TAMPA, Fla. — The goal for any college football team’s spring game is to show significant improvement through the offseason.

The defense, loaded with transfers, looks to be a strength for the Bulls this fall. Additionally, sophomore quarterback Timmy McClain is working on becoming the leader of the offense.

But it wasn’t the "O vs. D" that grabbed everyone’s attention. It was the other game that happened — the first green and gold alumni flag football game, featuring some of the greatest Bulls in program history.

“[It] was awesome,” former quarterback Matt Grothe said. The Lake Gibson alum is one of the best passers in USF history.

“I found out real quick that I wasn’t in shape for this, but it was a good time," Grothe said. "This is something we have to do every year.”

“Being able to rekindle the flame with the old guys, and being able to come out here and run around and catch the ball is a blessing and I love it,” said former receiver and Jefferson alum Andre Davis.

The biggest advocate for this game was USF head coach Jeff Scott.

“My message to them is that I may be the leader of their program as the head coach, but I am just a steward for their program,” Scott said.

For a lot of the USF football alums, there has been a disconnect between them and past head coaches. Scott has made it a priority to bring home these Bulls.

“They are the ones that laid the foundation and laid out all the sweat,” Scott said. “I take it as a huge responsibility, myself, my staff, and our players. We want them to be proud of their program.”

“It means a lot,” said former defensive end George Selvie, who is the only two-time All-American in program history. “It means he cares about the alumni and he wants us to be involved with this program. That is something we have wanted for a long time, and we just want to grow from there.”

USF is entering its 26^th season on the gridiron. While its history is short, it’s full of special moments. And Scott knows how important it is for former players to share that message with his current group.

“I love the fact that coach Scott is big on bringing the alumni back and getting the old guys around new guys so they can see what’s going (on) and see what’s been going on in the past,” Davis said. “Let them see the history of what’s been going on, and I love it.”

With USF pushing for an on-campus stadium by 2027, Scott knows his program will be taking big steps in the coming years. And the only way to move into the future is by walking side-by-side with Bulls of seasons past.

“We don’t need to wait five years from now to get everyone back together,” Scott said. “We need to use these next five years to build it back and get everyone together pushing in the same direction. That’s the vision I have and I’ve seen that because they’re a big part of that and they have a big voice.”

It was just a simple flag football game for USF alums. But it meant so much more. It was a head coach welcoming back those who built this program. And the Bulls can now move forward under the message of hope and unity.

“Bulls fans, it’s coming,” Davis said. “It’s coming. You see, the stadium is on the way, and we’re going to be back on top real soon.”