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Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, Hawai’i
South Florida Bulls Notes
USF DRIVE STARTERS
• Bulls seek 8th bowl win in 12th appearance, have scored at least 20 points in 10 straight bowl appearances. • USF averaging 486 yards and 39.3 points over last six games, led FBS scoring 201 points in November. • Golesh posts 13th win, tied for 2nd-most in first two seasons for USF coach, 2nd to lead team to bowls in first two FBS seasons. • SR WR Atkins has 30 straight games with a catch (2nd at USF), 24 of 25 with 4+ (leads FBS), 74 shy of career receiving yards mark. • Defense 5th nationally in tackles for loss (8.0), No. 4 in fumbles recovered (12) and No. 12 in turnovers – gaining 10 in last 3 games. • Bulls winning by an average margin of 28.5 ppg in six victories. • SR RB Kelley Joiner 6th on USF career rushing chart (2,178). 4 Bulls post a top two recruiting class in AAC and Group of 5 for second straight year, add 25 in early signing period. • $340-million on-campus stadium/operations center ground broken on Nov. 8, latest in $366-million investment in football
BULLS TO MAKE 12TH BOWL APPEARANCE IN FIRST TRIP TO HAWAI‘I
South Florida will make its second-straight bowl appearance under second-year head coach Alex Golesh at the Hawai‘i Bowl in Honolulu, Hawai’i. It will mark the first back-to-back bowl appearance in six years, 10th different bowl destination for the Bulls and the sixth different state or province (the Bulls played one bowl in Canada) for USF to compete in a bowl game. The second meeting ever with San Jose State will mark USF’s first-ever game in Hawai‘i and, at nearly 4,700 miles from Tampa, the farthest destination the Bulls have ever played away from home. USF won at San Jose State 42-22 in the first game of the 2017 season in the first meeting between the programs.
BOWLING:
The Bulls have won seven of their previous 11 bowl appearances, including three of the last four and a 45-0 victory over Syracuse in the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl. USF’s 12 bowl appearances in its first 24 FBS seasons mark the fourth-most for any program since 1980. San Jose State will mark the first Mountain West Conference opponent for the Bulls in a bowl game. USF is 2-2 all-time vs. the conference.
GOLESH HAS BULLS FINISHING STRONG:
• The Bulls won four of their last six games to gain bowl eligibility. • USF saw its yards per game increase from 344.7 in the first six games to 486.5 over the last six while its scoring average increased from 24.6 ppg to 39.3 ppg. Meanwhile, the defense produced 56 tackles for loss compared to 38 in the first six games and 14 turnovers compared to 10. • USF is 4-3 after Oct. 1 in 2024. The Bulls four wins after Oct. 1 in 2023 were the program’s most since 2017 (5). USF is 8-6 under Golesh after Oct. 1. In five seasons from 2018-22, USF went 7-33 after Oct. 1. Over the five seasons before Golesh’s arrival, USF had totaled 15 wins overall, including 1 the year before his arrival and 4 total from 2020-22. • USF’s 201 points in November led all of FBS and marked the second-highest scoring month in program history behind October 2016 (207). The Bulls 347 points in November the last two seasons are the most in FBS, and USF’s 39.9 ppg average in the month ranks 8th in FBS.
STORY LINES
• Quarterback: Bryce Archie started USF’s last seven games, going 4-3, as Byrum Brown has been out since suffering a lower leg injury on Sept. 28 early in the third quarter of a loss at Tulane. Archie, who played most of the second half of the Tulane game and has seen action in nine total games on the year, passed Brown as the Bulls’ leading passer (1,679 yards, 9 TD) on the season after throwing for a season-best 305 yards and two touchdowns vs. Tulsa. Brown, who is steadily making progress in his return, started the Bulls’ first five games after starting all 13 last season. He is 2-3 on the year as the Bulls faced the No. 8-ranked schedule through week 5.
