GAINESVILLE — A week after Florida beat up on an overmatched FCS foe and made few mistakes, the Gators did little right during a stunning 18-16 loss to USF on Saturday night in the Swamp during another no-show under fourth-year coach Billy Napier.

A 29-yard field goal by Nico Gramatica silenced a sellout crowd of 89,909 and sent the No. 13 Gators (1-1) reeling before the season has even started – and with get only tougher.

Next up is one of the toughest four-game five-week stretches in program history, beginning with trips to No. 3 LSU Saturday and No. 5 Miami on Sept. 20.

UF didn’t commit a penalty during a 55-0 trouncing of Long Island University, but had 11 for 103 yards against the Bulls (2-0), including two costly one on the game-winning drive.

A second-down pass interference on Dijon Johnson cost UF 13 yards. On the next play, officials flagged Baylor transfer defensive tackle Brendan Bett 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spit on a USF player.

Alvon Isaac, a sophomore from Hawthorne just east of Gainsville, took a screen pass 29 yards to the Gators’ 39. A 12-yard completed sophomore Joshua Port of Sebring put the Bulls well within Gramatica’s range. USF picked up 18 more yards on four plays to set up a chip shot to redeem Gramatica, son of the former NFL kicker Martin.

Gramatica came up several yards short from 58 yards 2:52 remaining and USF going for the upset win. The Gators, though, ran just 27 seconds off the clock, with two of their three plays passes, and punted the ball back to the Bulls with 2:25 remaining on their 11-yard-line.

But the Gators soon fell apart on night when execution and discipline were in short supply.

During the latest stunning loss under Napier, the Gators could not finish drives, committed costly penalties and struggled to get the Bulls offense off the field.

Things had begun to look bleak when the third quarter ended with the Gators trailing 15-9. The “Won’t Back Down” tradition played before the fourth quarter rang hollow for a Florida team at that point on its heels.

But the Gators and the Swamp soon came alive.

Fresh off a breakout performance in his debut, true freshmen Vernell Brown III again ignited his team and reported crowd of 89,909, this time with a 40-yard punt return that ended with a shove in the back out of bounds from USF punter Chase Leon to tack on another 15 yards to the USF 24.

Three runs totaling 16 yards by sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh set up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to Tre Wilson, a Tampa native once recruited by USF.

UF promptly forced a three-and-out with a second-down pass break-up by Aaron Chiles and third-down tackle in the flat by Myles Graham.

The Bulls, though, did not fade away after upsetting Group of Five heavyweight Boise State 34-7 last week in Tampa.

The Gators clung to a 9-6 halftime after failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities and struggling defensively to get off the field.

Two long drives, of 13 and 14 drives, ended in Florida field goals. Each time, the Gators squandered touchdown chances.

Tight end Tony Livington could not gather a Lagway pass over his left shoulder near the goal line, eventually leading UF to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Smack and a 3-0 lead.

USF answered with a 15-play, 55-yard drive, featuring conversions on third and fourth downs, along with a Gators’ penalty for illegal substitution on fourth-and-2 at UF’s 37 to keep alive a Bulls’ drive ending with a 38-yard field goal by Nico Gramatica.

Livingston appeared to redeem himself on Florida’s next series, with a 14-yard touchdown, but a pass interference on Hayden Hansen wiped it out – the second time a penalty negated Gators’ score on the drive. A hold by Kamryn Waites canceled a 20-yard touchdown run by Ja’Kobi Jackson.

The Gators again settled for a field goal after getting inside the USF 20-yard line, this Smack kick from 36 yards. He then made a 41-yarder for a 9-3 UF lead, but Gramatica answer from 25 yards.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/09/06/florida-gators-football-usf-bulls/