The penalties have to stop

[Jake_Ryan]

See Brett's Blog.

I have expained away the penalties in year's past using youth and inexperience as an excuse.  Not sure I can go there anymore.  I generally thought the penalties were improving this year, except for the Louisville game, until I read Brett's column. 

Leavitt needs to address this.  Offsides on the D-Line is inexcusable, and that has to be corrected immediately.

I think an immediate improvement here could be the single biggest factor to helping the team have a shot at 4-0 down the stretch.  USF is not good enough to make these mistakes and overcome them everytime.

[windbane]

I'd say the negative slant has to stop, but that's an old topic...

Anyway, here's an interesting stat from http://www.bigeast.org/fls/19400/pdfs/football/weekly-release.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=19400&KEY=&SPID=11215&SPSID=94737

In our games so far we have been penalized 69 times for 514 yards.  However, our opponents have been penalized 69 times for 577 yards.

In other words, we have been penalized fewer yards than our opponents so far this season.  As bad as we are at committing them so far, that's an interesting result if you ask me.

[twillybull]

See Brett's Blog.

I have expained away the penalties in year's past using youth and inexperience as an excuse.  Not sure I can go there anymore.  I generally thought the penalties were improving this year, except for the Louisville game, until I read Brett's column. 

Leavitt needs to address this.  Offsides on the D-Line is inexcusable, and that has to be corrected immediately.

I think an immediate improvement here could be the single biggest factor to helping the team have a shot at 4-0 down the stretch.  USF is not good enough to make these mistakes and overcome them everytime.

It sure would have been nice to see a false start flag... their QB's head bob and center bouncing up and down SHOULD have been called.  Had this been an impartially officiated game, at least half of those offsides would have been false starts. 

[Jake_Ryan]

We LINED UP OFFSIDES twice.  Talk about inexcusable.  The hard count is used against USF because the D Line lacks the discipline to watch the football instead of listening to the QB cadence.  Listen to Aaron Harris' interview on GoUSFBulls.com if you want to see how the D Line has been coached up.

And I can't tell if the 'negative slant' comment was joking or not, but I am very positive for the most part.  I am not being negative here, just pointing out somehting that can be easily fixed by the coaching staff that can make an immediate improvement.  I would have liked to hear Leavitt address this in his weekly comments.

Some penalties are excusable, but offsides is not.  The officiating has been questionable for sure, but being ranked in the bottom 10 for penalties every year since 2002 should tell you something.  I'd like to see the Staff address this and change this stat for the better.

[smazza]

See Brett's Blog.

I have expained away the penalties in year's past using youth and inexperience as an excuse.  Not sure I can go there anymore.  I generally thought the penalties were improving this year, except for the Louisville game, until I read Brett's column. 

Leavitt needs to address this.  Offsides on the D-Line is inexcusable, and that has to be corrected immediately.

I think an immediate improvement here could be the single biggest factor to helping the team have a shot at 4-0 down the stretch.  USF is not good enough to make these mistakes and overcome them everytime.

after 11 years this will not change and to think it will is pretty funny too me

[smazza]

We LINED UP OFFSIDES twice.  Talk about inexcusable.  The hard count is used against USF because the D Line lacks the discipline to watch the football instead of listening to the QB cadence.  Listen to Aaron Harris' interview on GoUSFBulls.com if you want to see how the D Line has been coached up.

And I can't tell if the 'negative slant' comment was joking or not, but I am very positive for the most part.  I am not being negative here, just pointing out somehting that can be easily fixed by the coaching staff that can make an immediate improvement.  I would have liked to hear Leavitt address this in his weekly comments.

Some penalties are excusable, but offsides is not.  The officiating has been questionable for sure, but being ranked in the bottom 10 for penalties every year since 2002 should tell you something.  I'd like to see the Staff address this and change this stat for the better.

this is the juim leavitt/ks/bill synder way

[MikeG]

you mention youth not being a factor

while it is true that we have many returning starters from last season, overall our squad is still one of the youngest in the Big East.

not an excuse-- the penalties have been costly at times. Other times-- a non-factor. I don't think we can look at the UL game and say that last penalty cost us the game. We were screwed as soon as we let them come back and then failed to move the ball at all.

anyway-- hope the guys rise up and avengethe recent Cinci losses