• Scoring Surge: USF scored 201 points in November, the most of any FBS team. The Bulls averaged 40.2 points per game in the month, breaking the 50-point mark twice and 40 three times. USF scored 28 points or more in all but one game, a 28-7 set back to Navy. Strong third quarters fueled much of that scoring as USF’s 123 points in the third quarter on the year rank tied for fifth most in FBS. USF has scored at least a touchdown in the third quarter of each of its six wins and has averaged 17.6 ppg in the third quarter in those wins, including a program record 31 at Charlotte and 24 vs. FAU, both in November.
• Atkins’ Career Record Pursuit: WR Sean Atkins, a former walk-on, posted USF season records in 2023 of 92 catches and the first 1,000-yard receiving season (1,054) in program history. He stands on the USF charts: 1st in receptions (189); 2nd receiving yards (2,063), 5th in receiving TD (12).
• Wide Margins: Through Game 11, South Florida was one of only four FBS teams not to have a game decided by fewer than 10 points. That changed with a 35-28 loss at Rice, which was a 21-point game midway through the fourth quarter. The only seasons in USF FBS history (since 2001) when the Bulls didn’t have multiple games decided by single digits were 2009 and 2005 (once each year). USF’s average margin of victory in six wins is now 28.5 ppg (closest 10), while six losses have come by an average of 24.5 ppg (closest 7).
• Take Care of the Ball: Over the past two seasons, the Bulls are 2-10 when committing multiple turnovers and 11-2 when they don’t. USF is now 10-1 when collecting two or more turnovers from opponents during that span, including getting 5 vs. Tulsa.
• Road Runners: USF posted its eighth road game with 200+ rushing yards since the start of the 2023 season in a win at Charlotte (425), tied for the most in FBS with Air Force and Liberty. USF has posted six 200+ rushing games the year, four on the road, and four 300-plus rushing games, three on the road. The Bulls have averaged 229.7 rushing yards in 13 road games since the start of 2023 season.
NOTING THE OPPONENT: SAN JOSE STATE
• All-Time Overview: San Jose State football was established in 1893, and since their first regular season in 1898, the team has produced over 90 All-America team members, won 17 conference championships, and sent 139 players to the NFL, including Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil. The program is 517-538-38 (.490) all-time, with a 7-6 record in bowl games, having lost the Hawai’i Bowl game in 2023 to Coastal Carolina University by a score of 24-14.
• 2024 Overview: The Spartans are led by head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who arrived at SJSU after spending the 2023 season at UCLA in an admin role. The Spartans got off to a 3-0 start, with wins over Sacramento State, Air Force, and Kennesaw State, but fell 54-52 to Washington State in 2OT. San Jose saw two ranked opponents this season, No. 13 Boise State (L, 42-21) and No. 23 UNLV (L, 27-16), losing both at home. SJSU finished off the season beating Stanford 34-31 at home.
• Offensive Standouts: San Jose St. WR Nick Nash won the FBS receiving triple-crown this year, leading the nation in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382) and receiving TDs (16). The sixth year senior set program records in all three categories this year. In week five vs. Nevada, QB Walker Eget was called into the game and led the Spartans on a game-tying possession and a go-ahead scoring drive. Eget remained the starter and completed 155 of 270 passes for 2,224 passing yards and 11 passing TDs. Eget ranks fifth in the nation in yards per completion (14.35). San Jose St. ranks fifth in the nation in passing offense with 325.3 yards per game.
