Amid their upset of Florida, University of South Florida head coach Alex Golesh almost had an uncharacteristic moment. What exactly happened? Tensions run high at college football games, no matter the level of competition.
For players, stepping onto the field means that senses heighten and adrenaline starts pumping. Meanwhile, coaching feels a similar but probably not as profound reaction. As a result, communication can become an issue along the sidelines. On top of that, comprehension and understanding can also suffer.
What Did South Florida HC Alex Golesh Recount Regarding QB Byrum Brown?
The talk of the college football world is currently the South Florida Bulls (2-0), who head into another in-state tilt, this time with Miami. With the game on the line against Florida, the head coach wanted to discuss strategy with his quarterback, Byrum Brown. Golesh took a moment to discuss the interaction in this clip.
“I said ‘Byrum, if you go past the middle of the field, I’m going to be so mad at you.'”
Alex Golesh said he needed Byrum Brown to get to the middle of the field to set up the game winner against Florida. pic.twitter.com/bnPYF3Ou4I
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 10, 2025
“The last thing I wanted to do was kick the ball off again. We were on the left middle hash. And they took a timeout. We were going to run Byrum in a quarterback-designed run. I said, ‘Byrum, if you go past the middle of the field, I’m going to be so mad at you. In true Byrum fashion, I said, “No middle of the field,” and he put his head down and got it down.
The Bulls kicked a game-winning field goal, stunning the favored Gators. Brown, in the heat of the moment, with the hostile confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, listened. In many other cases, the player would retreat to their innate default, which is to score the touchdown and rely on the defense to clamp down on the offense.
Golesh knows that when Florida had the ball on a 3rd-and-8 on the last drive, quarterback D.J. Lagway placed a pass right into the hands of wide receiver Vernell Brown III, which he bobbled and dropped. If Brown holds on, that looked like the end. He enjoyed a few steps of separation. Also, with little to no safety help, chances remained high that he would score.
Golesh took the smarter route. He kept the ball out of the Florida offense, knowing that a failed third-down conversion looked like a harbinger of what would happen next time. Now, another battle appears on the horizon.
As mentioned, the University of Miami will welcome the Bulls. Led by a transfer quarterback, the Hurricanes’ offense looks formidable. Through two games, Beck’s 77.8% completion rate leads the ACC. Golesh and Brown will look to pull another upset. Can they continue their early-season roll?
