2011 Pre-Season Preview: South Florida Bulls

2010 Record: (8-5, 3-4 in Big East)

Head Coach: Skip Holtz (8-5 at USF, 80-55 All-Time)

Last Bowl Game: 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl (beat Clemson 31-26)

CFBZ USF Links

College Football Roundtable: Big East Edition

Pre-Spring All Big East Team

Returning Big East Offensive Firepower

Schedule

9/3: at Notre Dame

9/10: Ball State

9/17: Florida A&M

9/24: UTEP

9/29: at Pittsburgh (2010 result: lost 17-10)

10/15: at UConn (2010 result: lost 19-16)

10/22: Cincinnati (2010 result: won 38-30)

11/5: at Rutgers (2010 result: won 28-27)

11/11: at Syracuse (2010 result: lost 13-9)

11/19: Miami, Fl (2010 result: won 23-20 OT)

11/25: Louisville (2010 result: won 24-21 OT)

12/1: West Virginia (2010 result: lost 20-6)

2010 Offensive Statistics:

Scoring: 24.1 ppg (6th in Big East, 85th in Nation)

Rushing Yds/Game: 144.85 yds/game (6th in Big East, 71st in Nation)

Passing Yds/Game: 164.5 yds/game (7th in Big East, 101st in Nation)

Total Yds/Game: 309.4 yds/game (7th in Big East, 105th in Nation)

2010 Defensive Statistics:

Scoring: 20.0 ppg (5th in Big East, 22nd in Nation)

Rushing Yds/Game: 126.0 yds/game (3rd in Big East, 23rd in Nation)

Passing Yds/Game: 192.3 yds/game (5th in Big East, 24th in Nation)

Total Yds/Game: 318.3 yds/game (5th in Big East, 17th in Nation)

2010 Misc Stats:

Turnover Margin: -0.23 per game (5th in Big East, 70th in Nation)

Penalties: 46.1 yds/game (3rd in Big East, 40th in Nation)

Returning Starters:

Offense: 5

Defense: 6

Kicker/Punter: 2

Top Returning Statistical Leaders:

Passing: QB B.J. Daniels, Jr (143 of 245 for 1685 yds, 11 TD, 13 INT)

Rushing: RB Demetris Murray, Jr (121 for 533 yds, 4 TD)

Receiving: WR Evan Landi, Jr (29 rec for 402 yds, 2 TD)

Tackles: LB DeDe Lattimore, Soph (69)

Sacks: S Jon Lejiste, Jr (4)

Interceptions: S Jerrell Young, Sr (3)

For the last three years USF has finished 8-5 overall and for the last two they have finished 3-4 in the Big East Conference. In Skip Holtz second year at the helm the Bulls will try to better this mark and maybe surprise a few teams in the Big East along the way. Despite starting at Notre Dame, USF has a very favorable schedule to start out and should end up 3-1 at the minimum coming out of their first four games. While they didn’t exactly light up the score board on offense last year, the Bulls have a lot of talent at QB and RB. At QB, B.J. Daniels represents a dual threat that has to be game planned against. At RB, the Bulls return Demetrius Murray but also add two transfers to the mix in Darrell Scott (ran for 343 yds as a freshman in 2008 at Colorado) and Dontae Aycock (a former 3-star recruit who transferred from Auburn) that should provide the Bulls with a very formidable running game. Last year Holtz had to replace six defense starters including Jason Pierre-Paul (6.5 sacks and 16.5 tfl), the teams top four tacklers and two guys responsible for 2/3 of the teams interceptions. Despite losing all of that, Holtz still managed to put a defense on the field that ranked in the top 25 in scoring, passing yardage allowed, rushing yardage allowed and total yardage allowed. The Big East looks wide open and with a couple of breaks USF could find themselves at the head of the pack. We caught up with Ken DeCelles of the SB Nation blog Voodoo Five to learn more about the 2011 USF Bulls.

In his first year at USF, Skip Holtz went 8-5 and took the Bulls to a bowl victory. What did he do well last year and what do you think he needs to improve this year?

I think Skip did a great job under the circumstances. USF lost a lot of talent from the 2009 squad, and due to injury problems were forced to use a converted quarterback, converted running back, and a walk-on true freshman at wide receiver to start the season.

