South Florida football head coach Alex Golesh has created an electric atmosphere at USF. His star quarterback Byrum Brown described the feeling. Now Golesh is aiming to shrink the gap on Florida's powerhouses this week.
The 41-year-old head coach has led the Bulls to two epic upsets already. USF toppled a previously ranked Boise State team to kick off the season. Then knocked off annual Sunshine State power Florida on a walk-off field goal.
Now No. 5 Miami awaits inside Hard Rock Stadium. Golesh appeared on the Triple Option podcast Wednesday to discuss the highly-anticipated battle. Except he wants Saturday to become an opportunity to further embolden USF football within the state, then the nation.
“We're trying to compete with Florida who has been playing football for 130 whatever years. And Florida State has been playing football for 130 years. Miami, name them. Like, how do you close the gap?” Golesh asked the hosts. “Well, the investment's got to be huge. You've got to do more than has ever been done here before if you want to be in the conversation for whatever this landscape ends up looking like. And the pressure to win is simply the fact that we are in a race against really ourselves to get there as fast as we can.”
Alex Golesh leading underdog USF against Miami
South Florida earned the No. 18 spot by the AP Top 25 poll. Yet enters the 305 region as a big underdog.
Oddsmakers currently list the Bulls a 15.5-point underdog against No. 5 Miami. The Hurricanes bring newly energized quarterback play through past national title winner Carson Beck — who shares the same QB trainer with Brown.
Golesh must prepare for a deep crop of wide receivers featuring another College Football Transfer Portal addition in CJ Daniels, plus top freshman Malachi Toney. But the head coach and Brown will encounter a fast-improving defense.
Miami contained one Heisman Trophy contender in Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love — limiting him to just 33 yards in the 27-24 Hurricanes win. New defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has flipped this unit.
USF, however, will spark top 10 conversations by stunning the ‘Canes.
