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On September 6, 1997 the South Florida Bulls played the first game in program history at Tampa Stadium (at the time named Houlihan Stadium) before a crowd of 49,212 fans. It was the largest crowd to be in attendance for a schools inaugural game in NCAA history at the time. The Bulls played seven home games that year and had a total of 231,271 fans show up to their games.

14 years later and 1,200 miles to the west of Tampa on September 3, 2011 the UTSA Roadrunners played their first game in program history at the Alamodome. That day UTSA took South Florida's spot atop the rankings for largest crowd to see a school's inaugural football game. A crowd of 56,743 gathered in the Alamodome to see the Roadrunners begin their football adventure. UTSA played six home games in its inaugural season and was unable to beat South Florida's total but it did surpass South Florida's NCAA record for average crowd size in an inaugural season.

Similarities to the schools go beyond the football teams. Both San Antonio and Tampa have long histories with the Military, in Tampa's case Fort Brooke in the 19th century and Hillsborough Army Air Field in the 20th century.

After World War II the Florida legislature chose the Hillsborough Army Air Field as the site for a new university and called it the University of South Florida. It earned the "South Florida" name because when founded in the mid 1950s it was the southernmost university in the state.

South Florida started its athletic program in 1965 three years after the school adopted Golden Brahmans as its mascot. The school changed its nickname to Bulls in 1981 and started football in 1997.

The Bulls Football team had a fast rise. After four seasons as an FCS independent the Bulls moved up to FBS and spent two years as an independent and two years in Conference USA before joining the Big East in 2005. The Big East at the time was one of the major BCS conferences. Just two years after joining the conference the Bulls climbed as high as number two in the country during the chaotic 2007 season. South Florida only stayed number two for a week as they went on a three-game losing streak and eventually finished the season 9-4.

After 2007 the Bulls did not reach nine wins again until 2016 when they finished 11-2, their first of two years in a row with 10 wins. Since starting their football program in 1997 the Bulls have gone 166-153. In the years since 2011 the Bulls are 63-91.

Between 2020-2022, the Bulls won just four games. After last season the Bulls fired Jeff Scott and named Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Alex Golesh as the sixth head coach in program history. In just his first year at South Florida Golesh has the Bulls back on the right track. The Bulls 5-5 record is their best since the 2018 season which is also the last time before this season that they won three games in conference play.

In their 10 games this season the Bulls have been outscored by their opponents 356-301 (35.6-30.1 per game). The Roadrunners enter their final home game of the regular season having outscored their opponents 315-246 (31.5-24.6 per game) through 10 games this season.

UTSA's offense has picked up 4,077 yards this season (407.7 per game). The Roadrunners have thrown for 2,380 yards (238 per game) and run for 1,697 yards (169.7 per game).

Facing the Roadrunners is a South Florida defense that has given 4,524 yards to opponents (452.4 per game). Opponents of South Florida have thrown for 3,031 yards (303.1 per game) and run for 1,493 yards (149.3 per game).

South Florida averages 80 plays per game and their up tempo offense has racked up 4,534 yards this season (453.4 per game). The Bulls have thrown for 2,646 yards (264.6 per game) and run for 1,888 yards (188.8 per game) this season.

The Roadrunners defense has faced a few offenses that liked to run up tempo this season. Opponents of the Roadrunners have 3,652 yards this season (365.2 per game). The 10 teams UTSA has played this year have combined for 2,367 yards passing (236.7 per game) and 1,285 yards rushing (128.5 per game).

If the game comes down to turnovers UTSA is minus-one this season. The Roadrunners have 14 turnovers on offense (9 interceptions, five fumbles lost) and 13 takeaways on defense (seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries). South Florida has the same number of turnovers on offense and defense with 17.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Friday night will be senior night for the Roadrunners. 21 players will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Included in that ceremony will be Frank Harris and Joshua Cephus. Harris has played in eight of the 10 games this season and completed 162 of his 252 pass attempts for 1,897 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harris has also run for 183 yards and a touchdown on 63 carries.

Cephus has led the Roadrunner receiving corps with 67 catches for 803 yards and eight touchdowns. Harris can also count on Tykee Ogle-Kellogg (28 catches for 481 yards and six touchdowns) and Devin McCuin (29 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns). Harris and tight end Oscar Cardenas have teamed up for some of the greatest passes in program history. This season Cardenas has 24 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown.

South Florida counters with Byrum Brown at quarterback. Brown has completed 212 of his 332 pass attempts for 2,538 yards and 18 touchdowns. Sean Atkins has been Brown's top target this season. Atkins has caught 69 passes for 808 yards and four touchdowns. Nalem Simmons also has four touchdowns to go with 543 yards on 31 catches.

In the running game UTSA has its trio of running backs in Kevorian Barnes, Robert Henry and Rocko Griffin. Barnes missed the Rice game last week but he leads the Roadrunners with 606 yards on 127 carries. Barnes has scored four touchdowns this season, second to Robert Henry who has six to go with 482 yards on 89 carries. Griffin has 68 carries for 395 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Brown leads the Bulls in carries with 168 and rushing touchdowns with nine to go with 659 yards. Nay'Quan Wright leads the Bulls in rushing yards with 690 on 145 carries. Wright has also scored six touchdowns.

The Roadrunners defense will certainly have their hands full with the Bulls but they have shown in conference play that they are up to the challenge of these up tempo offenses. Linebacker Trey Moore will go into the game against South Florida with 14 sacks this season. Moore needs half a sack to tie the American conference record for sacks in a season. Moore is also 1.5 sacks away from tying for the top spot in the country for sacks this season.

Kleenex will see a tidy profit in the San Antonio area on Friday night. It will be an emotional senior night for fans and families of the players as some of the greatest Roadrunners in program history play in the Alamodome for the final time.

South Florida is on the rise this season but the Alamodome crowd is going to want to give all they can to help boost the Roadrunners in what may be their final time seeing the Roadrunners in the Alamodome until next August.

The game starting at 8 p.m. on a Friday could also be an advantage for the Roadrunners as it will be a 9 p.m. start in Tampa and the Bulls will have to adjust to being an hour behind their normal time zone.

The Bulls offense will try to go fast but the Roadrunners can slow that tempo down by causing havoc in the backfield. If they can get pressure on Brown and keep him from breaking off too many runs the Roadrunners defense will be in good shape.

UTSA's offense should try to replicate their experience from the past couple of weeks when they've found the best way to defend against good offenses is to have long drives that result in points.

There is a lot to like about this matchup going forward based on the history of the programs. On Friday night the Roadrunners will get the first win in the series against South Florida and keep alive their hopes of concluding their inaugural AAC season in championship triumph.

PREDICTION: UTSA 35 South Florida 24

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way