name the one change you would like

[Bullshark]

A big fat run stuffing DT!

Just what I was thinking. More beef on the D-Line.

This is really the only area for an immediate need for improvement and it is so important.  Take the Rutgers game and the Sun Bowl, if we held both rushers to under 100 yards and they had to lean on their passing games, we would have had more interceptions, not to mention our defense not being so tired from long oposing team drives.  We lost by 3 to RU, you take away their running us over or even if Rice only has 100 yards, (and the refs don't f*** up a call on a td) we not only win that game, but probably win decisively. 

One player wouldn't have made that much of a difference in the Sun Bowl, the whole front 7 was getting dominated and the secondary wasn't very sharp either.   Yes a DT that demands a double team every play would help immensely but nothing short of a completely revising the the whole approach the players and staff took when preparing for that game would have made a difference.   

That's really where I'm coming from.  We have speed at the linbacker and secondary positions, we always have and we'll continue to recruit that way.  Our LB's can be smaller, but its almost like we have 4 pass rushers on our D-Line, we have to evolve and if we specifically target 2 or 3 interior lineman that require double teaming, that really affects offensive blocking schemes, uses more offensive players.  The center of our D-line is light, we can be moved off the ball.  Speed means little right there.  Even against Oregon, we weren't able to even disrupt Stewart's path.  When the O-line can't push you back it forces RBs to stop, cut even go backwards to find a lane.  Stewart was able to hit his gaps at full speed, even if there weren't backfield takles, but there was penetration, it would have have the effect of making him stop allowing the rest of our D to contain and help. 

[DELdaBull]

These fickle fans that are always wanting coaches heads on platters.

[I Bleed Awesomeness]

youve hit it right on the head.  theres absolutely no point in talking about "we need an i-formation, or we need to do these types of plays".  while that may be true in some capacity, everyone knows its not gonna happen unless we make a BIG change in our offensive coaching staff....so its a moot point.  our players need to play consistently week after after week.  this motivation soley comes from proper coaching.  im so sick of this whole "not knowing which usf team is gonna show up" thing.

there absolutely IS a reason to talk about "we need more plays."

our offense was impotent against Oregon SPECIFICALLY because we offered absolutely NOTHING they hadn't seen. we knew (or should have known) the size of their line, the ins-and-outs of their defense, and compensated with better play calling.  instead, we did the same thing we've done all season and got shut down by a better prepared team that looked at our formation and new exactly what we were running when we ran it.

look, the ONLY thing we as fans can do is demand accountability... and when fans at the games are ******** about the predictability of our playcalling, and there are several threads a week on a highly trafficked fan forum like this one, SOMEONE needs to get the message. we can't waste the talent and potential we have now waiting for the coaching staff to pull its head out of its collective ass.

and it may not have occurred to some people, but INSTITUTING NEW PLAYS AND WRINKLES IN THE OFFENSE COULD PROVE TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MOTIVATIONAL TOOL TO KEEP OUR PLAYERS FOCUSED ON THE GAME.

give the players something to work on, something to learn.  keep them involved in the process. gifted people-- as D1A BCS conference football players are-- need something to keep them interested.

i dont know about anybody else, but when i work jobs where its the same **** day in and day out, over and over again monotonously, i get complacent, bored and my mind starts to wander.

keep the guys into it with new plays, so instead of daydreaming about sombreros and mariachi bands in El Paso, they'll be focused on learning, practicing and perfecting that new play Gregory is instituting.

we offered nothing they hadnt seen because our team on both sides of the ball was not properly prepared...coach burnham said that himself.  i know there actually IS a reason to run different plays, and throw wrinkles in in certain situations.  what i meant is our offense has pretty much been running the same offensive system for a number of years now...so what makes you think coach gregory is the type of oc that will actually go outside his comfort zone and institute such change?  he has shown this year (other than the few bogan endaround wrinkles) that hes perfectly comfortable being vanilla, which is where people tend to get worried.  so with that said, there IS and there ISNT a reason to talk about needing more plays...there is because we DO need them, and there isnt because chances are its not going to happen.

[I Bleed Awesomeness]

in no way am i saying i want coach gregory fired btw...i just want him to grow a sack.

[Bull Dozer]

in no way am i saying i want coach gregory fired btw...i just want him to grow a sack.

Yeah me either hes got all winter, spring, and summer to add wrinkles and expand his playbook.  Returning 10 starters will help also because there will be less kids to coach up.  I think if we see the same thing we saw this year in game planning and lack of offensive adjustments then after next season you can start to at least discuss looking in a new direction. 

[Bullpride08]

The only change that is necessary is to develop consistent mental discipline.

The coaching staff needs to find a way to motivate the players to focus on the game - and on their role in the game.  We have the talent to win if we can show up ready for play and minimize mistakes.

This all starts in the off season - winter conditioning, spring drills, summer workouts, training camp... if our coaches players can approach all of these with the same intensity of game preparation, then USF can beat anyone anywhere.

No one is perfect.  Players will have lapses here and there.

But like Yogi Berra said... it's 90% mental, and the other half is physical.

BINGO we have a winner.  Lots of fans spend useless time thinking if they had one more 4-5 star recruit they'd be awesome.  Instead of thinking if they had a quality staff that can prepare and evaluate talent they would be even better.  We don't need to get a bit bigger, or faster...if there is one thing we could request is the dining hall to help 'build a better bull' as Leavitt put it.

BTW that 'dining hall' is not designed to be some industrial tiled, long formica tabled cafeteria with hair net women running the show, and drink selections are white or chocolate milk or OJ.  This will be a very nice finished dining area that will deal with the player's 'specific' dining needs from all sports, a nutrition center, and a player lounge where they can study, get away, shoot pool...For those that want us to recruit 'big, badder, bulls' well this would be a very nice complimentary facility that would help a bunch with recruiting.

[Minotaur]

I would like to see the team have more poise and less emotion before and during the game. Emotion can only carry you so far. It will win you games but usually not win you THE game, character and poise will always serve you well.

I wish we could run a different offense.  I know that this crapfest has allowed us to grow and can work well when run perfectly but man I would like to see a different offensive scheme SOON.

I guess thats two things . . . I got more but I am generally very happy with the team. Go Bulls!

[Rocky Style]

for the love of God let’s get Grothe out of the pocket

I would also like to see some plays that actually use Grothe's strengths and get him moving some more.  I don't get having him camped out in the pocket for every passing play but hey whatever.  I don't get the draw plays to Ben Williams for a loss or gain of 1 yard either but you don't hear me complaining that they run that 5 or 6 times a game to no avail...  Wait.

[SRQ]

better play clock management when we have the lead in the fourth quarter

[Jake_Ryan]

I'll go along with the theme - I would love a different offense too.  One centered around the power running game and play action.  Something like Rutgers runs.  A consistent running game will make the USF defense even that much better by keeping them off the field so much, and also will improve the red zone TD %.

I know it won't happen with Grothe or in today's read-option culture, but I'd really prefer a power running game with option mixed in like Va Tech used to run with Mike Vick.  Unstoppable.