It may not look like it on the scoreboard but USF defense really is better than 2023

If Miami’s explosive offense in a 50-15 win gave USF fans terrifying flashbacks to 2023, it’s understandable. We remember how the Bulls were routinely burned for big plays while surrendering tear-inducing point totals.

Things started much better this year with the Bulls playing inspired defense for the first 110 minutes of the season, but things have gone sideways, starting with the final 10 minutes of the Alabama game.

Before allowing four touchdowns in the final 10 minutes against the Tide, the Bulls had allowed only 17 points. But since that late collapse at ‘Bama, USF has been scorched for 102 points in a little over 8 ½ quarters.

They’ve allowed TD runs of 56, 29, and 91 yards, plus scoring passes of 43, 37, and 76 yards. That big play explosion is eerily similar to what we saw last year.

So is this deja`fooey for the Bulls?

I don’t think so.

There are important differences between what happened last season and what we see now.

When USF was torched for 56 points in consecutive weeks in 2023, the games were over early. UAB put up 35 points in the first half, and Florida Atlantic followed that with 42 points in the first three quarters. UTSA did the same thing a few weeks later. No offense to those teams, but they weren't close to the caliber of Alabama and Miami.

This year, the damage has been done by two Top 10 opponents in three weeks and Heisman candidate quarterbacks in Ward and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. But it’s also true that the Bulls were worn down as those games continued. Depth is an issue.

“We certainly have depth at some spots. But after one true offseason to build, I’m proud of where we stand as a program with what we’ve been able to do 16 games in,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said.

“The depth up front, on both sides of the ball, is something that can get exposed. We’ll continue to build up our guys and recruit like crazy, and we’ll get to a point where we can hang in there for four full quarters.”

The Bulls were in the game with ‘Bama until late and led Miami  15-14 with 2:36 left in the first half before quarterback Cam Ward answered 40 seconds later with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Brown.

That triggered a run of 36 consecutive points by the Hurricanes to close out the game, including a 91-yard scoring run by Jordan Lyle late in the fourth. Ward finished with 404 yards and three touchdowns in Miami’s 50-15 rout as the Bulls’ defense wobbled and finally collapsed.

The lack of a running game against Miami hurt, too. The Bulls averaged only 1.9 yards per carry on 32 attempts.

Golesh and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando concentrated on improving last year through the recruiting and the transfer portal, but it’s far from a finished product. The Bulls rank 103rd in overall defense and 121st in passing defense out of 133 FBS teams.

Last year, they were next to last in passing defense.

“At the end of the day, it’s a line of scrimmage game, and in the second half, we just couldn’t hang in there on the line on both sides of the ball. I told our guys this should hurt because the standard in our locker room has changed. That’s what our standard is internally,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said.

“I’m confident, though, that as we continue to build, we’ll have another opportunity like that, and we’ll be able to play better and put together a second half where we complete drives and limit explosive plays on the other side of the ball.”