Oracle: Taggart, Bulls try to keep it ‘loose and have fun’

[Brad]

Taggart, Bulls try to keep it ‘loose and have fun’

 

By By Mike Mallory, ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Published: Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Updated: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 00:09

 

It’s been four days since USF suffered a 28-10 loss to FAU, dropping to 0-3 before an in-state battle with No. 16 Miami on Sept. 28, but coach Willie Taggart is aiming to keep things relaxed within the team.

 

“I want us to be positive,” Taggart said. “I don’t want us to talk about anything negative. We do have some good things going on. We can’t ignore those things because we’re 0-3. We have to build off those things.”

 

Taggart said those things include USF’s ranking of 23rd in the country in total defense and senior running back Marcus Shaw ranking sixth in the country for rushing.

 

But Taggart said the team hasn’t kept a positive attitude so far, at least during games.

 

“We have to have the right mindset,” he said. “Rather than worrying about not making mistakes or not losing the game, let’s say ‘Go out and win this ball game and let’s go make this play.’ I want our guys to feel that way, but I don’t think we’ve taken that approach into a game.”

 

Taggart, junior receiver Andre Davis and sophomore quarterback Steven Bench all said the bye week is going to be important for the team in several ways.

Mostly, Taggart said, an extra week allows the team to regroup and the coaching staff to find what the team is doing well or not doing well.

 

The most pressing issue among Bulls fans is the quarterback position, which has seen three different players, redshirt sophomore Matt Floyd, senior Bobby Eveld and Bench, in three games.

 

Davis, who has nine catches for 116 yards in three games, said it’s always hard adjusting to a new quarterback, but said he thinks Taggart has settled on one and added that it takes extra repetitions after practice to get accustomed to a new passer.

 

While the second highest catch total among wide receivers is four, Davis said he’s seen quite a bit of double coverage this season and it’s something he’s seen throughout his career.

 

“It happens,” Davis said. “But when I do get double coverage, other people have to make up for it and make plays.”

Taggart said he’s looking for consistency in general.

 

Consistency at quarterback, he said, would help a lot of the team’s woes, and with the extra time to prepare and evaluate, the team wants to solidify the quarterback situation.

 

As Taggart spoke, Bench was seen running the first-team offense in the Bulls’ walk-thru practice, but Taggart still wouldn’t publicly commit to Bench as his quarterback.

 

Rest of story

[raptorcj]

You'd think he would have gone through this same phase with the team at WKU, since they didn't exactly light it up when he got there. Wonder if he knew how bad the psychological state of these guys was going to be. I'd say from his in-game reactions that it was a bigger issue than he anticipated from camp. Now he's having to play Dr. Freud over the break to keep them from doing what half of us are doing here--predicting doom & gloom for the Miami game (not to mention conference games).

 

The more I think about it, the more I think this bye came at the right time. Man I hope so...I'd love to see us shut down UM's offense and get a steady pulse on our O-side.

[feardabull]

Where the eff has dunkley been???

Has he been playing? Because he has been invisible.

[slowdown]

You'd think he would have gone through this same phase with the team at WKU, since they didn't exactly light it up when he got there. Wonder if he knew how bad the psychological state of these guys was going to be. I'd say from his in-game reactions that it was a bigger issue than he anticipated from camp. 

Sure he's been through some of this before but I think when he got to WKU they(the team) had probably accepted how bad they were a little more, they had lost 20 straight.  I think our players, certainly a lot of our fans, were completely blindsided with how bad we actually are.   Its a gut punch. We were 3-9 last year, but few could bring themselves to believe we weren't really a bowl team.  Truthfully, we were a lot closer to 1-11, with a purchased win, than a bowl.  Coaching was bad, but the recruiting was bad for a few years too. 

 

Even still, people don't accept that some of the "talent" on this team that is in their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of underachieving or not producing is actually not that good.  And the players have pride they have a hard time accepting it too.  And as they are realizing it, and we are realizing it, it isn't easy to just admit we were wrong and the implication of what that means, while at the same time being positive.

[Cow Pie]

You can't build off of loses... only wins.

 

This is not some intramural beer league team...

 

Having fun and staying loose while losing builds apathy and a I don't give a poop attitude about winning.

 

This is Skip Holtz logic.

[Joe]

Yeah...this type story came out with Skip and the board blew up. It will be interesting to see everyone's reaction.

[slowdown]

You can't build off of loses... only wins.

 

 

well that sucks.  if we can't build off our losses how do we ever move forward?  do we have to wait to win a game via forfeit?  or should we schedule a HS team and beat them, then we can start building?

 

Btw, Bench made the comment about having fun and being loose, and didn't say they should be having fun and being loose, he said that those things will come later.

[Who'sYourData?]

Where the eff has dunkley been???

Has he been playing? Because he has been invisible.

 

He had a nice completion in the FAU game.

[Triple B]

 

You can't build off of loses... only wins.

 

 

well that sucks.  if we can't build off our losses how do we ever move forward?  do we have to wait to win a game via forfeit?  or should we schedule a HS team and beat them, then we can start building?

 

 

Bubba is our board Si ....

 

[raptorcj]

You can't build off of loses... only wins.

 

That sounds like "you can't learn from mistakes".

 

If you dwell on the losses and start thinking about NOT making mistakes, you're going to lose. He's just trying to reframe the picture and get their heads out of the dumpster.