Homecoming games are supposed to be a celebration for the home team, but it hasn't worked out that way for USF in recent years.
The Bulls are 0-2 in homecoming games during the Alex Golesh era and overall have lost five straight before the old alums. You have to go back to 2019 to find a happy homecoming for the Bulls. That year, USF beat BYU 27-23 with a 13-point fourth-quarter rally.
Golesh's first homecoming game as the Bulls' head coach was in 2023, and it was a disaster. The Bulls lost to Florida Atlantic 56-14, which was bad enough. But with 6:44 left and the Owls leading by what eventually was the final score, head coach Tom Herman ordered an onside kick.
Golesh got his revenge in 2024 when USF pounded the Owls 44-21 on their homecoming. Afterward, Golesh brushed by Herman quickly after the game with barely a slap on the hand instead of the customary post-game handshake.
It made headlines. Herman was fired shortly afterward.
AAC on a Friday night!! Tom Herman and Alex Golesh post game handshake. pic.twitter.com/v1FCMLGXqY
— Pat Smith (@patsmithradio) November 2, 2024
Last year, Navy became USF's homecoming opponent by default. The original homecoming game was supposed to be against UAB, but damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton caused catastrophic damage throughout the area.
Navy won that game 28-7, but it almost deserves an asterisk, considering what USF and the region was was going through.
Now, let's take a look at tonight's game, where the forecast is for ZERO chance of rain.
Keep the scoreboard operator busy: The Bulls have been a point-a-minute offense for the last games, totaling 63, 54, and 63 points in three lopsided victories.
That's 180 points, or an average of 60 per game in a 60-minute contest.
USF ranks 12th in the country in scoring offense at 40.7 points per game. The Bulls also have averaged 52.8 points per game in their last four American Conference games.
The 63 points USF rang up on previously unbeaten North Texas marked the ninth time in program history that the Bulls scored 50 or more points in a conference game. Five of those games have occurred on Golesh's watch.
Hey, we can score too: Florida Atlantic scored 53 points last week in its victory over UAB. Redshirt junior quarterback Caden Veltkamp leads the American Conference in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns.
Keep an eye on redshirt junior wide receiver Easton Messer. He leads the NCAA in receptions per game with 8.7. Another redshirt junior receiver, Jayshon Platt, is a Swiss Army Knife of sorts. Against UAB, he had 203 all-purpose yards, with 119 coming on kick returns. His 50-yard kickoff was the Owls longest since 2018.
He has 327 receiving yards this season and two touchdowns, plus one on the ground. He is averaging 12 yards on three carries.
Let's go bowling: USF has been to two straight bowls under Golesh, but only with the NCAA minimum of six wins. Golesh frequently says that just going to bowl games is not the standard he wants for this program.
If the Bulls win tonight, they'll improve to 6-1 and become bowl eligible again. This time, though, it looks like USF will do more than just go to a bowl. The Bulls are legitimate contenders -- maybe the top contender -- for the Group of Six guaranteed College Football Playoff spot.
If they fall short of that, however, they should receive a spot in one of the higher-tiered bowls.
Byrum Brown watch: By any standard, quarterback Byrum Brown is having an outstanding season. It's generally accepted that this will be his final season in the green and gold, but will it?
Brown would have one year of eligibility remaining if he chooses to use it.
At 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, Brown has the ideal body for a quarterback in today's NFL. As we know, he is a dual-threat under center with a big-time arm and the ability to run over tacklers.
All of that is attractive for NFL scouts.
Pro Football Focus grades him at 79.5 overall and 75 as a passer. Both of those are strong grades and draft-worthy, but it also ranks him 82nd out of 314 college quarterbacks this year. If it looks like he could slip into the fourth round or later, coming back for one more year could greatly enhance his stock. He would have to balance that against the risk of injury.
And remember, he just turned 21 less than a month ago.
OK, so what's the score tonight? Florida Atlantic will throw every trick it has at USF, but the Bulls have basically seen it all by now. They won't be caught looking ahead to next week's gargantuan game at Memphis. So let's call it: USF 55, Florida Atlantic 20.