Nico Gramatica drilled 20-yard field goal as time expired
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GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – South Florida shocked No. 13 Florida 18-16 on Saturday as Nico Gramatica drilled a 20-yard field goal as time expired sealing the Bulls’ second straight win over a ranked opponent.
USF (2-0), which defeated then-No. 25 Boise State a week earlier, became just the fourth unranked team in the AP poll era (since 1936) to start 2-0 with victories over ranked foes.
The Bulls joined 2012 Oregon State, 2008 East Carolina and 1976 North Carolina in that rare feat, according to ESPN Research.
Gramatica had missed a 58-yard attempt with 2:52 remaining but got redemption after Florida defensive lineman Brandon Bett was ejected for spitting on a South Florida player. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave USF 15 yards and an automatic first down, sparking an 87-yard march to set up the winning kick.
South Florida shocked No. 13 Florida 18-16 on Saturday as Nico Gramatica drilled a 20-yard field goal at the buzzer, sealing the Bulls’ second straight win over a ranked opponent. (USF Image)
For Florida (1-1), it was another frustrating finish under embattled head coach Billy Napier.
The Gators dropped to 1-1 for the fourth straight year, despite a late spark when freshman Vernell Brown III returned a punt 40 yards to set up quarterback DJ Lagway’s lone touchdown pass.
Costly mistakes doomed the Gators down the stretch. A defensive lapse and a botched snap that resulted in a safety left Florida trailing 15-9 in the fourth quarter. Napier’s play-calling, already under scrutiny, will face even more questions after the collapse.