University of South Florida
Delaware State
Unbeaten Bulls Return To Ray Jay Saturday vs. Delaware State
September 16, 2026 | Football
GAME 3: Bulls vs. Delaware State Title sponsor: Coca-Cola
GIVEAWAY: Thundersticks (first 10,000 fans)
Raymond James Stadium (65,000) • Tampa, Fla. • Saturday, Sept. 19 • 7:00 PM
TV: ESPN+ - Play-by-Play: T.J. Rives; Analyst: Henry Burris
RADIO: Q105FM/Bulls Unlimited (digital) - Play-by-Play: Jim Lighthall, Analyst: Sam Barrington, Sideline: Joey Johnston
South Florida Game Notes
Hartline Tuesday Presser
After a riveting rally at Army, the South Florida Bulls will shoot for the program's first 3-0 start in eight years Saturday night when they host Football Championship Subdivision opponent Delaware State at Raymond James Stadium.
You couldn't imagine two more disparate assignments.
The Bulls faced a physical challenge from the difficult-to-play Black Knights and were essentially counted out while trailing by 10 points in the final four minutes. But South Florida rallied with two stunning touchdowns, including a gutsy 38-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Joshua Porter on fourth-and-6 with 19 seconds remaining to prevail 28-24 and capture an unforgettable American Conference opener.
And now it's the Delaware State Hornets (2-1) visiting Ray-Jay, where the Bulls have won eight straight games, the second-best home-field streak in program history. The Hornets, coached by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver and 15-year NFL veteran DeSean Jackson, are five-touchdown underdogs. South Florida has defeated 12 straight FCS opponents, while going 35-1 against the FCS overall since advancing to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2000.
None of those numbers matter, according to Bulls head coach Brian Hartline.
He said it's all about going 1-0 each week. Delaware State just happens to be this week's foe.
"I think that ultimately the results aren't going to dictate how we operate from week to week,'' Hartline said. "That's how it's always going to be. That has clearly been the message.
"We're trying to earn the right to compete for a conference championship. That doesn't get done with just one game. It's a job well done for one week, but we're really trying to be experts on our job description and our process for what the new game plan is for this week. It's going to require your utmost attention and your utmost preparation. There's a lot of work to put in this week and it got everyone's attention. They're not patting themselves on the back (after beating Army).''
But Hartline wouldn't diminish the importance of defeating Army, either.
"We identified that the teams that win this conference (usually) do a great job in one-score games and (South Florida's program) has not done that in the past,'' Hartline said. "So, we identified that early in the offseason. I talked about it again throughout camp. Then we found ourselves in a situation where we had that opportunity to win (a one-score game) and the guys capitalized on it.
"Nothing more, nothing less. The ability to capitalize on it and be built for that situation is probably always better than the opposite side of it. Job well done. We'll be ready for the next time it shows up.''
Those are lessons worth learning, regardless of the opponent.
"Attention to detail is exactly what coaches have been harping on,'' linebacker Zavier Hamilton said. "It's all in the details. The details are going to get you beat … in the games you should win. You might win because you're more talented, but … details matter. It's the little margins that make big plays into big plays. Or it's what makes a play into a great play.''
"You have to be where your feet are,'' center Thomas Shrader said. "You've got to embrace the hard. We can't be complacent that we beat Army. We have to move on and look forward to the next game.''
Shrader said it's a simple process.
"Start on Sunday with a good practice and a good mindset,'' Shrader said. "Come into the building and work out. Go to meetings. Practice hard. Come in Monday, get your body right, watch film. Come in (Tuesday), practice hard, watch some film.
"You must have a process. The second that the process differs is when you see different results on the field that you don't want to see. So just keeping the process the same (is the priority).''
So far, so good.
Two games into the season, the Bulls have zero turnovers and only seven penalties.
"I think we're still trying to figure out if that's going to be our identity,'' Hartline said. "For us to just stamp ourselves and say, 'Oh, this is who we are' … like, you really don't know until you put together a body of work over time. We like to think we're on the right track.
"What we do from here on out is really, really important. For us to accomplish our goals, regardless of outcomes on Saturdays, we must get better week to week. Or we will not be where we want to be in about four weeks. … We're nowhere near to creating an identity of who we are yet. We've got to do this for a lot longer to stamp ourselves as this kind of team or that kind of team.''
South Florida's next opportunity to earn that identity: Delaware State, Saturday night, Ray-Jay.
–#GoBulls–
Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
