What positives have CWT accomplished?

[Calibull]

 

 

 

Taggart dug his feet into the dirt and has appeared to shift the momentum of the team in the right direction. We, the individuals who care enough about USF Football/athletics to visit forums and research and follow recruiting online- the dedicated- we see the change, and we see the foundation Taggart is building. That's a good accomplishment, to get (most) of us on his side.

 

The next thing he needs to do is convert the casuals. The people who don't pay much attention to the behind the scenes, but hear about the hype from everyone else. "Show me the money" type of stuff. 

 

 

This!  Great observation!

 

For those of us who followed the program last season was not a shocker.  The deterioration was not a shocker as we saw it coming with crap recruiting.  Taggart many times last year said "I'm not straying. I know what needs to be done.  I've been here before and I have my plan.  It's not what the fans want but it is what I'm doing and I'm sticking to it."  I like that he doesn't placate to a fan base who knows little about what goes on behind the scenes.  The casual fan comes along and speaks in generalities and not know who has come in over the past 5 years into the program.  I know the name of every single recruit that we have brought in over nearly the past decade.  I watched tape on every guy like most who belong to all of the sites.  I've met and talked to coaches etc.... I think him digging his feet in and standing his ground was the only way... we had to break the players.  Just like breaking a private in the military.  

 

This is what he was doing:

 

Taggart inherited a train wreck from Skip Holtz last season and saw his Bulls finish 2-10 behind an offense that ranked 120th in scoring.

"I know our guys can play better, but our priorities have to be in place; they were not last year, and that's a big reason we were not the team we wanted to be," Taggart said. "Since the offseason, my job has been to make sure our priorities are right. We can't let our guys do it. We have to show them how to do it, and we are not going to waver. You are going to do it our way or find somewhere else to go to do it your way."

Taggart quarterbacked Manatee High to consecutive state finals, helped Western Kentucky win the I-AA national title as its offensive coordinator and returned there in 2010 to resurrect a program that was among the worst in major college football.

The USF football team had a laundry list of misguided priorities. They involved taking care of business off the field, working out, being on time, being dedicated and doing well in the classroom.

"It's a reason we were not strong and too slow and too small," he said. "Florida teams should not be slow. The kind of ball we want to play you've got to be big and strong."

Another priority for Taggart is doing things his way while incorporating advice from people he trusts.

"I am sticking to my plan and I am not veering off. I don't listen to the outside," Taggart said. "If I do that, then I can't do my job. They hired me to coach this team and get it right. I have to do it my way."

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2014/06/25/5224402/commentary-head-football-coach.html#storylink=cpy

 

here: http://www.bradenton.com/2014/06/25/5224402/commentary-head-football-coach.html#storylink=cpy

[Brad]

This thread is turning into a great read. Let's keep it great - don't knock a fellow Bull for his viewpoint. Stay on topic and your thoughts. Fun to read.

[SpeedyBull]

 

 

 

Back to topic. I'm on record of favoring adapting your scheme to fit the players you have. Something Taggart spectacularly FAILED to do last year. Found someone who agrees with me...

 

 

Bud Grant, stone-faced Hall of Fame coach of the Minnesota Vikings described it this way: "You can’t draw up plays and then just plug your players in. No matter how well you have designed your play book, it’s useless if you don’t know which plays your players can run. When I draw up my play book, I always go from the players to the play."

 

http://gumption.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/complimenting-a.html

I'm sure the three years of garbage recruiting and under developed players didn't attribute to our lack of success at all.  If you're a power running coach, you can't deviate from your system to fit personnel.  He would have literally had to have run the spread and he doesn't know the spread.  I mean short memories here... I sit and watch people post and I'm like have you guys been around the past 4 years... did you see what happened between 2010 and 2013?  I guess most forgot about Holtz... What?  Did you think that after 7-5, 5-7, and 3-9 that there was going to be some sort of undefeated season with a first year coach who was given a crap team?  Recruiting sucked under Holtz, player development sucked under Hotlz, S&C sucked under Holtz, player's attitudes sucked under Holtz.... this is silly talk.   I don't think it's fair to look at what Taggart has accomplished in year 2 but I bet the biggest thing he will accomplish is finishing a season better than the last one.  We've won 6 games since the Pitt game in 2011 when we got thrashed.  We had 3 crappy recruiting classes.  

