Inside the schedule

Saturday vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m., ESPN+

The buzz: The Bulls kick off the season with their first matchup with the Wildcats. USF will be strongly favored to overwhelm its FBS opponent.

Sept. 7 at Alabama, 7, ESPN

The buzz: The offense was stifled last season in a 17-3 loss at Raymond James Stadium against the No. 10 team in the country (and eventual SEC champion). Quarterback Byrum Brown had his worst performance, completing just 50% of his passes for 87 yards and 1 interception. The Bulls look for redemption at Bryant-Denny Stadium and won’t have to contend with retired coach Nick Saban.

Sept. 14 at Southern Miss, 7, ESPN+

The buzz: This is the first meeting with the Golden Eagles since 2004. The Bulls will see a team in transition after coaching changes. Southern Miss had one of the worst scoring defenses in the country.

Sept. 21 vs. Miami, TBD

The buzz: Even though it’s been a decade since their last matchup, the Bulls have been historically bad against their in-state rival with an average losing margin of 20.6 points.

Sept. 28 at Tulane, TBD

The buzz: The Bulls have their first conference game on the road. It’s been tough sledding against the Louisiana rival, with their last victory coming in 2017. The Green Wave finished No. 2 in the AAC last season.

Oct. 11 vs. Memphis, 7, ESPN

The buzz: They met last season in a shootout that got away from USF in the fourth quarter. The Bulls allowed a season-high 59 points against Memphis during a four-game span when they gave up 50-plus to three opponents. USF is looking for its first win against the Tigers since 2016.

Oct. 19 vs. UAB, TBD

The buzz: Homecoming is against an opponent the Bulls allowed to score 56 points in a blowout midseason loss a year ago. They’ll be at Raymond James Stadium this time, where they were 3-1 vs. AAC opponents.

Nov. 1 at FAU, 7:30, ESPN2

The buzz: The Bulls look for redemption against the Owls, who handed them their most significant loss. Quarterback Daniel Richardson (transferred to FAMU) had arguably his best game of the season, leading the offense to almost 600 yards.

Nov. 9 vs. Navy, TBD

The buzz: In a battle of Brown’s arm and Navy’s ground game, USF won relatively comfortably. This should produce another conference victory for the Bulls.

Nov. 16 at Charlotte, TBD

The buzz: The Bulls had their most complete game in a blowout of the 49ers, forcing 3 interceptions while Brown delivered 253 passing yards, 43 rushing yards with 5 total touchdowns.

Nov. 23 vs. Tulsa, TBD

The buzz: Perhaps the most tightly knit and competitive series, most of their matchups are decided by 8 points or less. Still, the Bulls haven’t beaten the Golden Hurricane since 2018.

Nov. 29 or 30 at Rice*, TBD

The buzz: Last season, USF opened its conference play with a victory against Rice. This time, they will round out their AAC schedule with what should be a similar result.

— Jayden Armant