How You Are Hurting My Beloved Alma Mater

[Bullshark]

I have to say I am satisfied with the play of PJ especially over the past 4 or 5 games, he has some restored confidence and you have to like his desire to go to the deep man.  Hall has played brilliantly and even when there is 8 in the box, he can still get those big runs off.  I agree, where are the slant passes?  Screen passes?  Our recievers are huge, who can stop a quick slant with a 6-3 reciever in front of them?  Think about when we had 3rd and goal on the 6 at Uconn.....this would have been the perfect call.  Four possible out comes all more favorable than than a botched trickeration call.  (1) TD, we lead w/ 2:20 left in game, (2) caught but doesn't get in ....okay 4 down territory, (3) incomplete....again 4 down territory, (4) Remote almost impossible chance of interception, but if the DB got in front, they get the ball at their own 2 or 1 yard line, unless it bounces in the air.  The point is, this consideration and thought prior to calling plays in is why Collegiate Teams and the NFL Teams employ offensive coordinators, this isn't a flag football game at the YMCA.  The concern now is, will this same ill-advised play call return this Saturday with the year on the line.  We need to just lose the trickeration, is there such a lack of confidence in our from the coaches in our offense that we have to play Sam Weich football?  Our defense has done awesome and we don't need to run these kinds of play, even if we are behind.  Our defense will give numerous possessions.  

[BigEastBeasts]

Man, you guys are a riot.  Some of you act like the offense operates in a vacuum and there is no defense on the field or a DC in the box.   Just changing the plays that were called doesn't guarantee that UConn wouldn't have stuffed them.  I don't see anything wrong with the call to quick snap it.  USF was simply trying to get some leverage on a UConn defense that had been stuffing the run all day.  Makes sense to me.  I don't care if you have the backup center in.  Maybe that's the better time to do it.  The trick play was simply snuffed out by good defense.  If either had worked, you guys would be lauding the call and praising the OC for his innovation....just like you did after the Louisville game.  Yes, USF should have took the field goal.  That one is on the head man himself.  He takes the three and you guys aren't even talking about the trick play.

The problem is that we have rarely seen adjustments made to the game plan and the most mind-boggling calls are made in the most critical of situations (an option run on 3rd and 4 on our first possession of the game, shotgun from our own 4 yd line with a back-up center resulting in the safety). Rather than adjustments being made we try to resort to these trick plays that have had less that resounding success after the Louisville game.

Were they good calls in the L'Ville game? They sure were and you know why they were? Because we hadn't used them at all in the first 2 games and we were taking advantage of constant L'Ville overpursuit to the ball (ala the Pitt Panthers against your Mountaineers, you guys ran the ball so well because the concept of contain was completely lost by Pitt)

USF has overachieved this year.  Revel in it.  Historically, there is nothing to compare to USF's success in such a short time span.  Still, that doesn't mean that you aren't going to have to pay some dues.  The UConn game is just an example of that.  You can be sure that all the coaches in the Big East who stand on the field opposite of Leavitt would just love to see him bolt to KSU.  If he doesn't leave, we'll settle for him purging the coaching staff of those  that got USF where they are.  Oh yeah, including this fan as well.

Anyone who isn't happy what this program has done in just 9 years is in need of a serious mental examination, because it is obviously something that is pretty much unprecedented in the recent history of college football.

On the same thought, when you do experience this type of success and growth, you always expect more. Knowing in your mind and heart that your team is better than the team that showed up on the field with so much riding on the line and to not see it helped by the coaches is enough to make you go mad.

We're not asking for a purging of the coaching staff, we're asking for changes where changes are needed, the offensive side of the ball. Defense can only carry a team so far if it is not being picked up by the offense every so often.

You guys are probably going to slam me for saying this but there seems to be a lot of bandwagon fans here who don't much like riding with the band.

Bandwagon fans are fans who don't care about a team until they constantly win and are the first to jump ship when things start to go south.

Bandwagon fans wouldn't be talking about this loss with the passion that we are, nor would they be calling for changes because they haven't seen that this has been a problem area for the entire season, not just this past Saturday.

I am the first person to call people out on being bandwagon fans and nothing frustrates me more as a passionate sports fan, but I take great offense to any member of these boards being called a bandwagon fan.

[SCMountaineer]

Sorry, I meant bandwagon with regard to the OC.  I should have been more clear.   But, again, the offense doesn't operate in a vacuum.  There are going to be days when you feel like opposing defenses are wired into your headsets.  I got the sense that this was the case in this game.  Also, USF did make adjustments in the second half.   They started throwing the ball....with success.  Then the running game got going a little because of that success.  UConn was just extremely tough in the red zone.  From what I saw, not much of anything was working really well against a fired up UConn defense.  I dunno.  I just thought the game was lost by the head coach.  

[___ Eats It]

Sorry, I meant bandwagon with regard to the OC.  I should have been more clear.  

Don't you have to HAVE a bandwagon first before someone can jump on it?  Rod Smith, from all accounts, has never had one.

[Brad]

For DMince, I believe this boils down to presentation.

Like him, I am not in favor of the FRS site.  Like him, I do not like the pic of RS in _EI's signature.

Like _EI, I am upset with the playcalling.  Somewhat like him, I am beginning to sense change would be good.

From my perspective (and i believe from DMince's) the disagreement - the agony - the call for RS's head would have been done better (more tastefully) in an Op-Ed or a commentary on SouthFloridaBulls.com, the Oracle, the Tampa Tribune, SPT, etc.  Or simply in text here.  It is clear _EI is a gifted wordsmith and has facts to back his position.

I don't think Mince is against the criticism, instead the vehicle used to distribute it.

[BigEastBeasts]

Sorry, I meant bandwagon with regard to the OC.  I should have been more clear.  

No problem.

With the exception of the Lousiville game though, there haven't been many people who have been thrilled with our OC.

[___ Eats It]

For DMince, I believe this boils down to presentation.

Like him, I am not in favor of the FRS site.  Like him, I do not like the pic of RS in _EI's signature.

Like _EI, I am upset with the playcalling.  Somewhat like him, I am beginning to sense change would be good.

From my perspective (and i believe from DMince's) the disagreement - the agony - the call for RS's head would have been done better (more tastefully) in an Op-Ed or a commentary on SouthFloridaBulls.com, the Oracle, the Tampa Tribune, SPT, etc.  Or simply in text here.  It is clear _EI is a gifted wordsmith and has facts to back his position.

I don't think Mince is against the criticism, instead the vehicle used to distribute it.

Stop flattering me, you big softie...  

That's not a bad idea, Brad.  Not a bad idea at all.

[E.T.]

Okay, but let's look at the big picture here.

Hobie left at the Spring ... we promoted Rod, probably because of time and money(why not Franks - is another issue).

Between now and then, when were we suppose to "Fire" ?

I'm waiting until after the Bowl game to get too serious about this subject.

Go BULLS !!!

[Bullhonkey]

Fire Rod Smith, he's hurting my beloved Alma Mater!

[Dmince]

Brad:

I personally think Smith is okay (I am not going to get into an argument about this so if anyone tries to engage me they are just wasting their time). You are right, I do not dissaprove of the criticism, as everyone has the right to do so. I do dissaprove of the vehicles and methods used to do so. They are classless.

Thank you for mediating- I respect and look up to you. This message board is an addiction that causes me to procrastinate paperwork until midnight. This all your fault