BullyPulpit

Just checked and it is odd that the major Vegas sports books have yet to post a line for the game Thursday. The only games that don't have odds posted other than ours have significant players listed as questionable. My guess would be a line around USF -20.

Well, I will take the result, but I wish we could have pulled it out. In the end, the game turned out the way I would have expected it. Courteney is amazing, but we need her to shoot 40+% in big games in order to win.

I actually went back and looked at the 5 non-UCONN losses from last season. It really illustrates how Courtney is probably the most valuable player in women's college basketball. If she was off against decent to good competition, USF lost, period. Against Maryland she shot 7-22, against Kentucky 10-27, against St. John's 5-19, against U of L 8-20. The one aberration was against ECU where she shot 13-26 and the rest of the team was a despicable 8-33. Overall, in the non-UCONN losses, she averaged 37.7% shooting from the field (which drop s to 34% if you exclude the ECU outlier). In the 3 losses to UCONN she averaged 38.5% shooting from the field. In our wins she averaged about 44% shooting from the field. It might not seem like a big difference, but that 6% can certainly be a big difference maker, especially when she takes between 20 and 30 shots per game.

I will venture to guess that they will try and frustrate Courtney with double teams all night and force our other players to beat them. If we are going to compete at the elite level we need everyone to step up and play their part.

Going on the road and winning in Waco is a tall order, especially this early in the season. I am hoping for a win, but will settle for a strong performance (single digit loss, close throughout) in order to give me hope that we can contend in March.

It just seems out of control because the barrage of pessimism is now accompanied by optimism (even if most opinions are overly optimistic. I, for one, am happy to see some ridiculously optimistic posts and even posted one for kicks about getting into the Peach Bowl. It is so refreshing to feel energy and spirit around the football team again. I have casual sports fan friends reaching out to me to finally start coming to the games/tailgates again! I'm going to ride the positive vibes wave as long as it is going, because the second we fall it will be back to unadulterated pessimism with a sprinkle of realistic opinions here and there.

Did you consider that it is all part of a process? That, as of last season, the tools weren't quite in place to run this offense and the coaching staff went with the personnel and the offense that gave us the best chance of some success? Also, the coaching staff itself changed so dramatically in the off-season, to the point that this team is almost completely different than last season's. Flowers was definitely not ready to lead this team last season, although CWT even gave him a try. I think CWT knew all along that Flowers was going to be his QB of the future, but he might not have done him many favors by putting him in early last season. He looked flustered at times versus FSU and Maryland. He was growing the entire time, but really emerged in the Memphis game. Not that he put up crazy numbers or anything, but you could see that he was starting to adjust to the speed of the game and the players around him. I really don't think we were at a point where we were going to win many more games last year with a different philosophy. If you look this year, we have underclassmen contributing everywhere. We have a defensive coaching staff that gets it, and players that have responded well to the "Bull Shark" mentality. I think that has as much to do with the CWT's confidence in the offense as the offensive performance itself does. It is a lot different when you can go out and know that even if you make a mistake, have a bad drive, fumble a ball, you have a defensive unit that will pick up the slack.

Yes, I mentioned that in an earlier post: 2 hours ago, BullyPulpit said:The only two from the MWC that scare me are Boise St. and Air Force. Their name recognition and national following will be enough for the powers that be to keep us out and let them in to the Fiesta Bowl.

You are probably understating WKU, Marshall, BGSU, BSU and AFA's chances. I think a 2 loss Marshall or WKU (both with a victory over a P5 program) would get in over us. The champion would also have a victory over the other and then either 1 win over both La Tech and So. Miss or two wins over one of them (the one that went on to win the West Division Championship). As I have stated above, a 3 loss BSU or Air Force scares me as well, especially BSU who would have two P5 wins (Washington beat USC and Arizona), AFA win, and UNM win. You can downplay Maryland and Purdue all you want (and rightfully so) but BGSU would have a win over a common opponent we lost to, as well as 1 fewer loss overall. Right now, their SOS ranks in the 70 to 80 range, without much room for improvement. While our SOS is better (60 to 65 or so), we still have to play a win-less UCiF team and middle of the road Cincy team and that doesn't help us much. I would like to think a win over a (then) top 15 team in the AAC CG would be enough, but you never know. Also Remember that in order for us to get into the discussion we need the best win on our schedule so far (Temple) to lose again. At this point, our best hope (IMO) is the following: MAC: No. Ill (would help if WMU beats Toledo and Ohio beat No. Ill, as they would hold the tie-breaker despite 4 losses) C-USA: La Tech or So. Miss MWC: 4 loss champion or 3 loss not named BSU or AFA Sun Belt: Arkansas State (although even App. State's resume is weak as can be, so the conference is pretty much a non-factor)

You are making the mistake of only considering resume. In a vacuum, I agree, we have a much more impressive resume than both of them. However, given the desire for eyes on TV, ticket sales, and flat out $$$$, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see one of them get picked over us if it were to come down to it.

