Atlanta Bull

On 9/23/2018 at 8:39 AM, BullFan98 said:

I agree with Bullrush with the 8 - 4 record. It is inevitable we lose games without a kicking game and inability to stop the run defense. I think we go 7-0 into the Houston game.  

Ahh yes, the typical CJL season. End of the season crash and burn after finally getting ranked after week 8 or so. Fire all your assistants or they "take a job that is _______ for them and their family . Same thing happens the next year with different assistants. Charlie, Gilbert and Maddox have been together about 5 years now, maybe they are sticking together until a P5 comes calling.

23 hours ago, BrassBulls12 said:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/usf-bulls/2018/08/17/usf-preseason-some-midpoint-observations/

 

Here's a few of my favorites 

1. Coaches aren't paying lip service to the evenness (in terms of reps) of the quarterback competition. Each day, a different guy is running with the first team during the portion open to reporters. Some days, more than one takes first-team snaps

the first indication that BK is getting first team reps. 

2. That said, we believe Charlie Strong and Sterlin Gilbert will determine a No. 1 QB (and keep it under wraps) after Saturday's scrimmage

5. WR Tyre McCants remains every bit of 240 pounds.

6. The starting offensive line appears set: LT Eric Mayes, LG Demetris Harris, C Michael Wiggs, RG Billy Atterbury and RT Marcus Norman.

12. Bulls coaches will maximize the new redshirt rule along the defensive front. Rookies such as DT Tyrone Barber, DE Rashawn Yates and DT Devin Leacock all can play up to four games this season without burning their respective redshirts. We think they will.

13. Strong has a multi-purpose dynamo in the making in 5-5, 168-pound freshman RB Johnny Ford. Carved directly from the Darren Sproles mold, Ford has turned heads with his burst, low center of gravity and ability to withstand punishment.

Seems like they would be using Ford on screens and match ups against LBs.  Also I wonder if they will use him in punt and KO returns. It would be nice to have a return guy that was as explosive as J.R. Reed. 

Florida

UCF: Every Power Five program in Florida will raise their collective eyebrows here -- especially Miami, which won 10 games and made an appearance in the ACC Championship game -- but the Knights are no joke. Just ask Auburn. Since there are no head-to-head games to reference, arguing over which teams UCF would beat is pointless. So let's concentrate instead on what the Knights have going for them: a 13-game winning streak, one of the most efficient and dangerous quarterbacks in the country in McKenzie Milton, speed to burn across the field and a team that already knows how to win. Miami has undoubtedly reasserted itself into the conversation, but UCF has proven itself worthy. -- Ben Kercheval

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/picking-the-best-college-football-team-in-each-state-entering-the-2018-season/

Buh Bye Papa Johns Stadium

29 minutes ago, BDYZR said:

Amazing!

Marketing for USF has been horrible for EVER, they hire a guy with an idea for improvement, and some of the same people whining about marketing are whining about it?

Amazing.

GO BULLS! 

EXACTLY, blow up the mother tuckin name and start over. Its a confusing name, should have been done a long time ago. How about Tampa Bay State University and be done with it. Tampa Bay needs to be branded to differentiate it. Unless one of the 7 local Billionaires wants to put their name on it.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/forbes-tampa-bay-home-to-seven-billionaires/2317261

Well UCONN's chance to get into a better conference just went up in flames UCONN Hoops Under Investigation

Are Reece Davis and every other member of ESPINS college crew required to say P5 in every discussion whenever possible? It looks very rehearsed, comes off so naturally, like there are 400 trillion miles between the G5 galaxy (which will take a space probe 1M years to get to) and the P5 which is a more tangible, organized place where oxygen is plentiful. Is there a scorecard they have to turn in after ever show and if they don't say it ten times they get whipped like Hulk Hogan's girlfriend after he goes on a roid rage? 

21 hours ago, NewEnglandBull said:

What everyone apparently still does not understand is even if the playoffs go to eight the AAC is still not getting in. They will give those spots to the P5. This year they would have put usc, Wisc, OSU, and PSU. 

Depends on how they structure it. If they go to a more explainable model it might be conference champs of P5 + 2 at large + highest ranked G5; it would help AAC. Cards would still be stacked against G5 since they would play #1 seed every year. But the March Madness model works really well and is inclusive of big and small programs. Playoffs are regional (to help with attendance) until the Final 4 at one location. Nobody worries about matchups, ratings or attendance because of the 'Cinderella' story that can and does emerge almost ever year. Why not in College FB? But the TV Execs and Jim Delaney's of the world have already decided Cinderella will never get to go to the ball to meet prince Charming, so get your arse back to scrubbing the floor G5.

