For Alex Golesh, the grind never stops. Twenty-four hours after the biggest win of his career, an 18-16 victory at No. 13 Florida, the South Florida coach was already knee-deep in preparations for No. 5 Miami. But, as he exited a meeting on Sunday evening to field a phone call, Golesh allowed himself a moment to reflect on the past before shifting his focus completely to preparing for a third straight nationally ranked opponent on the No. 13 Bulls’ schedule.
After all, USF’s win in The Swamp is all anyone wants to talk about across the country — and sometimes, allowing the world to peek behind the curtain is required to properly contextualize the scene unfolding on stage.
Reflecting back on the insane night in The Swamp, where Nico Gramatica booted the walk-off field goal and silenced the Gators, Golesh opened up about the one thing he wanted most in that moment.
The victory didn’t move Golesh to tears because of rankings or headlines. It was the hug with his kids. The sight of his wife. The quiet acknowledgment of years of lonely nights and endless moves.
“I really just wanted to see my family,” the third-year USF coach told CBS Sports. “That is probably as cool as anything — to see my little guy and my daughter and my wife. That always makes me somewhat emotional because I know what they have sacrificed. That’s one of the things that doesn’t get talked about enough or covered enough. What this profession is, they go through a lot of s***. They’ve moved all over the country without hesitation. There are a lot of really long, lonely nights for our (coaches’) wives and kids — and for them to be a huge part of it and see it, it’s as humbling as anything can be.”
The victory Saturday has this young program beaming with pride, plotting a course as college football’s new national darling. The USF football team is only in its 28th year of existence, but it has already flirted with greatness. From a No. 2 national ranking in 2007 to back-to-back wins against ranked opponents this season, there are notable milestones, although no conference championships have been won yet.
“There’s no ceiling here,” Golesh said. “I know that sounds like a coach answer, but I mean it genuinely. We’re 28 years old, and we’ve got to close this giant gap, but I legitimately think this place can be a top-20 program. We’ve got 53,000 students, we’re an AAU school, we’re sitting in Tampa, Florida. It could be as big as you want it to be.”
The gap between the Bulls and their top rivals in the American — and elsewhere — is closing. The investment to make sure USF is prepared to be part of whatever the next phase of college football looks like in five years is apparent. The school opened a $22 million football facility in 2022 and broke ground this summer on a $349 million on-campus stadium scheduled to open in 2027.
As for the here and now, USF is already on the national map. For Golesh, he hopes back-to-back wins against Boise State and Florida provide validation for his three-year rebuild of a program that won only a combined four games in the three years preceding his arrival in 2023.
“We knew we needed time,” Golesh said. “That was part of the reason I was intrigued by this job. They were willing to give us time to build it the right way.”
Some teams are capable of improving dramatically in one offseason thanks to the transfer portal, but many need more time to get off the mat.
The process began in early 2023 with recruiting. Golesh laid out his plan to administrators, focusing on high school prospects and development, with supplemental help from the transfer portal when needed. Although Golesh took the job only one day before the portal opened, USF signed 19 transfers and 18 high school players — a slight deviation from his long-term plan of having more high school signees than transfers. The veteran additions allowed him to flip a one-win roster into a seven-win program in his first year, providing what he calls a “proof of concept” for future recruits.
Since then, USF has signed the American’s Nos. 1 and 2 recruiting classes and is on pace to finish first again in 2026, according to 247Sports. This season’s roster includes 33 seniors, a few new veteran defensive linemen via the portal to bolster depth and a superstar quarterback, who was a holdover from the previous staff in 2022.
“We’ve had two years of some really high highs, some really low lows — really inconsistent in a lot of ways,” Golesh said. “We haven’t handled success well. We haven’t handled failure well. For the first time in our program, young guys are able to point to our older guys and say, ‘That’s what it should look like.'”
The QB who changed everything
Byrum Brown has emerged as one of the nation’s most electric quarterbacks. He’s thrown only one touchdown pass, but his production as a passer (236.5 yards per game) and runner (54.5) has propelled the Bulls into contention as the Group of Six’s representative in the College Football Playoff.
The signs of greatness were there in 2023, when he emerged as Golesh’s first starting quarterback and broke 12 school records, including seasonal marks for passing yards (3,292) and touchdowns (26). His 2024 season was cut short when he broke his leg after five games. The Bulls still won seven games.
“It always sucks when something you love is taken away from you, which makes you cherish it more when you get it back,” Brown said. “I can’t really say I was down on myself. I was surrounded by a great support system. I was able to embrace the role of uplifting guys and coaching guys when I couldn’t perform on the field.”
Brown threw for 263 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 66 more yards in the win Saturday at Florida. He connected with Alvon Isaac for a 29-yard pass down the sideline, pushing USF into Florida territory with 2 minutes remaining, and then moved the ball into field-goal range with a 12-yard throw and three runs totaling 12 yards.
His production overshadowed Florida’s DJ Lagway, a former five-star prospect and preseason Heisman Trophy contender.
“When your quarterback is one of the toughest dudes on the team, physically and mentally tough, it inspires not just the offensive guys but the defensive guys to match that same level of toughness,” Golesh said.
Brown was a three-star prospect out of Rolesville, North Carolina, in 2022. He received zero offers from power conference programs.
“Everyone feels like they can play at the highest level, but God said I wasn’t ready for that and put me in the place where I am, and I’m glad that he has placed me at USF,” Brown said. “I’m truly, truly grateful for everything that has come with it, the ups and downs, highs and lows. Whether I’ve been overlooked, I’m glad I’m here, I’m glad I’m able to put on for this university.”
