Football Preview 2014 by USF Oracle

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Oracle staff Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal Managing Editor Roberto Roldan Sports Editor Vinnie Portell

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What’s Inside: New year means new opportunity Offense gets tougher, stronger

Asst. Sports Editor Jacob Hoag Multimedia Editor Adam Mathieu Asst. Multimedia Editor Donovan Uy Graphic Arts/ Cover Art Chelsea Stulen Sales Reps Theresa Woods Mikki Meek Ashley Polio Natasha Estevez Graphic Design Intern Luke Blankenship

Bulls add Adams to family 2014 Depth chart 2014 Schedule Bulls find new leader in Cliett

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USF Athletics launch initiatives to engage students

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Season of change

New mentality and offense may mean a turnaround for this year’s Bulls.

By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S

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E D I T O R

Last season, the Bulls started a new chapter as they hosted McNeese State in the first game of the season with Willie Taggart as the new coach and a starter to replace former Bulls quarterback B.J. Daniels. As Bulls fans know, the season opener didn’t go very well. Players could be seen hanging their heads and not playing to their full extent as the 53-21 beat-down reached the fourth quarter. After the game, Taggart conveyed his disgust to the media. “I’d like to apologize to the Bulls Nation for that performance,” Taggart said. “That was awful and disappointing. Just a piss poor effort from our guys.” A year later, sophomore linebacker

Nigel Harris reflected on the shift in mentality the Bulls have undergone. “Every game, expect that excitement,” Harris said. “We’re all going to be very enthusiastic, flying to the ball. Everyone here believes this is going to be an exciting year and we’re going bowling this year.” Part of the mentality shift the players are undergoing is to focus solely at the task as hand, whether they are flying into Madison to face the No. 14 Badgers or if they are hosting Western Carolina. “We can’t take anybody easy,” senior wide receiver Andre Davis said. “We’ve got to go into every game like we’re playing the number one team in the nation.” Evidence of the new mindset Taggart is instilling in the Bulls can already be seen on the field at practices. The first thing players are greeted with when they reach practice is a mock speed limit sign Taggart had installed over the summer. It reads: “Bulls Way: RUN.” A challenge Taggart has taken head-on is the improvement of the abysmal offense the Bulls displayed last season.

To kick-start the process, Taggart brought in Paul Wulff as the new offensive coordinator. Wulff shares a similar football background with Taggart, having worked in the NFL as an assistant coach under Jim Harbaugh for the San Francisco 49ers. Wulff has preached the importance of consistency and limiting player turnover throughout the offseason, but he believes the offense’s key to success lies in building an identity, something the team lacked last season. “The offense needs to get really good at (running or passing) and build on that from there,” he said. The offense was hurting itself last season. The most striking example of this came last season in a road game against Houston. The Bulls committed 19 penalties for a loss of 170 yards, but stayed in the game late, trailing by five with fewer than four minutes remaining in the game. Wulff put strong emphasis on eliminating pre-snap penalties in training camp so the offense won’t shoot itself in the foot as it did in Houston and throughout the season.

n See CHANGE on PAGE 7

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ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

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CHANGE

Continued from PAGE 4

“It started in the very first spring practice,” Wulff said. “It was a big focus of ours, getting our cadence down and understanding how we want to use our cadence. We simplified a few things so we can just go out there and (run our play).” Senior center Austin Reiter said the team is anxious for the first game to arrive so the Bulls can show off the progress they’ve made. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work,” Reiter said. “I think everybody’s ready. I’m especially ready, this’ll be my last first game.” But an even more important aspect of the offense’s success this season is sophomore quarterback Mike White. White, who has gained 25 pounds since last season, was chosen as the Bulls’ starting quarterback over junior Steven Bench. The two players competed for roughly the first two weeks of training camp to earn the job. “(The quarterback battle) was a tribute for both of them, they both battled extremely

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hard and they make each other better and that’s the best for our football team,” Wulff said. Despite the Bulls’ struggles last season, the defense was a consistent crutch they leaned on too often. However, the unit suffered the loss of 10 seniors and one sophomore. In a response to the departure of defensive linemen Aaron Lynch, Julius Forte and Tevin Mims, defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan is adding a 3-4 scheme to his playbook. Using the 3-4 allows the Bulls to utilize their best and quickest athletes on the field and those players happen to be the linebackers. “Getting a good mix of the 3-4 gets more athletes on the field and give us more versatility,” Bresnahan said in an earlier interview with The Oracle. “I’m excited where we’re at because of the athletes we have.” A benefit to an improved football team is a rejuvenated fan base. USF is hoping more wins coupled with student initiatives will help to fill Raymond James Stadium and give the Bulls more of a home-

field advantage. Announced by this year’s new athletic director, Mark Harlan, the initiatives will include discounted parking, pep rallies, and an improved Bulls Blitz. The addition of these initiatives is a proactive approach to increasing student interest in the team. Last season the average attendance at USF home games was 20,379 people per game, according to Tampa Sports Authority documents provided to SB Nation’s Voodoo Five. But this isn’t Taggart’s first time turning a program around. As the coach of Western Kentucky, his team went 2-10 in his first season. The next season, the team won seven games, which was good enough for second in the Sun Belt conference. Throughout practice this offseason, players have espoused their confidence in Taggart and the team’s new mentality. As Taggart goes all-in for his second consecutive turnaround, he’ll not only be trying to win games, but also the devotion of the fans.