The only two from the MWC that scare me are Boise St. and Air Force. Their name recognition and national following will be enough for the powers that be to keep us out and let them in to the Fiesta Bowl.

At this point, it would have to be USF over Navy. First, Navy would have beaten Houston head-to-head, they are currently higher rated, and we would be avenging one of our 4 losses on the season. Navy would likely be around #10-12 in the nation at that point (given the top 15 match ups that will have taken place the last two weeks of the season). Either way, Navy or Houston, it would be a big win.

I don't usually play these "what if" games, but it has been so long since USF has been in contention for anything meaningful that I couldn't help myself. I don't think it is so cut and dry that a 10-3 WKU wouldn't get the nod over a 9-4 USF. I think ultimately a win over a top 15 Navy or Houston would be substantial and would likely be enough to give us the edge. Man oh man, that Maryland game might end up being the bane of our existence this year. If we had won that game we would have no bad losses (just FSU, Memphis, and Navy - all will be at or around the top 25 at year's end), wins over 2 P5 teams (albeit lowly P5 teams), and a win over either an undefeated Houston or a 1 loss Navy team (avenging a loss earlier in the season). We would be 10-3 and only a one loss Toledo team could come between us and the Peach Bowl.

Hypothetical here: What would it take for USF to get the G5 Access Bowl slot guaranteed to the highest ranked conference champion from the Group of 5 conferences: USF wins out - wins AAC title 9-4 record Possible Champions MAC: Toldeo: 11-1 or 10-2 (definitely in over USF), BGSU: 10-3 (have to believe they get in over USF, beat Maryland), No, Ill: 10-3 (likely in over USF given quality of losses), W. Michigan: 9-4 (have to believe USF gets the nod) C-USA: Western Kentucky: 11-2 or 10-3 (most likely in over USF), Marshall: 11-2 (in), LA Tech: 10-3 or 9-4 (would be close at 10-3 but have to give SOS nod to USF, definitely not at 9-4), So. Miss: 10-3 or 9-4 (see La Tech) MWC: Air Force/Boise St./New Mexico/SDSU/Nevada: Most likely 10-3 or 9-4. It will be interesting to see how this one shakes out. Too many teams with too many games left to project at this point. Conference champ could have as few as 3 losses and as many as 5. Only Air Force and Boise would have more brand name appeal than USF. Sun Belt: (pretty much a no across the board, but, for the sake of illustration) Ark St.: 9-3 or 8-4; App. St.: 10-2 (only chance USF would get left out for Sun Belt team), Georgia Southern: 10:2 or 9-3 (10-2 would require a win at UGA, no going to happen). Looking at the above, our best hope is that the Mountain West champ is either a 5 loss team (low probability of occurring) or, more likely, a 4 loss team that isn't BSU or Air Force. Also, we don't want Toledo or BGSU to win the MAC, although we would still have a chance against BGSU. Ideally, Western Michigan finds a way to win that conference. The Sun Belt has no chance aside from a 10-2 App St. team winning it, but I'm not sure how the committee would handle a tie for the conference when Ark St. would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The most intriguing conference (from a pure storyline standpoint) is C-USA. Your potential champs include CWT's former team (WKU), USF's former HC (La Tech), and Marshall, who is led by a QB that spurned USF (Chase Litton). Ideally, a 9-4 La Tech or So Miss wins that conference. I am intrigued to see how the committee would handle USF's situation.

Lots of bake sales and car washes. Sun Dolls....grab a sponge!

I agree that you wait until he is about to enter the last year of the contract, but definitely no longer than that. My point was you don't wait two full additional years before extending a contract. Also, we had lost 7 out of 8 games when Holtz was extended, which is a horrible downward trend that continued into his third year. Holtz was able to win with Leavitt's players, but not his own. He also inherited a program that was 25-14 over the previous three seasons, even if there was controversy surrounding Leavitt's ouster. CWT took over a program that was left in complete and total shambles. He had to try and win with players who had just gone 4-16 over their last 20 games, and had to do so at a time when it became obvious that the new conference (AAC) was going to be second-tier behind the P5. I don't think we can compare the two right now, but we agree that we can wait one more year to see the results before offering an extension.

You extend coaching contracts so that the coach can continue to recruit at the highest level possible. You never want a lame duck in place as that can be used against us by schools recruiting the same players.

Randy, please stop with the positive posts immediately. We all know exactly what you are trying to do. Please post something about firing Taggart, hating on Flowers, overpriced tickets, anything negative really. If you truly care about USF football you will immediately cease with the positive posts!