The kick, a prayer, a family legacy
Nico Gramatica’s mind went blank as he ran onto the field to attempt the biggest kick of his career.
USF’s sophomore kicker recalls reciting a prayer — Exodus 15:2 — in Spanish, but everything after that is a blur. As adrenaline flooded his brain and body, he followed his training, stepping back from the ball, lining up his trajectory. Then the ball was snapped, the hold was perfect and he booted the 58-yarder. The swing and strike on the ball felt great, he said. The ball sailed toward the middle of the goal posts, on target for the biggest kick of his life … and then fell several feet short of the crossbar.
Florida maintained a 16-15 lead, and Gramatica quickly snapped back to reality.
“I remember running to the sideline and the defensive players running on the field saying, ‘We’re going to give you another shot,'” Gramatica said.
USF’s defense did just that, holding Florida to a three-and-out, and through a series of crazy plays by the offense (including a personal foul on Florida’s Brendan Bett for spitting), the Bulls marched down the field for a chip-shot field goal with 3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter..
The son of former NFL great Martin Gramatica said his prayer again.
“I’m pretty sure God understands Spanish and English,” Martin Gramatica joked. “I’m glad he’s praying before his kicks.”
The adrenaline returned, and amnesia hit Nico again as he ran onto the field. This time, he nailed the 20-yard field goal, sending USF’s sideline into a frenzy.
More than 330 miles away, Martin Grammatica and his wife, Ashlee, were in Atlanta for a work trip — Martin is on the radio crew for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and watched their son’s big moment on an iPad inside a hotel room.
The Gramatica family is a legendary kicking fraternity. Three Gramaticas have kicked at USF. That number will increase to four when Nico’s brother, Gaston, enrolls next fall. Martin’s younger brother, Bill, played for USF and went on to reach the NFL, and his other brother, Santiago, played for USF in the early 2000s. Santiago trained Nico, who played soccer before moving over to football as a sophomore in high school.
“He’s very good at the technical part of the coaching. I always laugh and say, I’ll do the mental toughness. I’m the hard dad,” Martin said.
Martin knew exactly what his son was battling Saturday night. He spent nine years in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl honors and a Super Bowl ring in 2000 with the Buccaneers. He still owns the FBS record for longest field goal without a tee — a 65-yarder in 1998 during his All-American career at Kansas State. He joked that being the father of a kicker is more stressful than actually being a kicker. “Oh, 1,000 percent, yes,” he said. “It’s hard to even explain.”
“I always told him: just because you have that last name, it doesn’t mean that things are gonna go right,” Martin said. “You have to work and create your own path, and that’s what he’s been doing. I’m just proud that he’s creating his own path and doing it through hard work. That’s the only way you can be successful in anything.”
Nico’s 58-yard kick earlier in the fourth quarter not only would have given USF the lead, and potentially the win, but it would also have tied his career-long record, which is only 3 yards short of the school record set by his uncle, Bill.
“He could do it, but I also hope he breaks mine!” Martin said. “If anybody breaks it, I hope it’s Nico or Gaston.”
From heartbreak to breakthrough
Before USF upset Florida with a walk-off field goal last week and put the country on notice, the Bulls had a history of suffering heartbreak in close games.
They were in similar positions in 2024, within striking distance of two top 10 blue bloods, only to wither under the pressure. They trailed No. 4 Alabama by only five points with less than 7 minutes remaining but gave up three touchdowns in the final 6 minutes. They led No. 8 Miami 15-14 late in the first half after 51- and 58-yard field goals by Nico Gramatica but were bludgeoned the rest of the day in a 50-15 loss.
“Last year, we couldn’t win a game like we did Saturday at Florida,” Golesh said.
It wasn’t until a five-overtime win against San Jose State in the Hawai’i Bowl that USF broke through in a close game, and the team finally jelled. Now, they’re reaping the benefits following back-to-back wins against ranked teams.
“That’s what real sports are about, that locker room connection, the team bonding and the love with your team,” Nico said.
Saturday in Miami is the most difficult challenge yet. The Hurricanes already own a top 10 win against Notre Dame. On paper, the talent gap is immense. USF’s roster includes seven former blue-chip prospects (four-star or better). Miami has 45.
“That’s where matchups are always going to be hard for us, because as good as we are on the O-line and D-line, those are physical matchups that you’ve got to win and they’re about as talented as they come on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Golesh said.
The same could have been said about Florida, which ranks ahead of Miami at No. 12 in 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite.
Golesh has made sure to protect his players from the outside noise and hype, especially after these back-to-back wins against top 25 programs. The state of Florida is especially feverish with football, and the re-emergence of Florida, Miami and Florida State this season has only placed more pressure on the Bulls, who are not only the story of the season but also the bane of the big boys in the Sunshine State.
“The second that you stray away from the inner circle or you start listening to people outside of that locker room, you’re going to screw this up,” Golesh said. “We’ve challenged them to truly just trust their inner circle, being the coaches and players. Those are the only people that are going to tell them the truth. Everybody else outside of there is going to tell them how great they are. We’re going to tell them the truth.”
On Sunday, it was all about work for Golesh and the Bulls. Brown entered the facility at 10:30 a.m. to review film before undergoing treatment at noon and 2 p.m. At 5 p.m., he returned to study film of Miami.
“I get to work with some of my best friends in the whole entire world every day,” Golesh said. “Tonight at 11:30 or midnight, my wife will be in bed by herself when I get home, and then I’ll leave before she wakes up. That’s pretty much every night. That’s the part that always makes me emotional.”
An embrace with his family after beating Miami would make every late night in the office, every ounce of sweat worth it.
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