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Offensive line bulks up after rough 2013 season By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

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Last season was one the Bulls’ offense would like to forget. They were held to single-digit touchdowns for 11 of their 12 games. Part of it was due to an undersized offensive line that lacked toughness and strength. Walking onto the field in 2014 will be a rejuvenated line that has added size, strength and technique. The struggles from last season were no secret to those who followed the program. The offensive line allowed 102 sacks last season, giving the carousel of quarterbacks a beating. This ultimately led to USF finishing dead last in the AAC in scoring offense, passing yards per game as well as total offense. The main point of emphasis this offseason was to increase muscle mass. The offensive line is in consensus that they

were disrespected and misrepresented by the criticism they got last season. “As an offensive line, there was a lot of stuff being said about us up front,” senior guard Quinterrius Eatmon said. “We just took it and put a chip on our shoulder and we decided from Day 1 in the weight room we’re going to get stronger, we’re going to get bigger and we’re going to get faster.” The line has put in the work and is starting to see results, especially in weight gain. The average weight of the line was 287 pounds last season. Heading into training camp, four of the five starters boast a weight of 300 pounds or more with the only exception being the 297-pound senior center Austin Reiter. This desire to get bigger seemed to spread throughout the team, with players such as sophomores Mike White and Nigel Harris both putting on 25-30 pounds.

Three starters on the offensive line gained 20 or more pounds this offseason in an attempt to protect quarterback Mike White more effectively. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU “Every one of them did coach, has done a phenom- the 2012 season before being what we asked them to do in enal job and these guys have sidelined in 2013 due to a terms of improving their bod- made a lot of strides.” heart condition that required One of the more crucial ele- medical treatment. ies, getting bigger and getting stronger,” offensive coordina- ments was the return of guard Jozwiak has been back practor Paul Wulff said. “Coach Thor Jozwiak. The senior start- ticing this offseason and is (Irele Oderinde), our strength ed the final five games of n See LINE on PAGE 10

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LINE

Continued from PAGE 9

thrilled for the opportunity to be with the team once again. “I can’t tell you how amazing it feels,” Jozwiak said. “Coming out of that tunnel is nice, but coming out of that locker room with your brothers and just being able to practice again, is unbelievable.” Even though he was sidelined for a year, Jozwiak has kept in shape and worked with the coaches to improve his fundamentals and quickness. “Coach Wulff brings a pro mentality to the game so

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every aspect of my technique is getting better and better,” Jozwiak said. “With coach (Oderinde) in the weight room, getting stronger only helps that technique.” The majority of the line will remain the same with the exception of junior Brynjar Gundmundsson and Eatmon who switched positions on the right side of the line to better suit their skill sets according to Wulff. The rest of the line remains the same with Reiter at center, Jozwiak at left guard, and senior Darrell Williams at left tackle.

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Rodney Adams finds new home with Bulls By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

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Adjusting to a new environment is never an easy task for a college student. For sophomore wide receiver Rodney Adams, that change is all too familiar. Under the bright orange St. Petersburg sunset, Adams and his youth team, the St. Pete Lil’ Devils, learned the basics of football: how to cut, catch and carry the ball in their outside hands, tasks not always easy for young players. “One of my first football memories was getting hit very hard and fumbling,” Adams said. “Not a great first memory.” Through years of hard work, the fumbling problems disappeared and Adams established himself as one of the premier playmakers for the Lakewood Spartans. He earned first-team all-county and second-team allstate honors in both his junior and senior seasons, amassing 1,200 all-purpose yards in his final year with the Spartans. He said he would not be as

accomplished without the most influential person early in his career — his mother. “Every day after school she would make sure all of my homework was done,” he said. “She would check what time practice was and rush me to get it done so we could be the first ones out to practice every night.” Adams’ parents played a key role on his journey to college football, a journey that could have easily ended up with Adams playing college basketball instead. “Basketball was my dream when I was a kid,” Adams said. “I started playing basketball, but then my dad forced me to play football.” With obvious protest, Adams reluctantly conformed to the new sport, saying his mom simply “stuck it in my head that I would play football.” He said his mom’s opinion meant a great deal to him. Rated a four-star recruit by 247sports.com, Adams gained national attention with offers from big-name schools such as Florida State, Oklahoma and

