The Bulls replaced 11 starters from a 10-2 season in 2017. One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was the addition of graduate transfer Blake Barnett who was named the starting quarterback following stints at Alabama and Arizona State.
Listed in the order that they were released
The AAC media poll was released on July 24, 2018, with the Bulls predicted to finish in second place in the AAC East Division.[5]
Media poll (East)
|
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
1 |
UCF |
175 (25)
|
2 |
USF |
140 (5)
|
3 |
Temple |
132
|
4 |
Cincinnati |
91
|
5 |
UConn |
51
|
6 |
East Carolina |
41
|
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 12 (FCS) Elon* | | | ESPN3 | W 34–14 | 31,217 |
September 8 | 12:00 p.m. | Georgia Tech* | | - Raymond James Stadium
- Tampa, FL
| ABC/ESPN2 | W 49–38 | 34,182 |
September 15 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Illinois* | | | BTN | W 25–19 | 21,725 |
September 22 | 8:00 p.m. | East Carolina | | - Raymond James Stadium
- Tampa, FL
| ESPNews | W 20–13 | 34,562 |
October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | at Massachusetts* | | | ELVN | W 58–42 | 7,988 |
October 12 | 7:00 p.m. | at Tulsa | No. 23 | | ESPN | W 25–24 | 16,142 |
October 20 | 7:00 p.m. | UConn | No. 21 | - Raymond James Stadium
- Tampa, FL
| CBSSN | W 38–30 | 42,127 |
October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Houston | No. 21 | | ABC/ESPN2 | L 36–57 | 31,631 |
November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Tulane | | - Raymond James Stadium
- Tampa, FL
| CBSSN | L 15–41 | 31,388 |
November 10 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 25 Cincinnati | | | ESPNU | L 23–35 | 29,310 |
November 17 | 12:00 a.m. | at Temple | | | ESPNews | L 17–27 | 21,029 |
November 23 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 8 UCF | | | ESPN | L 10–38 | 57,626 |
December 20 | 8:00 p.m. | Marshall* | | | ESPN | L 20–38 | 14,135 |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
|
- Schedule Source:[6]
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 12 (FCS) Phoenix
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
7 |
14 |
Bulls
|
7
|
17
|
7
|
3 |
34 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Yellow Jackets
|
17
|
0
|
14
|
7 |
38 |
Bulls
|
14
|
7
|
7
|
21 |
49 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bulls
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
18 |
25 |
Fighting Illini
|
10
|
6
|
3
|
0 |
19 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Pirates
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
0 |
13 |
Bulls
|
6
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
20 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bulls
|
10
|
10
|
28
|
10 |
58 |
Minutemen
|
7
|
7
|
14
|
14 |
42 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 23 Bulls
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
15 |
25 |
Golden Hurricane
|
7
|
3
|
14
|
0 |
24 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Huskies
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
16 |
30 |
No. 21 Bulls
|
0
|
7
|
17
|
14 |
38 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 21 Bulls
|
0
|
21
|
15
|
0 |
36 |
Cougars
|
14
|
14
|
15
|
14 |
57 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Green Wave
|
7
|
20
|
7
|
7 |
41 |
Bulls
|
3
|
0
|
6
|
6 |
15 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bulls
|
9
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
23 |
No. 25 Bearcats
|
7
|
7
|
21
|
0 |
35 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bulls
|
7
|
10
|
0
|
0 |
17 |
Owls
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
17 |
27 |
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 8 Knights
|
7
|
10
|
7
|
14 |
38 |
Bulls
|
0
|
3
|
7
|
0 |
10 |
Marshall (Gasparilla Bowl)
edit
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Thundering Herd
|
21
|
7
|
3
|
7 |
38 |
Bulls
|
7
|
3
|
10
|
0 |
20 |
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes | Week |
---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
---|
AP | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 21 | 21 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — |
---|
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 20 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — |
---|
CFP | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
---|
- ^ "Gasparilla Bowl loss caps off USF's horrendous finish to 2018". Yahoo Sports. December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "UCF Tabbed as Favorite in 2018 Preseason Media Poll". TheAmerican.org. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ "2018 South Florida Bulls Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.