2018 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2018 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and were led by second-year head coach Charlie Strong. The Bulls competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 3–5 in AAC play to finish in fourth place in the East Division. They were invited to the Gasparilla Bowl where they lost to Marshall.
2018 South Florida Bulls football | |
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Gasparilla Bowl, L 20–38 vs. Marshall | |
Conference | American Athletic Conference |
East Division | |
2018 record | 7–6 (3–5 The American) |
Head coach | Charlie Strong (2nd season) |
Offensive coordinator | Sterlin Gilbert (2nd season) |
Offensive scheme | Veer and Shoot |
Defensive coordinator | Brian Jean-Mary (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–3–5 |
Home stadium | Raymond James Stadium (Capacity: 65,890, grass) |
2018 American Athletic Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 UCF x$ | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Temple | 7 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 24 Cincinnati | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Florida | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Carolina | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UConn | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memphis xy | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Houston x | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulane x | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SMU | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Navy | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulsa | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: UCF 56, Memphis 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2018 Bulls became the first team in college football history to start a season 7–0 and lose their final six games.[1]
Previous season
The Bulls finished the 2017 season with a record of 10–2. After ending the regular season with a record of 9-2, 6-2 in the AAC, the Bulls were invited to the Birmingham Bowl, where they defeated Texas Tech 38-34.
Preseason
The Bulls replaced 11 starters from a 10-2 season in 2017. One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was the addition of graduate transfer Blake Barnett who was named the starting quarterback following stints at Alabama and Arizona State.
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
Award | Player | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|
John Mackey Award[2] | Mitchell Wilcox | TE | JR |
Outland Trophy[3] | Marcus Norman | T | JR |
Wuerffel Trophy[4] | Jaymon Thomas | DB | SR |
AAC media poll
The AAC media poll was released on July 24, 2018, with the Bulls predicted to finish in second place in the AAC East Division.[5]
Media poll (East) | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | UCF | 175 (25) |
2 | USF | 140 (5) |
3 | Temple | 132 |
4 | Cincinnati | 91 |
5 | UConn | 51 |
6 | East Carolina | 41 |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 12 (FCS) Elon* | ESPN3 | W 34–14 | 31,217 | ||
September 8 | 12:00 p.m. | Georgia Tech* |
| ABC/ESPN2 | W 49–38 | 34,182 | |
September 15 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Illinois* | BTN | W 25–19 | 21,725 | ||
September 22 | 8:00 p.m. | East Carolina |
| ESPNews | W 20–13 | 34,562 | |
October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | at Massachusetts* | ELVN | W 58–42 | 7,988 | ||
October 12 | 7:00 p.m. | at Tulsa | No. 23 | ESPN | W 25–24 | 16,142 | |
October 20 | 7:00 p.m. | UConn | No. 21 |
| CBSSN | W 38–30 | 42,127 |
October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Houston | No. 21 | ABC/ESPN2 | L 36–57 | 31,631 | |
November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Tulane |
| CBSSN | L 15–41 | 31,388 | |
November 10 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 25 Cincinnati | ESPNU | L 23–35 | 29,310 | ||
November 17 | 12:00 a.m. | at Temple | ESPNews | L 17–27 | 21,029 | ||
November 23 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 8 UCF |
| ESPN | L 10–38 | 57,626 | |
December 20 | 8:00 p.m. | Marshall* |
| ESPN | L 20–38 | 14,135 | |
|
- Schedule Source:[6]
Game summaries
Elon
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 12 (FCS) Phoenix | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Bulls | 7 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
2–1 | 2007 | W, 28–13 |
Georgia Tech
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yellow Jackets | 17 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
Bulls | 14 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 49 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
at Illinois
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulls | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 25 |
Fighting Illini | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
1–0 | 2017 | W, 47–23 |
East Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Bulls | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
7–1 | 2017 | W, 61–31 |
at Massachusetts
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulls | 10 | 10 | 28 | 10 | 58 |
Minutemen | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
at Tulsa
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 23 Bulls | 3 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 25 |
Golden Hurricane | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
2–0 | 2017 | W, 27–20 |
UConn
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Huskies | 7 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 30 |
No. 21 Bulls | 0 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 38 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
10–5 | 2017 | W, 37–20 |
at Houston
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 21 Bulls | 0 | 21 | 15 | 0 | 36 |
Cougars | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 57 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
2–3 | 2017 | L, 24–28 |
Tulane
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green Wave | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
Bulls | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
1–0 | 2017 | W, 34–28 |
at Cincinnati
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulls | 9 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
No. 25 Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 35 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
7–8 | 2017 | W, 33–3 |
at Temple
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulls | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Owls | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 27 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
2–2 | 2017 | W, 43–7 |
UCF
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 8 Knights | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Bulls | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
6–3 | 2017 | L, 42–49 |
Marshall (Gasparilla Bowl)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thundering Herd | 21 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
Bulls | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
First Meeting |
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
AP | NR | NR | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 21 | 21 | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 20 | RV | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | Not released |
References
- "Gasparilla Bowl loss caps off USF's horrendous finish to 2018". Yahoo Sports. December 20, 2018.
- "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- "UCF Tabbed as Favorite in 2018 Preseason Media Poll". TheAmerican.org. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- "2018 South Florida Bulls Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 12, 2018.