South Florida pulled off another shocker Saturday night, stunning No. 13 Florida 18-16 on Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard field goal as time expired at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
It marked the Bulls’ (2-0) second consecutive upset of a ranked opponent, following last week’s win over then-No. 25 Boise State, and their first victory over Florida (1-1) in five all-time meetings.
Florida appeared to have the game in hand, but a series of penalties, poor clock management, and defensive breakdowns doomed Billy Napier’s team. The Gators committed 11 penalties for 103 yards, including two critical infractions on the Bulls’ decisive 87-yard drive.
Defensive back Dijon Johnson was flagged for pass interference, and defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected for spitting at an opponent just one play later. Those mistakes set up Gramatica for redemption after he had missed a 58-yard attempt with 2:52 remaining.
Napier’s late-game decisions only added fuel to the fire. Rather than running the ball to bleed clock, he dialed up two pass plays on Florida’s final possession. The Gators failed to move the chains and took just 20 seconds off the clock, handing USF one more chance.
“Situational football continues to be a problem,” Napier admitted afterward. “We didn’t finish the way we needed to.”
USF quarterback Byrum Brown engineered the final drive, highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown earlier in the game that exposed Florida’s defense when players were distracted by sideline signals. The Bulls’ resilience under coach Alex Golesh has quickly become one of the stories of September.
“This group believes in each other,” Golesh said. “Back-to-back weeks we’ve gone toe-to-toe with ranked teams and found a way.”
Gramatica, who missed his long-range try earlier, said he never doubted himself on the winning kick: “When I got the second chance, I knew I was going to make it.”
The loss dropped Napier to 20-20 overall at Florida, including 14-7 at home. He’s now started 1-1 in each of his four seasons, a troubling pattern for a program that demands more. With fans already restless, Saturday’s collapse renewed calls for a coaching change.
Florida’s offense piled up 355 yards but couldn’t finish drives, settling for three early field goals. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway showed flashes but was under pressure most of the night, while the offensive line struggled to create consistent running lanes.
South Florida became just the third unranked team since 2000 to start 2-0 with wins over ranked opponents, joining 2012 Oregon State and 2008 East Carolina. The Bulls are expected to crack the AP Top 25 when the new poll is released Sunday.
Florida, meanwhile, is certain to tumble out of the top 15, if not further, with a trip to Baton Rouge looming.
South Florida: The Bulls travel to No. 5 Miami next Saturday for their third straight matchup against a ranked opponent. Florida: The Gators head to No. 3 LSU, where they have not won since 2016.
