The Florida Gators will take on the USF Bulls in Week 2 of the 2025 college football campaign this coming Saturday in the fourth-ever meeting between the two Sunshine State schools.
Billy Napier’s boys opened up the season with their first shutout under the head coach against the Long Island Sharks last weekend, putting up 50-plus points in their 55-0 win. The final score could have been even more lopsided had place kicker Tre Smack not missed three field goals.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are on the loose after upsetting the then-25th-ranked Boise State Broncos in Tampa in their fall opener, 34-7. Coming off two straight 7-6 finishes, USF has a head start on finishing about the .500 mark once again.
With days still remaining before kickoff, the Gators Wire staff convened in roundtable fashion to offer their respective predictions for the Week 2 affair. Take a look below at what we had to offer.
‘The Gators will prove to be too much for the Bulls in the Swamp’
Florida has never lost to USF in three tries and that first one is not going to come this weekend, despite the surprising start in Tampa. The “tuneup” game against LIU exposed enough weaknesses to keep the coaches busy this week, but I also expect to see improvements in Game 2, particularly from Trey Smack.
The Bulls will not go down without a fight, but the Gators will prove to be too much for them in the Swamp. Early odds have the home team favored by 17.5 and I think they beat those odds. — Adam Dubbin
PREDICTION: Florida 41, USF 17
‘Week 2 is where things actually get interesting’
Florida fans might be feeling pretty good after the Gators smothered Long Island 55-0, but let’s be real—that was LIU, not exactly a College Football Playoff contender. Week 2 is where things actually get interesting. USF just pulled off an upset of then-No. 25 Boise State, and they’re strutting into Gainesville with all the confidence in the world.
Still, playing in a sold-out environment on the road in the Swamp is a different kind of animal. Expect Billy Napier’s crew to start sharper, DJ Lagway to shake off the rust and the defense to feed off the crowd again. USF might land a few punches (enough to cover the spread), but Florida should keep them in check. — Aidan Gallardo
PREDICTION: Florida 34, USF 17
‘The Gators should win easily’
Beating Boise State is nice for USF, but Tampa still isn’t part of South Florida and the Bulls still aren’t a team capable of competing with SEC talent. Sure, Florida showed some rust this week, particularly in the first-team passing game, but the defense and run game were more than strong enough to make up for it. Assuming Lagway is more comfortable under center next week, the Gators should win easily.
It might not be 55-0, but Florida winning by three scores feels likely. — David Rosenberg
PREDICTION: Florida 37, USF 14
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Expert Predictions: Looking at Florida football’s Week 2 matchup vs USF Bulls
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Aidan Gallardo and David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
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