3 hours ago, smazza said:

how can you begrudge for someone for taking a better offer?

hope cs does well here and moves on

usf is a stepping stone fellas

we are the minor leagues

accept it

 

Agreed. Strong was in the same position at UofL and did a great job recruiting and coaching at the right time to get them the last spot in the ACC. Alot needs to happen for another P5 spot to open. But the main reason Strong/UofL were able to move up to a P5 coaching job/P5 conference was Teddy Bridgewater. Will Oladokun, Kean, Battle or McCloud be Strong's next Teddy Bear? I hope so but  if we don't find a QB neither Strong or USF has a chance of going to the next level. I'm surprised Arkansas took Morris over Strong but my sense is folks think Strong is 1. a great recruiter 2. has underachieved since UofL and 3. might (don't say it) be too old to get a P5 HC. 

QF #10 RB in 2018 Draft

So who takes him? I'm sticking with my Patriots prediction but lawd knows the Bucs, Browns, 49ers needs some playmakers.

33 minutes ago, Bull94 said:

Not sure why people discount what happened after the offense changed but we became a top 10 offense and won 19 of our next 23 under him. That's what turnarounds are supposed to look like. He was smart enough to retool his offense in the off-season and it took him a few games to really trust the players to run it.

BTW the sign of a great coach is one who is not too stubborn to change things when they need to be changed. going from a harbaugh power scheme to a wide open new design was probably uncomfortable at first.

If USF had hired Joe Kinnan (an offensive minded coach) who won multiple state championships and Manatee HS , one with Willie , with  his simple, uptempo offense that got fast players in space instead of Leavitt (Kinaan was in the mix but had never coached in college) USF would have gone straight to the top and probably been in the ACC right now since this was before conference realignment started. There would be a statue of him on campus and we would have an OCS. Leavitt could have hired or consulted with Kinaan as well but failed to. Hindsight is 20/20 but what a huge whiff by the USF administration and Leavitt  I'm not even going to count Holtz, he would never have been able to recruit the athletes to run the Gulf Coast Offense.  Think about that for a minute, makes you want to puke, cry and crap at the same time.

41 minutes ago, BrassBulls12 said:

I can't take this at face value. No matter what he tells the team, things change when certain people call and offer certain numbers and there are plenty of programs that are still looking that could offer those numbers. Almost every coach tells their team they aren't leaving, until they do. 

2 hours ago, flsportsfan83 said:

Honestly Good for Willie. Have no idea how he does it. Can someone tell me what his biggest College Football win was?

His biggest championship win was beating St. Thomas Aquinas for the state football championship when we was QB and Manatee HS. Didn't Stanford win PAC 12 when he was an assistant?

7 minutes ago, El_Toro_86 said:

Taggart has the possibity of going from WKU to USF to Oregon to FSU without ever having won a conference championship or a bowl game.

"Who has it better than us?  Nobody!

Willie is like the tech bubble companies; no profits, loose tons of money, but based on future results valued at $Billions. So a stock price of $100, that worked out well.

Just now, 206BULL said:

So two of FSU's top candidates are our last coach and our current one... 

Yea, we shouldn't be P5. USF should be getting paid by P5 to develop coaches, call it what it is.

1 minute ago, GaUSFBull said:

I think they'll take Sumlin before Strong.  I'm pretty confident Strong will be coaching the Bulls in 2018.  

I think Willie's family already has their bags packed for Tallahassee and he has no choice but to accept FSU's offer.

Just now, GaUSFBull said:

Honestly, that's being a bit too kind.  

Mike Leach is perfect for UT. A total head case for a completely delusional fan base that think they run the program now. Leach won't last long unless he gets a solid DC.

