USF Defeats Rice in AAC Opener

USF opened AAC play this weekend against Rice, following their impressive performance against Alabama the week before. With much anticipation heading into the game given their past performance, the Bulls handled business in their conference opener with a 42-29 win over Rice.

The game was tight throughout the first half, with the Bulls going into the break down 14-13. USF flipped the switch in the second, outscoring Rice 29-15 in the second half.

The Bulls came out hot after halftime, scoring a touchdown in just over minute. Rice answered with a red zone fumble recovery and a 80 yard touchdown to regain the lead, 21-20. From there, USF went on a tear, scoring 22 unanswered points, effectively closing out the game.

USF first-year head coach, Alex Golesh, has the Bulls moving in the right direction. Before Saturday, USF had not won a game against an FBS opponent since October 23rd, 2021 against Temple.