2016 South Florida Bulls football team

The 2016 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 2016 season is the 20th season for the Bulls, and their fourth as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). They played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and were led during the regular season by head coach Willie Taggart, who was in his fourth year. Following the regular season, but before the team's appearance in the Birmingham Bowl, Taggart left to take the head coaching vacancy at Oregon, with co-offensive coordinator T. J. Weist named as interim head coach for the bowl game.[1]

2016 South Florida Bulls football
The American East Division co-champion
Birmingham Bowl champion
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 19
Record11–2 (7–1 AAC)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorT. J. Weist (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorDarren Hiller (1st season)
Offensive schemeGulf Coast
Defensive coordinatorRaymond Woodie Jr. (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumRaymond James Stadium
Seasons
← 2015
2017 →
2016 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Temple xy$   7 1     10 4  
No. 19 South Florida x   7 1     11 2  
UCF   4 4     6 7  
Cincinnati   1 7     4 8  
UConn   1 7     3 9  
East Carolina   1 7     3 9  
West Division
Navy xy   7 1     9 5  
Tulsa   6 2     10 3  
Memphis   5 3     8 5  
Houston   5 3     9 4  
SMU   3 5     5 7  
Tulane   1 7     4 8  
Championship: Temple 34, Navy 10
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Even though South Florida had been ranked as high as #2 in 2007, this was their first season finishing the season ranked; even though they were ranked in the 2008 pre-season poll.

Schedule

edit
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 37:00 p.m.No. 24 (FCS) Towson*ASNW 56–2035,976
September 107:00 p.m.Northern Illinois*
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
CBSSNW 48–1736,557
September 173:30 p.m.at Syracuse*ACCN+W 45–2032,288
September 2412:00 p.m.No. 13 Florida State*
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ABCL 35–5561,665
October 17:00 p.m.at CincinnatiESPNUW 45–2035,108
October 812:00 p.m.East Carolina 
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPNewsW 38–2230,397
October 157:00 p.m.UConn
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
CBSSNW 42–2730,297
October 217:00 p.m.at TempleESPNL 30–4625,950
October 287:00 p.m.No. 22 Navy
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
ESPN2W 52–4531,824
November 127:00 p.m.at MemphisCBSSNW 49–4237,218
November 197:00 p.m.at SMUCBSSNW 35–2718,417
November 2612:00 p.m.UCF
CBSSNW 48–3136,056
December 292:00 p.m.vs. South Carolina*No. 25ESPNW 46–39 OT31,229
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time
Source:[2]

Game summaries

edit

Towson

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
#24 (FCS) Tigers 3 7 7 3 20
Bulls 14 14 21 7 56

Northern Illinois

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Huskies 0 7 0 10 17
Bulls 14 13 14 7 48

At Syracuse

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 0 28 7 10 45
Orange 17 0 3 0 20

Florida State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
#13 Seminoles 28 10 7 10 55
Bulls 14 0 7 14 35

At Cincinnati

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 10 14 14 7 45
Bearcats 6 14 0 0 20

East Carolina

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Pirates 3 3 7 9 22
Bulls 7 10 7 14 38

UConn

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Huskies 3 0 14 10 27
Bulls 7 7 7 21 42

At Temple

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 7 6 10 7 30
Owls 3 17 14 12 46
edit
1 2 3 4 Total
#22 Midshipmen 0 14 7 24 45
Bulls 28 14 3 7 52

At Memphis

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 14 7 14 14 49
Tigers 3 14 14 11 42

At SMU

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 14 7 7 7 35
Mustangs 7 7 10 3 27
1 2 3 4 Total
Knights 7 7 10 7 31
Bulls 14 10 7 17 48

South Carolina–Birmingham Bowl

edit
1 2 3 4OT Total
#25 Bulls 15 14 10 07 46
Gamecocks 0 14 10 150 39

Rankings

edit
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV24–T2519
CoachesRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV232219
CFPNot releasedNot released

References

edit
  1. ^ McMurphy, Brett (December 7, 2016). "Oregon hires South Florida's Willie Taggart as coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "2016 USF Bulls Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved February 18, 2016.