Here is the response I received: Brian, I’m happy to share, due to the generosity of our season ticket holders, USF Athletics provided the Student Veterans with their free tickets for this weekend’s game and we are offering active duty and veterans complimentary tickets through several other military organizations, at this point we’ve already committed to over 2,000 free tickets for active duty and veterans. Here is an excerpt from Mr. Harlan’s newsletter to fans. Military Appreciation Game vs. Temple After you get your basketball fix on Nov. 13, join us at Ray Jay on Saturday, Nov. 14 to watch the Bulls take on Temple. The game time will be announced shortly, but fans can already start participating in a special program for this military appreciation game. This is our third year conducting the Seats For Soldiers program, which provides donated tickets to active and retired members of the Armed Forces. Tickets will be distributed to organizations that include MacDill Air Force Base, the Wounded Warrior Project, Veteran Tickets Foundation and the USF Student Veterans Association. If you're interested in donating tickets to the cause, please contact John Lewis at 813-974-7492 or by email at JohnL@usf.edu. Also, you bring up an very important point, “proper identification”. We have learned that retired veterans are not issued an official identification, like a driver’s license, and as such it is difficult to ask them to provide documentation. So, to alleviate that, we work with military support organizations who distribute the tickets to the proper people. If you know of a way to officially identify veterans that we are not aware of, I’d love to learn how. I tried your office number but it took me directly to voicemail. Please let me know if there is another number with which I can reach you. Thanks again for your support! I’m so excited for Saturday. Let’s GO BULLS!! Respectfully, Andrew

My point is there is no real cost associated with a game day ticket giveaway. Because it is exclusive to vets/actives it doesn't degrade the value of tickets and could help to fill up the stadium. Get Taggart on the local media with someone from MacDill to get the word out. It wouldn't be that hard. Could lead to an extra 2,000 in attendance.

I just think it would make sense to more widely publicize it. I saw that veteran students get free tickets, but it didn't say anything about the community at large.

I am probably too late in my efforts to get any traction with this idea, but the following is the email I send to Harlan, Taggart (the lady who gets his emails) John Lewis (Sr. Ticket Representative), the Office of Veteran Services, and Adam Schemm (Asst. Director of Athletics/Marketing), concerning my idea that they give away a free ticket plus a companion ticket for Saturday's game to all veterans and current active duty soldiers, on a first come-first served basis to walk-ups for Saturday's game versus Temple. If you support the idea, I encourage you to reach out to the powers-that-be as well. Their email addresses are as follows: markharlan@usf.edu; juliareed@usf.edu; schemm@usf.edu; johnl@usf.edu; vetserve@usf.edu "Dear Members of the USF Community, First let me say how excited I am for the progress that our football program is showing this season. For the first time since 2011, I can sense an air of excitement around the program. I also want to applaud USF for recognizing our servicemen and women with the Salute to Service game this Saturday versus Temple. This game presents a unique opportunity to bring together the Tampa community to support the military and our football program. To that end, I would like to suggest that USF consider offering active duty and veterans the opportunity to attend Saturday night’s game with a complimentary ticket for current and former military and a guest with proper identification. The tickets could be available at the Raymond James box office for walk-ups the day of the game on a first come, first served basis. I think this promotion would be well received by the community and would lead to a much needed spike in attendance for arguably the biggest conference game for USF in the past seven seasons. The Office of Veteran Services is already offering free tickets to student veterans and their families, and it would be great to extend that generosity out to the entire Tampa Bay community. I myself am not a veteran, but I do appreciate all that they do and will be taking a veteran co-worker with me to Saturday’s game. I hope you seriously consider this idea and Go Bulls!"

How depressing. You would be hard pressed to find a local high school game with fewer people in attendance.

I will say this...I think the lack of killer instinct is reflective of a lack of trust in the players. I don't mean this as a negative at all, as I have staunchly supported CWT and have remained hopeful that the program return to the winning ways of the CJL era (may it rest in peace). I can understand how Taggart would be reluctant to put our young offensive skill position players into higher risk/reward positions late in close games. We have seen countless drops and poor decision making time and again. This is a program that is trying to instill a winning attitude and, quite frankly, you can't do that if you are losing games, albeit close ones. Taggart's somewhat conservative approach can only truly be said to have cost us a shot at a win against Memphis. The players did not execute in the Maryland game (although Taggart made his biggest mistake of the season in that one by unexpectedly putting in Bench after an offensive TD drive), and, in the Navy game, we just didn't make enough plays and had too many boneheaded mistakes to win. If we are still having this discussion next season, then I will be concerned whether Taggart has the chops to get us to the next level. But, for now, I will take Mylanta mashing close wins over potential loses.

Temple is no joke. They are well coached, disciplined, and loaded with experience (12 Senior starters combined offense and defense, 8 Junior starters, and 2 Sophomores, with another 9 juniors/seniors on the 2 deep). I don't know that they are "faster" than USF, but we will find out quickly on Saturday. I think the key to the game is going to be containing Walker and Thomas the same way we did with ECU and SMU's mobile QB/RB combos. Get into the backfield. Get our 8-11 tackles for loss, and force at least one (preferably 2 or more) turnovers. I'm actually the good kind of nervous for a USF football game for the first time since Notre Dame in 2011. I will be there loud and proud in the Green, Gold, and Red, White, and Blue. Go America! Go Bulls!