USF better get Willie to sign an extension.

[MMW]

5 games ago people wanted him to be tarred and feathered.

He'll get an extension, but let's not start claiming he's Saban just yet

Not everyone wanted him tarred and feathered.   We were right not to.  People on the wrong side of this calling other people stupid or whatever is kind of interesting. 

[JupiterBull]

The best part in all of this is that these so called insider experts don't realize that the only two major play calling changes have been throwing more on early downs and a few trick plays mixed in. They love to pretend we're running a completely new offense rather than just minor tweaking of our offensive tendencies. The biggest difference in this offense has been receivers catching the ball more consistently and Flowers getting comfortable and being more accurate. 

That's an excellent point.  The bubble screens many complained about before are working better in large part because Flowers is getting much quicker & more accurate.  And WR/TEs are blocking better on those plays.  Once THOSE started working, the pump & go plays opened up.  Which helped with the run.  Which helped with play action.  Flowers' improvement appears to me (not an insider) to the main catalyst.  Yes, play calling is better, but the execution is much improved.  

We're also being better line play, fewer penalties and fewer dropped balls.

[Bull94]

So... For 2 1/2 years the offense sucked donkey azz.. and QF goes "coach- TRUST ME!" and all of the sudden a Rocky montage breaks out?? Really?

That is more believable than Willie's back being against the wall, sharks circling and him basically deciding he'd better try something different?

I'm warming up to him, and more to the staff as a whole.. and no I don't want him fired. But that doesn't erase 2 piss poor seasons to me. They come out and go 4-7 next year, I don't want to hear any excuses.. he's gone. That said, the guy has finally adapted, they are winning, which makes me happy, and hey, better late than never. But the last 7 games don't quite erase from our minds the first 28. We aren't calling for the guys head, we're just questioning, that if this is all Tags and his beautiful mind as some on here are suggesting, and if so, why he waited 28 games into his tenure to break that style out. 

Honestly in the end I don't really care who's calling the plays, as long as Tags has the good sense to NEVER go back to his old system. 

you really think Mike White could run this offense? Or Steven bench? Matt Floyd? that rules out year 1. Should Flowers have been expected to step on campus and run a wide open spread offense his first game out?

 

Taggart was smart enough to admit he was wrong(something some on here aren't able to do). He changed the offense after year 2 and took the reigns off after the Memphis game. Obviously all his offensive coaches and even his players have input on what's run but to act like Taggart has nothing to do with this offense now is naive at best.

 

Do you think experience means nothing as far as college football players are concerned? When do you think he should have taken the reigns off Flowers? in his 4th start? Hell most on here didn't think Flowers was a viable D-1 QB and you think Taggart should have given him free reign. Taggart and company basically redesigned their offense around his strengths and they opened it up in Flowers 6th start in his college career and you keep complaining about the 2 1/4 years before as if he could have done it sooner.

[Bull94]

5 games ago people wanted him to be tarred and feathered.

He'll get an extension, but let's not start claiming he's Saban just yet

why do you always exaggerate what the collective board thinks? Is anybody on here saying we should pay him $7M per year for the next 10 years?

 

The guy gets paid almost half what we paid Skip. He has shown after year 3 that he has the program headed in the right direction.

 

He deserves an extension for recruiting purposes at the very least.

[Bull94]

I scare easily :-)  Of course I don't think he'd change something based on fans, but I see reporters asking him, and he seemed put off by the question.

Again, I'm sure he's focused on keeping the success going by only fine turning the team from game to game.  As I've posted before, I don't believe Taggart became a great coach overnight, but I do believe there was a radical change (not sure if it was Taggart cutting loose to save his job, players finally clicking together or what)...and as HC, Willie gets the heat when we lose, and the credit when we win.  Frankly, this is the most fun Bulls team to watch since the Grothe & early BJ years.

Not from the haters on this board

[JupiterBull]

Not from the haters on this board

I don't like the term "haters", though I know it's all the rage. But prior to Syracuse, it was tough to see the coaching acumen needed to turn us around.  I was at the Cuse game, and was giddy...not just with the outcome, but because we were fun to watch for the first time in many years.

