If you’re looking for a quick south fl football score, you probably noticed things looked a little different by the time the 2025 season wrapped up in December. It was a year of massive swings. One week, the USF Bulls were taking down ranked SEC giants, and the next, they were grinding through a heartbreaker in a rain-soaked bowl game.
Honestly, the "score" doesn't just tell you who won; it tells the story of a program that basically reinvented itself mid-stride.
The Score That Changed Everything: USF 18, Florida 16
Early in September, nobody—and I mean nobody—expected the Bulls to walk into Gainesville and leave with a win. But they did. The 18-16 final score against the No. 13 Florida Gators wasn't just a fluke; it was a statement. It was the kind of game where every yard felt like a mile.
South Florida played "bend-but-don't-break" defense that day. They forced field goals instead of touchdowns. That two-point margin became the foundation for a 9-4 season. It’s also probably why Auburn decided to poach Alex Golesh later in the year. When you win games like that, people notice.
Tracking the 2025 South Florida Football Score Board
The season was a literal rollercoaster. If you followed the betting lines or the live tickers, you saw some of the highest-scoring games in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
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- The Blowouts: USF put up 63 points twice this year. Once against South Carolina State (63-14) and again in a wild shootout against North Texas (63-36).
- The Rivalries: The game against FAU for Homecoming was a total lopsided affair. A 48-13 victory that kept the trophy in Tampa.
- The Struggles: It wasn't all sunshine. The 12-49 loss to Miami was a reality check. The Hurricanes were just on another level this year, eventually making their way toward a national title run.
Then came the postseason.
The south fl football score in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl was 10-24. Losing to Old Dominion in Orlando was a tough pill for fans to swallow, especially with quarterback Gaston Moore going down with an injury in the second half. Seeing true freshman Bryce Hewlett struggle in those final minutes was hard to watch, but it gave everyone a glimpse of the 2026 depth chart.
Why the Scores Look Different Now
College football is basically a different sport every six months. Between the transfer portal and coaching changes, the team that started the season wasn't the one that finished it.
Brian Hartline is the new man in charge now. After Golesh left for Auburn, the Bulls moved fast. Hartline, the former Ohio State star and elite recruiter, has already been hitting the portal hard. If you're checking for a south fl football score in 2026, expect the offense to look even more explosive. He’s already bringing in a new wave of talent that might make those 60-point games a regular occurrence.
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High School Playoff Madness in South Florida
You can't talk about football scores in this region without looking at the 305 and 954 area codes. High school ball here is basically a religion.
The November 2025 playoffs were a bloodbath. Chaminade-Madonna continued their dominance with a 35-14 win over True North Classical Academy. Meanwhile, St. Thomas Aquinas—perennial powerhouse—was handing out lessons left and right, including a 58-7 thumping of Heritage.
If you’re looking for the most "South Florida" score of the year, it was probably South Lake vs. Plant. A 37-36 nail-biter that came down to a missed extra point. That’s the kind of drama that makes local Friday night lights better than most Saturday college games.
Real Evidence: The 2025 USF Statistical Peak
The Bulls finished with a 9-4 overall record.
They went 6-2 in the AAC.
They were perfect at home (6-0) at Raymond James Stadium.
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That home record is the most important "score" for the future of the program. Building a fortress in Tampa is what the fans have been begging for since the Quinton Flowers era.
What to Watch for Next
If you're tracking scores for the upcoming season, keep an eye on the September 5, 2026, opener against FIU. It’s a local rivalry that usually gets chippy.
- Check the Quarterback Room: With Gaston Moore moving on, the battle between Hewlett and whatever portal prize Hartline brings in will determine the early season totals.
- Strength of Schedule: Moving away from games against teams like Alabama and back toward a heavy AAC slate means the Bulls should be favored in at least 8 games next year.
- The Hartline Effect: Watch the "Points Per Game" metric. Hartline is known for a pro-style, high-octane approach. If the Bulls aren't averaging 35+, something is wrong.
The era of being a "easy win" for the big schools is over. Whether it's the Bulls in Tampa or the private school powerhouses in Fort Lauderdale, a south fl football score is now something the rest of the country has to respect.
The next step for any serious fan is to bookmark the AAC official schedule for 2026, which was recently finalized. Pay close attention to the defensive coordinator hires under Hartline; that’s where the real games will be won or lost this spring.