FazaUSF

Yes, particularly in comparison to Taggart's years 1 and 2 and Strong's years 2 and 3. CJS year 1 was also still a struggle to turn the character of the locker room around. Last year, some players were more engaged than others, and the team did show some cohesion, but it just wasn't an exceptional amount nor was it thoroughly the entire team. Some individuals stood out as giving a high level of effort, like Jennings, Cecil, and Grier. The absolute lowest point was the Wisconsin loss, when players on the sidelines audibly said things about how little they cared, how stupid the coaching staff was, and how they were just there there for gettin paid, which I can only imagine must have been a reference to their scholarship (pretty sure this was pre-NIL and nobody would have offered them deals anyway). Show that effort, keep heart, invest in the brotherhood... reflect the values of the school we love, and I'll follow 'em through a wall.

Just boarded the flight. Couldn't believe I got enough days off in a row to make the trip, gotta take advantage. These vocal vords will be destroyed by Saturday mid-afternoon

I want to personally thank Coach Scott and the USF Football staff, and sincerely apologize for losing heart after week 2. I know lots of us wish the football gods heard our prayers more often in the past 12 years, but I believe that game in The Swamp was evidence of a huge turnaround in progress. It's as if the coaches and players felt our collective hurt, heard our appeals, and responded in kind. After watching their 3-week body of work, I realize this team is absolutely in the process of turning around - we just didn't see the obvious fruits of it immediately to start the year. First, the players and Coach Scott himself all came around to high five the fans after game 2. I'll admit, I lost heart a bit after seeing what looked like little emotion on the sidelines in game 1 and only a few players coming around to the fans after the game. I also felt we should have overcome Howard a bit more quickly than we did, but perhaps that reflects some respect to Howard's team and staff and also shows the growth that has happened quickly over the past few weeks. After watching the game in the Swamp, it's as if the coaches and players heard our constructive criticism and made good on ALL of it! I don't know whether Coach Scott or the players heard our appeal to remember the dedicated fans who stay until the end every game, hoping for some high fives and to give words of encouragement to the players we come out to see, but they absolutely showed they care game 2. THANK YOU ALL! That means a lot to us. Wow, what a showing in the Swamp! I saw grit, passion, heart, determination, and an awesome representation of USF Athletics all around. I just want to thank all the coaches, players, and the USF football staff who worked hard to show up READY. Forget the scoreboard: we showed we belong! Of course we would all have lost our **** if USF beat the Gators. But here's the thing: we really did beat them in just about all ways except for the scoreboard. Looking at stat category after stat category, watching game tape, and analyzing the ref calls and no-calls, we really dominated the Gators on their home field. Of course there were a few missed opportunities, but it was a heck of a sight to see us even in position to have a few plays make or break the game (I'm sure many of us feared a blowout loss, myself included). But that's not the most important part. I saw players who didn't lose heart when the going got tough and we were down a few scores already in the first half. I saw coaches fully dialed in, connecting with players constantly. I saw players giving their ALL and leaving it all on the field. I saw grit like I haven't seen start to finish from USF football in a long time. I saw a USF football team which showed up READY. And frankly, I saw a team which played well enough to win the game. I saw playcalls and a game plan ultimately which were very successful, despite the scoreboard. I appreciate the coaching staff for figuring out what would work against the Gators and having the players ready to implement it. I saw players who took hits in stride, both physically and figuratively. This was a team which finally believed in itself. I won't say the game result was referee highway robbery, but I will say the Bulls played well enough to win and showed WE BELONG. I saw a team coming together for what could be a great year. This team has what it takes to give a much better showing in the W-L columns for the back half of the season. The coaching staff is showing passion and commitment. Looking back, I wonder if perhaps BYU just took everyone by surprise and the sideline was just a bit in shock during game 1. Had the UF game gone like that, I'd feel a lot less confident going forward. In summary, these players are coming together. The coaching staff is working hard and I now see the effort being put in which maybe wasn't as obvious after that season opener, but was there nonetheless. I don't mind if the Bulls aren't a bowl team this year if they show up for every game like they did against Florida. Show grit, heart, passion, and determination, and we will follow you everywhere, Bulls. Keep on like this, and the wins may follow. But we won't give up on the team as long as they keep the faith and leave it all out there on the field. I am **** proud of our team for that game in the Swamp and we could win no more games this season but give that level of effort and intensity and I won't give a darn what the scoreboards show. THAT was USF football, the USF football we all know and love. Wins are nice, but heart and passion are what we see in you and inspire us to reflect it back. Thank you, Bulls. Let's stick it to the Ville, run amok in the conference, hopefully give UCF a final game parting beatdown gift (64-12, perhaps?) and show the country what USF Football is made of!

Yes we will be there

Don't think I've seen a thread anywhere - Dani and I just booked tours at Weller, Prohibition Craft Spirits, Kentucky Peerless, and Barrels & Billets. Most other distillieries are booked up already (ugh I'm always the last minute planner). I was going to bring a tent and setup a tailgate but for a nooner, unlikely to have a huge crowd early, so we're hitting the Alumni "tailgate." What else is going on? Anyone wanna meet up Fri or Sat after game?

