USF FOOTBALL NEEDS TO START COMPETING IN BE

[usfgrad84]

After listening to all the reasons and excuses about why we have our meltdowns during the mid season, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the team has built itself as a Florida team.  Well, in order to start competing in the BE the coaches need to start realizing that we aren't a Florida team, we are a BE team.  That means we need to start recruiting players from PA, OH, the midwest, the Northeast that can play when the weather gets below 50 degrees.  We need to start buillding teams that can play in the bad weather in OH, Pitt, New Jersey, WV and CT.  We eed to recruit kids that can be as physical as the OL and DL on the other side of the ball when we play those teams.  It is real nice to stop Devine and Sanders and Pat White once a year, but we need to start finding guys that can stop the Shadie McCoys, and Dion Lewis and Ray Rices and Donald Browns and Jordan Todmans, the physical, North South RBs.  Those are who we need to be stopping because that is who we play against.  We better find an OC that can matchup against the top defensive minds that we play against. 

It has been fun to beat UCF, FAU, FIU and especially FSU this year, but it ,means nothing because we are measured against the teams in our league.

I know all the excuses about not having money, etc.  Well you know what, we  accepted the invitation into the league so we better find the money to compete.

My favorite one is that UM, FSU and UF took 80 years.  Those that say that have no perspective of college football history.  it was different times under different NCAA rules.  First of all,  most southern teams did not recruit african amercian players until the late 60s early 70s.  They were at a disadvantage to the western teams and northern teams that did.  They limited their talent pool.  Also, and probably more importantly, (to this conversation, not socially) the NCAA had no limits on scholarships.  The dominant teams in those days could horde all the best players so it was hard to become a good team without a tradition as a powerhouse.  Not that it is easy today, but could you imagine if we did not even have a shot at some of the players because they could all go to Florida or Alabama or USC.  Today the talent pool has to be spread around because a team is only allowed a certain number of scholarships.

We aren't looking for a national championship, but it is not to much to ask for USF, after 5 years to at least be competitive in the BE standings with a shot to win the BE.  In order to do that we need to understand that our competition is UC, Pitt, UC, UCONN, Rutgers, UCONN and Syracuse.  The team needs to be built to compete with them and not as a finesses team that plays only in warm weather.

[bigworm]

You do realize that Miami played "Florida Speed" football in the Big East and owned the conference.

[UsfGrad97]

I would rather use our resources to recruit locally since FL is loaded with talent.  UF, FSU, and Miami do the same and have a pretty good track record. 

If your philosophy is correct, wouldn't USF have a distinct advantage when it's sunny and warm?

Even if you are correct I hope USF sticks with FL talent, but maybe invests in mittens or handwarmers.

[cmhatter]

great post

[Bulls On Parade]

I think we can stay within Florida, but maybe go after different players.

I think the defensive line we have now can contain the run, its when the offense cant move the ball and that it causes

our defensive line to wilt in the 2nd half. 

Biggest change we need is a new OC and somebody outside the program that can bring a new system....cause what we run now just

aint working. 

Tell me why Chico called the option play in Syracuse and it was a great play and I haven't seen it since.  The guy has no clue and is as bad as Gregory if not worse.

[usfgrad84]

You do realize that Miami played "Florida Speed" football in the Big East and owned the conference.

Those Miami teams were not built solely on Florida players.  UF is not built soley on Florida players nor is FSU.  

You are incorrect in many ways.  First of all, Miami played a pro style offense,  Not a speed/finesse offense.  

Just as an example I went and looked up the starting offense for the 2001 UM Championship team just the offense makes my point:

Dorsey----CA

Davenport--NC

Portis------MS

Shockey-OK

Johnson-FL

Beard-FL

McKinnie---NJ

Haji-Rasouli--Iran

Romberg-Canada

Bibla---PA

Gonzalez-FL

Just off the top of my head, the early UM glory days, just the QBs were Kelly (PA), Kosar (Ohio), Testaverde (NY), Walsh (MN).

My point is that we arent going to be able to get enough of the top talent in the state to get us to the next level.  It is a different game that is played in different parts of the country and we need to fill in certain voids with players from other states when we can't get what we need here.  We need to start opening up some other areas of recruiting if we truly expect to get to the next level.  I truly believe this,

[Rocky Style]

I think we can stay within Florida, but maybe go after different players.

I think the defensive line we have now can contain the run, its when the offense cant move the ball and that it causes

our defensive line to wilt in the 2nd half. 

Biggest change we need is a new OC and somebody outside the program that can bring a new system....cause what we run now just

aint working. 

Tell me why Chico called the option play in Syracuse and it was a great play and I haven't seen it since.  The guy has no clue and is as bad as Gregory if not worse.

I am not sure what we run now would be called a "system" because it doesn't consist of much.  Actually, it looks very similar to last year even with all the changes.

I am not sure what could have made a difference because RU looked like they were 2X as fast as our guys and were right there on every play tackling.

[bigworm]

I would say that you are confused about the meaning of "Florida Speed" football. It doesn't matter that team isn't completly from FL, it was about having more speed than the other team at every position on the field. Take a high school safety and make him a linebacker. Take you LB and make him a DE. The problem that USF has is that the coaching staff isn't good enough to take advantage of the mismatches that the speed provides.

[usfgrad84]

This is BCS level football. Everyone we play has fast guys. We aren't getting the top guys at every position. You are buying into the hype that just because we play in Florida that we have Florida speed. That is one of the funniest things I hear talked about on TV. Yes, florida produces fast guys, but we will never be able to get them all to come here and you will always have to play against other "FL speed" players across the ball.like Tim Brown, Devine, Jock Sanders, Mardy Gilyard (all from FL). The difference is they have opened up a larger recruiting area.  Tell me, which freshman running back would you prefer?  Lamar Lindsey with his Florida Speed or Dion Lewis from Albany, NY?

Building the team from just FL only works on paper. NO team does it. The Gators don't do it, Miami does not do it and FSU does not do it. 

Yes we can build the majority of the team this way, but we also need to look elsewhere for the best football players that fill our specific needs.

I really see no other way to build a competitive program.

It worked when we were in 1aa because the other teams we competed against were in the same boat. We are in a BCS conference and its a different deal altogether its the big leagues. If we don't step up in this regard we will always be behind the 8 ball and have a difficult time competing in this league consistently.

[Bull94]

we need an offensive line that can run block. It amazes me that a line that outweighs it's opponents(rutgers) d-line by an average of 50lbs each can't run block.

no running game means one dimensional.one dimensional means easy to stop offense especially with a RS freshman QB. and I mean a threat from the RBs not just QB.

since our line can't block, maybe our coaches should design some plays to use our speed to get to the edges. we run up the middle all day long. how about some toss sweeps? UF would pitch the ball to percy harvin and he would beat a corner on the edge and go for 10 ypc every time. imagine a corner trying to tackle ford on the outside. where is the creativity in our offense?