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HOOPS Notes ahead of UAB

From usf

USF Travels to Birmingham for AAC Road Test with UAB



TAMPA, Fla. (January 6, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team takes to the road for the first time in American Athletic Conference play with a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, for a matchup with UAB on Sunday, Jan. 7. The Bulls and Blazers are scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET tip on ESPN+.



Earlier this week, Jayden Reid was named the AAC Freshman of the Week and Chris Youngblood earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll. Reid posted a 13-point performance. He chipped in with four assists and one rebound. He knocked down a 3-pointer and shot 50.0 percent from the field. He capitalized on opportunities at the free-throw line and went 6-for-6. Youngblood recorded a career-high 26 points and tied a career-high six 3-pointers made as the Bulls defeated the Hornets 73-70. He tied a career-high three blocked shots. He added two rebounds and one assist. He was a pivotal part of USF tying a program record with 14 made 3-pointers as a team.



Bulls at a Glance

Chris Youngblood leads the squad with 14.9 points per game. He is averaging 2.2 rebounds per game to go along with 25 assists, seven blocks, and six steals. He is shooting 83.6 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 140th in the country and sixth in the AAC. Selton Miguel is second on the team with 14.3 points per contest and is third on the squad with 4.4 boards per game. He is second on the squad with 15 steals and is second on the team with 28 assists. He has added two blocks. Jayden Reid leads the team with 52 assists. He is tied for 108th in the NCAA with 4.3 assists per game and is seventh in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.25, which is tied for 21st in the country, best in the conference, and is second among NCAA freshmen. He paces the squad with 17 steals. He averages 2.9 rebounds per game to go along with 8.8 points per contest. Kasean Pryor leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per contest. He averages 9.0 points per game with 19 assists and 14 steals. He has a team-best nine blocks. Corey Walker Jr. is third on the team with six blocks.



Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is 35th in the NCAA and best in the conference averaging 29.17 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 350-194. Opposing benches are averaging just 16.17 points per game.



Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 31st in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 17.1 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 33rd in the country with 23.6 free-throw attempts per game, which is tied for fourth in the AAC.



Fast and Furious


The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 33rd in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 3.6, which is second in the conference. South Florida is 56th in the country with 14.75 forced turnovers per contest, which is third in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 41st in the nation with 15.00 fastbreak points per game, which is fourth in the conference.



Making History


With the win against Temple, 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.



Last Time Out


South Florida extended its winning streak to six games with a 76-68 victory against Temple. For the fifth time this season, the Bulls finished with four guys in double figures. Chris Youngblood posted a team-high 17 points. He added two assists and one rebound. Kobe Knox notched a 15-point performance to go along with three rebounds and one assist. Selton Miguel finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Jayden 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.



History with UAB

The Bulls and Blazers will battle for the 61st time on Sunday. UAB holds the series advantage 39-21. The Blazers have won the last two meetings, including an 80-65 victory in Daytona last season. The Bulls are 7-22 in games played in Birmingham.



Scouting the Blazers

UAB is led by Eric Gaines who is averaging 13.0 points per game. He is tied for 40th in the NCAA with 72 assists and tied for 42nd in the country with 5.1 assists per game. He is tied for eighth in the nation with 39 steals and his 2.79 steals per game are sixth in the NCAA. Yaxel Lendeborg paces the team with 8.9 rebounds per game and has a team-best 34 blocked shots. His 34 blocked shots are tied for 10th in the NCAA. His 2.43 blocks per contest are tied for 11th in the country. He is tied for 52nd in the nation with 8.9 rebounds per game, which is third in the AAC. He has 125 rebounds, which is tied for 41st in the country and tops in the conference. He is second on the team averaging 11.5 points per game and has added 24 assists and eight steals. Javian Davis closes out the double-digit scorers with 11.1 points per game. He is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game with 15 steals, 15 assists, and five blocks. As a unit, the Blazers are tied for 14th in the country with 18.5 free throws made per game and are tied for 23rd in the nation with 24.7 free throw attempts per contest. UAB is 15th in the NCAA averaging 14.21 offensive rebounds per game. With 15.00 fastbreak points per contest, the Blazers are tied for 35th in the country.



Tale of the Tape

USF
Category
UAB
76.5
POINTS PER GAME​
77.5​
69.7
OPP. POINTS PER GAME​
75.9​
.431
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.438​
.428
OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.451​
.329
3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.313​
.322
OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.348​
.724
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE​
.749​
37.4
REBOUNDS PER GAME​
38.9​
0.5
REBOUNDING MARGIN​
4.8​
14.9
ASSISTS PER GAME​
13.1​
11.2
TURNOVERS PER GAME​
11.9​
3.6
TURNOVER MARGIN​
0.0​
7.3
STEALS PER GAME​
7.3​
2.9
BLOCKS PER GAME​
4.9​


American Athletic Conference Standings (as of January 5)

1. Memphis – 12-2, 1-0

2. Florida Atlantic – 11-3, 1-0

3. Tulane – 10-3, 1-0

4. SMU – 10-4, 1-0

5. South Florida – 8-4, 1-0

6. UAB – 9-5, 1-0


7. North Texas – 8-5. 1-0

8. Tulsa – 9-4, 0-1

9. Wichita State – 8-6, 0-1

10. ECU – 7-7, 0-1

11. Temple – 7-7, 0-1

12. Charlotte – 6-7, 0-1

13. Rice – 6-8, 0-1

14. UTSA – 6-8, 0-1



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HOOPS South Florida Opens Conference Play in Tampa Against Temple

Press release



TAMPA, Fla. (January 2, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team opens 2024 with the first American Athletic Conference contest at home on Thursday against Temple. The Bulls (7-4) and the Owls (7-6) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.



