Halfway through the season, USF’s men’s soccer has been stuck in neutral, recording four ties in nine games.

The Bulls (3-2-4, 0-2 AAC) have had difficulty turning stalemates into victories, in part to an offense that has been held scoreless four times thus far.

South Florida has only found success at home this season, with all three wins coming at Corbett Stadium.

Here’s an overview of USF’s season at the schedule’s midpoint:

Best performance

In its first win of the season, South Florida got contributions on both sides of the ball in its 2-0 win versus Eckerd College on Aug. 29. 

Graduate Jalen Anderson and sophomore Michael Owens scored a goal apiece in the match. The Bulls were aggressive on offense against the Tritons, attempting 16 shots, including seven on goal.

South Florida also put on a stout defensive showing, as it kept Eckerd far from the net with only one shot on goal. Head coach Bob Butehorn said the team’s gameplan was to limit shot attempts in his postgame press conference on Sept. 9.

“Tonight we made an emphasis on making them uncomfortable,” Butehorn said. “We pressed a little higher and didn’t sit on the low block at all.”

The Tritons’ four shots total were the lowest by any USF opponent so far this season.

Lack of signature wins

To start the 2024 campaign, the Bulls have played three top 25 opponents, resulting in two losses and a tie.

USF’s defense struggled in these games, conceding eight goals across the three matches. In its other six games combined, opponents have only scored five times. 

In its season opener on Aug. 22, the Bulls fell to No. 23 Seattle 4-1. Freshman midfielder Asher Jones tied the game 1-1, before the Redhawks scored three goals in period two in their win.

The war on I-4 rivalry gave South Florida another chance at an upset, as they faced No. 10 UCF on Sept. 15. The Bulls kept the Knights off the scoreboard, but no goals for itself led to a 0-0 tie. 

Related :USF men’s soccer draws against No.10 UCF for the first time in almost 40 years

Against their American Athletic conference foe No. 9 Charlotte on Sept. 27, USF again allowed four goals in its 4-1 loss. Down 2-0 at halftime, senior forward Gunnar Studenhofft scored the Bulls’ only goal early in the second period. 

Midseason MVP

Through the first half of the season, Studenhofft has arguably been the best Bulls player on offense. He’s the team leader in points with seven, scoring three goals and adding an assist.

Studenhofft has gained these numbers only playing six of the team’s games so far, starting four of them. The Manhattan University transfer didn’t make his debut until Sept. 2 against University of North Carolina Wilmington. 

In his first two starts, Studenhofft took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a goal in each match. In a press game conference after the Bulls 2-1 win versus UC Irvine, Butehorn said that Studenhoftt’s speed has helped the team with their game strategy.

“He’s one of the fastest guys I’ve ever coached,” Butehorn said. “ And he does cause problems…we keep teams honest because if they press us we can catch them.”

Related : USF men’s soccer edges UC Irvine, snaps draw streak

Moving forward

The Bulls have a chance to improve their fourth place standing in the AAC as they enter the second half of the season. 

USF has five more games against conference opponents, giving them multiple opportunities to climb the ranks. 

South Florida’s next test comes on Oct. 5 against Temple, where it’ll look to secure its first road win. 

Grade: C