South Florida and Florida — two campuses separated by 140 miles — face off for only the fourth time in history in a Week 2 battle of two Sunshine State teams on Saturday, Sept. 6.
One of these teams will leave the Swamp in Gainesville, Fla., 2-0 on the season, setting the tone for the remainder of the year. The USF vs. #13 Florida kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. ET on the SEC Network on Saturday.
Florida QB DJ Lagway will look to continue his Heisman push after completing 83.3% of his passes vs. Long Island last week, while USF QB Byrum Brown will enter with momentum after a 34-7 win vs. Boise State.
We'll give you our South Florida vs. Florida prediction and CFB picks for PrizePicks on Saturday afternoon, including Lagway and Brown player picks for PrizePicks real money college football game.
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USF vs. Florida Prediction, Preview in CFB Week 2
Before starting a run of three consecutive top-10 opponents (LSU, Miami, Texas) and five top-20 opponents in six weeks, the Florida Gators host an in-state opponent South Florida on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, Fla.
Both teams are coming off impressive Week 1 performances and look to go 2-0 on the season.
Florida has won all three previous meetings with South Florida, with the last matchup a 31-28 win three seasons ago. The spotlight will be on both QBs as Florida sophomore DJ Lagway has been mentioned in Heisman candidate circles and Bulls QB Byrum Brown returned last week from a 2024 season-ending injury.
USF Bulls Preview
USF recorded the first shock of the College Football season last week, with a 34-7 win vs. previously ranked Boise State.
After falling behind 7-0, the Bulls scored 34 unanswered points with QB Byrum Brown running for two scores and backup QB Locklan Hewlett executing a fake punt TD as the Bulls beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2016.
The score can be deceiving, as the Bulls were outgained overall, 378-372, but forced three Boise State fumbles to win their second straight season opener. Brown looked dominant in the win, even against a Boise State defense that ranked 14th in expected points added per play in 2024.
Florida Gators Preview
Florida opened the 2025 season with a 55-0 win over Long Island. It was the first shutout under Coach Billy Napier and the 55 points were the most scored since he took over.
QB DJ Lagway passed for 3 TDs, RB Jadan Baugh ran for 106 yards and a score, and the Florida defense held FCS Long Island to only 86 total yards.
Lagway, playing only the first half, completed 15 -of-18 passes, including a highlight reel 41-yard completion to true freshman WR Vernell Brown III.
USF vs. Florida Picks for CFB DFS
A 2-0 start is important for Florida against an in-state opponent, with road trips to third-ranked LSU and fifth-ranked Miami the next two weeks.
There's plenty of action to look forward to in South Florida vs. Florida on Saturday in Week 2 of college football. Here are the player picks to target in PrizePicks real money college football game and in CFB DFS, including Florida QB DJ Lagway and RB Jadan Baugh.
Florida QB DJ Lagway Projection: 1.5 Pass TDs
Lagway threw 3 TD passes last week on only 18 attempts in Week 1, playing the first 30 minutes of the game.
In the seven games with at least 15 pass attempts in his career, Lagway has thrown for 2-plus TDs in four of them.
This includes three of his last four starts, dating back to last season.
It's also a soft matchup for Lagway vs. a USF defense that gave up 7.39 yards per dropback last season —108th in college football in a non-power conference.
Florida RB Jadan Baugh Projection: 79.5 Rush Yards
Florida RB Jaden Baugh recorded his second career 100-yard rushing game in Week 1 vs. Long Island, hitting 106 yards on only 9 rushes. Baugh had 60 yards after contact vs. Long Island and now will face a USF defense that gave up 4.74 yards per rush.
In his career, Baugh has posted 75-plus yards in four games, all of which have occurred within the last eight games for Florida.
South Florida QB Byrum Brown Projection: 18.5 Fantasy Score
Byrum Brown is back for the Bulls after missing most of the 2024 season with a broken leg. He came back with a bang, as he rushed for two TDs in South Florida’s stomping over ranked Boise State last week.
Bynum had rushing touchdowns in three of five games last season before his season-ending injury, and rushed for at least one TD in eight of 13 games in 2023.
Overall, Bynum has at least one rushing TD in 14 of 21 career starts. He ran with ease on Boise State, totaling 14 rush attempts — which was double anyone else on the team.
Brown has averaged 19.75 fantasy points per game in his last five starts, including the game where he got injured. Brown looked comfortable as dual-threat QB in Week1, even returning from a serious leg injury.
Make USF vs. Florida Picks on PrizePicks
South Florida vs. Florida pits two Florida teams coming off impressive Week 1 wins against each other; they won by a combined 82 points. Florida looks to stay unbeaten in the series with in-state opponent USF, having won the previous three matchups, all since 2010.
Florida has the hardest schedule in the country and faces third-ranked LSU and fifth-ranked Miami in the next two weeks, so a win over South Florida to go to Baton Rouge 2-0 looms large. But that also could set the Gators up for somewhat of a trap game as they look ahead to tougher opponents.
No matter what your take on this Saturday college football matchup is, you can win real money with your South Florida vs. Florida predictions on PrizePicks while you watch.
Simply pick your players — from DJ Lagway to Byrum Brown, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and win cash when you're right. It's that easy.
Check out the Playbook throughout the 2025 college season for more picks and predictions from our team of experts.
