For the first time, USF is offer- ing online classes during the three weeks when students are usually on winter break. There are five online classes, each worth three credit hours and taught at an accelerated pace. The deadline to apply is Dec. 11. Classes start Dec. 15 and end Jan. 2. Because of the condensed nature of the curriculum, students may only enroll in one winter ses- sion class. “They’re much more intense than a regular course,” said Stephanie Harff, director of enroll- ment in innovative education. “Students should expect a consid- erable amount of time every day logging on and completing assign- ments.” Syllabi are available on the USF website for students to get an idea of course expectations. “HSC 2000: Intro to Health Professions” explains the history of health care and potential careers in the different systems around the world. “ARH 3001: Intro to Art” explores the process behind and significance of prominent, multi- cultural works of art. “MUH 3016: Survey of Jazz” teaches students how to appreciate the art form for both its musical merit and its historical roots. Today is Election Day, when Floridians will decide the political future of the state. The issues on the ballot getting the most attention are the governor’s race and medical mari- juana. In all, the ballot includes elections for the lieutenant gover- nor, five cabinet positions, Florida State Senate, Florida House of Representatives and three state- wide measures. State governor Incumbent Republican gov- ernor Rick Scott is running for against Democrat Charlie Crist and Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie. Scott had a history in corpo- rate health care before becom- ing governor in 2010. Because of his work with Columbia Hospital Corporation/Hospital Corporation of America, Scott had strong feel- ings about the Affordable Care Act, coined “ObamaCare,” which passed in March 2010. Together with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Scott challenged the law in the Supreme Court but was unsuccessful. The Business Journals ranked Scott 12th of 45 governors in terms of job creation in 2013. Nate Silver of The New York Times named Scott the 20th most conser- vative governor in the U.S. Democratic candidate Crist, who served as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011, is running for governor once again. Crist served as a member of the Republican Party until 2010 when he became an independent, and then a mem- ber of the Democratic Party in 2012. Before his initial run as governor, Crist represented St. Petersburg in the State Senate from 1993 to 1999, then as Deputy Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation, State Education Commissioner and Attorney General of Florida. Crist strongly favors expanding health care, opposes higher taxes on the middle class and supports legalizing medical marijuana. Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie served as chair of the Libertarian Party between 2011 and 2013 and is the co-founder of Tampa-based 1787 Radio Network. Wyllie is seeking to eradicate the Common Core education system in favor of a comprehensive policy that would provide families with more choices, according to his campaign website. Wyllie intends to repeal all prop- erty taxes and reduce state sales tax from the current 6 percent to 4 percent. He is also a proponent of legalizing medical marijuana in Florida. Amendments Three statewide measures will be voted on in the Florida election. Amendment 1 is in regard to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, supported by Florida’s Water and Land Legacy, which would be expended to improve land con- servation initiatives in Florida to include beaches, wetlands, for- ests, historical and geological sites. The amendment claims it will not increase or decrease state reve- nue, however it cannot determine future expenditures as a result of future legislature. Amendment 2, upon voter approval, will legalize medical mar- ijuana in Florida. The amendment will require patients with debilitat- ing medical conditions such as HIV, AIDS, Crohn’s disease and ALS to acquire a prescription to use the drug. In June of this year, current Gov. Scott signed a bill that will go into effect in January 2015 that will legalize low-THC strains of medical marijuana. The Florida Prospective Judicial Vacancies, Amendment 3, would allow the governor to fill judicial vacancies by appointing a judge or justice from among three to six candidates or prospectively fill the position personally. Each amendment is required to win a supermajority vote of 60 percent in order to win. Attorney General Incumbent Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi is running for reelection against Democrat George Sheldon and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer. Bondi, who won office in the 2010 gubernatorial election, previ - ously served as prosecutor and assistant state attorney in the Thirteenth Judicial District. She is well known as a leader in the 26-state lawsuit against the federal government to repeal ObamaCare in which Florida was the lead plain- tiff, as well as for her 2011 bill aimed against prescription drug abuse. Sheldon formerly served as a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives and sec- retary of the Florida Department of Children and Families. In a recent debate among the candidates for attorney general, Sheldon voiced his support for the legalization of medical marijuana and same-sex marriage. Wohlsifer is currently an attor- ney practicing debt collection, copyright and trademark litigation, and homeowners association law. He describes himself as “fiscally conservative and socially tolerant.” Wohlsifer has not directly stated approval for the legalization of medical marijuana but believes in greater freedom of medical mari - juana use. Chief financial officer Incumbent Jeffrey Atwater is running for reelection against The Oracle www.usforacle.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA News ................................................................. 1 Lifestyle ...................................................... 4 Opinion ....................................................... 6 classifieds .............................................. 7 Crossword ......................................... 7 sports ............................................................ 8 The Index TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014 I VOL. 52 NO. 41 A look at the ballot: What to know before heading to the polls By Brandon Shaik ASST. NEWS EDITOR E L E C T I O N D A Y 2 0 1 4 Online classes now available for winter By Wesley Higgins NEWS EDITOR n See WINTER on PAGE 2 n See ELECTION on PAGE 2
Transcript
For the first time, USF is offer-ing online classes during the three weeks when students are usually on winter break.