 

What has Taggart accomplished? Well in 2014 we had the 39th ranked class and in 2013 49.  We haven't seen recruiting classes like those since CJL.  What else? Well he's certainly turned the attitude around on the team and based on the guys he's been getting to visit and commit to the program, he's changing the perception of USF again.  I remember what guys like Fullwood, Bronson, and Sawyer said about Skip.  He did something that Skip couldn't do the entire time, get quality QBs top come into the program.  Mike White and Quinton Flowers would not have been there if not for Taggart.  Period.  He's brought in more guys rated four star on the services in a single class than Skip managed the entire time he coached.  The coverts were dry in the skilled positions.  I've followed the program and recruiting for the past 9 years and I saw the drop in recruiting and the affect it has on play.  It hasn't shown in wins but I'm sure it will.  Skip came into a team that should have won the conference and went 7-5, beat Clemson... a team that underperformed though.  As the CJL talent left, the team got worse.  This time the coach receives Holtz players from a team that should have gone 0-12 and mange to pull 2 games out of their @ss.  No doubt in my mind this team will be better... but then you'll just find something else to complain about.  We have forward momentum and excitement.  Taggarts biggest accomplishment so far is having people actually interested again.  

 

I also watched as many of you criticized and trashed B.J. only to discover he was the only thing holding the team together.  Without saying anything I remember some of you actually saying Bobby was better.  Now I remember why I never commented on anything here, some of the people don't have realistic expectations and evidently extremely short memories.  I think this will be the case once again with Taggart and you'll hate every second of it I'm sure.

 

 

He was pointing out that it does make sense to call plays/schemes based on the personnel you have and that he's in favor of that. Not sure why that's such an issue. He could have implemented his power run system and threw in some plays that cater to some of our players strengths. It doesn't take a genius to run a few plays that are considered "Spread". At this point I'm glad he stuck to his guns and stayed with his offense so that all the bumps and bruises can now be out of the way. But, if those issues are not fixed this season again it's all out the window for me. 

 

I do agree with a lot of what you said, but Mike White's second best offer at the time of his commitment was like Eastern Illinois wasn't it? Not sure if Taggart should be praised for that one. But, Taggart has shown he's an incredible recruiter having pulled in that good of a recruiting class coming off a 2-10 year in the AAC. Can't wait to see what he'll do with a decent season.

 

Not sure about the forward momentum and excitement part either from the general fan base. I would argue after a 2-10 season excitement may possibly be at an all time low.. I guess we'll find out from attendance early in the year.

 

With you on the B.J. issue as well. Wasn't just people on here, it was students and other fans. They are realizing how wrong they were now.

 

Lord... do you really know that much about recruiting.  First most didn't know if White was even going to play football in college and then he committed and shut down his recruiting.  What you don't know is he was offered by Mississippi State, La Tech, and Houston.  He wasn't the typical recruit in that once he committed he shut it down and stopped taking calls.  So saying White's best offer was from Eastern Illinois tells me you don't really follow recruiting.

 

Secondly he tried different plays to get the power game going but without the threat of play action and blocking from the offensive line it's for nada.  Our offensive line was waaaay undersized and too weak to run a power offense.  I don't think you know what that takes.  Do you think that it's a coincidence that the line has gained almost 15 pounds per man across the board this year?  It has increased in strength and size.  This year we are made to run the power offense.  Our line from tackle to tackle was 287, 305, 273, 312, 310  and all very weak and coming from a spread system.  This season we're looking at the biggest line in school history that looks to line up 308, 332, 295, 321, 320... that's what it takes to execute this offense.  I don't think people believed him when he said "we have to get bigger and stronger... we need bigger bodies.. people movers."  I mean you can only run so many reverses and gadget plays.  We were drastically undersized on both sides of the ball and that was Skips doing.  Taggart ragged on the guys about it and they took it to heart.  He said they didn't look like Division I football players and they were not strong enough nor were they fast enough.  I guess people ignored that hoping for  a12-0 season.