It was great to see a unique game plan for each game last year. Under Jim Leavitt, he threw out the same thing each game daring opposing coaches to beat him. It resulted in some great non-conference wins, but when it came to conference play, coaches like Brian Kelly and Greg Schiano knew exactly how to beat the Bulls. It was refreshing to see our coaching staff change its packages and focus with each opponent.

If there is one thing I would hope the staff would change, its throwing consecutive fade routes at the goal-line against UConn. We will have nightmares about this for years.

There are some high profile transfers that are eligible to play at USF this season. What kind of impact do you see them having?

Of the three transfers eligible, former Colorado running back Darrell Scott will have the biggest impact. Scott had a strong spring practice, and is currently listed as a co-starter with Demetris Murray in the post-spring depth chart. Scott looks like he’s enjoying his second chance in Tampa, and is finally healthy after two injury plagued years in Boulder. Both Murray and Scott are power backs, and Holtz will utilize each for about 15 carries a game.

Dontae Aycock will mostly be used as a 3rd down back for USF. The transfer from Auburn will also run the Wildcat formation as an added wrinkle in the playbook. Aycock was a quarterback when he played here at Chamberlain High School, and would have the most experience to run “El Toro Loco”

Notre Dame transfer Spencer Boyd is the third transfer eligible this year, and is slowly moving up the depth chart at cornerback after making the switch from wide receiver in the spring. Expect more from Boyd in 2012.

Who are some under-the-radar guys that you see stepping up this year for the Bulls?

With the focus on B.J. Daniels and our running backs, people will forget that USF has a great group of wide receivers back for 2011. Leading the pack is 6th year senior A.J. Love, who missed all of last year due to a torn ACL suffered in the 2009 Spring Game. He is a big target who always seems to have a step of separation down the field from his defender.

Junior Evan Landi converted to WR after playing as a backup QB in 2009, and blossomed toward the end of the year. Landi is a former hockey player who chose to play football USF over offers in Canada to play Junior Hockey. Evan is a great route runner who isn’t afraid to run across the middle.

On defense, DeDe Lattimore and Sam Barrington will continue to grow into one of the best linebacker duos in the country. Lattimore in particular started every game in 2010 as a redshirt freshman last year, and he was a difference maker at WLB. Both seem to continue the strong string of linebackers that molded Stephen Nicholas, Kawika Mitchell, Tyrone McKenzie, and Ben Moffitt.

Looking at the schedule, what are the most important games this year?

I think the two most important games are the season opener against Notre Dame and the finale at home versus West Virginia. Anytime you can beat a national power at the start of the season, it can only do wonders for your confidence. If the Bulls can add Notre Dame to its list of recent victories over name schools, and its one more thing you can talk about on the recruiting trail.

The finale against West Virginia already has a feel of it being the de facto Big East Championship game. I think USF and WVU are the two top teams in the conference by a wide margin, and the winner will most likely win the league and head off to the BCS.

What is the one game on the schedule that the fanbase wants to win the most this year?

Notre Dame. USF fans love games like this where the Bulls have a chance to knock off a national power. Add in the “aura” of the Fightning Irish and the tradition of South Bend, its something

What is your gut feeling on the final record for the 2011 season and what makes the season successful in your eyes?

I think this is the year that the Bulls finally break through and win the Big East. I see a 10-2 record with 7-1 record in league play. I think its Big East or bust this year. USF has an experienced roster, a great coaching staff, and a favorable schedule. With most programs in the Big East improving by leaps and bounds and the addition of TCU, the Bulls need to take advantage of this season.

Coming In August: Big East Preview

Next Preview: Akron

2011 Team Previews

ACC- Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Miami, NC State, Wake Forest

Big 12- Baylor , Texas Tech

Big East- Louisville

Big Ten- Minnesota , Northwestern, Penn St, Purdue

C-USA- East Carolina, Houston , Marshall, SMU, Southern Mississippi, UAB, UCF

Independent- Army

MAC- Ball St, Bowling Green, Buffalo , Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Temple, Toledo

MWC- New Mexico, UNLV, Wyoming

Pac-12- Arizona