Selvie says

[Thebullsfan]

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bulls/nicholas-selvie-say-usf-a-better-tackling-team/2334335 

 

We'll learn soon enough -- in about eight days -- whether the tackling of USF's defense has improved from last season.

But two significant observers, both of whom know a thing or two about the fundamental, insist the Bulls are better.

One of them is Bulls two-time All-American DE George Selvie, who has spent the preseason working out on campus and hanging around the team with the thought of eventually joining the staff in an official capacity.

"It's a very good tackling team," said Selvie, who last played in the NFL in 2015.

"Coach (Charlie) Strong has been pushing them on defense. He's a defensive coach and he's coming out here teaching them his defense, a hard-nosed defense. That's what he wants and they're responding to it."

Former first-team All-Big East LB Stephen Nicholas, now a Bulls defensive quality-control assistant, concurred before hedging slightly.

"Most definitely," Nicholas said when asked if this is a better tackling team. "We're getting better. ... We're working at it, but we're definitely getting better at that, okay?"

At least twice last season (after losses to FSU and Temple), former Bulls coach Willie Taggart publicly called out his team's tackling -- or lack thereof. USF ranked 120th nationally in total defense (482.0 ypg) and 84th against the run (196.5 ypg). 

When asked specifically about his linebackers' tackling proficiency late last week, new defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary indicated he was pleased to a degree.

"It could always get better," he said. "You've got to think, as far as live reps go, it's limited, because you never want to hurt your own team. So we've had a couple of live scrimmages where we've done okay, but you'd like to see it through a full game and see how we tackle live bodies.

"We've gotten as close to live as possible, and they've been more than adequate so far."

[JoeB]

Man could Steven Nicholas tackle...we need some more like him.

[DELdaBull]

29 minutes ago, JoeB said:

Man could Steven Nicholas tackle...we need some more like him.

Guaranteed to take you down once he got his mits on you. 

[charsibb]

Two great names to have come back around. Happy to hear this.

[thatboykane]

YPG isn't good for measuring how good the defense is. They should calculate yards per possession because our defense is on the field more than others, due to our quick-strike offense. I know the defense wasn't very good last year, but I think some of the yardage comes from being on the field more than other teams' defenses.

Edited August 19, 2017 by thatboykane
Typo

[raptorcj]

let's just hope "more than adequate" fills the bill with this schedule and esp with that first game at SJSU. I feel like we're going to be okay on D this year, but there's that little voice from last season chattering away in my head...:)

[JoeB]

Keep teams out of the endzone, making them kick 3s.  Yardage doesn't mean anything really, although its frustrating.  I'm OK with giving up 500 yards per game if we can limit the scoring to the low 20s.  This is assuming our Offense puts it in the endzone similar to last year.  I think we'll be a 35-38 point team per game this season.  We'll go down a tad from our elite level most likely.

[JupiterBull]

I was hoping Selvie would get another shot in the NFL, but glad he's working with our players.

I thought I saw him at Fan Fest scrimmage, but wasn't sure.

[Brad]

7 minutes ago, NAS Gone to Paradise said:

I wonder if he frequents Ybor?

Some people grow up....but then, some don't .

[usfbullrider]

We are luckly to have former greats around hope it rubs off.  Also he can literally show these guys what it takes since he is still in NFL shape.  Hope he gets bumbed to salary after this season if he helps the team like I know he can.