33 minutes ago, CoralSpringsBull said:

I sincerely hope Charlie Strong will remain at USF for many more years. However, when the inevitable happens, I recommend we pursue Lane Kiffin as our next football coach. I know all of you think I am deranged but I will explain my reasoning. I am a math tutor for freshmen football players at FAU. All of the kids I tutor love Kiffin. Each one of them told me they chose to attend FAU because of Coach Kiffin. These kids had legitimate scholarship offers from schools like LSU, Georgia, Kentucky and Michigan. Kiffin is quietly building a Conference USA powerhouse. The Owls are currently 6-3 and are on a five game winning streak. They play at Louisiana Tech this Saturday. You know that's a win playing Skip Holtz's team. They should end the regular season 9-3 before playing in a bowl game. FAU was 3-9 last season before Kiffin took over. The FAU defense leads the nation in interceptions and their offense is 23rd in the nation in total yards gained. They recently gained a Conference USA record 804 yards against Western Kentucky. Of course, Lane Kiffin comes with some baggage, we know he would probably leave USF for a power five school but so would almost any football coach. Again, i hope Charlie Strong stays a Bull for a long time but just in case, we should consider Kiffin, who is doing an amazing turnaround job at FAU.

I thought the same thing, especially if he doesn't have any major personal or professional screw ups before Charlie leaves. That said, I think there are several P5 programs that would be willing to chalk up the past to a 'learning experience' and take a chance on him. Here is where I see him landing next year:

1. Arkansas - They hired Petrino, enough said. They are in desperation mode. 

2. Florida - yep, especially if Frost takes the Nebraska job. The Gators aren't happy unless they blow people out. Lane will have no problem doing that a la Spurrier. He will also get the QBs UF has lacked since Teabow left. 

3. Ole Miss - They would dance with any devil that could get them to compete in the SEC West.

4. Louisville - If Petrino bolts for an SEC job, I think this has a solid chance of happening.

5. Miss St. - If Mullen bolts for Gainesville.

6. Auburn - Lots of chatter Malzaan is out if he can't win the big game. 

7. Kentucky - If Stoops bolts in the chain reaction after UF hires somebody.

8. TX AM - Sumlin seems to be on thin ice for the same reason as Malzaan.

9. UCF - If Frost and when Frost bolts but it would be another 1 year gig. Lane is the King of the 1 Year Gig, perfect fit.

On 10/12/2017 at 9:06 PM, USFBulls727 said:

1) I don't recall anybody saying we would crumple w/o Adams and Mack, but I could be wrong. The popular belief seemed to be that there would be fewer quick-strike TDs and more sustained drives, which would be better for the defense, and that's exactly what's going on.

2) I would hope that Kean/Olakudun are better passers, because there's no doubt they can't run nearly as well. I think it's possible that there won't be a big drop-off in the offense, and that defenses might not stack the box as much in 2018. I like the possibility of a QB who can sling it, further opening up the run game. Just not sure Kean (or Olakudun) is that guy.

3) No idea if Charlie hangs around long, but how many big name head coaches who are winning a lot of games stick around long at G5 programs? Think Bobby Petrino at Western Kentucky. That could be Charlie Strong. 

This is a big IF, but if Lane Kiffin doesn't step on his stick at FAU, I think he could be a good fit at USF for a few years if CCS leaves in the next couple years. The guy knows offense and put up 60+ last weekend. He has Tampa ties and his pop can coach D. Don't like the guy as a person but he's in the same league as Bobby 'Road Rash Face' for offense. Plus Lane can say to recruits 'Meet me at the ABC across the street from Mans  at 12:00 AM and I'll buy you some Lickaaa' with a straight face.

9 hours ago, beefy620 said:

I'm inclined to think this is true. But he does hold on to the ball in the chest of the RB like he has the option to pull it on almost all of the runs up the middle so far.  Just an observation that may explain at least a little of the runs up the middle.  

Q is an awesome running QB and we would be nowhere without him. But just imagine if he could run the read option like Cam or Vince Young back in the day. My hunch is we would be talking about one of the greatest dual threat QBs of all time. Does Gilbert teach the read option? Seems like his strength is teaching passing/footwork/throwing fundamentals. Imagine Q getting coached at Auburn for example, he would destroy the SEC (except Bama). For those that don't think Q could play QB in the SEC look at how he destroyed South Carolina in last years bowl game. Of course he needs to be in the right offense. 

My sense is when the game is on the line, Q is going keep the ball and run, even if they call a dive. His will to win is something that's not talked about but the guy is super competitive. He's headbutting the guy from Temple because he mouthed off about last years game. He's got moxie and the team feeds off it. 

I'm also going on record that Q is going to be a late round draft pick of the Patriots next year. He's going be like Edelman or Amendola on steroids (although I think those munchkins are juicing anyway).