There are five online classes, each worth three credit hours and taught at an accelerated pace. The deadline to apply is Dec. 11. Classes start Dec. 15 and end Jan. 2.
Because of the condensed nature of the curriculum, students may only enroll in one winter ses-sion class.
“They’re much more intense than a regular course,” said Stephanie Harff, director of enroll-ment in innovative education.
“Students should expect a consid-erable amount of time every day logging on and completing assign-ments.”
Syllabi are available on the USF website for students to get an idea of course expectations.
“HSC 2000: Intro to Health Professions” explains the history of health care and potential careers in the different systems around the world.
“ARH 3001: Intro to Art” explores the process behind and significance of prominent, multi-cultural works of art.
“MUH 3016: Survey of Jazz” teaches students how to appreciate the art form for both its musical merit and its historical roots.
Today is Election Day, when Floridians will decide the political future of the state.
The issues on the ballot getting the most attention are the governor’s race and medical mari-juana. In all, the ballot includes elections for the lieutenant gover-nor, five cabinet positions, Florida State Senate, Florida House of Representatives and three state-wide measures.
State governorIncumbent Republican gov-
ernor Rick Scott is running for against Democrat Charlie Crist and Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie.
Scott had a history in corpo-rate health care before becom-ing governor in 2010. Because of his work with Columbia Hospital Corporation/Hospital Corporation of America, Scott had strong feel-ings about the Affordable Care Act, coined “ObamaCare,” which passed in March 2010.
Together with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Scott challenged the law in the Supreme Court but was unsuccessful.
The Business Journals ranked Scott 12th of 45 governors in terms of job creation in 2013. Nate Silver of The New York Times named Scott the 20th most conser-vative governor in the U.S.
Democratic candidate Crist, who served as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011, is running for governor once again. Crist served as a member of the Republican Party until 2010 when he became an independent, and then a mem-ber of the Democratic Party in 2012.
Before his initial run as governor, Crist represented St. Petersburg in the State Senate from 1993 to 1999, then as Deputy Secretary
of Business and Professional Regulation, State Education Commissioner and Attorney General of Florida.
Crist strongly favors expanding health care, opposes higher taxes on the middle class and supports legalizing medical marijuana.
Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie served as chair of the Libertarian Party between 2011 and 2013 and is the co-founder of Tampa-based 1787 Radio Network. Wyllie is seeking to eradicate the Common Core education system in favor of a comprehensive policy that would provide families with more choices, according to his campaign website.
Wyllie intends to repeal all prop-erty taxes and reduce state sales tax from the current 6 percent to 4 percent. He is also a proponent of legalizing medical marijuana in Florida.
Amendments Three statewide measures will
be voted on in the Florida election. Amendment 1 is in regard to
the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, supported by Florida’s Water and Land Legacy, which would be expended to improve land con-servation initiatives in Florida to include beaches, wetlands, for-ests, historical and geological sites. The amendment claims it will not increase or decrease state reve-nue, however it cannot determine future expenditures as a result of future legislature.
Amendment 2, upon voter approval, will legalize medical mar-ijuana in Florida. The amendment will require patients with debilitat-ing medical conditions such as HIV, AIDS, Crohn’s disease and ALS to acquire a prescription to use the drug. In June of this year, current Gov. Scott signed a bill that will go into effect in January 2015 that will legalize low-THC strains of medical marijuana.