 

You are saying he should have run different running plays in a "power offense" with no power.  If nobody noticed, the offensive line got pushed around last year.  Even by our defense in practices, spring ball, and fall camp... this year not so much.  So I stick to what I said.. unless he ran the spread, he didn't have the personnel to run the offense.  Shaw is not the typical back he wants for this offense.  McFarland went up to 260 because he was too small... he trimmed Price out so he looks like a TE not a fat boy with wheels.  I mean I get what you want to get at but look at the entire picture.   This was an 0-12 team last year and Taggart did a decent job with crap.  The QB recruiting under Holtz was so bad that a true freshman had to come in and play and that's sad.

 

In regards to a the penalties and long plays... there is a reason that no true freshman has started in this offense, it is complicated and takes a while to learn the entire scheme.  Any time Andrew Luck has to redshirt in this offense it's tough.  Taggart did everything he could to keep White off the field because he wasn't ready... but he was the most talented guy we have.  Also he grades high as hell... He's not 6'4 210 and that kid looks the part.  Just for a little perspective.  As I said there were too many unrealistic expectations last season.  This is the year where you can start judging Taggart.  Not a year with little talent and players not constructed to run the system. 

 

If you don't see the momentum that is being built you're either so far away from the program you can't or you're jaded after years of failure.  As a donor and Alumni I see it.  Things are happening and I'm sorry you're not a part of it but that appears to be of your own volition.  This is the first time I've looked forward to football since fall 2011.  Excitement was at an all time low last season.  One we open up things will be just fine.  

 

Great post  

[DELdaBull]

We suck, until we don't.

[Rizman]

I see a positive year for Bulls Football. We go 6-6 and make it to a Bowl

[Publix Substitution]

When people tell me USF football sucks I can honestly tell them that we'll be fine and CWT is the only reason that I believe that. In the college football the entire roster is 100% different in a 4-5 year period so as long as we continue to recruit well then winning is just a matter of time. If Taggart can pull off the 39th ranked recruiting class after these disastrous seasons then I have no reason to believe that the good recruiting will stop.

[JTrue]

Ron Zook likes the way you think.

[USFbulls24]

 

He was pointing out that it does make sense to call plays/schemes based on the personnel you have and that he's in favor of that. Not sure why that's such an issue. He could have implemented his power run system and threw in some plays that cater to some of our players strengths. It doesn't take a genius to run a few plays that are considered "Spread". At this point I'm glad he stuck to his guns and stayed with his offense so that all the bumps and bruises can now be out of the way. But, if those issues are not fixed this season again it's all out the window for me. 

 

I do agree with a lot of what you said, but Mike White's second best offer at the time of his commitment was like Eastern Illinois wasn't it? Not sure if Taggart should be praised for that one. But, Taggart has shown he's an incredible recruiter having pulled in that good of a recruiting class coming off a 2-10 year in the AAC. Can't wait to see what he'll do with a decent season.

 

Not sure about the forward momentum and excitement part either from the general fan base. I would argue after a 2-10 season excitement may possibly be at an all time low.. I guess we'll find out from attendance early in the year.

 

With you on the B.J. issue as well. Wasn't just people on here, it was students and other fans. They are realizing how wrong they were now.

 

Lord... do you really know that much about recruiting.  First most didn't know if White was even going to play football in college and then he committed and shut down his recruiting.  What you don't know is he was offered by Mississippi State, La Tech, and Houston.  He wasn't the typical recruit in that once he committed he shut it down and stopped taking calls.  So saying White's best offer was from Eastern Illinois tells me you don't really follow recruiting.

