The University of South Florida kicked off the college football season Saturday, Sept. 5 with a landslide win against Florida A&M University (FAMU). The final score was 51-3.

  Even though kick off was at 7 p.m., the tailgating craziness, kicked off as early as 2 p.m. All around Raymond James Stadium students, alumni, and fans from all around the Tampa Bay area came to start the season off right and support the Bulls. The USF pride was evident as the “Herd of Thunder” warmed up, and people began to cheer and chant the USF fight song.

  When kickoff started, Raymond James Stadium was electric with the student seating section overflowing, and a new student seating section had to be created to handle the overflow.

  USF senior Ann Dooling was shocked at the turnout for the opening game. She and her friends were prepping for the start of football season since the night before, buying supplies and coordinating.

  Dooling was taken back by the size of the crowd and said “Out of all the USF games I’ve been to, this is the biggest crowd that I have ever seen at a game.”

  By half time, USF was leading FAMU 16-0, and the crowd enjoyed the performances of both university marching bands. When the game resumed, USF scored another 14 points, while FAMU scored their only points for the game. By the fourth quarter, fans of the Bulls were ecstatic with the lead that their team had over FAMU. With FAMU still at 3 points, USF scored their final 21 points to bring the final score to 51-3, a landslide win for USF.

  With the win against FAMU, South Florida gears up for a season that may turn some heads. Dooling and her friends promise that they will return to Raymond James Stadium on Friday, October 2 for the next USF home football game against the University of Memphis. That game will also kick off at 7 p.m.