The Florida Prospective Judicial Vacancies, Amendment 3, would allow the governor to fill judicial vacancies by appointing a judge or justice from among three to six candidates or prospectively fill the position personally.
Each amendment is required to win a supermajority vote of 60 percent in order to win.
Attorney GeneralIncumbent Republican Attorney
General Pam Bondi is running for reelection against Democrat George Sheldon and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer.
Bondi, who won office in the 2010 gubernatorial election, previ-ously served as prosecutor and assistant state attorney in the Thirteenth Judicial District. She is well known as a leader in the 26-state lawsuit against the federal government to repeal ObamaCare in which Florida was the lead plain-tiff, as well as for her 2011 bill aimed against prescription drug abuse.
Sheldon formerly served as a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives and sec-retary of the Florida Department of Children and Families. In a recent debate among the candidates for attorney general, Sheldon voiced his support for the legalization of medical marijuana and same-sex marriage.
Wohlsifer is currently an attor-ney practicing debt collection, copyright and trademark litigation, and homeowners association law. He describes himself as “fiscally conservative and socially tolerant.” Wohlsifer has not directly stated approval for the legalization of medical marijuana but believes in greater freedom of medical mari-juana use.
Chief financial officerIncumbent Jeffrey Atwater
is running for reelection against
The Oraclew w w . u s f o r a c l e . c o m U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A
T U E S D A Y , N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 I V O L . 5 2 N O . 4 1
A look at the ballot: What to know before heading to the polls
By Brandon ShaikA S S T . N E W S E D I T O R
ELECTION DAY 2014
Online classes now available for winterBy Wesley HigginsN E W S E D I T O R
n See WINTER on PAGE 2 n See ELECTION on PAGE 2
T U E S DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 2
“MUS 4390: Music Culture: Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll” examines how the three topics reflected and shaped popular culture since the rise of counter culture after WWII.
“ANT 4930: Intro to 3D Printing for the Cultural and Natural Sciences” introduces students to the process behind 3D technology and its future use with different
industries.As the winter session is techni-
cally a part of the spring semester, payment is combined with spring courses and isn’t due until Jan. 9.
A winter class costs $783.57 for Florida students and $1,875.03 for non-residents. This includes a $50 distance-learning fee.
Harff said winter classes are ideal for working students who need a flexible schedule or eager students looking to get ahead.
WINTERContinued from PAGE 1
Democratic candidate William Rankin.
Atwater served in the State House, State Senate, and as President of the Senate until 2010 when term limits prohibited him from running again. He ran for office for chief financial officer in 2010 and won.
Rankin ran for Florida State Senate District 34 in the 2012 election, but did not win. He ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination in the 2014 primary for chief financial officer.
Commissioner of agricultureRepublican incumbent Adam
Putnam is running for re-election against Democratic candidate Thaddeus “Thad” Hamilton.
Putnam was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1996 at the age of 22 where he served until 2001. He went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 until 2011, when he took office as Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Hamilton ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination in the 2014 primary and was selected as the Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Hamilton worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service from 1970 to 2006 and is the former chairman of the Broward County Land Preservation Advisory Council, according to the Miami Herald.
Circuit judgesAttorney and USF alumnus
Robert Bauman is running against attorney and Tampa native Melissa “Missy” Polo for district 34 circuit judge, a position currently held by retiring judge James “Jim” M. Barton II.
Carl C. Hinson is running against Barbara Twine Thomas for circuit judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit. Hinson, a trial lawyer and
past president of the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, received his bachelor’s degree in manage-ment from USF before attending Nova Southeastern University Law School.
Thomas was the past presi-dent of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Hillsborough Association for Women’s Lawyers and the George Edgecomb Bar Association. After receiving an undergraduate degree from USF, she continued onto law school at the University of Florida.
Senators and representativesRepublican incumbent Tom Lee
is running unopposed for state senator representing Hillsborough County. Prior to taking office in 2012, Lee attended the University of Tampa and worked for his fam-ily’s construction company.
Democratic State Representative incumbent Mark Danish is running for re-election against Republican candidate Shawn Harrison. Prior to being elected in 2012, Danish was a real estate agent and science teacher. Harrison, a USF alumnus, currently works as an attorney and business owner.
