It was right there Saturday for USF, but with a possible stranglehold on the American Conference and a potential trip to the College Football Playoff at stake, the Bulls couldn't finish the job.
Instead, the Tigers pulled out a 34-31 victory by outscoring USF 17-0 in the fourth quarter. The Bulls will look back on self-inflicted wounds and at critical moments and realize that this was one they should have put away.
An interception by quarterback Byrum Brown on USF's first drive led to a Memphis touchdown. Two holding calls on cornerback James Chenault set up a Memphis touchdown near the end of the first half.
USF went for it on fourth-and-three at the Memphis 8-yard line late in the third period, but the pass to Christian Neptune was low. The Bulls led by seven points, and a field goal would have put USF ahead by two scores.
"I'll take the blame. It's on me," head coach Alex Golesh said.
And maybe the biggest mistake of all, considering the timing -- a holding call against offensive lineman Cole Best with four seconds left cost 10 critical yards for a Nico Gramatica field goal attempt that would have sent the game to overtime.
Instead, his 52-yard attempt sailed wide left -- and with it, probably, USF's clear path for a spot in the College Football playoff.
— USF Football (@USFFootball) October 25, 2025
USF ran only 31 plays in the second half after controlling the ball for 51 plays in the first 30 minutes. The Bulls had 564 total yards to 450 for the Tigers, but Memphis was also 2-for-2 on fourth down attempts.
The loss drops USF to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the American, but it also puts the Bulls behind Memphis in a tie-breaker if the Tigers run the table and the final spot in the conference championship game comes down to between these two teams.
The Tigers still have to play Tulane and Navy -- both teams are unbeaten in the conference. Both of those games will be in Memphis. If either of those teams can prevail, it would be a second conference loss for Memphis and would put the Bulls in a better position.
USF couldn't get consistent pressure on Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis, which was a major problem. He threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and always seemed to get the completions he needed.
The Bulls are now off until Thursday, November 6, when they host UTSA, followed by a trip to Navy on November 15.