GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The South Florida Bulls are scripting a 5-star classic after kicker Nico Gramatica made a game-winning walk-off field goal to propel the Bulls to an 18-16 road win over No. 13 Florida in The Swamp on Saturday evening.
South Florida trailed 16-15 with 2:26 remaining before beginning their game-winning drive on their own 11-yard line. Quarterback Byrum Brown threw a pass into the right flat to Alvon Isaac, who used his speed to sprint the ball 29 yards to the Gators’ 32-yard line.
Brown then hit Joshua Porter on a 12-yard pass play before Isaac found six yards and a first down at the Gators’ 14.
Brown came back with three runs for 12 yards, moving the football to the Gators’ two-yard line, where Gramatica did the honors as South Florida became only the ninth team in college football history to own wins over Florida, Miami and Florida State.
“I felt good,” said Gramatica. “I felt good in the net, warming up, and then I trusted that our offense was going to get us in range, and they got us to a great spot right there on the (two-yard line) in the middle.”
Gramatica had missed from 58 yards on the previous drive, and Bulls head coach Alex Golesh knew that Gramatica would stay the course.
“He missed the long one,” said South Florida head coach Alex Golesh. “We’re right at his max line there. I did say to him afterwards, ‘We’re going to need you again.’ Got all the confidence in the world that he’s going to go make it.”
USF moved into the Top 25 for the first time since 2017, appearing at No. 18 this week.
Formulating a Concept:
Byrum Brown has become one of the top leaders in college football, as well as the consummate team leader of the Bulls.
He completed 23 of 36 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown while leading USF in rushing with 66 yards on 17 carries.
“I just play one play at a time, do what we do, and trust in the play-by-play, and that was it,” said Brown.
The Bulls have pulled back-to-back wins vs. Top 25 teams for only the third time in the 38 years of the program.
“A really mentally and physically tough football team that’s process-driven, that’s really focused, that plays for each other,” described Golesh of his Bulls.
Florida took a 9-6 halftime lead on what had turned into a defensive slugfest. The Bulls were equal to the task as they held Gators kicker Trey Smack to field goals on all three Florida first-half drives. Gramatica hit from 38 and 25 yards as USF was able to capitalize defensively and in the kicking game.
“This team is truly a brotherhood,” Brown analyzed. “The offense didn’t start out too well, but the defense and special teams kept us in the game.”
Finding Momentum:
USF grabbed its first shift in momentum when Brown hit wide receiver Keshaun Singleton on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Singleton’s touchdown came when he went into the air between Florida defensive backs Dijon Johnson and Aaron Chiles. The wide receiver from Norcross, Ga., turned it into a foot race and gave the Bulls their first lead at 13-9 with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.
“We basically caught them off guard, snapped the ball, and I then made a play,” said Singleton. “Once that happened, everything changed. The mood, the tone and everything. Everybody was like, ‘Oh yeah, we got it now.’”
Refreshen Efforts:
Florida needed a win as its SEC ledger is a continual gauntlet that has been rated as the toughest schedule in the nation.
Meanwhile, South Florida is now a Group of 5 favorite, especially if the Bulls find a way to win against Miami in Hard Rock Stadium this week.
The Gators play at LSU as Coach Brian Kelly seems to have the Tigers trending from the beginning of the season.
“We definitely have a history of being in this situation, but these are new guys, group of new guys, and we’re going to rally together and figure it all out together,” said Florida quarterback CJ Lagway.
The sophomore quarterback hit Eugene Wilson, III, on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 12:29 remaining in the game that allowed Florida to retake the lead, 16-15.