Bulls Run Over Charlotte, 54-26, to Open American Play

Photos by Travis Failey & Mark Matson

TAMPA, Fla. – The South Florida Bulls (4-1, 1-0 American) dominated the Charlotte 49ers (1-4, 0-2 American) in their American Athletic Conference opener, securing a convincing 54-26 victory on Friday night, October 3, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium.

Quarterback Byrum Brown delivered a spectacular performance, accounting for five total touchdowns as the Bulls offense exploded for 631 total yards.

USF came out firing, racing to a 23-0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back. The Bulls’ offense was nearly unstoppable, particularly on the ground, racking up 407 rushing yards.

Charlotte struggled early on both sides of the ball but showed resilience in the second half, mostly behind the play of backup quarterback Zach Wilcke. Despite forcing four turnovers, the 49ers could not keep pace with South Florida’s explosive attack.

The USF defense was suffocating from the opening whistle, making life miserable for Charlotte’s initial offensive unit. In the 49ers’ first eight possessions, the Bulls’ defense forced a punt or turnover on six occasions in three plays or less, limiting Charlotte to a paltry 13 total yards in that early span.

The high-pressure scheme was immediately rewarded with two crucial momentum plays that directly led to USF points:

The Special Teams Spark: Junior cornerback Jair Murphy delivered one of the game’s most electric moments, bursting through the line to block a Charlotte punt deep in the 49ers’ own territory. The ball went out of the back of the endzone for a safety, putting two more points on the board for the Bulls and making the score 16-0.

Jarvis Lee’s Interception: Cornerback Jarvis Lee notched his second interception of the season late in the first quarter, picking off a deep throw and setting up a short field that resulted in a field goal, stretching the lead to 26-0 early in the second quarter.

USF’s linebacking core was integral to the unit’s success, particularly when Charlotte tried to gain a foothold in the game. Senior linebackers Jhalyn Shuler and Mac Harris were everywhere, combining for 16 tackles and delivering pivotal forced turnovers that repeatedly stopped Charlotte drives from becoming serious scoring threats.

Late in the third quarter, when the 49ers were trying to build momentum, Shuler forced a fumble on a drive deep into USF territory that was recovered by Jaelen Stokes, preserving the large lead and keeping the score at 33-10 heading into the fourth.

The Bulls’ defensive unit finished the night forcing a total of four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles), extending their streak to 13 consecutive games with at least one takeaway—the second-longest active streak in the nation.

Key Player Performances

Player	Team	Position	Key Stats
Byrum Brown	USF	QB	19/34 passing for 211 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs; 17 rushes for 162 yards, 1 TD (5 total TDs)
Cartevious Norton	USF	RB	13 rushes for 69 yards, 1 TD
Zach Wilcke	Charlotte	QB	14/18 passing for 150 yards, 2 TDs (came in to relieve starter Grayson Loftis)
Jeremiah Koger	USF	WR	4 receptions for 75 yards, 1 TD

Key Plays

First Quarter: USF Jumps Out Fast

• 14:01 (USF TD): Running back Cartevious Norton, a Charlotte transfer, opened the scoring quickly with a 37-yard touchdown run through the heart of the 49ers’ defense on USF’s opening drive. (USF 7-0)
• 07:07 (USF TD): Byrum Brown connected with true freshman Jeremiah Koger for his first career reception, a 38-yard touchdown pass. (USF 14-0)
• 05:23 (USF Safety): The USF defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Jair Murphy broke through to block the Charlotte punt through the back of the endzone for a safety. (USF 16-0)
• 01:03 (USF TD): Brown found Stanford transfer Mudia Reuben for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cap off the dominant first quarter. (USF 23-0)

Charlotte Fights Back in the Middle

• 03:44 (Charlotte TD): Following a USF turnover, Charlotte got on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run by C.J. Stokes. (USF 26-7)
• 13:58 (Charlotte TD): Charlotte’s four takeaways finally translated to a score in the fourth quarter when Zach Wilcke hit E. Jai Mason for a 2-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful two-point conversion to cut the deficit to two scores. (USF 33-18)

Bulls Seal the Victory

• 06:48 (USF TD): Quarterback Byrum Brown solidified his stellar performance with a 13-yard rushing touchdown to push the lead back to a comfortable margin late in the game. (USF 47-18)

Quotes

USF Head Coach Alex Golesh on the Win: Coach Golesh expressed mixed feelings about the performance, despite the lopsided score.

“You’re up 26-0, you’ve got to go put a team away, and that’s what I told our guys. Elite teams put teams away when they have an opportunity to put them away. I think there’s a threshold you cross when you get into a level of arrogance that you start to miss details, and that’s a challenge to our guys.”

Charlotte Defensive Player on Team Performance: Charlotte linebacker Reid Williford acknowledged the defense’s success in forcing turnovers but noted other issues.

“We did the best job we have this year with turnovers. We have to do better with tackling though. We have to have an even scheme for both the run and pass… It’s about being consistent with everything.”

USF Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando on Turnovers:

“Any way you cut it, getting turnovers are a great indicator (of success). You get to plus-two and you’re winning 90-percent of the time. You get to plus-three and it’s over. That’s what we’re shooting for.”

Final Takeaway

The Bulls’ dominant running game, fueled by Byrum Brown’s dual-threat brilliance and a whopping 407 team rushing yards, proved too much for Charlotte.

While the 49ers showed fight, especially with a four-takeaway performance and effective play from backup QB Zach Wilcke, their inability to capitalize on those turnovers allowed USF to cruise to the 54-26 victory and start their conference schedule with a win.

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