Defense

[USFHayman]

I am a huge sports fan, I am obsessed, especially with the Bulls...But I do not understand how at this point, 2004, that our defense has SO many freshman on it.  I can understand the first few years,  when we were real young, but we have almost gone thru two 4 year classes and it looks like we are a brand new team again. It reminds me of a first year high school that only has  freshman, sophmores, and juniors.   How did it get to the point this year with our "defensive" minded coach, that we had NO depth.  I know there are injuries, but 7 years and NO depth?  Can someone explain it?  

[bulls96go]

i can't.

maybe JUCO's gone in two years but we did not have many

[The Sheriff]

When you graduate three year starting seniors, their replacements, all though they might be seniors, are like freshmen on the field. If you don't play early like Bobby petrino did with his QB's at Louisville, you're bound to fail a year later when the stars graduate while the other players make the necessary adjustments.

[smazza]

baffling to say the least

every class should have a core of players

we seemed to have lost alot of players

we are graduating 20 seniors but they must have sucked because we certainly didn't play 20 seniors

i imagine we have about 20 juniors who will be seniors next year

[Jake_Ryan]

The reason so many Freshmen played is because they are more talented that the upperclassmen.  With the move to the Big East, the BCS bid, and the new facilities, USF recruited better players last year - ranked as #1 CUSA class.  However, it takes time to develop these kids.  Expect another year or two of growing pains while they mature and then watch out!

[smazza]

i think the faithful expect much improvement next year

if not we should let someone else develop all this talent

[The_Reaper]

The thing that gets me irritated, is that in the 4th quarter early, I went into a tirade yelling at the defense to look at the Pitt offense. They were dancing, pointing fingers and laughing at our D and they JUST TOOK IT!!! I really went off and they heard me, every word. The next play they sacked the QB and pointed at me. NOW, if it takes a 49 year old such as me to fire them up, who the hell is not doing their job! I mean sure it was a little too late, but my gosh people. Isn't someone out there seeing this? Am I the only one who witnessed this? These are some of the UNMENTIONED changes we need to make. The killer instinct and the swagger have left, and it seems like losing at home is an "ok" thing. Sorry folks, I just don't feel the same way. Never have, never will!       The Reaper

[Guest HowieP1]

baffling to say the least

every class should have a core of players

we seemed to have lost alot of players

we are graduating 20 seniors but they must have sucked because we certainly didn't play 20 seniors

i imagine we have about 20 juniors who will be seniors next year

The reality is that we never had very much depth and most of the good players always played. When they graduated the guys coming up weren't as good for the most part and it eventually caught up to us.

Of the 20 seniors this year only five were starters.

Playing the young talent gave them the experience they needed for the Big East next year:

College football

Bulls' hopes hinge on D

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published December 6, 2004

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TAMPA - It was an up-and-down season for the Bulls, starting with promise, tempered by the school's first three-game losing streak, lifted again by two impressive wins, then defined by another three-game skid to finish the year.

So the question in the offseason is simple, yet difficult to answer: Is it up or down for South Florida in 2005 as the Bulls move to the Big East?

Saturday's consensus response, even after a 43-14 loss to Pittsburgh that gave the Bulls a 4-7 record, the worst in their eight-year history, was one of muted optimism, with all expectations of improvement beginning with changes on defense.

"Trying to find ways to get things to happen with a young group is not easy," said coach Jim Leavitt, whose defense gave up more than 30 points a game for the first time. "To me, for us to be competitive in the Big East, we've got to play defense. End of story. We have to play absolutely great defense."

Leavitt said he plans to do that with the same coaching staff, noting that his defensive coaches had USF's unit ranked 17th nationally the previous two seasons. The team's losses to graduation won't be as heavy as last season.

Of the Bulls' 20 seniors, only five were every-week starters, and three were on the offensive line: center Alex Herron and tackles Derrick Sarosi and Levi Newton. The line returns three players who started at least six games in rising seniors Chris Carothers and Frank Davis and junior John Miller.

Miller likely will return to center, and Davis could shift to tackle, providing some stability there. Rising sophomore Jerome Springfield is a front-runner to step in at the other tackle, and redshirt freshman Marc Dile could be a new starter.

The defensive line loses tackle Lee Roy Selmon Jr., as well as part-time starters in end Craig Kobel and tackle Cedric Battles. There are several young players who were in the pass-rush rotation to help offset those departures. Two seniors who redshirted 2004, defensive ends Jason Allen and Tim Jones, will give the line a veteran presence.

The linebacker unit returns intact. The defensive secondary loses safety Javan Camon, but it returns a player who entered the season with more experience: Johnnie Jones, another senior who took a medical redshirt after injuring his neck in the second game. The Bulls had four interceptions, second-fewest in Division I-A, and three were by players who will graduate.

On offense, junior quarterback Pat Julmiste will have to beat out several challengers, led by sophomore Courtney Denson, a transfer from Auburn. Allynson Sheffield is the only significant loss at receiver, though no player finished with more than two touchdowns, so a legitimate scoring threat must emerge from a talented young group.

Running back could either be a team strength or a huge question mark, all hinging on whether Andre Hall, who rushed for a school-record 1,357 yards, skips his senior season to enter the NFL draft. With Clenton Crossley graduating, that opens a spot for younger players such as redshirt freshman Ricky Ponton of Hillsborough.

Santiago Gramatica and Justin Geisler, mainstays on field goals and kickoffs, also graduate, leaving one more area the Bulls must find new starters. Brandon Baker, who challenged the school record for punting average, will be back as a senior.

Leavitt's favorite parable in relating the struggles his Bulls face in their fast emergence is that he can see the promised land but knows there are minefields to cross to get there.

"This year was the first in eight years that we hit some struggles," he said after Saturday's loss. "We understand the standards are high, and I don't want the expectations for this program to ever lower. It's my job to get us up and right in the hunt right away, and I'm planning on that happening next year.

"Absolutely, and with no reservations on that. I feel good about the group coming in, and I know this football team will be very strong next year. I don't (normally) really come out and say something like that, but I know what we've got. I know what's sitting there. I know our defense is going to change. Our defense will be night and day."

[Last modified December 6, 2004, 00:10:20]

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/12/06/Sports/Bulls__hopes_hinge_on.shtml

[smazza]

time will tell