The University of South Florida is ranked in the AP Top 25 football poll for the first time since 2017.
The Bulls are ranked No. 18 after their 18-16 victory over the then-13th-ranked Florida Gators on Saturday in Gainesville.
USF, which was eight spots out of the Top 25 last week, became the biggest upward mover.
It was the Bulls' second victory over a top-25 team to start the season, following their 34-7 home win against No. 25 Boise State.
Nico Gramatica kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired to give the Bulls their first victory over the Gators in five tries.
USF became only the third unranked team since 2000 to start 2-0 by beating two ranked teams, joining 2012 Oregon State and 2008 East Carolina.
The Bulls’ ascent under third-year coach Alex Golesh is more of a revival than breakthrough.
It marks the first time USF has been ranked in the AP Top 25 since the end of the 2017 season, when it finished 10-2 during Charlie Strong's first season as head coach. Strong is currently the defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jim Leavitt had the 2008 team as high as No. 10, and his 2007 team spent three straight weeks in the top 10 and was No. 2 after a 6-0 start.
Things don't get any easier for the Bulls. They go on the road again to take on the No. 5-ranked Miami Hurricanes on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
The Bulls will attempt to become the fifth team — and first since Miami in 1987 — to open a season with three wins over ranked opponents.
Meanwhile, the Gators fell out of the Top 25, while Florida State climbed to No. 10 following a 77-3 win over East Texas A&M.
Week 3 AP Top 25
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Ohio State (57)
2. Penn State (5)
3. LSU (2)
4. Oregon (1)
5. Miami
6. Georgia
7. Texas
8. Notre Dame
9. Illinois
10. Florida State
11. South Carolina
12. Clemson
13. Oklahoma
14. Iowa State
15. Tennessee
16. Texas A&M
17. Ole Miss
18. USF
19. Alabama
20. Utah
21. Texas Tech
22. Indiana
23. Michigan
24. Auburn
25. Missouri
