No. 48 by Rivals) and highest ranked of any program outside the autonomous “power” conferences as USF heads full speed into 2024.



USF’s seventh bowl victory, the largest shutout in NCAA bowl history, put a stamp on a resurgent season for the Bulls that saw USF go 7-6, a program-best six-win improvement over 2022 and the second-best win improvement for any FBS program in 2023 behind Northwestern’s seven-win improvement. Other bowl results from the state of Florida ‘s four FBS qualifying programs included losses by Florida State (13-1, lost 63-3 to Georgia in the Orange Bowl), Miami (7-6, lost 31-24 to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl) and UCF (6-7, lost 30-17 to Georgia Tech in the Gasparilla Bowl).



The Bulls seven bowl wins in the last 20 years rank third in the state since 2004 behind only Florida State (10) and Florida (10) and ahead of UCF (6), FAU (4), Miami (4) and FIU (2). The American Athletic Conference finished 4-2 in bowl games in 2023,



USF set 12 team records and had five other significant marks ranked among the top five all-time. Among the program team marks set were the largest bowl victory margin (45-0), the first bowl shutout, largest win improvement, most offensive plays (1,028), most pass yards (3,494), most touchdown passes (27) and best completion percentage (64.1%). USF also saw a 28 percent increase in home attendance (37,944 average is the best since 2018 and second-best since joining the AAC), led the AAC in home attendance, posted its first home winning record (4-2) since 2018, won its first bowl game since 2017 and won its first road game in three years.



The Bulls, who finished fifth in the AAC after being picked 13th in a preseason poll, finished No. 17 in the nation in total offense (451.6 ypg) in their first season running Golesh’s lightning-fast scheme, which led the nation in plays per game (82.1). Their 5,871 offensive yards rank as the third-best total in program history, while their 415 points stand fifth.



The 16 individual records set, and another 11 notable marks that registered in the top three all-time, included season records for passing yards (3,292), touchdown passes (26) and season completion percentage (64.6%) from redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown; season receptions (92) and receiving yards (1,054) marks from wide receiver Sean Atkins; and records for season defensive touchdowns (tied with 3) and season fumble return yards (131) posted by defensive end Tramel Logan. All plan to return in 2024.



Brown’s 4,101 total yards and 37 touchdowns responsible for both finished as the second-best season totals at USF behind marks Quinton Flowers set in 2016 (4,342/42). Brown ranked No. 8 nationally in total offense (315.5 ypg) and points per game responsible for (17.4 ppg) as he joined Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU as the only FBS players to post at least 3,000 passing and 800 rushing yards on the year. Atkins finished No. 8 nationally in receptions per game (7.1) and No. 25 in receiving yards.



TEAM RECORDS Set in 2023 (12)

6 - Largest Win Improvement Year over Year

45 points - Largest Bowl Game Win

45-0 - First Bowl Game Shutout

1,028 - Most Offensive Plays In A Season

287 - Most Pass Completions In A Season

3,494 - Most Pass Yards In A Season

64.1% - Best Season Completion Percentage

27 – Most Season Touchdown Passes

46 – Most Season 4th Down Attempts

20 – Most Season 4th Down Conversions

100.0% (52-52) – Best Season PAT Percentage

6 – Most Consecutive PAT Made (Team) – Multi-year



Notable Team Marks In The Top 5 (5)

300 First Downs – Tied 2nd Best Season Mark

5,871 Total Yards – 3rd Best Season Mark

451.6 Yards per Game – 3rd Best Season Mark

54 TD – Tied 3rd Best Season Mark

415 Points – 5th Best Season Mark



INDIVIDUAL RECORDS Set in 2023 (16)

3,292 – Most Season Passing Yards – Byrum Brown

26 – Most Season Passing TD – Byrum Brown

276 – Most Season Pass Completions – Byrum Brown

64.6% - Best Season Pass Completion % - Byrum Brown

4 – 300-yard Passing Games in a Season/Tied Record – Byrum Brown

630 – Most Plays in a Season – Byrum Brown

203 – Most Season Rushing attempts by QB – Byrum Brown

5 – Tied Most Touchdown Passes In A Game – Byrum Brown at Memphis (11/4/23)

25 – Most Game Rushing Attempts by QB – Byrum Brown at WKU (9/2/23)

92 – Most Season Receptions – Sean Atkins

1,054 – Most Season Receiving Yards – Sean Atkins

272 – Most Game Receiving Yards – Naiem Simmons

3 – Most Season Defensive TD/Tied Record – Tramel Logan

131 – Most Season Fumble Return Yards – Tramel Logan

55 – Most Career Games Played – Donovan Jennings

100.0% (52-52) – Highest Individual Season PAT Percentage – John Cannon



Notable Individual Marks in The Top 3 (11)

4,101 – Season Total Yards – 2nd All-Time for a Season – Byrum Brown

315.5 Total Yards Per Game – 3rd-Best For a Season – Byrum Brown

253.2 – Passing Yards Per Game – 2nd-Best For a Season – Byrum Brown

37 – TD Responsible For In Season – 2nd All-time for a Season – Byrum Brown

427 pass attempts – 2nd All-time for a Season – Byrum Brown

435 Passing Yards vs. Rice – 2nd All-Time for a Game – Byrum Brown

517 Total Yards vs. Rice – 2nd All-Time for a Game – Byrum Brown

224.6 – Pass Efficiency vs. Rice – 3rd All-Time for a Game – Byrum Brown

773 – 2nd-Most Passing Yards in Consecutive Games – Byrum Brown

160 Rushing Yards vs. WKU – 3rd Most By a QB – Byrum Brown

7 – Receiving TD Season – Tied 2nd All-Time for a Season – Sean Atkins



Raymond James Stadium Records (3):

435 passing yards – Byrum Brown vs. Rice (9/23/23)

517 total offense – Byrum Brown vs. Rice (9/23/23)

272 receiving yards – Naiem Simmons vs. Rice (9/23/23)

Let's close out this year strong with a win!!!

Michigan looks like the better team, whether they win is a different story.

They are letting Bama hang around….

13-10

3Q 7:22

Liberty is showing that playing no one and getting a nod over the AAC champ wasn’t a good idea for the CFP committee. History has shown that the AAC champ is highly competitive. Tulane beat USC last year not to mention strong showings in the past from other AAC programs. I know a few of those are gone but Tulane is still here and we have other programs on the rise. One being USF at last!!!

Nice for him to include us in his graphic……probably would have had a much better season at USF than Arkansas.

Grier graphic

I want to extend to each of you and your families a safe and Happy New Year's. Here's hoping for a prosperous 2024 for USF Athletics!

I'm in Los Angeles this week covering the Rose Bowl (a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity crept up) so I'll be a little in and out of touch. I have some content coming, but wanted to give you all a heads up.

Let’s go the Fighting Dusty Mays!!!!

GO BULLS!!!

Kelly,

Do you know what was going on with the website as I wasn’t able to get into it for a couple of days? Not sure if others were having the same issue.