College Football
Camping World Kickoff: Gators Chomp Hurricanes 24-20 in High Octane Rivalry
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The University of Florida Gators and the University of Miami Hurricanes came head-to-head in a long-awaited rivalry for the Camping World Kickoff, the match to launch college football season, at Camping World Stadium Saturday before a crowd of 66,543 rival fans.
Miami wasted no time getting on the board. at 9:37 in the first quarter, Bubba Baxa led off the scoring with a 36-yard field goal.
Florida clapped back in their next possession with Feleipe Franks’ 66-yard touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney, making the score 7-3 by the end of the first quarter.
UF ATH Kadarius Toney runs the ball to the end zone for the first touchdown of the game after Miami’s field goal. Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.
After two UF turnovers, with 8:26 left in the first half, Miami’s Baxa kicked another field goal (42 yards), closing the gap to one point: 7-6 UF.
With less than a minute left in the first half, Miami QB Jarren Williams nailed a 25-yard pass to tight end Brevin Jordan, who pushed through a Florida tackle attempt to find the end zone, pushing Miami ahead with a score of 13-7 after the extra point.
When the smoke cleared at halftime, Miami came away sacking Florida four times, with only one sack of their own. Miami was 2 for 6 in third down conversions, compared to Florida’s 1 for 5.
Florida turned the tide in the third quarter. UF’s Evan McPherson narrowed the gap with a 27-yard field goal at the 6:30 mark. On the next drive, Miami WR Jeff Thomas fumbled the ball after a one-yard carry, and Florida WR Van Jefferson pounced to recover it. With the ball back in their possession, Florida played three downs to the 8-yard line and Franks passed to RB Lamical Perine for the touchdown, making the score 17-13 after the extra point.
Miami had something for Florida in the fourth, though. Within the first minute of the fourth, DeeJay Dallas rushed 50 yards for the touchdown, snatching back the lead with 20-17 after the extra point.
Five minutes into the fourth, Miami caught a lucky break on their next possession: two penalties happened: a holding penalty on Miami, which would have resulted in a 15-yard penalty, but there was also a fowl on Florida, which superseded Miami’s penalty, giving Miami a first down. Miami then capitalized on the opportunity with a field goal attempt, but Baxa missed.
Florida spited Miami with WR Josh Hammond’s 65-yard pass rush to Miami’s 15-yard line. After playing for three downs and a successful first down, Franks himself scrambled for three yards for the touchdown, making the score 24-20, UF, after the extra point.
With 4:20 left in the game, Miami STRK Romeo Finley intercepted Franks’ pass, giving Miami possession again. During that series alone, Williams got sacked three times for a total 17-yard loss.
Florida regained possession in the final 12 seconds of the game for a two-yard loss. Florida came away victorious, 24-20.
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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.
Defense Turns the Game Around
UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.
Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.
Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.
Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.
South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.
Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum
Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.
Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.
Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.
Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.
Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone
With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.
The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.
The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.
Looking Ahead
USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.
Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Bulls move to 4-1 as Hartline turns attention toward corrections and the week ahead
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — South Florida’s unbeaten start ended Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium as Temple defeated the Bulls 17-13. USF struck first behind a Nico Gramatica field goal but went into halftime trailing 10-3 before finding momentum after the break.
USF responded in the third quarter as D.J. Crowther’s one-yard touchdown tied the game at 10.
USF and Temple battle at the line of scrimmage. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
The Bulls’ defense added a key stop when No. 1 C.J. Hicks recovered a Temple fumble in the end zone. Gramatica later connected from 49 yards to give USF a 13-10 fourth-quarter lead. Temple answered with the defining possession of the night, driving 96 yards before quarterback No. 13 Ajani Sheppard scored on a 34-yard run to put the Owls ahead for good.
Temple’s 96-yard fourth-quarter drive became the turning point in the 17-13 finish.
Joshua Porter sprints for catch with Adrian Laing closing in for Temple. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
USF was unable to answer late, dropping to 4-1. Following the game, head coach Brian Hartline focused on returning to the film, correcting the mistakes that surfaced and making sure the Bulls use the loss to improve heading into the next week.
FINAL: Temple 17, USF 13
Up Next: USF travels to San Antonio to face UTSA on Thursday night.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
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