2023 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 3: at South Florida

BamaCentral takes a long first look at each of the Crimson Tide's upcoming opponents this season, including the first trip to visit South Florida as part of a 2-for-1 home-and-home.

South Florida Athletics

No, that's not a typo on your schedule. Alabama is actually traveling to Tampa to play South Florida, on the road, this football season. 

Back in the spring of 2019, the Crimson Tide scheduled a 2-for-1 series with the Bulls, one that will see Alabama travel to Raymond James Stadium, home of South Florida as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in 2023. The Bulls will repay the visit twice, coming to Tuscaloosa in 2024 and 2026.

This was a unique scheduling tactic, but one that followed the trend started last season of Alabama playing significantly more non-conference games away from home. The series was scheduled just one year removed from a 10-2 season for South Florida under head coach Charlie Strong, but since then it has been all downhill for a once-consistent program in the late-2000's.

Last season, South Florida was unquestionably one of the worst teams in all of college football. The Bulls started the season 1-8, firing head coach Jeff Scott in his third season, and finished the season with an abysmal 1-11 record. In all three season's of Scott's tenure, he never won more than two games. 

But once you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up, right?

That's where USF's newest head coach, Alex Golesh comes in. Golesh was hired as the sixth head coach in the school's history, previously serving as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee under Josh Heupel. Golesh received plenty of recognition for his role in the Volunteers' meteoric rise last year, being named a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the best assistant coach in college football.

As it typically comes with a coaching change, especially in the new era of the transfer portal, the Bulls experienced major roster turnover from a season ago. In total, Golesh has brough in 43 new players for 2023, including 18 recruits and 25 transfers. Those additions will look to improve upon the roster that was left over after many of South Florida's best players hit the portal after the disastrous season.

Offense

Just like Alabama, South Florida enters the season with a quarterback battle on its hands. 

Senior Gerry Bohanon won the job in 2022 after transferring in from Baylor, and threw for just over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury in the seventh game of the year. 

Then, after another quarterback went down with an injury, true freshman Byrum Brown stepped in to start the final two games of the year. In just four appearances, maintaining his redshirt, he completed over 70 percent of his passes and threw five touchdowns to only one interception. 

Bohanon and Brown are the presumed leaders for the job, but other freshmen and transfers could find themselves in the mix as well. 

Golesh comes to Tampa off the heels of a season in which he led Tennessee to a No. 1 ranking in virtually every offensive category, including points per game, yards per game, points per possession and yards per play. Schematically, he has one of the brightest minds of any young coach in the game, but where the issue lies will be his personnel. 

USF's leading rusher last season, Brian Battie, transferred to Auburn after rushing for over 1,000 yards and being selected as an All-American kick returner. Replacing him is Florida transfer Nay'quan Wright, who amassed only 753 yards over his four-year career with the Gators, never getting many opportunities. 

On the outside, the Bulls' only two wideouts to record over 500 receiving yards hit the portal, and both wound up at Colorado with Deion Sanders. The top two returning receivers are Sean Atkins and Yusuf Terry, who combined for just 26 catches last season. Additionally, 300-yard Minnesota receiver Michael Brown Stephens transferred in and should make an immediate impact.

Golesh will certainly attempt to implement his high-powered offense in Tampa, but for this first year at the very least, he likely doesn't have the players to extract the production needed to be successful.

Defense

The defensive side of the ball is more of an unknown when it comes to scheme, as this is Golesh's first head coaching gig and he has never helmed or overseen a collegiate defense before.

Golesh's first hire as head coach was defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who recently turned Florida Atlantic into a top-25 statistical defense. Prior to his time at FAU, he was the defensive coordinator at powers USC and Texas.

But just like the offense, the issue may once again lie with the lack of talent on the field. 

Linebacker Dwayne Boyles, USF's only All-AAC selection or honorable mention from the defense last year, has graduated. Because of the roster turnover, only two true starters from last season are back, both secondary players in Aamaris Brown and Timarcus Simpson. 

However, last season USF ranked 131st out of 131 teams in total defense, so as was stated earlier, there's nowhere to go but up?

Schedule

These two teams will meet in Week Three this season. For Alabama, it'll be the first game after a visit from Texas, which will be one of its biggest games of the year. 

USF starts with a road trip against Western Kentucky, but plays host to Florida A&M in Week Two where it could easily get the first win of the Golesh era, if it doesn't have it already. 

Both teams will undoubtedly have one win coming into this matchup, and there's a chance both could be sitting at 2-0.