Republican incumbent Dennis Ross is running for re-election as Representative for District 15, which includes Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Ross was elected into office in 2011 and is running against democratic candidate Alan Cohn, an award-winning investiga-tive reporter.
School boardCurrent representative for
District 6 of the Hillsborough County School Board April Griffin is running for re-election against lawyer Dipa Shah. Griffin was a business owner before being elect-ed into the position in November 2006 and has since championed overhauling the transportation department and increased voca-tional training.
Shah hopes to better communi-cate between the district and par-ents and be an open ear to issues among teachers and transportation employees.
ELECTIONContinued from PAGE 1
T U E S DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 3
LifestyLeU N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T U E S D A Y, N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E4
alt-J: “This is All Yours”
alt-J burst onto the music scene back in 2012 with “An Awesome Wave.” The trio is originally from Leeds, England and began touring the U.S. festival circuit in summer of their debut year.
The band’s fame has come from mixing electronic elements with intricate harmonies and in te res t ing melodies. Songs such as “Breezeblocks” and “Tessellate” were underground hits covered by artists such as Ellie Goulding and Mumford & Sons.
The band recorded most of its new album while on tour for the first and included a few nods to the Japanese city, Nara.
The band sticks to their slightly off-center vibe. They dissipate dissonance with soft and delicate harmonies balanced perfectly with danceable electronic beats.
However, an effort to change their style has caused a bit of controversy. It has been rumored by many media outlets that their biggest single from this album, “Left Hand Free,” was a challenge by their record label to produce
something more radio friendly. It is rumored that the band made the Black Keys-esque song in about twenty minutes as a joke. Little did they know it would become their biggest single to date.
The rest of their album is similar to what listeners have grown to expect from the group. “Every Other Freckle” has all of the elements of their first record, as do most of their other songs.
The band will play Next Big Thing at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg on Dec. 6. Commentary by Allison Buckler.
Albums heat up the fall
Black Taxi: “Electroshock Death
Grip”
Black Taxi is a Brooklyn-based group well-known for its eccen-tric and eclectic live performances. Their newest album titled “Electroshock Death Grip” is hugely fun and exceedingly vibrant.
The foursome consists of lead vocal-sist Ezra Huleatt, vocal-ist and lead guitarist Bill Mayo, bassist Krisana Soponpong and newly added drummer Daniel Gould. The band’s for-mer drummer Jason Holmes can be heard on some of the tracks.
This group has con-sistently succeeded in getting an audience
excited. Since their first 2012 album “We Don’t Know Any Better,” the group has enthralled live audiences and album listeners.
In keeping with the preceding album “Chiaroscuro,” which featured the danceable single “House On Fire,” Black Taxi’s new album encapsulates the group’s dance-y punk-pop vibes while adding a new and fitting electronic element.
“Electroshock Death Grip” opens with the song “21st Century,” which sounds like a live show. Huleatt blares his trumpet in the opening while the others create a disco-esque vibe in the background. A spoken bridge keeps the listen-
ers dancing along until the next chorus.
The second and title track showcases the band’s incredibly beau-tiful and heartbreaking songwriting skills. The first verse fades into the chorus saying, “I’m hanging on to you with electroshock death grip, like yesterday’s acid trip. Don’t you want to tell me why, I feel like I do?”
Other standout tracks that prove Black Taxi is an up-and-coming show-stopper include “Take Off the Edge,” “Only Room for One Ninja in this Town” and “Even Further.” This dance-able quartet will be at Skipper’s Smokehouse on Nov. 11. Commentary by Allison Buckler.
SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
T U E S DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 5
game. But after SMU, the Bulls
must play two of the top teams in the AAC: one a road game against Memphis (5-3, 3-1) and the other a rivalry game at home against UCF (5-3, 3-1).
With the current state of the offense, the Bulls won’t be able to close out their final three games. USF didn’t come remotely close to scoring a touchdown against Houston.
But that’s not to say there hasn’t been progress made this season.
USF took a tie or led head-ing into halftime twice against the No. 19 team in the country.
The 2013 Bulls would have needed a running clock after halftime.
Taggart has turned promis-ing freshmen from last season such as Nigel Harris, who leads the nation in forced fumbles, and Johnny Ward, who leads the team in interceptions, into reliable starters, but the rest of the team has yet to catch up
to speed. When lofty goals are set for
fans, frustration comes more quickly with the losses. Taggart said after the game Saturday, he knows how the fans are feeling and pleaded with them not to lose faith.