Florida. He originally committed to the Gators before deciding on Toledo. But once at Toledo, Adams soon realized he was far from the sunny skies and white sand beaches of St. Petersburg. He was now in the midst of an Ohio winter. “We played (Northern Illinois) and I want to say it was about 20 degrees outside and I just couldn’t do it, it was too, too cold,” Adams said. With no clothes fit for an Ohio winter in his wardrobe and little exposure to the harsh northern cold, Adams dreamt of the sandy shores of his childhood home. Little did he know that dream would become a reality under the worst of circumstances. On Nov. 3, 2013, Michelle Conway Scott, single mother of Adams and his brother, was riding in a car that lost control and hit the rear end of the car in front of them, hurling the car into a ditch and taking her life. The driver, Scott’s cousin, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and first-

n See ADAMS on PAGE 13

USF provided sophomore Rodney Adams with a home and a family in his time of need. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/JACOB HOAG

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ADAMS

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degree vehicular homicide. Adams was stricken with grief and sorrow that could’ve ended his football career. “When it happened, my mind wasn’t on football,” Adams said. “When everything settled down, I just knew I had to come back home and be closer to my family and if there was any school that would take me in, that was my opportunity.” After receiving a hardship waiver from the NCAA, allowing him to transfer and play immediately rather than being forced to sit out a season, Adams began looking for a new home. USF was thrilled to provide one for him. “I looked for a school that would let me play football, and USF gave me that opportunity and I’m thankful for that,” Adams said. Once at USF, Adams did nothing but impress his coaches and teammates. “Not only can he catch the ball, but run after the catch and that’s something we didn’t have before,” coach Willie Taggart

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said. “The kid is fast. He excites you every time he gets the ball and takes off on another level.” New wide receivers coach Ron Dugans made an effort to take Adams under his wing, being all too familiar with the hardship and devastation he had endured in the preceding months. “I’ve gone through some of the things he’s gone through,” Dugans said. “He lost his mom, I lost a child. A lot of people say ‘I know how you feel,’ but a lot of people really don’t know. “(The) biggest thing I’ve tried to get him to understand is to not worry about what you can’t control. You can’t worry about the adversity that you’ve faced, in the classroom or on the football field. Afterward you can think about it, but not on the field.” At 6’1”, 190 pounds, Adams has overcome this adversity so far and is becoming a threat on a revitalized Bulls’ offense. Though many children hope and dream about one day playing among the greats in the NFL, Adams has put that dream out of his mind for now and is focused on the task at hand: making an impact for the Bulls.

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South Florida depth chart 2014 X Y(TE)

OFFENSE

LT LG C RG RT HB QB FB Z

DEFENSE

NT DT OLB SAM ILB MIKE ILB WILL OLB BUCK CB CS OS CB

7 81 12 80 76 75 64 73 78 74 70 61 66 65 31 5 14 2 47 40 83 87

Andre Davis Ryeshene Bronson Sean Price Mike McFarland Darrell Williams Kofi Amichia Thor Jozwiak Jeremi Hall Austin Reiter Cameron Ruff Quinterrius Eatmon Dominique Threatt Brynjar Gundmundsson Clavion Nelson Darius Tice Marlon Mack Mike White Steven Bench Kennard Swanson Brandon Harris Deonte Welch Rodney Adams

6-1 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 5-10 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1

207 187 250 252 307 290 321 345 296 313 313 320 305 302 206 195 211 215 253 233 215 190

91 9 95 10 53 8 16 29 43 54 57 18 51 15 24 6 2 20 36 22 1 3

Eric Lee Demetrius Hill Todd Chandler Deadrin Senat Ekino Watson Derrick Calloway Reshard Cliett C.J. Garye Auggie Sanchez LeGrande Harley Nigel Harris Rahmon Swain Tashon Whitehurst Vincent Jackson Johnny Ward Lamar Robbins Jamie Byrd Devin Abraham Nate Goodwin Hassan Childs Chris Dunkley Deatrick Nichols

6-3 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-9 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-10

248 270 321 300 291 285 235 228 241 230 220 222 225 246 178 200 184 187 202 188 188 186

Sr. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. RFr. Sr. RFr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Rfr. Jr. Sr. So.

Jr. Jr. Sr. RFr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. RFr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. So. So. Sr. Fr.