Earlier this week, Jayden Reid was named the AAC Freshman of the Week and Chris Youngblood earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll. Reid posted a 13-point performance. He chipped in with four assists and one rebound. He knocked down a 3-pointer and shot 50.0 percent from the field. He capitalized on opportunities at the free-throw line and went 6-for-6. Youngblood recorded a career-high 26 points and tied a career-high six 3-pointers made as the Bulls defeated the Hornets 73-70. He tied a career-high three blocked shots. He added two rebounds and one assist. He was a pivotal part of USF tying a program record with 14 made 3-pointers as a team.



Bulls at a Glance

Chris Youngblood leads the squad with 14.7 points per game. He is averaging 2.3 rebounds per game to go along with 23 assists, seven blocks, and six steals. He is shooting 86.0 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 91st in the country and fifth in the AAC. Selton Miguel is second on the team with 14.3 points per contest and is third on the squad with 4.0 boards per game. He is second on the squad with 14 steals and is second on the team with 26 assists. He has added two blocks. Jayden Reid leads the team with 47 assists. He is tied for 114th in the NCAA with 4.3 assists per game and is seventh in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.36, which is tied for 20th in the country, best in the conference, and is second among NCAA freshmen. He paces the squad with 16 steals. He is averaging 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with 8.4 points per contest. Kasean Pryor leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per contest. He averages 9.3 points per game with 13 assists and 12 steals. He has a team-best eight blocks. Corey Walker Jr. is third on the team with six blocks.



Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is 32nd in the NCAA averaging 30.0 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 330-186. Opposing benches are averaging just 16.9 points per game.



Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 23rd in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 17.8 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 30th in the country with 24.2 free-throw attempts per game, which is tied for fourth in the AAC.



Fast and Furious


The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 26th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 3.9, which is second in the conference. South Florida is 48th in the country with 15.00 forced turnovers per contest, which is third in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are tied for 38th in the nation with 15.00 fastbreak points per game, which is fourth in the conference.



Raining 3s


South Florida tied a single-game record with 3-pointers made with 14. The previous mark was 14 against ORU on December 7, 1991, and 14 against Charleston Southern on December 2, 2022. The Bulls made 10 3-pointers in the opening half and set a new program record. The previous mark was eight against Memphis on March 1, 2018.



Solid Start


The 7-4 start is the second-best mark since South Florida started 9-2 during the 2018-19 season. It is just the sixth time in the last 17 seasons that USF has started 7-4 or better.



Last Time Out


South Florida tied a program record 14-made 3-pointers on its way to a 73-70 victory against Alabama State. Youngblood posted a career-high 26 points, tied a career-high with six made 3-pointers, and tied a career-high three blocks. He added two rebounds and one assist. Miguel tallied 14 points and tied a career-high four made 3-pointers. He brought down three rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked one shot. Reid rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points. He posted a team-high four assists and added one rebound. For the first time this season, the USF bench was outscored by an opponent. Alabama State produced 25 bench points to South Florida’s 21.



History with Temple

The Bulls and Owls are slated to meet for the 22nd time on Thursday. Temple leads the series 15-6. USF is just 1-8 at home against Temple. The Owls have won the last three matchups, including a 79-76 victory in Philadelphia on January 25, 2023.



Scouting the Owls

Temple is tied for 18th in the NCAA with 28.5 3-point attempts per game, which is second in the conference. The Owls are led by Hysier Miller with 17.4 points per game. He also paces the team with 58 assists and 20 steals. He is averaging 4.6 rebounds per contest. He is seventh in the NCAA with 231 field-goal attempts, ninth in the country averaging 37:01 minutes per game, and 35th in the nation with 103 3-point field-goal attempts. Jahlil White is second on the team with 12.4 points a contest. He has a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game. He has added 11 assists, six steals, and two blocks. Jordan Riley closes out the double-digit scorers with 11.3 points a game. He is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game with 15 steals, 12 assists, and nine blocks. Steve Settle III has a team-best 13 blocked shots. He is averaging 8.7 points per contest and 5.6 boards per game.



Tale of the Tape

USF
Category
TEM
76.5
POINTS PER GAME​
73.9​
69.8
OPP. POINTS PER GAME​
73.2​
.426
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.382​
.430
OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.431​
.324
3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.305​
.329
OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE​
.322​
.737
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE​
.734​
37.1
REBOUNDS PER GAME​
38.9​
-0.1
REBOUNDING MARGIN​
-0.7​
14.7
ASSISTS PER GAME​
11.6​
11.1
TURNOVERS PER GAME​
10.2​
3.9
TURNOVER MARGIN​
3.5​
7.5
STEALS PER GAME​
7.7​
3.1
BLOCKS PER GAME​
3.0​


American Athletic Conference Standings (as of January 1)

1. Memphis – 11-2, 0-0

2. Florida Atlantic – 10-3, 0-0

3. Tulane – 9-3, 0-0

4. Tulsa – 9-3, 0-0

5. SMU – 9-4, 0-0

6. South Florida – 7-4, 0-0

7. UAB – 8-5, 0-0

8. Wichita State – 8-5, 0-0

9. North Texas – 7-5. 0-0

10. ECU – 7-6, 0-0

11. Temple – 7-6, 0-0

12. Charlotte – 6-6, 0-0

13. Rice – 6-7, 0-0

14. UTSA – 6-7, 0-0



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To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

Bulls extend program record to 18 straight semesters with Department Term GPA over 3.0;

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.

HOOPS USF story on the win over Temple

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+.

Conference Expansion Idea #1148

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
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FOOTBALL Could and Should Florida State Go Independent?

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.
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FOOTBALL USF Football Heads Into 2024 After Record-Setting Turnaround Season

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)

Liberty getting crushed

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!!!
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