 

Secondly he tried different plays to get the power game going but without the threat of play action and blocking from the offensive line it's for nada.  Our offensive line was waaaay undersized and too weak to run a power offense.  I don't think you know what that takes.  Do you think that it's a coincidence that the line has gained almost 15 pounds per man across the board this year?  It has increased in strength and size.  This year we are made to run the power offense.  Our line from tackle to tackle was 287, 305, 273, 312, 310  and all very weak and coming from a spread system.  This season we're looking at the biggest line in school history that looks to line up 308, 332, 295, 321, 320... that's what it takes to execute this offense.  I don't think people believed him when he said "we have to get bigger and stronger... we need bigger bodies.. people movers."  I mean you can only run so many reverses and gadget plays.  We were drastically undersized on both sides of the ball and that was Skips doing.  Taggart ragged on the guys about it and they took it to heart.  He said they didn't look like Division I football players and they were not strong enough nor were they fast enough.  I guess people ignored that hoping for  a12-0 season.

 

You are saying he should have run different running plays in a "power offense" with no power.  If nobody noticed, the offensive line got pushed around last year.  Even by our defense in practices, spring ball, and fall camp... this year not so much.  So I stick to what I said.. unless he ran the spread, he didn't have the personnel to run the offense.  Shaw is not the typical back he wants for this offense.  McFarland went up to 260 because he was too small... he trimmed Price out so he looks like a TE not a fat boy with wheels.  I mean I get what you want to get at but look at the entire picture.   This was an 0-12 team last year and Taggart did a decent job with crap.  The QB recruiting under Holtz was so bad that a true freshman had to come in and play and that's sad.

 

In regards to a the penalties and long plays... there is a reason that no true freshman has started in this offense, it is complicated and takes a while to learn the entire scheme.  Any time Andrew Luck has to redshirt in this offense it's tough.  Taggart did everything he could to keep White off the field because he wasn't ready... but he was the most talented guy we have.  Also he grades high as hell... He's not 6'4 210 and that kid looks the part.  Just for a little perspective.  As I said there were too many unrealistic expectations last season.  This is the year where you can start judging Taggart.  Not a year with little talent and players not constructed to run the system. 

 

If you don't see the momentum that is being built you're either so far away from the program you can't or you're jaded after years of failure.  As a donor and Alumni I see it.  Things are happening and I'm sorry you're not a part of it but that appears to be of your own volition.  This is the first time I've looked forward to football since fall 2011.  Excitement was at an all time low last season.  One we open up things will be just fine.  

 

 

Lord....... So you're telling me schools didn't offer Mike White because they were unsure if he was going to play baseball instead? If the recruit is good enough they offer him and let him make the decision. I do know he was offered by those schools, but to my knowledge those offers came AFTER USFs offer and AFTER he verbally committed to us. If you actually read what I said above, I said at the time of his commitment to USF his next best offer (according to recruiting sites, was Eastern Illinois or some tiny school like that). 

 

Not sure how to respond to your entire second paragraph. I completely agree our team needed to get bigger and stronger, especially the oline and I'm glad they did. I wasn't saying he should try different plays in the power run game, I thought it would've been nice to see him run some plays that catered to the strength of the personnel we actually had... And I'm not talking a few gadget plays where they put bench in at QB in shotgun and ran QB draws.. So, implement his power run offense, use that 90+% of the game because that's your philosophy and the offense you'd like to run, but on very important 3rd and 9 plays or whenever, run a 5 wide quick bubble screen play or some type of play that our players actually were fit for. I didn't ignore anything and expected a very bad season. I didn't expect 2-10, but I guess 4-8 was unrealistic. Especially a win week 1..

 

I completely agree that the talent on the team last year was very bad and that recruiting in general was god awful with Holtz. I never "judged" Taggart. 

 

If I don't see the momentum? Haha. We had a very good recruiting class, but I'm just realistic. Things are going to get better because they have to, and he's got some young talent to work with at this point. But we are still without a reliable QB. I understand White was young and still is, but looking at the whole picture, his year last year is not something you look at and say, OMG WE HAVE THE QB OF THE FUTURE HERE. I like him and he works hard, but he still has a ton to prove. I am not saying he's not good either, I'm just saying we really don't know what we have with him. We also lost a ton on Defense. So 1 year at 2-10 and 1 good recruiting class = we have momentum? Sorry I just don't see it that way. I follow USF football religiously, go to every game, etc. so I'm plenty close to it and I'm not jaded. I guess we just have very different ideas of what momentum means. 