Again, I don't think Taggart became a genius in a day, but he's in control of the team, and lives & dies by the results...so he has to get credit.  He also clearly connects with the players, and everyone has now bought it.  Taggart also sent a clear message when 3 players broke rules and are off the team, likely permanently...severe violations won't be tolerated.

Frankly, I'm thrilled we're even having this small debate as to WHY we're 7-4.  Very few expected 8 wins this year.  Very few.  Would be interesting to revisit pre-season predictions.

Most of all...let's enjoy today, which hopefully includes starting a new win streak v UCF, and maybe some more records falling (Adams is clearly within striking range of breaking Davis's season yardage record; Mack needs 203 to break Andre Hall's record). 

Good times!

[NCBull]

Well put Jupe!  

[Bull94]

I don't like the term "haters", though I know it's all the rage. But prior to Syracuse, it was tough to see the coaching acumen needed to turn us around.  I was at the Cuse game, and was giddy...not just with the outcome, but because we were fun to watch for the first time in many years.

Again, I don't think Taggart became a genius in a day, but he's in control of the team, and lives & dies by the results...so he has to get credit.  He also clearly connects with the players, and everyone has now bought it.  Taggart also sent a clear message when 3 players broke rules and are off the team, likely permanently...severe violations won't be tolerated.

Frankly, I'm thrilled we're even having this small debate as to WHY we're 7-4.  Very few expected 8 wins this year.  Very few.  Would be interesting to revisit pre-season predictions.

Most of all...let's enjoy today, which hopefully includes starting a new win streak v UCF, and maybe some more records falling (Adams is clearly within striking range of breaking Davis's season yardage record; Mack needs 203 to break Andre Hall's record). 

Good times!

It wasn't that tough. He is a very good recruiter. Everyone could see that. He was also willing to change things that weren't working as was evidenced by retooling his offense and changing coaches that didn't work. I said myself that i thought he was too conservative in his play calling and that seems to have changed now too. Rebuilds take time.

 

My point was that there are people on here that will never give any credit to Taggart. They are happy we are winning but they try to convince themselves that it is in spite of him not because of him.

[hbryan]

I don't like the term "haters", though I know it's all the rage. But prior to Syracuse, it was tough to see the coaching acumen needed to turn us around.  I was at the Cuse game, and was giddy...not just with the outcome, but because we were fun to watch for the first time in many years.

Again, I don't think Taggart became a genius in a day, but he's in control of the team, and lives & dies by the results...so he has to get credit.  He also clearly connects with the players, and everyone has now bought it.  Taggart also sent a clear message when 3 players broke rules and are off the team, likely permanently...severe violations won't be tolerated.

Frankly, I'm thrilled we're even having this small debate as to WHY we're 7-4.  Very few expected 8 wins this year.  Very few.  Would be interesting to revisit pre-season predictions.

Most of all...let's enjoy today, which hopefully includes starting a new win streak v UCF, and maybe some more records falling (Adams is clearly within striking range of breaking Davis's season yardage record; Mack needs 203 to break Andre Hall's record). 

Good times!

Hear hear!!!

[JupiterBull]

It wasn't that tough. He is a very good recruiter. Everyone could see that. He was also willing to change things that weren't working as was evidenced by retooling his offense and changing coaches that didn't work. I said myself that i thought he was too conservative in his play calling and that seems to have changed now too. Rebuilds take time.

 

My point was that there are people on here that will never give any credit to Taggart. They are happy we are winning but they try to convince themselves that it is in spite of him not because of him.

I'm not close enough to the program to know if what some speculate is true:  that Harlan pushed Taggart to revise his offensive scheme.  I do believe Taggart is an excellent recruiter, and I'm am hopeful that this strong finish (our best season ending turnaround) will help him fill out the class with some special players, which should in turn lead to better, deeper teams.

Again, there's so much I don't know behind the scenes.  But Taggart does, and his attitude is very positive...and Bullish on the future.  We're 2 games away from playing the AAC conference champ game...that would be just amazing.

Looking forward tonight to see how we play UCF, a team with nothing to lose, playing its bowl game v USF, hoping to end on a high note.  UCF has talent & will go all out.  Taggart should expect every kick off from UCF to be on sides, and every kick to be a fake.  We can't let them trick us, but frankly, if our offense plays even close to its game, we should be comfortably ahead at the half.