2019 South Florida Bulls football team

Last updated

2019 South Florida Bulls football
South Florida Bulls wordmark.png
Conference American Athletic Conference
Record4–8 (2–6 AAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell (1st season)
Offensive scheme Fun and gun
Defensive coordinatorBrian Jean-Mary (3rd season)
Base defense 3–3–5
Home stadium Raymond James Stadium
Seasons
  2018
2020  
2019 American Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 21 Cincinnati xy  7 1   11 3  
No. 24 UCF  6 2   10 3  
Temple  5 3   8 5  
South Florida  2 6   4 8  
East Carolina  1 7   4 8  
UConn  0 8   2 10  
West Division
No. 17 Memphis xy$  7 1   12 2  
No. 20 Navy x  7 1   11 2  
SMU  6 2   10 3  
Tulane  3 5   7 6  
Houston  2 6   4 8  
Tulsa  2 6   4 8  
Championship: Memphis 29, Cincinnati 24
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2019 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls were led by third-year head coach Charlie Strong and played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in AAC play to finish in fourth place in the East Division.

Contents

On December 2, head coach Charlie Strong was fired. [1] He finished at South Florida with a three-year record of 21–16.

Preseason

Coaching changes

In January 2019, South Florida hired Kerwin Bell as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Sterlin Gilbert, who left to take the head coaching job at McNeese State. Bell had spent the previous three seasons as the head coach at Valdosta State, where he led the school to an NCAA Division II national title in 2018. [2]

AAC media poll

The AAC media poll was released on July 16, 2019, with the Bulls predicted to finish third in the AAC East Division. [3]

Media poll (East)
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1UCF169 (19)
2Cincinnati157 (11)
3USF107
4Temple101
5East Carolina66
6UConn30

Pre-season award watch lists

Heading into the 2019 season, five Bulls were named to various award watch lists: Blake Barnett (Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award), [4] Coby Weiss (Lou Groza Award), [5] Marcus Norman (Outland Trophy), [6] Mike Hampton (Jim Thorpe Award), [7] and Mitchell Wilcox (John Mackey Award). [8]

Schedule

South Florida's 2019 schedule will begin with three non-conference games: at home against Wisconsin of the Big Ten Conference, then on the road against Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and then at home again against South Carolina State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Their fourth non-conference game will be played at home against BYU, a football independent, after the start of the conference schedule. In American Athletic Conference play, the Bulls will play the other members of the East Division and draw Memphis, Navy, and SMU from the West Division. They will not play Houston, Tulane, or Tulsa as part of the regular season.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 307:00 p.m.No. 19 Wisconsin *ESPNL 0–4946,704
September 72:00 p.m.at Georgia Tech * ACCN L 10–1446,599
September 146:00 p.m. South Carolina State *
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPN3 W 55–1631,368
September 284:00 p.m. SMU
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPNU L 21–4828,850
October 512:00 p.m.at UConn CBSSN W 48–2218,038
October 123:30 p.m. BYU *Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
CBSSNW 27–2335,375
October 193:30 p.m.at Navy CBSSNL 3–3529,774
October 263:45 p.m.at East Carolina ESPNUW 45–2033,088
November 78:00 p.m. Temple
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPN L 7–1726,214
November 167:00 p.m.No. 17 Cincinnati
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
CBSSNL 17–2029,112
November 234:00 p.m.No. 18 Memphis
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPNUL 10–4925,136
November 298:00 p.m.at UCF ESPNL 7–3445,216

Source: [9]