• Defensive Standouts: San Jose St. is tied for the nation lead with 20 interceptions, and third in league in turnovers gained with 27. San Jose St. S Robert Rahimi is third in the nation in interceptions with five himself, and the team has returned three turnovers back for scores, ranking ninth in the nation. San Jose St. LB Jordan Pollard leads the team with 110 tackles. The team as a whole ranks 16th in the nation in tackles for a loss per game (7.2)
San Jose State Spartans Notes
OPENING DRIVE
• The defending co-regular season Mountain West champions from 2023 are in their fourth bowl game in the last five years and a third bowl game in a row for the first time in SJSU history. • The Spartans have seven or more wins in a season for three straight seasons for the first time since 1980-82 and it’s the first time they’ve had seven or more wins in four out of five years since 1978-82. • The Spartans haven’t had eight wins in a season since 2012. • The Spartans were picked 10th in the Mountain West preseason poll and have the best regular season record out of any FBS school in California. • The Spartans are 13-6 in their last 19 games overall and are 9-4 in their last 13 conference games. • The Spartans were the first FBS school in California to become bowl-eligible. • This is the second time the Spartans have played in the same bowl game in back-to-back seasons and only the third time overall they are going to a bowl game they’ve been to before. • The Spartans have won seven bowl games ever, new head coach Ken Niumatalolo has six bowl wins as a head coach. • The seven regular season wins are the most for an SJSU head coach in their first season since Ron Turner won seven in 1992. • The Spartans had 11 first-time FBS starters in their game vs. Sac State (8/29/24), which was the fifth most in the country. The Spartans have started 21 first-time FBS starters this season, the country’s fourth-most. • The Spartans had seven home games for the first time since 2006 and are 15-4 in their last 19 games at CEFCU Stadium and 21-7 at CEFCU Stadium since 2020. • The Spartans ended the regular season with three straight home games for the first time since 1979. • Against No. 13 Boise State and No. 23 UNLV, it was the first time ever the Spartans have hosted ranked teams on back-to-back weeks. The Spartans had played ranked teams back-to-back seven times before and as recently as last season at No. 6 USC and home against No. 18 Oregon State. • The Spartans had five takeaways against Sac State (8/29/24), which was the most takeaways for SJSU since having six against New Mexico on Oct. 4, 2019. • SJSU has forced 27 turnovers this season, which is good for third in the nation and first in the MW. The Spartans’ 20 interceptions are good for first in the nation and the Spartans have a takeaway in every game this season. The SJSU single-season record is 32 in 2012. • Against Nevada (10/5/24), the Spartans had no turnovers for the only time this season. • Nick Nash had a receiving touchdown in 10 consecutive games prior to No. 23 UNLV (11/22/23). At the time, it was the longest active streak in FBS and an SJSU record, plus was the longest streak to start a season in MW history. • Nash has more touchdown receptions (16) than 38 FBS schools have thrown this season. • This season, Nash was only the fourth player to earn the receiving triple crown by leading all FBS players outright in receptions (104), receiving touchdowns (16), and receiving yards (1,382). He also led the country in receiving yards per game (115.2) and receptions per game (8.7). • Nash was named SJSU’s first-ever Biletnikoff Award finalist and the first for the Mountain West since 2017. He was only the ninth group of five players to be a finalist for the Biletnikoff this century and the last group of five players to win the award was in 1998. • Nash is the new SJSU single-season record holder with 104 receptions. Noel Grigsby had 89 in 2011 and is now second in SJSU history. Zay Jones has the FBS single-season record of 158 in 2016 for ECU. • Nash was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week (9/16/24) following his career-high 17 receptions for a career-best 225 yards with three touchdown catches in the game. It was the second time in his career Nash has caught three touchdown passes in a game (8/26/23 at No. 6 USC). • Nash is second in SJSU history with 25 receiving touchdowns and has only been a true wide receiver for 26 games. He is four away from the record by Chandler Jones from 2010-13 and his 16 touchdown receptions are a SJSU single-season record. • Nash broke the SJSU regular-season reception record of 15 against Kennesaw State with 17 receptions (9/14/24) set by Tuati Wooden (vs. Tulsa, 2003), Steven Pulley (vs. Stanford, 1999), and Guy Liggins (vs. Fresno State, 1986). • Nash had 17 (9/14/24 vs. Kennesaw State) and 16 receptions (9/20/24 at WSU). The 17 receptions are tied for the most for an FBS wide receiver in a single game this season. • Nash has 10 or more receptions in four games this season, which ties an SJSU record (Evan Jurovich, 2007). • Nash is the third FBS player since 1996 to have 50+ receptions and 8+ touchdown receptions through the team’s first four games of the season (Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree in 2007 and Louisiana Tech’s Troy Edwards in 1998).
