Former South Florida coach Alex Golesh had open disdain for the "time of possession" statistic. He was totally committed to a go-go-go offense. While the Bulls scored a lot of points and were fun to watch, it also meant the defense was on the field a lot.
USF ranked 135th (out of 136 teams) in possession time last season. Opposing teams had the ball about 10 minutes more per game than the Bulls. Golesh said he looked at points-per-possession a lot more than time of possession. I looked at a defense that seemed gassed at critical times.
This year is a different story. The Bulls rank 119th in possession time, not great obviously, but still through four games it's about a combined 22 minutes better over the same period compared to a year ago. It would be even higher if you take out the more than 35 minutes the defense was on the field at Army, which leads the nation in possession time.
If that number remains reasonably stable, it could mean that by the end of the regular season, USF's defense will have been on the field about an hour less than in 2025. That's an hour less of tackling running backs, chasing wide receivers, and fending off blocks from 300-pound linemen.
When we remember the late defensive collapses that cost USF games last season at Memphis and Navy, it's hard to dismiss that possibility that cumulative wear and tear was a factor.
Checking in on the @USFFootball defense:
— Mike Basford (@MikeBasford_USF) September 27, 2026
◾️ The Bulls are sixth nationally with 33.0 TFLs this season & have 22.0 in the last two games.
◾️ USF is also 21st nationally in scoring defense & hasn't allowed a TD in six quarters. pic.twitter.com/DzHLFHxUHi
Last Saturday at Bowling Green, the defense stood tall while the offense seemed stuck in quicksand for the first three quarters. Defensive lineman Asani Redwood made a game-changing stop on fourth-and-short that led to USF's first touchdown and an eventual 14-6 win.
"Asani's done a great job. I think he's probably waiting for that opportunity to make a big play -- a great individual effort. He's done a great job training for it. He's ready for it," head coach Brian Hartline said.
"Hopefully you'll see more and more of those guys starting to step up and make those individual efforts. Huge opportunity, great big play. (Zavier) Hamilton did that a couple weeks back, right? That comes from good coaching, putting guys in good position, and those guys maximizing the opportunities."
While many USF fans were focused on the Bulls' offensive struggles last week, the defensive showing didn't get as much notice. They held the Falcons running to 2.6 yards per carry on 33 carries. Bowling Green had a meager 207 total yards and had to punt six times. And that's after the offense put them in a bad position by losing fumbles on the first two possessions.
When they had to come up big in the second half to keep the Falcons from making the game a two-score margin, the Bulls pitched a shutout and gave the offense a chance to do its thing.
That bodes well for the remaining two-thirds of the regular season.
The national power rankings by Pro Football Focus place the Bulls No. 38 overall -- tops in the American Conference and behind only James Madison (19th) and Boise State (36th) in the Group of 6. It gives the Bulls a 41percent chance of winning the conference and a 13 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff.
It ranks their remaining schedule strength at No. 84 in the country and forecasts a 10-2 finish.
If that optimistic forecast comes to pass, perhaps it will be because the Bulls' defense didn't sputter in the clutch at the end.
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