Temple vs South Florida Prediction 10/3/2026 Today’s College Football Picks

The Temple Owls and the South Florida Bulls meet Saturday in college football action from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Here’s a Temple vs USF prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Temple vs South Florida pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Temple Owls Betting Preview

The Owls got off to a good start this year with a big opener win over Rhode Island at home 38-14 on September 5. Temple was whacked by Penn State 27-9 in a home loss for game two, then took a tight defeat on the road thanks to Toledo. In that one the Owls were outscored 21-15 in the fourth quarter, eventually losing 49-48 in overtime to drop to 1-2.

In their game versus Army last Friday, the Owls were all tied up 14-14 going into the fourth quarter. Temple gave up a touchdown from there and could only muster a field goal themselves, leading to a 21-17 loss at Lincoln Financial Field in the end. QB Ajani Sheppard was 11-of-20 for 242 yards and two scores. Samuel Brown led the rush with 96 yards.

South Florida Bulls Betting Preview

Over on the South Florida side, they opened up the season with a 10-point win at home over FIU, taking that one 19-9. The Bulls kept it going with a tight 28-24 win over Army in game two, then won again in blowout fashion over Delaware State. South Florida scored 14 points in three different quarters (and 17 in the other) on the way to a 59-17 result.

Matched up against Bowling Green last weekend the Bulls struggled on offense for most of the game. Entering the fourth quarter, South Florida was down 6-0. USF found a couple of touchdowns from there though, and pulled off the road win 14-6. QB Michael Van Buren was 7-of-11 for just 52 yards and DJ Crowther had 23 carries for 143 yards and a score.

Temple Owls @ South Florida Bulls Betting Trends: Week 5

South Florida Bulls Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 5, D.J. Crowther ranks T24th amongst FBS players for touchdowns (5) this season.

Temple Owls Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 5, Samuel Brown V ranks 13th amongst qualified players for Yards Per Carry (8.2) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• South Florida ranks T4th among FBS teams for Q3 opponent points per game this season (0.8).
• South Florida ranks T4th among FBS teams for average point differential in fourth quarters this season (+10.5).
• Temple ranks 121st among FBS teams for passing yards per game this season (163.8).
• Temple ranks T119th among FBS teams for 1st downs against this season (87).

Temple vs USF Prediction

I’ll stick with South Florida. The Bulls nearly fell to a winless Bowling Green team last weekend but found some mojo near the end. USF gave up just 207 yards with 14 first downs and 3.4 yards per play, but the offense gained only 214 total yards, 52 pass yards, 16 first downs and 3-of-10 on third downs alongside two lost fumbles. There’s a lot to clean up here.

As for Temple, they gained 459 yards, 217 rush yards and 8.8 yards per play in their loss to Army. The Owls went just 3-of-9 on third downs though, and 0-of-2 on fourth downs. The defense gave up 279 rush yards to a run-heavy Knights team with 22 first downs and 6-of-12 on third-down tries. I don’t think they’ll quite keep pace with USF here if the Bulls can get it together.

Andrew Jett's Pick: South Florida Bulls -5.5