[Calibull]

 

 

He was pointing out that it does make sense to call plays/schemes based on the personnel you have and that he's in favor of that. Not sure why that's such an issue. He could have implemented his power run system and threw in some plays that cater to some of our players strengths. It doesn't take a genius to run a few plays that are considered "Spread". At this point I'm glad he stuck to his guns and stayed with his offense so that all the bumps and bruises can now be out of the way. But, if those issues are not fixed this season again it's all out the window for me. 

 

I do agree with a lot of what you said, but Mike White's second best offer at the time of his commitment was like Eastern Illinois wasn't it? Not sure if Taggart should be praised for that one. But, Taggart has shown he's an incredible recruiter having pulled in that good of a recruiting class coming off a 2-10 year in the AAC. Can't wait to see what he'll do with a decent season.

 

Not sure about the forward momentum and excitement part either from the general fan base. I would argue after a 2-10 season excitement may possibly be at an all time low.. I guess we'll find out from attendance early in the year.

 

With you on the B.J. issue as well. Wasn't just people on here, it was students and other fans. They are realizing how wrong they were now.

 

Lord... do you really know that much about recruiting.  First most didn't know if White was even going to play football in college and then he committed and shut down his recruiting.  What you don't know is he was offered by Mississippi State, La Tech, and Houston.  He wasn't the typical recruit in that once he committed he shut it down and stopped taking calls.  So saying White's best offer was from Eastern Illinois tells me you don't really follow recruiting.

 

Secondly he tried different plays to get the power game going but without the threat of play action and blocking from the offensive line it's for nada.  Our offensive line was waaaay undersized and too weak to run a power offense.  I don't think you know what that takes.  Do you think that it's a coincidence that the line has gained almost 15 pounds per man across the board this year?  It has increased in strength and size.  This year we are made to run the power offense.  Our line from tackle to tackle was 287, 305, 273, 312, 310  and all very weak and coming from a spread system.  This season we're looking at the biggest line in school history that looks to line up 308, 332, 295, 321, 320... that's what it takes to execute this offense.  I don't think people believed him when he said "we have to get bigger and stronger... we need bigger bodies.. people movers."  I mean you can only run so many reverses and gadget plays.  We were drastically undersized on both sides of the ball and that was Skips doing.  Taggart ragged on the guys about it and they took it to heart.  He said they didn't look like Division I football players and they were not strong enough nor were they fast enough.  I guess people ignored that hoping for  a12-0 season.

 

You are saying he should have run different running plays in a "power offense" with no power.  If nobody noticed, the offensive line got pushed around last year.  Even by our defense in practices, spring ball, and fall camp... this year not so much.  So I stick to what I said.. unless he ran the spread, he didn't have the personnel to run the offense.  Shaw is not the typical back he wants for this offense.  McFarland went up to 260 because he was too small... he trimmed Price out so he looks like a TE not a fat boy with wheels.  I mean I get what you want to get at but look at the entire picture.   This was an 0-12 team last year and Taggart did a decent job with crap.  The QB recruiting under Holtz was so bad that a true freshman had to come in and play and that's sad.

 

In regards to a the penalties and long plays... there is a reason that no true freshman has started in this offense, it is complicated and takes a while to learn the entire scheme.  Any time Andrew Luck has to redshirt in this offense it's tough.  Taggart did everything he could to keep White off the field because he wasn't ready... but he was the most talented guy we have.  Also he grades high as hell... He's not 6'4 210 and that kid looks the part.  Just for a little perspective.  As I said there were too many unrealistic expectations last season.  This is the year where you can start judging Taggart.  Not a year with little talent and players not constructed to run the system. 

 

If you don't see the momentum that is being built you're either so far away from the program you can't or you're jaded after years of failure.  As a donor and Alumni I see it.  Things are happening and I'm sorry you're not a part of it but that appears to be of your own volition.  This is the first time I've looked forward to football since fall 2011.  Excitement was at an all time low last season.  One we open up things will be just fine.  

