Sebastian Font, Co-Sports Editor
When analyzing Miami’s schedule before the year, few would’ve predicted Miami’s week three matchup with USF to be a top-20 battle. But following upset wins over ranked opponents in Boise State and Florida, the Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the country and ranked 18th as a result.
And while USF is riding high, the No.5 Hurricanes will quickly bring them down to earth this Saturday.
USF only registered three quarterback pressures against Florida last week, with none coming from defensive lineman. Now having to face arguably the best offensive line group in the nation, the Bulls simply cannot match up with the ’Canes.
Across the opening two weeks, Miami has consistently ran the ball in between the tackles as they chip away at opposing defenses.
Expect to see Miami lean on the run game once again, slowly wearing down the USF defense all night as the Hurricanes storm ahead in the second half..
Final Score: Miami 34, USF 13
Jayden Gonzalez, Co-Sports Editor
The Bulls have become an early Cinderella story in college football, snatching back-to-back wins against ranked opponents to begin the season.
Dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown has put No. 18 South Florida in a position to be the early college football playoff favorite from the Group of Five.
However, No. 5 Miami has played its best ball as of late, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down. In their first two games of the season, defensive lineman Reuben Bain and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa have led the Hurricanes to one of the top teams in the trenches.
For UM to win another ranked game against a feisty USF team, it has to have the same mentality as it did against Notre Dame and Bethune-Cookman. The ’Canes are ultimately more talented and deeper than the Bulls and it will come down to execution for Miami to keep rolling.
Final Score: Miami 34, USF 17
Zach Cohen, Senior Staff Writer
An unexpected heavyweight matchup between No. 5 Miami and No.18 USF could be the best game of the weekend.
USF has the chance to start the season 3-0, with all wins against ranked teams. The last time that happened was when the Miami Hurricanes did so in 1987.
The ’Canes don’t want to break that historical feat, and with a poised defense, they should be in good shape.
If Miami can get through the offensive line quickly and pressure quarterback Byrum Brown, it should force three-and-out drives. Brown excels when he has time in the pocket, as he can find a gap and scramble for positive yardage. Miami has the opportunity to take that away.
The Hurricanes need to play turnover-free football on both sides of the ball and with this, Miami has the upper hand and should pull away with a victory.
Final Score: Miami 33, USF 20
Brendan Cafferty, Staff Writer
As both teams enter this weekend defending their 2-0 records, this matchup of “South Florida” teams is the tensest it’s been in ages.
USF, unranked at the beginning of the season, has climbed to 18th in the nation per the AP poll with wins against last year’s offensive juggernaut Boise State and Florida.
Miami, initially ranked 10th nationally, has bumped up to fifth after upsetting Notre Dame and blowing out Bethune Cookman, both at home.
UM makes their home stand on Family Weekend, planning for Byrum Brown and the intense USF run game.
This will be a game won in the trenches, and despite the Knights talented offense, the Hurricanes dominant defensive line coupled with a high-octane pass game will keep them the victors of South Florida five years running.
Final Score: Miami 38, USF 24
Bella Armstrong, Contributing Writer
Coming off a dominant 45–3 win over Bethune-Cookman, the No.5 Miami Hurricanes will look to extend their win streak at home against No. 18 South Florida.
After knocking the Gators out of the Top 25 last weekend, USF enters this matchup riding high.
The Bulls are masters of capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes, and will test the Hurricanes ability to execute with precision. Quarterback Byrum Brown, wide receiver Keshaun Singleton, and kicker Nico Gramatica—who nailed the game-winning field goal against Florida last weekend—lead a team that thrives under pressure.
But with Carson Beck at quarterback, Mark Fletcher Jr. and CJ Daniels charging into the end zone, and freshman Malachi Toney proving to be a valuable and dangerous weapon, Miami has been looking like a well-oiled machine.
Expect early endzone action, strong defensive stands, and a nail-biting finale.
Miami edges South Florida—but only in the closing moments.
Hurricanes 32, Bulls 29
Anirudh Kannan, Contributing Writer
Both ranked in the AP top 25 heading into this matchup, USF and UM will face off this Saturday in what promises to be an electrifying matchup.
South Florida is coming off back to back upsets against ranked opponents and will test Miami, but it’s hard to bet against the likes of the Hurricanes given how hot they’ve started their own season. The ’Canes opened up their 2025 campaign smoking hot, overcoming Notre Dame in a 27-24 thriller followed by a 42-3 rout of Bethune-Cookman.
Miami’s wide receiver core headed by CJ Daniels and Malachi Toney exhibits exceptional chemistry with transfer quarterback Carson Beck, while Rueben Bain Jr. has begun his junior year at Miami with 1.5 sacks and two forced turnovers.
USF could make this one interesting, but the combination of Miami’s homefield advantage and individual talent is too much for the Bulls to handle as UM continues their winning streak.
Final Score: Miami 31, USF 20
Omar Pinto, Contributing Writer
The Hurricanes started off the season 2-0 and are looking better than ever going into week three.
However, after beating back to back ranked teams in their first two weeks, the South Florida Bulls will storm into Hard Rock Stadium as an unexpected early-season challenge – creating a top-20 matchup no one saw coming.
The Bulls early success comes from their clutch play late on both sides of the football. Their defense has only given up one second half score through two games, and their offense marched 87 yards in the final three minutes to take down the Gators in the swamp last week.
However, the Bulls’ gritty, “bend but don’t break” style of play does not match up well with the high-powered offense and stifling defense possessed by the ’Canes.
With 836 total yards through two games, as well as four turnovers forced, Miami has looked excellent on both sides of the football. Their offensive firepower and strong pass rush will be too much for the Bulls to earn their third straight ranked upset. Miami takes this one handily.
Final Score: Miami 38, South Florida 20
Olivia Attalla, Contributing Writer
The Miami Hurricane will run it back versus USF as the Bulls can’t survive the Hurricane’s physicality.
This game is going to be centered around Miami’s offensive line versus USF defensive tackles. The ’Canes led by quarterback Carson Beck have been unstoppable this season with the offense putting up 72 points across their opening two games.
USF is coming off two great wins, namely upsetting the Florida Gators 18-16, and their defense will have to step up once again if the Bulls want a chance versus Miami.
Regardless, this is going to be a great game at Hard Rock Stadium with playoff implications. But Miami will be the one to get the ranked win on Saturday.
Final Score: Miami 33, USF 29