RandyGator

A BIG move fro 40 to 9 (and missed game 2).

I'm just sorry it had to come as a rusult of a Bulls loss.

Another insightful article by Greg

September 24, 2006

Morning after: Still no running game

KANSAS CITY -- Apologies, first, to those loyal readers expecting some rambling entry around 1:30 a.m. this morning. With a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call to make an early flight, I opted for part of a fifth hour of sleep, putting the blog on hold until now, as I wait for my plane at Gate 31.

Airport security fun: You can buy bottled drinks inside the secured areas of the airport, but you must surrender your plastic bottle cap upon purchase. The natural dangers of gels and liquids also have my checking a bag now, but no luggage was lost this weekend (yet) so I'm not actually complaining.

Onto that game Saturday night, USF's first loss of the season, one that exposes a lot more warts and freckles than those last-minute comebacks can cover up. Coupla things stand out:

-- The loss makes it all the more glaring how much the Bulls miss Ricky Ponton, who was serving the fourth game of what should be a six-game suspension. His absence, compounded by Moise Plancher's season-ending knee injury in the first week, have left the Bulls with no contributions from running backs. USF will run three or four reverses, will call for quarterback Matt Grothe to run the ball far more than he should -- 18 carries against Kansas. Defenses aren't respecting USF's run threat, which makes it all the tougher for Grothe to get the passing offense going.

The only real impact USF's running backs made -- eight carries, 15 yards, zero catches -- came in the fourth quarter, when Walt Smith, making just his second carry, lost a fumble. So out of 63 offensive plays, 52 involved Grothe running or passing, far too many to consider an offense unpredictable.

-- Monster game by Stephen Nicholas, with 15 tackles, including 10 solos and two for losses. Guy was everywhere, and on a night where I counted quite a few missed tackles, can't remember one from Nicholas. KU coach Mark Mangino said USF's linebackers will be playing on Sundays, and just as Kawika Mitchell made a proud return to the Bulls sidelines Saturday, I think you'll see Nicholas in the same position four or five years from now.

-- Had gotten a tip late Friday night that USF would be trying that crazy rugby-style punting to the side deal, but couldn't have expected it to work as well as it did. The Bulls were dead last out of 119 I-A teams in net punting entering the game, but they played about as well on punts as you can expect. Teachey, a sophomore walk-on, had four punts, taking two steps to his right on each and getting some amazing rolls and bounces -- when the night was done, USF averaged more than 15 yards per punt better on their net punting than KU did. Even Matt Grothe stepped up -- again, can the kid get off his tail and play some safety, perhaps? -- and had a nice pooch kick that went out of bounds at the Kansas 5. That USF wasn't able to convert that first-half field position victory into any points is an indication of how poorly everything else was going for much of Saturday.

-- For the last two weeks, I've felt like the major difference in each game has been that USF hasn't had a running back, where UCF's Jason Peters (98 yards) and KU's Jon Cornish (105) have been big parts of their team's offensive success. That's only going to get worse for the Bulls on Friday, when the Bulls face a two-pronged Rutgers running attack with Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. If they want a better result, the Bulls' defense better be able to stop them better than in last year's game, where a dominating start was enough for USF to ride to a road victory.

OK. The "B" line in the Southwest boarding queue is getting a bit long, so I'm going to cut this off a little early. I'll get back with more tonight. ...

FIU is the best 0-4 team in the nation... besides Colorado...

0-4 by a combined 9 points.  OUCH.

They have got to be just sick.

They are the next team in FL to "move up" in the pecking order.

You can't give up a 71% pass completion rate and win many if any games.

This is not knocking MG who completed 50%, but it is a knock on our secondary and LB coverage.  It was as poor performance as I have see from this group.  AND this was a "rusty" off the bench second string QB

If other teams take note, and they will, we may be in for a loooooooooooooong season, unless we do something to shore this up!!!!!!!

If Grothe can make the yards with his "style", PJ's running "style" is similar, why not use him as a running back???? :-? :-? :-?

He's not as tough as MG, but I think that he might be able to do something more than 15 yards in 8 carries.

But that would mean Rod Smith would have to wake up and think clearly. :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/

Still on schedule to become all time passing leader!!!!!

