After a an abysmal two-win season in 2013, there wasn’t much else the South Florida Bulls and head coach Willie Taggert could do but go up in 2014. They responded with a rather lackluster four-win year, and despite some excitement around the program’s recent recruiting classes, Taggert’s staff has yet to see it translate to wins on the field.
So, what’s next for USF? In a state with as many entertainment options as Florida, this is an important upcoming season for the Bulls to keep the attention of its alumni and fan base. Before Taggert and his staff think about winning on Saturdays in the fall, they need a few wins in the offseason in 2015.
1. Stabilize the quarterback position. I’m not saying they need to pick a guy and stick with him throughout the entire season, but the revolving door approach Taggert took with his signal-callers this season was a recipe for inconsistency and losses.
During one three-game stretch of the season, the Bulls started a different quarterback in each game, and Taggert was quick to bench his quarterback in favor of another mid-game on several occasions. Whether they decide on junior Mike White, senior Steven Bench, sophomore Quinton Flowers or an incoming player, I don’t think it matters.
The Bulls need to open up the competition this offseason, be decisive on who their starter is going into the season and let that guy play every down to start the season. If it goes poorly, then Taggert can reevaluate things, but the key is to show some stability and consistency at quarterback in the hopes that it gives that player and the team as a whole confidence and in turn a chance to play better.
2. Build the offense around Marlon Mack. Man, this kid looks like he can be special. As a freshman he exploded onto the scene in week one against Western Carolina with 275 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. After that game however, Mack only broke 100 yards in three more games the rest of the season. That mostly had to do with the nature of the games, as USF often got down early and thus Mack’s touches were limited in comeback mode.
Taggert has to recognize that Mack is his best chance for success, and spend the offseason preaching a commitment to the ground game, taking care of the football and playing solid defense.
3. Take another step forward on defense. In 2013, the Bulls ranked 74th and 65th in the FBS scoring and total defense, allowing 28.6 points and 401.8 yards per game. In 2014, they ranked 65th and 69th in those statistics, giving up 27 points and 402.8 yards per game. As you can see, there wasn’t much of a shift for the better or worse for the USF D in its second year under coordinator Chuck Bresnahan.
I would, however, make the argument that they did show signs of improvement from 2013 to 2014, especially given the number of players they had to replace, the overall youth of the unit and some of the poor situations the offense put them in throughout the year. The Bulls defense held Maryland, UConn, Wisconsin, ECU, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and UCF at or under each of their per game scoring averages, but a lack of offensive output left them with a 1-7 record in those eight games.
USF has a decent chance to improve its win total again in 2015, and that would mean bowl eligibility isn’t out of the question. However, if Taggert isn’t able to solve his team’s quarterback woes and focus on building a solid ground game and defense this offseason, it will likely equate to more dismal Saturdays and possibly another coaching search in Tampa.
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