TAMPA, Fla. (Sep. 8, 2023) – South Florida (0-1, 0-0 AAC) aims to move on from its loss at Western Kentucky Saturday night when it hosts to Florida A&M (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) at Raymond James Stadium.

Kickoff for the Bull’s home opener is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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The Rattlers travel to Tampa coming off of an impressive 28-10 win over Jackson State, one of the best programs in the FCS over the past few seasons.

The Bulls have never lost to FAMU, holding a 4-0 record against the Rattlers. Most recently USF defeated FAMU a 38-17 win in 2021 at Raymond James.

South Florida head coach Alex Golesh, however, has been adamant his team won’t overlook anyone this season, saying at Tuesday's press conference, “They're tough, I mean they’re a good football team regardless of division or any of that. I don't think you approach it any different at all, we have not approached it any different."

Florida A&M

This FAMU offense is fueled by their running game, racking up 207 yards on the ground last week in the Orange Blossom Classic. The Rattlers ground attack is a three back committee with graduate student Terrell Jennings, redshirt junior Jaquez Yant and senior Kelvin Dean sharing carries. The Bulls will need sound tackling against these big running backs, who weigh in at an average of 220-pounds.

Bulls defensive coordinator Todd Orlando touched on FAMU’s offensive approach at a Wednesday press conference saying, “They’ve got powerful backs, its unique some of the stuff they do. “It's power football at its finest."

Senior quarterback Jeremy Moussa is the leader of the offense and aims to be just as efficient as he was last week. Moussa, who is the SWAC preseason offensive player of the year, went 12-22 for 150 yards versus Jackson State, with two touchdowns and no picks.

He will look to get the ball to into Jah’Marae Sheread after linking up with the graduate receiver five times for 90 yards and a score last weekend.

The Florida A&M defense is bolstered by graduate defensive back Javan Morgan, junior corner Kendall Bohler, and graduate linebacker Isaiah Majors, all of whom received preseason first-team All-SWAC nods.

This defense forced three fumbles last week and recovered two, showing their ability to play fast and physically. This unit also totaled four sacks, so the Bull’s offensive line will need to protect the quarterback better come Saturday.

Jack’s Take

After a tough loss last week in Bowling Green, coach Golesh and his staff will look to start his tenure in Raymond James with a win. FAMU was picked to win the SWAC East division during the preseason, so by no means is this a layup game for the Bulls, something Golesh has preached all week. Saturday’s game will be a great chance for this football team to test themselves and make adjustments before Alabama comes to town on Sep. 16.

I believe that South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown and the Bulls passing game will bounce back this week, leading to a strong 34-17 victory.