The next biggest game in usf’s history
Written by Chris McLean / November 14, 2025
Building a perennial contending college football program will see many growth spurts and countless growing pains.
USF is well versed in both.
Lee Roy Selmon brought USF's first head coach, Jim Leavitt, to the so called "Ponderosa" in the late 90s. During Leavitt’s tenure the Bulls went from Division I-AA all the way to the Big East, with a legitimate chance at a BCS championship game berth, in less than a decade.
But that ascension saw painful losses that would inhibit the program from taking the next step.
During the '05 season, the Bulls beat down no. 9 Louisville only to follow it up the next week losing to no. 9 Miami, which I got to witness in person.
Two years later saw new heights: huge wins on the plains against Auburn (I was there as well) and the largest crowd for a USF home game against no. 5 Mountaineers (I barely got to watch it cause of LSATs the next day). They would go on to obliterate UCF the succeeding week and garner the no. 2 rankings in the BCS standings.
This was then followed up by 3 straight losses by a combined 15 points.
In 2008, the team would get as high as no. 10 in the rankings, only to lose 5 of the next 7, culminating with a beat down by Rutgers (!?!?).
Fortunately, I got to witness the win in Tallahassee in 2009. Which was followed by another 5 losses of the next 7 stretch, including another loss to Rutgers (!?!?, again).
Then Leavitt was fired and Skip Holtz ushered in the first rough stretch from 2011-2015, but saw the team turnaround with Willie Taggart. Taggart was able to get the team to go 11-2 his last year and most of that team returned for Charlie Strong to sleep walk to a 9-1 record going into the final game of the 2017 season against undefeated rival UCF.
check out our sponsor in st. pete on 28th st and 17th ave n
That was the program's last biggest game of it's history. In the best game in the War on I-4’s history, the teams went blow for blow. Quinton Flowers put up a monster game, but just as the Bulls were able to tie the game, they would lose it on the ensuing kickoff return that went for a touchdown.
USF has been there countless times over the years. From weeknight losses in the Big East to forgetful performances against higher ranked teams to !?!?!?! Rutgers.
Battered bull syndrome is a real thing.
The college football gods have Lucyied us countless times just as us Charlie Browns thought we were gonna be able to kick the ball and join the upper echelons of the sport, only for them to pull it at the last second and for us to land on our faces.
Funny thing is, this game will be followed the next couple of weeks with the next biggest game in program history. If they beat Navy, then the UAB game becomes monumental. And so forth with the Rice game. And the American Conference championship game thereafter. And, finally, potentially a CFP game.
Bulls' fans nerves fans will be tested for at least month.
Can they finally get over just being a team with potential and finally capitalize on their position?
We have all been there, from those Thursday nights in the Big East to the beatdowns after getting highly ranked. USF’s humble beginnings in those trailers in the late 90s, have kept fans expectations in check for 30 years.
But now with the on campus stadium and football facilities coming in less than two years, the hiring of Rob Higgins and Derrick Brooks (Selmon’s Buc to Bull successor), and the possibility of getting back into a major conference to compete with the blue bloods of college football; USF hopes to capitalize on their great run so far this year and take that proverbial next step.
Which will be followed by the next step.
And the next.
And so on.
That’s how it goes when your building from a trailer park and trying to get to the penthouse. Us Bulls’ fans are just hoping we don’t Rutger this moment. Lord knows we sure have for far too long.