Tip of the hat to the Sheriff for flying in and coming to our USF fan tailgate!

Dear lord the offense calls are taking forever too

By the way, my wife who is a Gator graduate agrees fully. This DC is failing miserably by being in the box. DO. YOUR. JOB. WELL.

TAKES ALL **** DAY TO CALL PLAYS. IF HE DOESN'T MOVE TO THE FIELD, FIRE HIM. YOU TAKE ALL **** DAY TO MAKE A PLAY CALL AND OUR PLAYERS ARE LEFT TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES. Seriously. I don't call for coaches to be fired, except Charlie Strong, which was very well deserved. Our DC needs to go ASAP if he doesn't change his act, or get the call to players MUCH MORE QUICKLY.

DEAR BULLS PLEASE DON'T GET SHUT OUT TODAY THANK YOU FOR TRYING

+/- a 3% margin of error...

Food So Far: Potluck! Bring your favorite dish with some to share! So far we have a TON of food on the menu: fresh breakfast sandwiches grilled on a blockstone with a mimosa bar for breakfast, lunch with shaved steak sliders, cheeseburger quesadillas, hot n mild sausage with peppers n onion sandwiches, assorted BBQ, Tuscan wings, USF cookies, all day mimosas, meatballs, cuban sandwiches, and much more. Y'ALL NEED TO GET TO THIS TAILGATE!!!!

A team that gives a **** and a coaching staff which spent many hours devising a half decent game plan which finds at least some success (and which hopefully doesn't involve HB dive every 1st and 2nd down).

They do not use glitter. That is another group which died years ago.

Again the FB event page we are mainly updating the most quickly is at: USF @ UF Bulls Fan Tailgate (Officially the Unofficial Bulls Central) The Official Unofficial USF fan tailgate spot for the game in... O

I would lean towards yes. I taught waterski at the summer camp the Dungys sent their kids to. Tony himself very often picked the kids up each day. And I got to know Eric too; he was just a little tyke back then. Very mannerly for a kid his age, very pleasant to work with. And he talked about his parents often and all the stuff they did together (just came up in conversation, not like it was a topic of interest). I remember actually being impressed as a 16-20 year old at the time (can't remember exactly which years he was there) that an NFL head coach still found so much time to be with and do stuff with his kids.

Yes, that was deliberate.

Next week's news today: Florida only beat USF by 52. In a stunning turnaround after getting shellacked by UCF in a bowl game just 3 games ago, UF beats USF 64-12 just to remind all that USF is at least as pathetic as UCF used to be before it beat USF nearly every time they played over a decade.

His success was directly related to his commitment. Constant, dogged, unending commitment. I think it takes serious commitment to generate success. But that type of commitment is hard to find, rare.

I dunno. I know that when we lost to Miami several times, lost to Rutgers and Oregon 2007, lost to all the teams we lost to prior to 2011, I never saw reason to question player and staff commitment. Since CCS (and early CWT and late CSH) I have not seen the buy-in from players. That hurts me the most. Seeing the players clearly give less than 2 violation when we lost 62-0 to Wisconsin....that was heartbreaking. I WANT TO SEE BUY-IN. Is that too much to ask?

And until this year, I would have fought you on that. But I just know we're going to lose by 40+ pts at Florida and miss out on a bowl game this year. Lose by a few scores in the 4th quarter and make a bowl game and I'll reconsider. Until then, I am done defending him.

Not fair at all. Coach Scott is an awesome dude, personally. He says the right things. He cares about the right things. We just haven't seen it translate on the field. Dear lord compare it to Skip "that's why I'm here" Holtz and Willie "I don't give a **** what school it is, what history they have, what identity they have built, or literally anything at all except WILLIE WILLIE WILLIE. And let's not even approach Charlie "why am I here again?" Strong, who appropriately lost the locker room for not knowing which way is up and what his job was. Jeff Scott is many times better for all the peripherals and intangibles compared with all those predecessors. But dang y'all. When Jim Leavitt is your standard, its gotta be pretty hard to compare. But at the same token, I would have LOVED to crown CJS the 2nd coming, if the on-field product looked.... I dunno.... like it cared. Like it knew what it means to be a Bull. But so far, I can't say that. I want things to be different. CSH wasn't ready for the higher level. CWT was a selfish ***** who cared nothing for the school we all love. CCS was as lost as a Silver Alert. CJS is an awesome person. But the hard truth is that gets you so far. I would be ecstatic for 6-6 and a fighting chance in most games. I can forgive hard fought losses. I can't forgive when players don't look like they care and coaches don't look prepared.

We must not be watching the same game. The USF players I watch dive in front of opposing players to try to trip them up, or they try to grab an ankle with one hand.

These Gators (and Wildcats) hit just as hard. Such arguments are paper tigers.

I am embarrassed to admit I am at the UF vs UK game because I married a Gator and this is the one USF game I will miss. But it does give me a chance to see what REAL FOOTBALL looks like. These players aren't afraid to hit. They aren't afraid of anything. Because they are committed to their craft. I don't see the same from USF. My jersey with USF logos on it here may as well be a passport to Thailand.