For Alex Golesh, the grind by no means stops. Twenty-four hours after the largest win of his profession, an 18-16 victory at No. 13 Florida, the South Florida coach was already knee-deep in preparations for No. 5 Miami. However, as he exited a gathering on Sunday night to discipline a telephone name, Golesh allowed himself a second to mirror on the previous earlier than shifting his focus fully to making ready for a 3rd straight nationally ranked opponent on the No. 13 Bulls’ schedule.
In any case, USF’s win in The Swamp is all anybody needs to speak about throughout the nation — and generally, permitting the world to peek behind the scenes is required to correctly contextualize the scene unfolding on stage.
Reflecting again on the insane evening in The Swamp, the place Nico Gramatica booted the walk-off discipline aim and silenced the Gators, Golesh opened up in regards to the one factor he needed most in that second.
The victory did not transfer Golesh to tears due to rankings or headlines. It was the hug together with his youngsters. The sight of his spouse. The quiet acknowledgment of years of lonely nights and limitless strikes.
“I actually simply needed to see my household,” the third-year USF coach informed CBS Sports activities. “That’s in all probability as cool as something — to see my little man and my daughter and my spouse. That all the time makes me considerably emotional as a result of I do know what they’ve sacrificed. That is one of many issues that does not get talked about sufficient or coated sufficient. What this occupation is, they undergo plenty of s***. They’ve moved all around the nation with out hesitation. There are plenty of actually lengthy, lonely nights for our (coaches’) wives and youngsters — and for them to be an enormous a part of it and see it, it is as humbling as something will be.”
The victory Saturday has this younger program beaming with delight, plotting a course as faculty soccer‘s new nationwide darling. The USF soccer staff is barely in its twenty eighth yr of existence, but it surely has already flirted with greatness. From a No. 2 nationwide rating in 2007 to back-to-back wins towards ranked opponents this season, there are notable milestones, though no convention championships have been gained but.
“There is no ceiling right here,” Golesh stated. “I do know that feels like a coach reply, however I imply it genuinely. We’re 28 years outdated, and we have got to shut this big hole, however I legitimately assume this place is usually a top-20 program. We have got 53,000 college students, we’re an AAU faculty, we’re sitting in Tampa, Florida. It may very well be as huge as you need it to be.”
The hole between the Bulls and their high rivals within the American — and elsewhere — is closing. The funding to ensure USF is ready to be a part of regardless of the subsequent section of faculty soccer appears like in 5 years is clear. The varsity opened a $22 million soccer facility in 2022 and broke floor this summer time on a $349 million on-campus stadium scheduled to open in 2027.
As for the right here and now, USF is already on the nationwide map. For Golesh, he hopes back-to-back wins towards Boise State and Florida present validation for his three-year rebuild of a program that gained solely a mixed 4 video games within the three years previous his arrival in 2023.
“We knew we would have liked time,” Golesh stated. “That was a part of the explanation I used to be intrigued by this job. They had been prepared to provide us time to construct it the fitting manner.”
Some groups are able to enhancing dramatically in a single offseason due to the switch portal, however many want extra time to get off the mat.
The method started in early 2023 with recruiting. Golesh laid out his plan to directors, specializing in highschool prospects and improvement, with supplemental assist from the switch portal when wanted. Though Golesh took the job solely at some point earlier than the portal opened, USF signed 19 transfers and 18 highschool gamers — a slight deviation from his long-term plan of getting extra highschool signees than transfers. The veteran additions allowed him to flip a one-win roster right into a seven-win program in his first yr, offering what he calls a “proof of idea” for future recruits.
Since then, USF has signed the American’s Nos. 1 and a pair of recruiting lessons and is on tempo to complete first once more in 2026, in line with 247Sports. This season’s roster consists of 33 seniors, a couple of new veteran defensive linemen by way of the portal to bolster depth and a celebrity quarterback, who was a holdover from the earlier workers in 2022.
“We have had two years of some actually excessive highs, some actually low lows — actually inconsistent in plenty of methods,” Golesh stated. “We have not dealt with success nicely. We have not dealt with failure nicely. For the primary time in our program, younger guys are capable of level to our older guys and say, ‘That is what it ought to appear to be.'”