“I tell them I understand it and rightfully so,” Taggart said. “I tell them keep the expecta-tion up, keep the fire. I think that’s one of the great things about this job is we have a pas-sionate fan base. And I think that’s one of the reasons we’re going to get out of this and get to where we’re going because of that. If we didn’t have that with our fan base, I don’t think we stand a chance.”
Taggart knows the impor-tance of having loyal and pas-sionate fans, but for every goal he falls short on, the fans lose patience. That could go for recruits as well.
Taggart can offer playing time and the glory of rebuild-ing a program for now, but if USF continues to falter week after week, things may turn from ‘bowl game’s a must’ to bowl game or bust.
BOWLContinued from PAGE 8
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T U E S D A Y, N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E
Opinion6
Editor in Chief: Alex Rosenthal ............................ [email protected]
What you said As today is Election Day, multimedia editor Adam Mathieu
asked students what issue they are most concerned about on the ballot.
“The marijuana usage is a big thing. I know that it won’t be used correctly and there will be a lot
more people using it and getting in trouble.”
— Tyler Rouse, a junior majoring in health science
“The gubernatorial election is a primary focus. It’s very polarized and the biggest
election in the state.”
— Rory Noonan, a sophomore majoring in
economics
“(I am concerned with) how the medical
marijuana issue will turn out … If more states
legalize it medically, they’ll research it more and find valid reasons to use it.”
— Nate Minigh, a senior majoring in biochemistry
“I’d say tuition is a big concern for me. Whoever is governor for the next four years could affect what I
pay for school.”
— Tarlan Eshghi, a sophomore majoring in
biomedical sciences
The ‘pinkwashing’ of breast cancer awareness
Lung cancer — not breast cancer — is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And yet, there is no lung cancer awareness month targeted at women. There is no “pink-washing” of lung cancer. Society sees lung cancer as something that affects everyone because everyone has lungs.
We do not think everyone has breasts.
The association between breast cancer and women has lead to its flagrant commercialization by sup-posed nonprofits such as Susan G. Komen – although 400 American men die every year from the devastating illness, according to the CDC.
Komen is now infamous for its hypocritical and baseless use of breast cancer awareness, working closely with companies that pro-duce carcinogens or carcinogenic products.
One of the worst examples of Komen’s partnerships is a frack-ing company, which pollutes the air and water with carcinogen-ic compounds such as benzene
when extracting natural gases. Such association shows
Komen’s total lack of dedication to actually preventing cancer in gen-eral and its subsequently much greater concern with collecting donations that later become large salaries for their executives.
In 2013, Susan G. Komen Foundation CEO Nancy Brinker received criticism for taking a 64 percent increase, bringing her sal-ary to $684,000, while donations to the foundation were waning.
The light, happy and stereo-typically feminine color pink casts far too positive a glow on what is in reality an incredibly tragic dis-ease. It seems somehow insincere to represent suffering and survival with pink ribbons on lipstick, cute running shoes or a fitted T-shirt.
The SCAR Project does a much better job of showing the strength of female survivors, using black-and-white or subdued photos of women, which, according to the photographer, are meant to give the models their sense of woman-hood back.
Much like how women are apparently supposed to maintain their visual appeal even during pregnancy, they are also sup-posed to face breast cancer with grace and a good attitude.
However, breast cancer, which all too often results in a mastectomy, can result in devas-
tating mental effects for women.As if the physical battery result-
ing from disease was not enough, many women struggle with the idea of their “ugliness” during and after breast cancer treatment. Bald and suddenly flat-chested, they feel far from the Western ideal.
Women, though, should not be expected to be beautiful at all times. Cancer is not pretty, and female or male, one cannot fight it with superhuman good looks.
At the end of the day, lungs are just not as attractive as breasts.
The “I Heart Boobies” bracelets say all that there is to know about why many people care about breast cancer at a subconscious level. The bracelet does not say, “I Heart Women” or “I Heart Survivors” – it takes a single, sexualized body part on a woman and uses that to say, “You should care because do you really want to live in a world without sexy women?”
The fight to end breast cancer should not be about ensuring that the female population of the U.S. is sexy enough for our eyes. It should be about protecting and saving the lives of human beings, regardless of their appearance.