 

 

Lord....... So you're telling me schools didn't offer Mike White because they were unsure if he was going to play baseball instead? If the recruit is good enough they offer him and let him make the decision. I do know he was offered by those schools, but to my knowledge those offers came AFTER USFs offer and AFTER he verbally committed to us. If you actually read what I said above, I said at the time of his commitment to USF his next best offer (according to recruiting sites, was Eastern Illinois or some tiny school like that). 

 

Not sure how to respond to your entire second paragraph. I completely agree our team needed to get bigger and stronger, especially the oline and I'm glad they did. I wasn't saying he should try different plays in the power run game, I thought it would've been nice to see him run some plays that catered to the strength of the personnel we actually had... And I'm not talking a few gadget plays where they put bench in at QB in shotgun and ran QB draws.. So, implement his power run offense, use that 90+% of the game because that's your philosophy and the offense you'd like to run, but on very important 3rd and 9 plays or whenever, run a 5 wide quick bubble screen play or some type of play that our players actually were fit for. I didn't ignore anything and expected a very bad season. I didn't expect 2-10, but I guess 4-8 was unrealistic. Especially a win week 1..

 

I completely agree that the talent on the team last year was very bad and that recruiting in general was god awful with Holtz. I never "judged" Taggart. 

 

If I don't see the momentum? Haha. We had a very good recruiting class, but I'm just realistic. Things are going to get better because they have to, and he's got some young talent to work with at this point. But we are still without a reliable QB. I understand White was young and still is, but looking at the whole picture, his year last year is not something you look at and say, OMG WE HAVE THE QB OF THE FUTURE HERE. I like him and he works hard, but he still has a ton to prove. I am not saying he's not good either, I'm just saying we really don't know what we have with him. We also lost a ton on Defense. So 1 year at 2-10 and 1 good recruiting class = we have momentum? Sorry I just don't see it that way. I follow USF football religiously, go to every game, etc. so I'm plenty close to it and I'm not jaded. I guess we just have very different ideas of what momentum means. 

 

I read what you said and it doesn't mean a thing.  Nobody knew how good he was at the start of the season and most thought he'd either go in the MLB draft or he'd focus on baseball.  I mean that's common knowledge and that affected his recruiting.  Besides, his senior year was his first year as a starter and teams took a long hard look at him.  He also left no time for other offers after the season because he committed at the State Championship game.  The one he won.   

 

What you're saying makes no sense.  In 10 years we've recruited 2 quality QBs... BJ and Grothe.  I'm saying what Taggart has done is gotten 2 good QBs and one exceptional QB in, in less than a year and a half on the job.  Something the previous coaches couldn't do.  We could never recruit QB...  I mean I don't get what you're getting at.  We have never had balanced recruiting like this.

 

So year... "Lord" I think casual fans with limited knowledge of recruiting and players on the roster normally speak from emotion and have no idea as to what is really going on.  The season will tell.  This is all silly talk and I'm convinced you have no idea as to what is going on in the program.  We've actually had 2 good recruiting classes under Taggart.  We cracked the top 50 in back to back years for the first time since 2009.  So would you like to rethink and post again?

 

PS... For all practical purposes either White or Flowers is likely the QB of the future... so yeah... the future QB his here.  I guess you're going to say next Flowers isn't good.  smh

Edited July 16, 2014 by MonteBull

[Calibull]

It's crazy... I don't know how anybody can look at that team in hindsight and think they could have been any better given the QB situation.  I'm beginning to think nobody knew how bad Bobby and Matt were.  It's crazy... We had to literally use a soph transfer who didn't know 1/5 of the playbook because the guys we had coming back, who knew the playbook a little, were complete garbage.  Bench was thrown into the fire and didn't respond well... I didn't expect him to, he didn't know the offense.  White was a 6'4 185 pound true freshman who barely knew some of the offense when he was thrown in.  He wasn't ready but he was all we had.  I think he performed well considering the offense and what he had to work with.  It's delusional to think this team was 4 win team.  It was a 2 win team.  I don't know how any rational person expected anything else.  Silliness is what it is.  The team Taggart got was terrible.  This is the year you pull out the grading markers.

Edited July 16, 2014 by MonteBull