2010 NCAA Football Preview: South Florida
With a controversial 2010 season that saw longtime coach Jim Leavitt get fired for striking a player and then asking players to change their accounts of the event, much of the focus was on other things than the South Florida Bulls' play on the football field.
However, with the controversy that surrounded the South Florida Bulls and the only head coach they have ever known the incredibly quick success of the team has been forgotten.
The school did not even have a program till 1997 and even held its first team meeting under some trees because they did not have any facilities yet. Within a few years the school made the jump from I-AA to division I status. At first they were independent of any conference affiliation, but soon joined Conference USA in 2003 before eventually joining the Big East in 2005.
In their short existence, with many other big programs surrounding them, the Bulls have managed to become quite successful. Only twice have they had a losing season; since joining the Big East the fewest number of wins they have had was six. For the last five years they have been invited to a bowl game, winning three.
With the ouster of the only leader the program has ever known the 2010 season will be a key one for the program. Can new head coach Skip Holtz keep the tradition going or will he fail in the shadow of Leavitt?
Offense
It helps to have the son of one of the greatest coaches in college football history taking over your program when you’ve fired the only coach it has ever known. It helps even more that Skip Holtz, Lou Holtz's son, knows what he’s doing in his own right as well.
Fresh off of two Conference USA championships with East Carolina, Holtz brings the right attitude along with his offensive coordinator, Todd Fitch, to the Bulls. In sophomore quarterback B.J. Daniels they will have one heck of a tool to work with. Daniels made some noise last season when he led the team to a 17-7 win over Florida State by throwing for 215 yards and running for another 126. He would have his growing pains throughout the season, but that is to be expected with a freshman starter.
The team would likely want a different person than their quarterback lead the team in rushing. Senior Moise Plancher was average but nothing special during the 2009 season, with his lack of size perhaps hindering his ability to excel as a running back. Holtz will be hoping that junior college transfer Michael Hayes can take over the job. he contributed 1698 combined yards rushing and receiving to his team at Blinn College last season.
Whoever ends up rushing for the Bulls, they will feel lucky to have five returning starters on their offensive line. Whatever they do with that line will need to be done this season since four of five players are seniors including all-conference center Sampson Genus.
Defense
New defensive coordinator Greg Hudson will have his work cut out for him rebuilding a defense that returns few starters. The talent level was pretty high last season with four former players now in the NFL.
The defensive line should still be a strong point for the team even though it lost two of its stars. The team had plenty of depth there last season and still do this year. Terrell McClain will be a pretty good run stopper at tackle. Seniors Dave Bedford and Craig Marshall will give the unit some experience and leadership at the ends. Competing for time will be Ryne Giddins, Patrick Hampton, and Claude Davis.
It will be a pretty impressive accomplishment if Hudson is able to match the pass defense ranking of 25th that it had last year with only Quenton Washington with a starting spot locked up at cornerback. Newcomer Terrence Mitchell may end up stepping in rather quickly to provide some much needed talent.
In general, the defense will suffer from lack of experience. Most of the starters will have had little college playing time; their backups even less. However, what Hudson and Holtz are able to get from the defense will be the key to the Bulls’ success in 2010.
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