USF upsets No. 13 Florida with last-second field goal by NFL legacy kicker

Jeff Hauser

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USF upsets No. 13 Florida with last-second field goal by NFL legacy kicker image

South Florida had another upset Saturday night, shocking No. 13 Florida 18-16 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. 

The Bulls sealed the victory with a 20-yard field goal from Nico Gramatica as time expired. It sent the USF sideline into pandemonium as the NFL legacy kicker redeemed himself after missing a 58-yard attempt earlier in the fourth quarter. 

That final sequence exposed the Gators’ mistakes. With Florida up by one point and needing a stop, the defense committed two penalties to extend the drive. A pass interference flag followed by the ejection of defensive lineman Brendan Bett for spitting on an opponent. The Bulls kept the ball on the ground, drained the clock with Gramatica getting his moment. 

Florida had briefly seized momentum in the fourth quarter behind DJ Lagway, who connected with Eugene Wilson III on a nine-yard touchdown strike to give the Gators a 16-15 lead. The Gators QB finished 22-of-33 for 222 yards, but the offense faltered in crunch time by failing to sustain drives after USF’s surge. The Gators came into the game as 18.5-point favorites. They were undone by 11 penalties for 103 yards and a turnover.

USF was fresh off a dominant 34-7 win over Boise State and looking to maintain momentum. The Bulls are starting to position themselves as an early favorite for the Group of Six’s College Football Playoff bid. This marked the first road win over a ranked opponent since upsetting Notre Dame in 2011. 

For Florida, the defeat is a sobering reminder of how thin the margin for error will be in 2025. After a win over Long Island in Week 1, the Gators looked unprepared. With LSU, Miami, Texas, and Texas A&M coming up, Billy Napier faces renewed scrutiny in a make-or-break season.

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.