GAINESVILLE, Fla. — South Florida pulled off its second straight upset over a ranked opponent on Saturday, taking down No. 22 Florida 18-16 in a dramatic finish at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
A chaotic final drive capped by a 20-yard game-winning field goal from Nico Gramatica sealed the victory for the Bulls (2-0), who notched their first-ever win over Florida (1-1) in five attempts. The Gators, plagued by penalties and poor late-game decision-making, handed USF all the help it needed in the closing moments.
Florida racked up 11 penalties for 103 yards—including two costly ones on South Florida’s final possession. A pass interference call on cornerback Dijon Johnson and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for spitting on defensive lineman Brendan Bett, who was subsequently ejected, extended the Bulls’ game-winning drive.
“We created it. We deserve it,” said Gators head coach Billy Napier, who found himself once again facing criticism from the fan base. “There’s no excuse here. If you play football like that, you’re going to be criticized.”
Napier’s questionable clock management in the final minutes only intensified scrutiny. Despite leading late, Florida called two pass plays instead of running down the clock, then failed to pick up a first down and burned just 20 seconds. That gave South Florida enough time to mount an 87-yard drive for the win.
Earlier, Gramatica had missed a 58-yard field goal with under three minutes left, but Florida’s blunders gave him a second chance—and he didn’t miss twice.
Offensively, the Gators moved the ball well enough, totaling 355 yards. But they repeatedly stalled in the red zone and settled for three early field goals, unable to put the game out of reach. A defensive lapse in the second half also proved costly, as Florida’s secondary appeared out of sync and allowed a 66-yard touchdown after miscommunication.
Napier, now 20-20 overall and 14-7 at home, has opened his last four seasons with a 1-1 record. After the game, he emphasized the need for accountability and rapid improvement.
“We’re going to get back to work and fix it,” he said. “That’s all we can do.”
Florida cornerback Devin Moore echoed that sentiment, expressing frustration but also determination.
“These are guys I’ve bled and cried with,” Moore said. “I’m ready to get back to work, clean this film up, and improve.”
For South Florida and third-year coach Alex Golesh, the win marks another massive step in the program’s resurgence. Last week, the Bulls upset then-No. 25 Boise State and are now poised to crack the AP Top 25 for the first time under Golesh.
“This is a group of guys who believed in the vision when it wasn’t the popular thing to do,” Golesh said postgame.
Poll Watch
South Florida is expected to enter the AP rankings after back-to-back wins over ranked teams. Florida, meanwhile, is likely to drop out following the upset.
Notable Stat
USF became just the third unranked team since 2000 to open a season 2-0 by defeating two ranked teams, joining 2012 Oregon State and 2008 East Carolina.
Bigger Picture for Florida
While true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway showed signs of rust, the issues ran deeper. The Gators’ offensive line struggled in protection and failed to establish a consistent ground game, particularly in key moments.
What’s Next:
South Florida: Travels to face No. 5 Miami next Saturday, continuing a tough early-season stretch with a third straight ranked opponent.
Florida: Heads to Baton Rouge to take on No. 3 LSU. The Gators haven’t won at Tiger Stadium since 2016.
