This trend -IS- a problem, despite being 4-0

[Jim Johnson]

Our team has way, way, way too many problems in the fourth quarter:

Consider scoring:

UCF outscored USF 14-0 to tie the game...

Kansas outscored USF 14-10 despite a game winning field goal from USF...

FIU outscored USF 9-7 and kicked onside...

I don't have the stats, but I think USF allowed more yards for each of these teams in the 4th quarter...

Yes, USF won these games... but this has become a very disturbing trend.  The Bulls can not continue to win games and allow teams to both outgain and outscore them.

Play calling, turnovers, execution, etc... everything people have complained about in these games... the Fourth Quarter is where all of this comes to a head.

Finally, I will say, our coaches do not have the killer instinct.  It seems everyone is playing to not lose, rather than playing to win.  Our offense is vanilla and downright predictable.  Our defense is as well, although it has done well for three quarters of each game we play.

The result... a team with no swagger... and practically no self-confidence... and three straight very ugly wins.

[usfbulls2004]

I guess we need to stop being outscored.

[litt2usf]

+1

[Brad]

We've given up 37 4th quarter points in the last three games.

That's more than half of our opponents' total points (67) in the last three games.

[usfbulls2004]

I don't know if it is the timid playcalling or our players lack of focus or conditioning.

[Brad]

I think a lot of it is due to the less than stellar secondary.  Teams open up on us in the fourth quarter.  Even FIU got the big pass play with the new QB in the 4th quarter.  UCF and Kansas picked the secondary apart in the 4th.  When the opponent is playing from behind and goes to the air, we got big problemas.

[The Sheriff]

This would bother me more Jim if the games (albeit Kansas) weren't essentially in the bag. I feel your pain... but up until the last FIU drive, they had less than 100 total yards of offense. UCF had less than 200 total yards of offense.

I would be more worried about the play calling in key situations (the QB sneak when you five different running backs that could possibly go over the top from one yard out). Let me see... a three yard head start with momentum, or a hard push behind a lineman that is being cut at his legs with a linebacker coming over the top? A third down pass with less than four minutes remaining and a two TD lead against UCF when a sweep or draw would be fine.

Don't get me wrong... Gregory has had us in position to win... but man, I would rather have the ball in Richard Kelly's hands or Mike Ford's hands at the 1 than Matt Grothe's... not that Ben isn't a human bowling ball either, but Kelly and Ford remind me of Michael Bush of old.

[Brad]

This would bother me more Jim if the games (albeit Kansas) weren't essentially in the bag. I feel your pain... but up until the last FIU drive, they had less than 100 total yards of offense. UCF had less than 200 total yards of offense.

I would be more worried about the play calling in key situations (the QB sneak when you five different running backs that could possibly go over the top from one yard out). Let me see... a three yard head start with momentum, or a hard push behind a lineman that is being cut at his legs with a linebacker coming over the top? A third down pass with less than four minutes remaining and a two TD lead against UCF when a sweep or draw would be fine.

Don't get me wrong... Gregory has had us in position to win... but man, I would rather have the ball in Richard Kelly's hands or Mike Ford's hands at the 1 than Matt Grothe's... not that Ben isn't a human bowling ball either, but Kelly and Ford remind me of Michael Bush of old.

:clap

I seldom get to applaud a Sheriff post, I will do so here.

[Guest]

This would bother me more Jim if the games (albeit Kansas) weren't essentially in the bag. I feel your pain... but up until the last FIU drive, they had less than 100 total yards of offense. UCF had less than 200 total yards of offense.

I would be more worried about the play calling in key situations (the QB sneak when you five different running backs that could possibly go over the top from one yard out). Let me see... a three yard head start with momentum, or a hard push behind a lineman that is being cut at his legs with a linebacker coming over the top? A third down pass with less than four minutes remaining and a two TD lead against UCF when a sweep or draw would be fine.

Don't get me wrong... Gregory has had us in position to win... but man, I would rather have the ball in Richard Kelly's hands or Mike Ford's hands at the 1 than Matt Grothe's... not that Ben isn't a human bowling ball either, but Kelly and Ford remind me of Michael Bush of old.

The problem, Sheriff, is they were not in "in the bag".  Both UCF and Kansas tied the game.  It wouldn't be a problem if each of them scored once and made the game closer (like FIU)... but UCF and KU scored TWICE.  Which means our offense failed as much as our defense on at least one drive...

The coaches need to learn how to stick the knife in and twist it when a team shows signs of life late in the game.

Oh, and "PREVENT DEFENSE PREVENTS YOU FROM WINNING."

As for the goal-line... I don't understand why we don't run sideways more... Ford did that for both of his TDs, and FIU did it as well.  Goal line power runs RARELY work as well as running off-tackle or a sweep.  Even a QB sweep with Grothe running would have scored that TD.

[CyberBull]

Don't get me wrong... Gregory has had us in position to win... but man, I would rather have the ball in Richard Kelly's hands or Mike Ford's hands at the 1 than Matt Grothe's... not that Ben isn't a human bowling ball either, but Kelly and Ford remind me of Michael Bush of old.

Even Mrs. Cyber was screaming at the TV asking why Mike Ford of Kelly didn't get the ball at the 8-inch line?"

Hey Sheriff, you've been the lockerroom and know the dynamics between the offensive and defensive staffs. Do you think a rift is going to develop between the offense and defense?

I could be wrong here but have you ever heard Leavitt call out the offensive side of the ball like this? Maybe it happens behind close doors, but look at where all these comments are deservedly aimed:

Leavitt: “We played about as bad as we could play,†Leavitt said. “I don’t see how we could play worse. The defense played pretty good. Offensively we did about as many bad things as you can do. "

Burnham: “You can tell kids all day long, how they’re going to respond and how opponents will respond to rankings,†USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. “But they don’t believe you half the time. That’s kind of how it is. I think defensively we responded pretty well overall.â€

Leavitt: “We didn’t execute correctly,†Leavitt said. “We go quarterback sneak with eight inches from the goal line and we can’t get eight inches? We got four seniors on the offensive line.

“Personally, I couldn’t have worked harder, maybe I’ve got to figure out how to work smarter. I’ve got to figure it out. The mistakes we made offensively. Un-be-lievable. That’s junior high stuff. I know our players don’t want to do that, we have to figure out how to coach them better.â€

http://sports.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C127/