LewSFBulls

Mentioned this another thread but traditionally, this is a matchup nightmare for us. Melvin Gordon took us to the cleaners a few years ago, granted we were a deplorable team back then. Most power teams seem to have big success against us at pounding up the gut. I remember the Big East days with Pitt and Rutgers having success with it. 

Anyway, I think our hope lies in outscoring Taylor. We do that, we got a chance. 

9 hours ago, NAS Gone to Paradise said:

About 20 thousand of the seats at the WV game were filled by Mountaineer fans.

If the Elon game was right after the Auburn game...the attendance would have been about the same as it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No shot, I was there. Maybe 5,000

2 hours ago, Gismo said:

I don’t think our defense is going to have the size needed to win this game. 

First game with a new offense and if last year was any indication, an undersized defense. 

We have speed and some play makers and maybe we have some big plays. But I think Wisconsin’s offense is going to control the game. 

Exactly. This is the worst kind of match up for us defensively and power has given us fits historically. Think Melvin Gordon in our first match up (181 yards), Rice, even those old Pitt offenses and Shady McCoy.

Taylor could be the best of the bunch: https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsins-latest-star-rb-could-be-one-of-the-greatest-of-all-time-035932519.html

Only hope in my opinion is if the offense can keep up which means comfort with the new scheme game 1. If so, we might be able to really surprise them as we have talent at every position.

I'm probably in the minority here, but was not totally convinced by Barnett last year. Tried to take off running after his first read waaaay to often for me. Now that could be down to poor line play but he seemed to be pretty nervous/stiff back there. If he struggles with that again this year, how long before the coaches look to McCloud could bve critical to this season's success.

Also, back to the subject, always hilarious how prediction threads consistently devolve into the 'we're going undefeated' types vs the 'can't possibly make a prediction without seeing how they are in live action' crowd. For me, I lean more to the latter but for chits and giggs I predict a 9-3 with upsets over Wiscy and UCF. Schedule falls nicely for us especially late in the season this year but I still see a Cinci or Memphis loss along with GT and somehow a BYU/Navy in typical USF style. 

The green. Same as last year, different fabric. White looks the same as the under armor ones. Overall, not bad. Horns on shoulders not bad

6 hours ago, JTrue said:

It's been the same class we've pulled for 20 years.

This.

Worth noting, we have been able to reel in medium to high 3 star talent on average since I've been following USF recruiting (not many 2 star and even fewer 4-5 stars). Remarkably consistent but not spectacular, despite the coaching changes and renowned recruiting HC's coming in.

The occasional 4 star has come through, but mainly during Leavitt days (Todd Chandler, Terrance Mitchell, Ryne Gidden) and D'vario Montgomrey during, gasp, Holtz. The highest rated was Giddens as a high 4 star. The only 5 stars we have gotten have been through transfers - Barnett, Ford, Scott. JPP was a 4 star JUCO.

In fact, we haven't signed one consensus 4 star since then Mitchell/Chandler, unless Saloman was consensus?

.. losing to our hated rivals, by 4 touchdowns, at home, without their best player for the majority of the game. Something else has been bothering me, and here it is:

Oveido college has completely outdone USF in their ability to replace a coach when there's already a great team in place. They bring in a young offensive mind as first time coach. AND HE CHANGES NOTHING. They look exactly the same as last year (perhaps a little softer on defense with the losses of a couple of NFL players). 

I've lived through the Skip Holtz years and his mis-management of BJ Daniels was deplorable, I was there for McNeese, I was watching in the Sundome when Rutgers got all the breaks in 2007....

NOTHING however will continue to haunt me more in the years to come then Strong/Sterlin inheriting Quinton Flowers and that team full of NFL players and completely overhauling the most successful offensive system we have ever had, instead installing some ancient obsolete B12 scheme that completely handcuffed Q and his ability to create, whilst simultaneously establishing a passive, play-it-safe game management style. Miraculously, we won 10 games thanks to some unbelievable dynamics from Q but that early loss against Houston was a sign of things to come this year. 

There should be a criminal charge for wasted potential, I have no doubt in my mind had we hired Heupel last year (not saying he was available) we would have been undefeated going into the UCF game and probably would have won it.

Rant over... jokes, it will never be over.

Too obvious apparently.

Hate to say it - follow the model of the Oveido college: Hire someone young, dynamic and best of all cheap. Recruit dual threat QBs who run spread offenses, like QF under Taggart, and athletes a plenty. If the chap leaves in a year or 2, rinse and repeat. That's the landscape of coaching these days, the G5 are a farm system of future P5 coaching talent. 

Re the recruiting aspect - I think we all agree that it's too early to judge the quality of players on his first 1.5 recruiting classes. On PAPER however, bang average recruiting. I for one am disappointed here - thought coming off the success we had under Taggart, exciting offense etc we could have convinced a couple of 4 stars to stay home. I remember when Strong was hired, the prevailing thought was "don't let Coach Strong on your couch"... IE great recruiter.

Game management - we have looked listless, lost and baffled for LONG stretches of this season. Offensively we do not play to our strengths, trying to cultivate a gameplan that appears to bank on the offensive line being at least decent enough to provide a few seconds of protection, which it can't and hasn't been able to ALL season. Defensively, I echo the other comments here about Strong being a defensive coach, we looked completely over our heads in the Houston game (I mean balls flying over our heads) which to me is totally perplexing.

I see shades of Holtz here, even in 2012 though we didn't get embarrassed defensively like we just did.... VS HOUSTON AND TULANE.

Felt this for the last 2 days. Feel like.... I have absolutely no idea what will happen.

Just now, Thebullsfan said:

Maybe he just doesn't know he's not playing.

Harsh/hilarious if true.

Waaaat

2 minutes ago, Thebullsfan said:

 

 

Just now, puc86 said:

That’s not near as exciting as the other player out news.

Leading receiver against a terrible pass defense, definitely noteworthy.

Also with Saloman out last week, worried about our WR health.

What's with these last minute USF roster suprises????

Joey Knight@TBTimes_Bulls

 

Massive.

Does anyone else think it's bizarre that when Sawtelle was out last week, we turned to.... Greg Reaves? The guy is a baller for sure but what about another linebacker? Keirtson Johnson? Even Josh Black is listed as an LB on the roster.

Critical that we have Sawtelle back for this week IMO.

Started him, 29 points!! So glad he's finally starting to show his stuff, so explosive. 

Saw QF and MVS were at the game yesterday, anyone bump into them? 

Many, many pennies for their thoughts on how the O is doing these days. 

Can't see anything other then a comfy Houston win. They should be double digit favorites.

18 minutes ago, E.T. said:

Correct. It amazes me that we've never won a conference championship!?!

Never even played in a conference championship game!

Better then I thought, guessing 21 in AP.

If we somehow make it through the next few weeks undefeated, it could be the biggest game of the entire season, WITH THE CFB PLAYOFF AT STAKE!

Ok, I'll calm down now.