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USF Football 2014 Schedule Sat, Aug. 30

Western Carolina (Home)

Sat, Sept. 6

Maryland (Home)

Sat, Sept. 13

North Carolina State (Home) UConn (Home)*

Fri, Sept. 19 Sat, Sept. 27

Wisconsin (Away)

Sat, Oct. 11

East Carolina (Home)*

Sat, Oct. 18

Tulsa (Away)*

Fri, Oct. 24

Cincinnati (Away)*

Sat, Nov. 1

Houston (Home)*

Sat, Nov. 15

SMU (Away)*

Sat, Nov. 22

Memphis (Away)*

Fri, Nov. 28

UCF (Home)*

* Conference games

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Cliett grabs the Bull by the horns in senior season By Vinnie Portell M A N A G I N G

E D I T O R

Amid a tumultuous season in which players were suspended for violation of team rules and when wins were hard to come by, senior linebacker Reshard Cliett was a model of consistency. Cliett played in 11 games, despite injuring his shoulder so badly in the second week of the season against Michigan State that he would need surgery in the offseason. Even with the injury, he finished second on the team with 56 tackles, trailing only DeDe Lattimore, who left to play in the NFL. Lattimore was the clear leader of the Bulls last season, finishing with a team-high 98 tackles and playing with high energy even when the team was out of games. But with Lattimore gone, second year coach Willie Taggart is looking for a leader to fill the void. “I’d like for Reshard to step up and it’s kind of the natural fit,” Taggart said. “When someone like (Lattimore) leaves, you want the next guy to step up. It’s natural to look for Reshard to be that leader.” But rather than focusing on records and stats, Cliett has his sights set on something else this season – being a leader. “I’m going to be more vocal when it comes to leadership,” Cliett said. “I want to connect with some of the guys I don’t usually connect with.” Leadership isn’t a quality that is foreign to Cliett. Last season, Cliett won the Frank Morsani Leadership Award for what he said is his exceptional efforts off the field. He was

Senior Reshard Cliett, who finished second on the team in tackles last season, was picked by his teammates as the captain of the defense this year. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU also captain by his peers Aug. 22. “I believe I deserved that award because I lead by example when it comes to offseason work,” Cliett said. “In the weight room, I’m someone who works hard and pushes other people to work hard as well. I want to be a leader and help the guys buy in to what coach Taggart is saying.” Taggart said he believes Cliett can be the leader the Bulls will need this season because of his mentality toward the team, describing him as “a guy that will put the team first.” While Cliett’s leadership has been a known quality of his, he is feeling the pressure of his senior season to make a

difference for the rest of the team. “I’m feeling a lot of desperation,” Cliett said. “This is my last go round, my last shot, my last time to leave a legacy at USF.” This may be Cliett’s last semester before he graduates, but he acknowledges he looks to other seniors on the defense for leadership, such as Todd Chandler and Elkino Watson. Cliett said his time at USF flew by and he tries to give advice to his younger teammates so they reach their full potential in the limited time they have with the Bulls. “(I tell them to) stay in the weight room and stay in the books,” Cliett said. “If you stay

in the books, it will correlate to your play on the field.” Teammates, such as Chandler, said they see Cliett often mentoring the younger members of the team. “I came in with Reshard, so just to see the way he’s grown and the change in his mentality, he’s a real positive guy,” Chandler said. “He’s got a sense of urgency — all or nothing. He’s helping the younger guys come along a lot more and he’s playing the senior role very well.” But time isn’t the only pressure Cliett is feeling in his senior season. Having a son this past year has made him realize the priorities in his life and he said he is encouraged to attack the game with

renewed vigor. “He changed my life dramatically … ,” he said. “He’s my motivation.” While Cliett will attempt to make the best out of his final semester leading the Bulls’ defense into battle, his dream is to play on the gridiron on Sundays. “I definitely plan on going to the NFL,” he said. “I’m going to graduate this December with my degree so I’ll amp up my workout to get my arms bigger and my core stronger to prepare.” As Cliett prepares to put the finishing touches on his legacy with the Bulls, he hopes to mold the future of his teammates as well.

For coverage on all USF sports, visit USFOracle.com or follow us on Twitter @USFOracleSports

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Athletics creates student initiatives By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

S P O R T S

E D I T O R

As the Bulls charge into their season opener against Western Carolina, USF Athletics has rolled out new programs to enhance the student gameday experience. The weekend kicks off with Marshall Mayhem, which will start at noon every Friday before each USF home game. Football players and coaches will accompany the USF cheerleaders and the Sun Dolls to pump up the student body. Getting to Raymond James Stadium will also be easier for students with additions to the Bulls Blitz program that shuttles students to and from the stadium for football games. There will be two locations to catch a ride on the

Bulls Blitz, three hours before each home kickoff. Eight Bull Runners and five Recreation Express buses will pick students up from the Marshall Student Center bus entrance. Two additional buses will pick up students from the JuniperPoplar residence hall. The return pick up will be at the Mass Transit Drop Off and Turnaround at Raymond James located off of North Dale Mabry Highway and will begin running 30 minutes after the game ends. For those students who wish to drive and tailgate, Student Bulls Club will offer discount parking to its members for $5. The $10 SBC yearly membership will also enable students to buy a reserved parking space for an additional $5 in the Student Tailgate Zone in lot 4 off Himes Avenue.

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