The QB who modified the whole lot
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Byrum Brown has emerged as one of many nation’s most electrical quarterbacks. He is thrown just one landing move, however his manufacturing as a passer (236.5 yards per recreation) and runner (54.5) has propelled the Bulls into competition because the Group of Six’s consultant within the School Soccer Playoff.
The indicators of greatness had been there in 2023, when he emerged as Golesh’s first beginning quarterback and broke 12 faculty data, together with seasonal marks for passing yards (3,292) and touchdowns (26). His 2024 season was reduce quick when he broke his leg after 5 video games. The Bulls nonetheless gained seven video games.
“It all the time sucks when one thing you’re keen on is taken away from you, which makes you cherish it extra while you get it again,” Brown stated. “I can not actually say I used to be down on myself. I used to be surrounded by an amazing assist system. I used to be capable of embrace the position of uplifting guys and training guys after I could not carry out on the sector.”
Brown threw for 263 yards and a landing, and he rushed for 66 extra yards within the win Saturday at Florida. He related with Alvon Isaac for a 29-yard move down the sideline, pushing USF into Florida territory with 2 minutes remaining, after which moved the ball into field-goal vary with a 12-yard throw and three runs totaling 12 yards.
His manufacturing overshadowed Florida’s DJ Lagway, a former five-star prospect and preseason Heisman Trophy contender.
“When your quarterback is among the hardest dudes on the staff, bodily and mentally robust, it conjures up not simply the offensive guys however the defensive guys to match that very same degree of toughness,” Golesh stated.
Brown was a three-star prospect out of Rolesville, North Carolina, in 2022. He acquired zero provides from energy convention packages.
“Everybody looks like they will play on the highest degree, however God stated I wasn’t prepared for that and put me within the place the place I’m, and I am glad that he has positioned me at USF,” Brown stated. “I am really, really grateful for the whole lot that has include it, the ups and downs, highs and lows. Whether or not I have been missed, I am glad I am right here, I am glad I will placed on for this college.”
The kick, a prayer, a household legacy
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Nico Gramatica’s thoughts went clean as he ran onto the sector to aim the largest kick of his profession.
USF’s sophomore kicker recollects reciting a prayer — Exodus 15:2 — in Spanish, however the whole lot after that may be a blur. As adrenaline flooded his mind and physique, he adopted his coaching, stepping again from the ball, lining up his trajectory. Then the ball was snapped, the maintain was good and he booted the 58-yarder. The swing and strike on the ball felt nice, he stated. The ball sailed towards the center of the aim posts, on course for the largest kick of his life … after which fell a number of toes in need of the crossbar.
Florida maintained a 16-15 lead, and Gramatica shortly snapped again to actuality.
“I bear in mind operating to the sideline and the defensive gamers operating on the sector saying, ‘We will offer you one other shot,'” Gramatica stated.
USF’s protection did simply that, holding Florida to a three-and-out, and thru a collection of loopy performs by the offense (together with a private foul on Florida’s Brendan Bett for spitting), the Bulls marched down the sector for a chip-shot discipline aim with 3 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter..
The son of former NFL nice Martin Gramatica stated his prayer once more.
“I am fairly certain God understands Spanish and English,” Martin Gramatica joked. “I am glad he is praying earlier than his kicks.”
The adrenaline returned, and amnesia hit Nico once more as he ran onto the sector. This time, he nailed the 20-yard discipline aim, sending USF’s sideline right into a frenzy.
Greater than 330 miles away, Martin Grammatica and his spouse, Ashlee, had been in Atlanta for a piece journey — Martin is on the radio crew for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and watched their son’s huge second on an iPad inside a lodge room.
The Gramatica household is a legendary kicking fraternity. Three Gramaticas have kicked at USF. That quantity will enhance to 4 when Nico’s brother, Gaston, enrolls subsequent fall. Martin’s youthful brother, Invoice, performed for USF and went on to achieve the NFL, and his different brother, Santiago, performed for USF within the early 2000s. Santiago skilled Nico, who performed soccer earlier than shifting over to soccer as a sophomore in highschool.