The gametime for this one has already been announced: a 2:30 p.m. CT kick on ABC. It's going to be a hot one for these squads in the Sunshine State.

Outlook

Yes, it's a road game, but let's be real, South Florida is not going to win this game. Alabama is simply too talented across all areas of the field. 

Seeing Alabama play a road game against a non-Power Five team is incredibly unique, and is the home game of a lifetime for fans of South Florida, but this one should end in a comfortable Crimson Tide victory. 

And with this game following the Texas game, Alabama fans might have their answer at quarterback by the time this one wraps up.

Prediction

Alabama 41, South Florida 9

Alabama at South Florida

The Game

Date: Sept. 16

Time: 2:30 p.m.

TV: ABC

Location: Raymond James Stadium (capacity 75,000)

Series: Crimson Tide leads 1-0

Last meeting: Mike Shula's first game as Alabama's head coach saw the Crimson Tide score 33 unanswered points following a sluggish start in route to a 40-17 victory at Legion Field. The 2003 season opener was highlighted by Shaud Williams running for 98 yards and three touchdowns. With the offensive struggling, Alabama's first score came on a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Charlie Peprah. Quarterback Brodie Croyle completed 14 of 27 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown. 

Dale Zanine / USA Today Sports

The Team

The Coach: Alex Golesh (first year)

Offensive Coordinator: Joel Gordon

Defensive Coordinator: Todd Orlando

2022 Record: 1-11 (0-8 American Athletic)

2022 Rankings: None

Returning Starters: 13 (four on offense, nine on defense).

Players to Watch: DE Jason Vaughn, LB Jhalyn Shuler, RB Kelley Joiner, LG Donovan Jennings, CB Aamaris Brown, S Jaelen Stokes, WR Yusuf Terry, LB DJ Gordon, DB Jayden Curry. 

Douglas DeFelice / USA Today Sports

Top Newcomer: Florida transfer running back Nay'Quan Wright arrived in the spring after earning his degree and running for 753 yards and five touchdowns while catching 35 passes for 415 yards and a touchdown for the Gators. There's very little experience at wide receiver, so look for the offense to rely more on players out of the backfield.

Biggest Question: It's not the defense, which has nine returning starters (think basically everyone but the linebackers. But USF has another new coaching staff and added 11 transfers so the rebuilding will take some time. You may remember quarterback Gerry Bohanon for leading Baylor to the Big 12 title game in 2012, but transferred after Blake Shapen was named the starter. Things haven't gone the best for him in Tampa, though. He started the first seven games last season only to suffered season-ending shoulder injury, and then head coach Jeff Scott was fired. He completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,070 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions while running for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Golesh seems high on Bohanon, but there were only seven scholarship offensive lineman when the former Tennessee assistant was hired. 

The School

Location: University of South Florida

Founded: 1956

Enrollment: Approximately 55,000

Nickname: Bulls

Colors: Green and gold

Mascot: Rocky the Bull

The Program

Coaching Changes During Saban Era: Five

Last Time Beat Alabama: Never

Last Time Won Conference Championship: Never (the 2016 team tied for the East Division title in the American Conference, but lost the tiebreaker. The school doesn't claim it).

National Championships: None

Playoff Appearances: None

Conference titles: Zero

Bowl Appearances: 10 (6-4)

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: Last season

Heisman Trophies: None

Consensus All-Americans During Saban Era: Two (2007 George Selvie, DL; 2021 Brian Battie, KR/AP).

First-Round NFL Picks During Saban Era: Two (2008 Mike Jenkins, Cowboys DB; 2010 Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants, DE).

2023 NFL Draft: No selections

Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 76 in 2023. Previously No. 90 in 2022, No. 65 in 2021, and No. 111 in 2020

Schedule

Sept. 2: at Western Kentucky
Sept. 9: Florida A&M
Sept. 16: Alabama
Sept. 23: Rice
Sept. 30: at Navy
Oct. 7: at UAB
Oct. 14: Florida Atlantic
Oct. 21: at Connecticut
Nov. 4: at Memphis
Nov. 11: Temple
Nov. 18: at USTA
Nov. 25: Charlotte

Did You Know?

The USF Board of Trustees recently approved a financing plan for an estimated 35,000-seat on-campus football facility that is scheduled to open by fall 2026. The estimated cost for a new stadium is $340 million. The facility will be built on the east side of the Tampa campus, at a site that's currently used for intramural sports.

This is the third story in a series previewing Alabama's opponents:

Middle Tennessee

Texas