The South Florida Bulls (8-3, 5-2 AAC) have won nine-or-more games in a season just five times since the program's inception in 1997. The 2025 USF Bulls will attempt to become the school's sixth lineup to reach that milestone Saturday, when the Rice Owls (5-6, 2-5 AAC) visit for Senior Night at 7 p.m. EST.
Rice is a firm underdog at the tail end of a campaign in which the Owls scored only two conference wins. But the Owls could become a trendy point-spread wager with the visitors' motivation obvious to all. With an upset win over USF, Rice could earn bowl eligibility for the third time since 2022 and vindicate new head coach Scott Abell's methods in the process. Rice took a surprising early lead on powerful North Texas last weekend, although the Owls' defense was outclassed in UNT's eventual 56-21 victory.
USF is coming off a 48-18 win over UAB in which quarterback Byrum Brown shined, hitting senior wide receiver Mudia Reuben five times for 174 yards and two touchdowns. It's worse news for the visiting Owls that USF has gone a perfect 5-0 at home this season, outpacing Tampa's previous five guests 220-76.
Spread
- Owls +27.5 (+100)
- Bulls -27.5 (-133)
Money line
- Owls +1349
- Bulls -3348
Total
- Over 60.5 (-113)
- Under 60.5 (-122)
Note: The above data was collected on Nov. 26, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Rice Owls at USF Bulls Betting Trends
- South Florida has not dropped a game at home this season.
- The USF Bulls are 10-4-1 against the spread in their last 15 games.
- Totals have gone over in four of Rice's last five contests.
Rice Owls at USF Bulls Injury Reports
Rice Owls
- Wide receiver Braylen Walker is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Wide receiver Landon Ransom-Goelz is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Running back Carson Morgan is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Wide receiver Max Balthazar is out with an undisclosed injury.
USF Bulls
- Wide receiver Kory Pettigrew is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Wide receiver Brandon Winton is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Wide receiver Christian Neptune is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Wide receiver Chas Nimrod is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
- Running back Carevious Norton is out with an undisclosed injury.
Rice Owls at USF Bulls Predictions and Picks
Rice staved off a comeback bid from USF to win 35-28 in Austin at this time last year. South Florida's biggest flaw in that contest was a ground game that didn't produce a 50-yard rusher. If USF can improve on that, the Bulls should be able to defeat Rice handily. If not, the Owls could hang tight in a sloppy tilt.
Byrum is the Bulls' leading rusher this year with 960 yards on the ground. USF sophomore running back Nykahi Davenport, however, has stepped up his game in recent weeks. Davenport raced for 121 yards and a touchdown against UAB last weekend, just two weeks after a two-TD effort against UTSA. His performance on Nov. 22 was "the first 100-yard game of his career" according to GoUSFBulls.com.
The Rice Owls will probably take chances on defense, looking for a turnover that could help outscore USF. That could lead to a high-scoring contest that surpasses a hefty Over/Under total for Saturday. However, the point spread is simply too wide at four touchdowns, making Rice the valuable pick to cover again.
