Coaches work to simplify offense for Daniels, young backups

[Mama_Bull]

Coaches work to simplify offense for Daniels, young backups

Posted August 16, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Aug 16, 2010 at 11:06 PM

VERO BEACH – USF held its final two-a-day practice of fall camp on Monday, spending most of the morning practice working on the passing game and much of the night session working on the running game.

After the offense struggled in Saturday’s scrimmage, USF coach Skip Holtz and his staff watched a lot of film on the passing game on Sunday.

“We’ve got to really bring it all together,’’ Holtz said Monday night. “The O-line in front, the quarterback in the pocket, making the reads, reading the different coverages, protection, hot routes, blitzes—all that stuff. We worked really hard this morning on a lot of the corrections we need to make in the passing game. We’ve got to be smart about this.’’

Holtz gave quarterback-turned-receiver Evan Landi some snaps in the morning practice to get him mentally engaged in playing QB if needed, and reminded the staff of Daniels’ inexperience. While he said they won’t scale back on teaching a new offense to Daniels, they will try to be more efficient.

“We’re not taking anything out, we’re just really trying to simplify what we’re doing with some of his reads,’’ Holtz said. “We’re trying to simplify it to where we can reduce some things down for him. It’s important that we put him in a position to have success.

“We’ve got to remember: B.J. is a sophomore, and behind him we’ve got two true freshmen. What we know [the coaches] is absolutely irrelevant. It’s what they can go out there on that field and execute.’‘

Daniels took the field Monday focused on making sure he performs better than his 7-for-22 performance in Saturday’s scrimmage. USF scrimmages again on Saturday after returning to Tampa later this week.

“A lot I wanted to work on,’’ Daniels said. “We just want to get clicking and make sure we get on the same page. We have to put the ball in the end zone more. We didn’t do that too often in the last scrimmage.’’

GIDDINS UPDATE: No player on USF’s roster came out of high school more highly touted than redshirt freshman DE Ryne Giddins, a former standout at Armwood High.

Giddins is working mostly on the second-team behind senior David Bedford at LDE, but defensive ends coach Vernon Hargreaves said Monday that Giddins will have an important role.

“He’s extremely talented. He is still learning how to be a college football player,’’ Hargreaves said. “The things he did in high school, he probably didn’t have to work as hard because he was better than everybody else. Now, he’s just learning how to push himself.

“David Bedford has stepped up as a senior, but I feel good about Ryne spelling him and getting into the ballgame and making something happen.’‘

CENTERS OF ATTENTION: Starting C Sampson Genus went down with a lower-body injury during Monday’s night practice. Holtz is optimistic Genus will return to practice on Tuesday.

With Genus out, Kevin McCaskill and Danous Estenor delivered the snaps. While several exchanges were fumbled, Holtz wants to build depth behind Genus.

“We’re trying to find out who our different options are out center,’’ Holtz said. “So we’re rolling three different centers right now; we’re getting a lot of evaluation work, and I think we’re getting better.’‘

DODGERTOWN MEMENTO: Holtz received a special gift from Vero Beach resident and longtime Dodgers fan Terry Wright.

Wright, 52, has attended nearly every one of USF’s practices at Dodgertown and gave Holtz a Duke Snider-autographed bat on Sunday.

“I just want him to have this as a souvenir from our history here and thank him for bringing the team over,’’ Wright said.

BULL BITS: Holtz will meet with OL Josh Garvin, who has not been at camp due to personal reasons, when the Bulls return to Tampa to evaluate Garvin’s future … DT Cory Grissom (left foot) missed much of the night practice … RB Joel Miller worked some at slot WR on Monday ... USF athletic director Doug Woolard and athletic department official Lee Roy Selmon visited Monday morning’s practice; Woolard returned Sunday from Brazil where the USF men’s basketball team competed in the Pan American University Championships.

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/coaches-work-to-simplify-offense-for-daniels-young-reserves/

[BullSig]

This is the second time coaches have had to "simplify" things for BJ....last year it was with Canales' offense and this year it's with Fitch's offense..I hope BJ starts to get it because he's not going to have the time to learn it like he does now before they come back from Vero. Another sign he's not getting it is that he again had the most yards rushing during a "game". Granted this is a new offensive system but last years offense should have been nothing new to BJ because that was his second year under that offense. I hope he puts his whole heart and mind into this new offense and gets his accuracy back because if he doesn't I don't know how long of a leash the coaches will have on him. What is peculiar is that even though Daniels had a stellar Spring game most of his passes were long balls which makes me wonder if this kid knows how to check down or make reads? All of last year he shunned short passes and was more apt to throw the long ball...This made for some exciting games but also made for some INT's/numerous 3 and outs.

On the other hand J-Gun looked more like the veteran yet not too long ago he was in a cap and gown/going to prom. Along those same lines Marcus Shaw looked more like a veteran as well apparently seeking out hits and putting that D-line/LB's on their heels. I hope that scrimmage was just a bad day but if BJ continues with the run first pass later motto then the coaches have got a serious problem. Also, Mo and Demetris need to get a nasty streak going and start groundin and poundin. Thank goodness there are two more scrimmages...17 days till stoney brook...

[DELdaBull]

"Simplification" of the offense is a bad sign.

[Rizman]

It is what it is. 

[twillybull]

Maybe Holtz should have remembered that BJ is only a Sophomore when he took him to the Big East media days.  It sounds like BJ would have been better served by staying at home and nocking off some rust / studying the playbook.

  BJ has some great talent for sure, but his development was stifled by being thrust into the starting role as a RS freshman.  That is never a good path to a great college QB career.

[Rizman]

If BJ does not improve I am sure if we had another QB on roster that could do the job better then they would be the option the coaches go with.  If Gunsby learns faster then he might be our new QB.

[tau.reanb]

I'll repeat what I said on GA's blog, Daniels starting job isn't as solid as we think.  If Gunsby continues to outgun Daniels, Daniels could be benched by mid-season.  Especially if we already have nothing to lose at that point. 

When I hear "simplify the offense," that means Daniels will only have one or two quick reads before being asked to make it happen with his legs.  I don't get how Daniels claims he wants to be a pocket passing QB, but he seems only capable of getting the offense going with his legs.

I just hope he had a bad day in one scrimmage and that this isn't a sign of things to come... for Daniels, at least. 

[Orlando Bull]

I'll repeat what I said on GA's blog, Daniels starting job isn't as solid as we think.  If Gunsby continues to outgun Daniels, Daniels could be benched by mid-season.  Especially if we already have nothing to lose at that point. 

When I hear "simplify the offense," that means Daniels will only have one or two quick reads before being asked to make it happen with his legs.  I don't get how Daniels claims he wants to be a pocket passing QB, but he seems only capable of getting the offense going with his legs.

I just hope he had a bad day in one scrimmage and that this isn't a sign of things to come... for Daniels, at least. 

Carter also has a note that Landi got some snaps yesterday. Staff may be losing faith in BJ.

[Bullstang43]

As of right now I see it as a case of old habits die hard, meaning for two years BJ saw an offense that encouraged that type of play.  We'll see if anything changes when season starts.

[usfbullcpa]

At least publicly CSH is not saying he has doubts, but reading between the lines sure makes it sound that way.  This has put a pit in my stomach where up until now I thought this was one area we did not have to worry much about.  I am sure that BJ will pull it together, and having not seen the plays that were missed I wonder if it was the short routes, he missed those reads often last year as well or the big play routes.

I am sure they will work this out, and coaches also like to make comments like these as much to motivate players and move the team into where they want them to be, I hope that is part of the case here as well.  He is trying to calm BJ down after a sketchy performance.