59 minutes ago, BullFan98 said:

FAU's stadium holds just under 30k, cost approx. $70mm to build and took a little over one year to build.  The stadium has room to expand to 65k & have a roof.  An on campus stadium would be special.  I think we should do it right, but it doesn't need to cost a fortunate.  45k on campus stadium is ideal with expand-ability for the future growth of the program.   In the meantime we have Ray Jay.  The key is during the planning phase to start locking down usage for the venue when football is not being played.  Naming rights, future bowl game, other sports usage, special events, concerts, etc.  This all helps with the cost of having the facility on campus.

I say build it to hold 38K, just sounds like the right number, with expansion to 48K. The design needs to have an arena football field feel, right on top of the action. Also put some hedges in there, all big time stadiums have hedges. Have a Bull run end zone to end zone before kick off. Cheerleaders dress like Cowgirls (see Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, hot!). Have a cigar smoking section since its in Tampa. You can smoke a cigar on a college campus right? Free orange juice since Tropicana is just down the road. And there needs to be sunscreen, shade, bathrooms and cold water everywhere. Make it the best experience in college football! (paid for by the Right to Have a Good Time at a Bulls Game Foundation).

21 hours ago, jasonb56 said:

Simple answer... NO.

Strive to be great at all sports we play...

UF, FSU, UM and even ucf have built up both programs better than USF. No reason both programs can't be solid. Can we just make FGCU a satellite campus and use their program?

5 minutes ago, Bull94 said:

Anybody else bothered by this?

First, I hate coaches that don't take responsibility, even just a little, when things aren't working. He still blames our offenses shortcomings(red zone efficiency) on execution. Not one word about play calling needing to get better. From st pete times:

 

For those who didn't keep track at home, USF ran 28 plays (including field-goal tries) inside the Cincinnati 20 during its 33-3 rout Saturday. The result: only two touchdowns and more than a little grumbling from the Raymond James Stadium audience.

“Just an execution deal,” offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said. "There were just some opportunities we had that we just missed."
 

 

Second,this guy thinks we are a power run team and that we should be dominating teams at the line of scrimmage. It took Taggart two + years to figure out that the athletes we attract are ideal for a spread offense not a power run between the tackles offense. I hope his ineptitude doesn't end up costing us a game. again from the times:

 

On Wednesday, Gilbert was asked if a run-pass option exists for Flowers when the Bulls get tight near the goal line.

“We have several options to go to, but part of us and who we are, what we are, is about physicality and being able to run the ball downhill," Gilbert said. "Punch it (into the end zone) that way.”

 

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bulls/usf-journal-bulls-address-red-zone-efficiency/2341548

 

Last year in the red zone we scored a TD 70% of the time. This year it's near 50%.

This guy needs to get more creative and stop blaming things on his players.

We ran the ball 22 of 23 plays inside their 20. I'd be willing to bet a majority of those were between the tackles.

 

The only thing I can think of is he's saving the plays for QF in the red zone until he needs them. He doesn't want to get those plays on tape. He didn't need them against Cincy. So when he needs them they line up tight in power running formation and QF makes a run/pass play. I would think it would be the opposite of what he said, scoring touchdowns creates confidence, no matter how you do it. We also have a kick ass defense this year, something Willie didn't have, ever.

12 hours ago, CyberBull said:

i will just say that we are lucky that we have a dedicated beat writer.

It's no secret that the papers have been trimming costs so i won't be surprised if JK's role is expanded to cover other state teams similar to Matt Baker that covers both UF and FSU. He has already been taken off the USF beat to cover UF.....so go figure.

 

Joey must be butthurt Baker gets to cover UF and FSU,  I'm talkin REAL BUTTHURT!

On 10/14/2017 at 9:13 AM, Atlanta Bull said:

FWIW, here are my top 25 upset picks for today:

1. WVU over #24 TT. I like the Eeers at home in a shootout.

2. GTech over #11 Miami. Jackets running game so tough, especially if they get a ahead and can control time of possession.

3. Texas over #12 OU. Just a gut call but I think this is Herman's first big win at UT.

4. LSU over #10 Auburn. The Tigers looked alot better last week and the game is in death valley. I think Orgeron saves his job with this win.

 

 

 

 

Props to myself for getting 2/4 correct for wins. If I had bet the spread I would have won all 4! That's why I don't gamble, when I don't bet I do well, but maybe I should