“He is excellent on the technical a part of the teaching. I all the time chuckle and say, I will do the psychological toughness. I am the exhausting dad,” Martin stated.
Martin knew precisely what his son was battling Saturday evening. He spent 9 years within the NFL, incomes Professional Bowl honors and a Tremendous Bowl ring in 2000 with the Buccaneers. He nonetheless owns the FBS report for longest discipline aim with out a tee — a 65-yarder in 1998 throughout his All-American profession at Kansas State. He joked that being the daddy of a kicker is extra traumatic than really being a kicker. “Oh, 1,000 p.c, sure,” he stated. “It is exhausting to even clarify.”
“I all the time informed him: simply because you’ve got that final identify, it does not imply that issues are gonna go proper,” Martin stated. “You need to work and create your individual path, and that is what he is been doing. I am simply proud that he is creating his personal path and doing it via exhausting work. That is the one manner you will be profitable in something.”
Nico’s 58-yard kick earlier within the fourth quarter not solely would have given USF the lead, and doubtlessly the win, however it will even have tied his career-long report, which is barely 3 yards in need of the varsity report set by his uncle, Invoice.
“He might do it, however I additionally hope he breaks mine!” Martin stated. “If anyone breaks it, I hope it is Nico or Gaston.”
From heartbreak to breakthrough
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Earlier than USF upset Florida with a walk-off discipline aim final week and put the nation on discover, the Bulls had a historical past of struggling heartbreak in shut video games.
They had been in related positions in 2024, inside placing distance of two high 10 blue bloods, solely to wither underneath the stress. They trailed No. 4 Alabama by solely 5 factors with lower than 7 minutes remaining however gave up three touchdowns within the remaining 6 minutes. They led No. 8 Miami 15-14 late within the first half after 51- and 58-yard discipline targets by Nico Gramatica however had been bludgeoned the remainder of the day in a 50-15 loss.
“Final yr, we could not win a recreation like we did Saturday at Florida,” Golesh stated.
It wasn’t till a five-overtime win towards San Jose State within the Hawai’i Bowl that USF broke via in a detailed recreation, and the staff lastly jelled. Now, they’re reaping the advantages following back-to-back wins towards ranked groups.
“That is what actual sports activities are about, that locker room connection, the staff bonding and the love along with your staff,” Nico stated.
Saturday in Miami is essentially the most troublesome problem but. The Hurricanes already personal a high 10 win towards Notre Dame. On paper, the expertise hole is immense. USF’s roster consists of seven former blue-chip prospects (four-star or higher). Miami has 45.
“That is the place matchups are all the time going to be exhausting for us, as a result of pretty much as good as we’re on the O-line and D-line, these are bodily matchups that you have to win and so they’re about as proficient as they arrive on each side of the road of scrimmage,” Golesh stated.
The identical might have been stated about Florida, which ranks forward of Miami at No. 12 in 247Sports’ Crew Expertise Composite.
Golesh has made certain to guard his gamers from the skin noise and hype, particularly after these back-to-back wins towards high 25 packages. The state of Florida is particularly feverish with soccer, and the re-emergence of Florida, Miami and Florida State this season has solely positioned extra stress on the Bulls, who should not solely the story of the season but additionally the bane of the massive boys within the Sunshine State.
“The second that you simply stray away from the interior circle otherwise you begin listening to individuals exterior of that locker room, you are going to screw this up,” Golesh stated. “We have challenged them to actually simply belief their interior circle, being the coaches and gamers. These are the one individuals which can be going to inform them the reality. All people else exterior of there may be going to inform them how nice they’re. We will inform them the reality.”
On Sunday, it was all about work for Golesh and the Bulls. Brown entered the power at 10:30 a.m. to evaluate movie earlier than present process therapy at midday and a pair of p.m. At 5 p.m., he returned to review movie of Miami.
“I get to work with a few of my greatest buddies in the entire total world every single day,” Golesh stated. “Tonight at 11:30 or midnight, my spouse might be in mattress by herself after I get dwelling, after which I will depart earlier than she wakes up. That is just about each evening. That is the half that all the time makes me emotional.”
An embrace together with his household after beating Miami would make each late evening within the workplace, each ounce of sweat price it.
