The Gators’ front seven was formidable in its season opener against the Long Island Sharks. Florida’s defensive line held the Sharks to 37 rushing yards and logged seven tackles-for-loss. However, Florida will face a new test this week in South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown.
The senior quarterback out of Raleigh, North Carolina, is the heart of the Bulls’ offense. Brown made headlines in a 34-7 win over No. 25 Boise State on Aug. 28. He finished the contest with 210 passing yards and 43 yards on the ground on 14 attempts, including a 23-yard touchdown run and another touchdown run that went for 15 yards.
“I got a lot of respect for how they play,” head coach Billy Napier said. “I do think this quarterback runs the ball well. I think there's a little bit more read game, a little more quarterback run element to it, but still vertical, still tempo, still perimeter screen, and then a good, healthy run game.”
Alongside Brown, sophomore running back Alvon Isaac, who attended Hawthorne High School in Gainesville, Florida, and senior Cartevious Norton will man the backfield. The duo added 67 yards on the ground and a touchdown in the Bulls’ season opener.
However, the most glaring weakness in the Bulls’ opening matchup was their offensive line. South Florida surrendered four sacks and were tackled seven times behind the line of scrimmage.
Florida’s defensive line will look to take advantage and prioritize limiting Brown’s play-making ability.
“We just want to be able to keep him in that pocket, not give him any room to move,” defensive lineman Brendan Bett said. “Force him to make options, make choices, if they just play off that.”
The No. 13 Gators are familiar with explosive numbers on the offensive side of the ball.
In the 55-0 win over LIU, sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway and freshman Tramell Jones Jr. combined for 251 passing yards. The passing attack accounted for five of the team’s seven scores, with Jones tallying three. The Gators’ ball-carriers totalled 200 rushing yards, playing a massive role in the season-opening win.
The Gators will have to contain Brown if they want to start the season off 2-0. Last year, Brown put up career-high numbers. He totalled 809 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Through the air, he added 3,292 yards. While Bulls receivers Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton will have eyes on them all game, Brown’s legs should not be overlooked.
USF head coach Alex Golesh enters his third year with the program. Prior to his time in South Florida, Golesh helped the 2022 Tennessee Volunteers to an 11-2 record and being ranked first in scoring and yards per game. As the offensive coordinator, Golesh was pivotal in developing quarterback Hendon Hooker. The quarterback was awarded SEC Offensive Player of the Year and named to All-SEC First Team the same year.
Golesh took his quick-style of offense from Tennessee and has since transformed the USF offense. Napier has made it clear that the fast tempo is something that he commends.
“Statistically, last year they were really good,” he said. “We've played against these systems before. I think each week there's always some carryover.”
As of the most recent AP Poll, the Gators are set to face eight ranked teams over the course of the season. The contest with USF will be the last unranked matchup until Oct. 18 when the Gators will face off against Mississippi State.
Napier said it will be an uphill climb to the top, but that the team will continue to compete.
“We got enough to go toe-to-toe with anybody, but we have to go execute on game day when it counts,” Napier said. “And ultimately, that's what separates some really good teams from the middle of the pack. So we're on a mission to try to get back on top and that's one day at a time."
The Gators will host the USF Bulls at 4:15 p.m. Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz
Riley is a sophomore sports journalism student and is the swim & dive beat reporter for Fall 2025 in her first semester with The Alligator. In her free time, she may be watching past Miami Dolphins or Florida Panthers highlights or hanging out with her friends.