Actually the final conversion percentage was

Kansas 56%

USF       50%

Not as bad as one would think while watching the game.

Yes... But they had more 3rd down conversion opportunities than we had.

18 to 14  not that many more.

Shows you how stats can fool you and be schewed with end of game drives.

There is no controversy ANY more.  Everyone who knows anything about football KNOWS that Matt is soooooooo far ahead of PJ, that all questions should stop about who should be QB.

Maybe get PJ in as a RB we need SOMETHING back there with MG.

We were very poor with our pass coverage.  It looked like the CB's and LB's didn't know what each other were doing.

:-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-?

:-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/

Actually the final conversion percentage was

Kansas 56%

USF       50%

Not as bad as one would think while watching the game.

Kansas

31-17

338

Randolph

I hope I am wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

grothe is the starting qb by accident.

leavitt/smith chose pj

usf beat 3 patsies big deal.they were suppose to win these game and the should have dominated these teams

smith is a terrible OC and has not shown different in first three games\

just because usf is 3-0 and one thinks smith is doing a good job is funny

just because usf were able to put up big yards against   a bad team doesnt make smith a good OC

let's see his genius this saturday

Can't disagree with you more on the QB.  PJ or "rainbow boy" couldn't throw the passes MG throws if there was no defense on the fiels.  His rainbow passes are still drawing rain.

HOWEVER I do agree with you Smith still needs to be replaced!!!!!

Everyone should bring up USF Football and Trent Dilfer, Dooomeg's head might explode......

NO WAY ....His head is much too big to explode.  Large head "full" of vacuum, therefore can not explode!!!!!   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

AND besides that his ASS is even bigger than his head.  What a self righteous jerk!!!

Try 1010 and 1470

Hey E.T.

Thanks for all the stats.

Save me time for digging them up.

The H.O.T. were fab!!!

I can't imagine how hot y'all were in those heavy unis.

We all feel for you  AND appreciate you!!!!

That pic just proves BULLS are STUDS and all UCF "guys" are GAY???

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Yes, saw that too!!

I also noticed that they have a new Sports Editor, maybe I can get HER to see the value of a local USF team coverage as opposed to UF, FSU or even UCF.

It still comes down to money.  If we can play most of our non Conf. as 1 for 0's we will make a lot more money for the program a 1 for 1 with UCF will not be as good.

BUT as a fan you gotta want it!!!!!!!!!!!

Smazza

Why the hell are you even here.  You never say anything encouraging.

Yes we are not Ohio State or even Florida yet, but it is a program that is definately on the way up.  Give some credit (along with the complaints) from time to time.

CJL really is full of emotion and that can go a long way.

AS for Rivalry???.  It still comes down to money.  If we can play most of our non Conf. as 1 for 0's we will make a lot more money for the program a 1 for 1 with UCF will not be as good.

BUT as a fan you gotta want it!!!!!!!!!!!

The heat was terrible, but stuck it out.

Don't know how the players   OR  the H.O.T. can handle this.

I guess the day games come as part of getting closer to the BIG TIME, when TV dictates the day and time the games start.

Better get used to it, cause if we don't have to change game times it means we ARE NOT Big Time,  

But I'm glad to say we are moving toward Big Time quickly.

Orlando is a rinky dink town with rinky dink stadium and rinky dink ideas  (Give aways at every time out???) and who was the SCREECHY voice that tore through us all game, like nails on a chalkboard !!!

Yes, it was a nice article, but it was on page 10 of the Ledger Sports section.  NO mention of USF on the front of Sports page.

I know they needed to give WELL desreved coverage of the Lakeland win over Xavier, Ohio but a pic and mention of USF on the Front Sports page instead of Notre Dame would have better served the Polk community.

:( :( > > > > > > > > > > > > >

AND last week Rick Brown had 2 large article on the USF-UCF clash BUT both came from a UCF slant and how they were up and coming!!!!

USF

23-17

335

T Johnson

Maybe they need the "butt cups" to fix themselves after they get their ass chewed off by real Div 1A teams.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Is anyone going to Orlando Friday night to get ready for the game.

What watering hole should we stampede???

The wife and I will be joining the Alumni Tailgate there.