TAMPA, Fla. — It's a great day to be a USF Bull! Over the weekend, the football team beat the Florida Gators in an 18-to-16 win.
And, after Saturday's game, the Bulls are now ranked No. 18 in the country on the Associated Press top 25 poll.
On Monday, the students on campus said they have a lot more pride knowing USF is ranked.
"More proud to be a Bull than ever," said Gunnar Green, a USF athlete for the Golf team.
Watch full report from Annette Gutierrez
Many students were at the swamp on Saturday celebrating the big W.
"It was so exciting," said Olivia Downey, a USF student. "I was at the game and the energy was crazy with all the Bulls fans."
Even one student has family on both sides of the aisle.
"We're feeling ecstatic," said Brendan McLaughlin, a USF student. "We were in Gainesville for the game. It was the happiest I've seen my brother. My mom is from UF, so we're giving her a bit of a hard time, but I think honestly it was one of the best nights I've ever had with my brother."
This win earned the team a ranking, placing them at No. 18.
"18th in the nation - that made me so happy," said McLaughlin. "I went and celebrated when I got back to campus - they might have heard me screaming in the village a little bit - when the poll came out, but Go bulls, it's worth it!"
It's been seven years since USF has been a ranked team.
"We've gone through a drought in the last few years, but we're coming back," said Joey Johnston, senior writer for the USF Athletics. "The Bulls are coming back."
Johnston has been writing about the team since they were ranked number two in the country back in 2007.
"USF is the number one story in all of college football," said Johnston. "They've opened with two straight wins against ranked opponents. Nobody has a better resume than that right now. The Bulls are on everybody's minds."
The Bulls undefeated record has many students feeling the school spirit.
"It's really exciting," said Downey. "I'm hoping we can keep it for a little bit, but I'm just so glad to be part of USF while it happens."
The next football game is on Saturday against the Miami Hurricanes and students here tell me they are hoping they can beat another ranked team.
All of this excitement for USF football comes as the school continues construction on its first-ever on-campus football stadium! It is scheduled to open by fall 2027.
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