After defeating FAU 44-21, USF can extend its win streak to three on Saturday as it faces Navy during Homecoming Week.

USF’s (4-4, 2-2 AAC)  Homecoming game, originally scheduled for Oct. 19, was moved from its matchup versus UAB due to the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Head coach Alex Golesh said his team will look to provide a good performance for attendees.

“We got to get our fans there and our guys will fight and give them a really good show,” Golesh said.

The last time the teams faced off was in September last year when the Bulls rallied from down 14 to win 44-30. 

Bulls rising, Navy sinking

The last two weeks of play couldn’t be more different for these teams .

After a 2-4 start to the season, the Bulls have earned back-to-back wins against UAB and FAU.

During its three-game losing streak, South Florida’s offense averaged just nine points per game.

Since then, the Bulls have seen an uptick in scoring, including a 35 point outing versus the Blazers followed by a 44 point effort against the Owls.

For Navy, its last two weeks of football haven’t been as pleasant. 

The Midshipmen got off to a hot start in 2024, rattling off six straight wins to start its campaign. That momentum has come to a halt, suffering two consecutive losses, including a 51-14 dismantling against No.10 Notre Dame on Oct. 26.

While USF’s offense has seen a resurgence, Navy’s has all but disappeared in its last two games. 

During its six-game win streak, the Midshipmen held the country’s third-highest scoring offense, averaging 44 points per contest. However, that average has gone down by 32 points in the last two weeks, with the team mustering up only a combined 24 points in its last two matches.

Archie aims for consistency 

Junior quarterback Bryce Archie arguably put up his best performance of the season versus FAU on Saturday, totaling 206 passing yards to go along with two touchdowns.

Despite his quality play against the Owls, Archie says he still has room for improvement. 

“There’s always room to grow,” said Archie. “I’m not the quarterback I want to be.”

Related: USF’s Bryce Archie has been waiting to prove himself. Now is the time.

Archie will face a middling AAC pass defense with Navy, as it ranks number seven in the conference in the category.

The Midshipmen secondary has been opportunistic, forcing 11 interceptions on the season.  Archie has thrown four interceptions this season, but only twice as the starting quarterback .

The USF ground game

South Florida’s run game has been consistent in 2024, and it has the opportunity to gash a subpar Navy run defense. 

The Midshipmen give up 168.5 rushing yards per contest, and have allowed 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Archie said the Bulls’ rushing attack is a key piece of their gameplan.

“If we can run the ball, I feel like no one can really stop us,” said Archie. “Our run game is a really big threat in our offense.”

Related: USF’s Kelly Joiner is rising to the occasion in his final season

The numbers back up Archie’s claim. In its wins, USF is averaging 268 yards per game. In its losses, the team is only gaining 79.5 yards.

 Navy adds air attack

As usual, Navy and its triple option offense have been a dominant rushing team, ranking top five in the nation in rushing yards per game. The Midshipmen call a run play 75% of the time according to Team Rankings

Despite the run-heavy offense, Navy has not been shy to put the ball in the air. Junior quarterback Blake Horvath has thrown for 1,096 yards through eight weeks, to go along with 10 passing touchdowns.

Golesh said that this isn’t the type of offense they’re used to seeing from the Midshipmen.

“You’ve got a receiver that’s got over 500 yards receiving through eight games,” said Golesh. It’s a lot for what we’re used to seeing from the old school, traditional Navy.

The receiver who Golesh referred to is junior receiver Eli Heidenreich. He ranks in the top 10 in multiple major receiving statistics in the AAC, including touchdowns (5) and average yards per game (68.9). 

Heidenreich led the team in receiving yards last season with 381. He has already surpassed that mark this year, tallying 551 yards with four games remaining in the regular season.

A win for the Bulls Saturday helps them in the standings for postseason play. A victory puts them one game closer to bowl eligibility, as well as keeps them alive in the AAC for a chance to play in the conference championship.