Game summaries

Wisconsin

1234Total
No. 19 Badgers72114749
Bulls00000

At Georgia Tech

1234Total
Bulls300710
Yellow Jackets0140014

South Carolina State

1234Total
Bulldogs306716
Bulls717171455

SMU

1234Total
Mustangs14207748
Bulls0071421

At UConn

1234Total
Bulls72071448
Huskies0140822

BYU

1234Total
Cougars3137023
Bulls0771327

At Navy

1234Total
Bulls03003
Midshipmen71401435

At East Carolina

1234Total
Bulls14213745
Pirates7301020

Temple

1234Total
Owls077317
Bulls00707

Cincinnati

1234Total
No. 17 Bearcats00101020
Bulls737017

Memphis

1234Total
No. 18 Tigers72114749
Bulls1000010

At UCF

1234Total
Bulls00707
Knights7177334

Related Research Articles

The South Florida Bulls football team represents the University of South Florida. The Bulls began playing in 1997 and compete in the American Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Kerwin Douglas Bell is an American football coach and former player who has been the head coach of the Western Carolina Catamounts football team since 2021. Bell was born in the rural North Central Florida town of Live Oak and was a star high school football quarterback at Lafayette County High School. Though he led the Lafayette Hornets to their only state championship, he did not attract the attention of top college football programs while playing at the small high school. He enrolled at the University of Florida, made the football team as a walk-on, and was redshirted during his freshman season of 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls</span> University of South Florida athletic team

The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, a non-NCAA sanctioned sport which competes in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association within the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association. The current athletic director is Michael Kelly, who has held the job since 2018. The school colors are green and gold and the mascot is Rocky D. Bull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on I-4</span> Rivalry between the South Florida Bulls and UCF Knights

The War on I-4 is a college rivalry between the University of Central Florida Knights and University of South Florida Bulls. The rivalry is best known for its college football matchup which originated in a series of football games played from 2005 to 2008 and now takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, the de facto "rivalry weekend" for FBS football. In 2013, when UCF joined the American Athletic Conference, the schools began competing annually in all sports. In 2016, the schools officially adopted the "War on I-4" as an official competition series. Each year, the team with the most wins across all sports receives a gold trophy styled after an Interstate 4 (I-4) road sign with the logos of each school. The winner of the annual football game also receives a similar trophy.

The South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represents the University of South Florida in NCAA Division I basketball competition, where they are currently a member of the American Athletic Conference. They are currently led by head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was hired after Brian Gregory was fired following the 2022–23 season. The Bulls play their home games at the Yuengling Center on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida. USF has reached the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 3 times in their history, with their best finish coming in 2012 when they made the round of 32.

The South Florida Bulls men's soccer team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of soccer. The Bulls currently compete in the American Athletic Conference within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). USF plays in Corbett Stadium, which opened in 2011 and is also used by the USF women's soccer team. Prior to that, they played at USF Soccer Field from their first season in 1965 until 1978 and USF Soccer Stadium from 1979 until 2010. They are coached by Bob Butehorn, who is in his sixth year with the Bulls as of the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls softball</span> College softball team

The South Florida Bulls softball team represents University of South Florida in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls are currently led by head coach Ken Eriksen. The team plays its home games at USF Softball Stadium located on the university's main campus in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls baseball</span>

The South Florida Bulls baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. The team competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. Founded in 1966, the baseball team is one of the oldest teams at the university. The Bulls have captured eleven conference titles and 14 NCAA tournament appearances. The team plays their home games on campus at USF Baseball Stadium at Red McEwen Field and are coached by Billy Mohl.

The South Florida Bulls women's soccer team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of soccer. The Bulls currently compete in the American Athletic Conference within Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Bulls play in Corbett Stadium along with USF's men's soccer team, which opened in 2011. Prior to that, they played at what is now the USF Track and Field Stadium.

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The South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represents the University of South Florida in women's basketball. The Bulls compete in the American Athletic Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bulls play home basketball games at the Yuengling Center. South Florida is coached by Jose Fernandez, who has been with the Bulls since the 2000–01 season. USF has made the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament nine times in their history and won the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 2009. They have won three conference championships, taking the regular season American Athletic Conference title in 2021 and 2023 and the AAC tournament crown in 2021.