Chelsea Mulligan is a freshman majoring in international affairs.
C O L U M N I S T
Chelsea Mulligan
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T U E S D A Y, N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 7
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SportsU N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● T U E S D A Y, N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E8
Taggart opens team-wide competition
In the AAC’s weekly teleconfer-ence, coach Willie Taggart again made competition a point of emphasis.
“I know a lot of guys have gotten better as the year went on, they just haven’t had a lot of opportunities,” Taggart said. “This is a great week to give them those opportunities and see who can execute at a high level consistently and give us a chance to win.”
The quarterback position has seen the most struggles this year with USF ranked 104th in the nation in passing offense. Taggart will continue his open competi-tion to find the guy who is right for the job.
“With the quarterback position, and every position, we’re going to use this bye week to see who gives us the best chance of win-
ning a football game,” Taggart said.
Taggart also gave praise for his freshman quarterback Quinton Flowers who is in the running for the starting role.
“(Flowers) can bring a little more from the standpoint of when things don’t go right, he can make it right with his legs,” Taggart said. “He’s just a really good talent. He’s young, he’s raw, but I think he has a big-time future ahead of him.”
The quarterback position won’t be the only one under the micro-scope during the team’s off-week. Taggart said he is looking at the entire team to find the players that can bring success.
“Whether it’s quarterback, O-line or defensive backs, we just have to make sure we have the right guys in there,” Taggart said.
The Bulls have been getting away from their identity of a strong rushing attack paired with
a strong, run-stopping defense. They were held to just 76 yards on 29 carries in their 27-3 loss to Houston.
“We have to be able to run the football and have to be able to stop the run,” Taggart said. “That’s what we wanted to be as a foot-ball team and we’re not doing it.”
In comparison, the Cougars were able to gash USF’s defense for 217 yards — USF’s second consecutive game allowing 215 yards or more on the ground.
The bye week gives Taggart two weeks to find the players he wants.
“We’re going to let them all compete throughout this week and really show what they can do,” Taggart said.
USF travels to take on SMU on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. Coverage of the game will be on CBS Sports Network.
By Jacob HoagA S S T . S P O R T S E D I T O R
Bulls’ bowl game hopes all but gone Football
At the preseason football media day before the season, coach Willie Taggart told the crowd gathered in the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center that a bowl game was one of the team’s top goals for the sea-son.
“I wouldn’t say ‘bowl game or bust’, but bowl game’s a must,” Taggart said.
Throughout the season, it remained a goal, but a dis-tant one. Fans likely weren’t expecting the Bulls to qualify for a bowl game only one year after Taggart’s disastrous first season. But Taggart is only teasing the fans along with aspirations of bowl games.
“I saw this team making a bowl game from the begin-ning of the year,” Taggart said
after the loss against Houston. “That’s our goal and it’s still there, so we’re going to get back to work and find a way to make that happen and not give up or think that it’s not (going to happen) because we didn’t play well (Saturday). We have to play better if we want to get that.”
He did admit that, to achieve these goals, USF has to dra-matically step up its play over the final stretch of the season.
The Bulls have given up a combined 61 points in their last two losses including a nearly unbelievable 590 yards against the Bearcats in Week 8. As the unit has regressed from its status as a top-25 defense in 2013, the offense has fallen flat on its face as well.
But Taggart’s declaration of faith in his football team Saturday night wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as his pre-sea-
son predictions. With only three games
remaining on the schedule, the Bulls (3-6, 2-3) will have to win out to qualify for a bowl game. While not impossible, it’s unlikely a team that has only been able to win two games since the season open-er against Western Carolina will suddenly be able to win three consecutive games.
USF will have a bye week to prepare for the struggling Mustangs. SMU (0-7, 0-3) is still in search of its first win and has been held below seven points five times this season. No matter how poorly the Bulls play, it’s difficult to imagine them losing to the Mustangs, who are ranked dead last in the country in total defense and second to last in total offense. Only Wake Forest has produced fewer yards per
Coach Willie Taggart’s goal of reaching a bowl game will fall short if the Bulls lose another game this season. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Vinnie PortellCO M M E N TA R Y
After two consecutive losses, coach Willie Taggart said he has not decided on a starting quarterback against SMU. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