The 2017 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and were led by first-year head coach Charlie Strong. The Bulls competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 10–2, 6–2 in AAC play to finish in second place in the East Division. They were invited to the Birmingham Bowl where they defeated Texas Tech.

The 2018 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and were led by second-year head coach Charlie Strong. The Bulls competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 3–5 in AAC play to finish in fourth place in the East Division. They were invited to the Gasparilla Bowl where they lost to Marshall.

The 2018 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Mike Norvell. They finished the season 8–6, 5–3 in AAC to finish in a three-way tie for the West Division championship. After tie-breakers, they represented the West Division in the AAC Championship Game where they lost to East Division champion UCF. They were invited to the Birmingham Bowl where they lost to Wake Forest.

The 2019 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mike Norvell through the team's win in the American Championship Game, after which he left to fill the head coaching vacancy at Florida State. It was the first outright/unshared conference championship in 50 seasons. The only teams to beat Memphis this season were both teams based in Pennsylvania. Offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield was initially named head coach of the team for their bowl game, the Cotton Bowl; the interim tag was removed and he was named the new head coach of the Tigers.

The 2019–20 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represents the University of South Florida during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marks the 48th basketball season for USF, the seventh as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the third season under head coach Brian Gregory. The Bulls play their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus.

The South Florida Bulls volleyball team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of women's volleyball. The Bulls compete in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The team plays their home games at The Corral inside the Yuengling Center on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida. They are coached by Jolene Shepardson who was hired after the 2019 season. The Bulls have reached seven NCAA women's volleyball tournaments and won a combined 18 regular season and tournament conference championships in their history, the most of any women's team at USF.

The 2020–21 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The season marked the 48th women's basketball season for USF, the eighth as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the 21st under head coach Jose Fernandez. The Bulls played their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus. The 2020–21 team was the first in USF women's basketball history to win a regular season conference championship, doing so on March 2, 2021 with a win against rival Central Florida. Nine days later they beat Central Florida again to win their first ever conference tournament. Despite their 18–3 record being one of the best in the nation and being ranked 19th in the AP Poll at the time of selection, the Bulls were selected as the eighth seed in the Mercado Region of the 2021 NCAA tournament. Their season ended on March 23, 2021 with the Bulls losing to No. 1 seed NC State in the Round of 32.

The South Florida Bulls golf program represents the University of South Florida in the sport of golf. The program consists of separate men's and women's teams and competes in the American Athletic Conference within NCAA Division I. The Bulls men's golf team is coached by Steve Bradley and the women's team is coached by Erika Brennan. They host meets at The Claw golf course adjacent to USF's campus in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 American Athletic Conference football season</span> Sports season

The 2022 American Athletic Conference football season is the 31st NCAA Division I FBS Football season of the American Athletic Conference. The season is the tenth since the former Big East Conference dissolved and became the American Athletic Conference and the ninth season of the College Football Playoff in place. The American is considered a member of the Group of Five (G5) together with Conference USA, the MAC, Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. In September 2021, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF accepted invitations to join the Big 12 Conference. The three schools had been contractually required to remain with The American through 2024, but the conference and its departing members reached a buyout agreement that allowed those schools to leave in 2023. The entire schedule was released on February 17, 2022.

References

  1. "Charlie Strong fired at South Florida after 3 seasons". December 2019.
  2. Knight, Joey (January 10, 2019). "Kerwin Bell hired as USF offensive coordinator". Tampa Bay Times.
  3. Page, Fletcher. "Media picks UCF to win AAC, ranks UC second in East Division". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  4. "Barnett Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List". USF Athletics. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  5. "Weiss Named to Lou Groza Award Watch List". USF Athletics. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  6. "Norman Named to Outland Trophy Watch List". USF Athletics. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  7. "Hampton Named to Thorpe Award Watch List". USF Athletics. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  8. "Wilcox Named to Mackey Award Watch List". USF Athletics. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  9. "2019 USF Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 28, 2019.