UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS FOOTBALL GAME DAY AT SYRACUSE USF returns to the Carrier Dome for the first time since 2011. The Bulls are 4-0 all-time at Syracuse, with the teams having met there four times, starting in 2005, when both were members of the BIG EAST from 2005-2012. The Bulls have averaged 34.75 ppg at Syracuse and have won the four meetings by an average of 23 ppg. n 3 & 0: After starting a season 2-0 for the first time since 2012, USF will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since a 4-0 start in 2011, which included a victory at Notre Dame. n POWER FIVE: In the previous three seasons under Head Coach Willie Taggart, the Bulls played three road games at Power Five opponents and lost all three. USF last won at a current Power Five school at Syracuse in 2011 and at Notre Dame in 2011. USF has road wins at Florida State, Notre Dame, Auburn, Miami, Louisville, Pittsburgh, TCU, West Virginia, North Carolina, Rutgers, N.C. State & Syracuse since 2004. n USF ROLLING SINCE LAST MEETING WITH ORANGE: USF has won 9 of its last 11 games, including 3 of its last 4 true road games, since downing Syracuse, 45-24, in Tampa on Oct. 10 of last season. That game saw USF enter at 1-3 before winning 7 of its last 8 regular season games in 2015. (See complete note on Page 3) USF STATISTICAL LEADERS RUSHING: Darius Tice: 25 att., 152 yds, 1 TD, 76 ypg PASSING: Quinton Flowers: 29-51, 56.9%, 528 yds, 6 TD, 1 INT RECEIVING: Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 8 catches, 151 yds, 1 TD SCORING: Emilio Nadelman, 14-14 PAT, 2-2 FG TACKLES: Auggie Sanchez, 10.0 tpg TFL: Nigel Harris, 3.5 SACKS: Black, Bronson, Dixon, Harris, Sanchez, 1 INT: Nigel Harris, 1 USF CAPTAINS: Quinton Flowers & Auggie Sanchez USF/IMG RADIO NETWORK FLAGSHIP: 820 AM WWBA (TAMPA) Jim Louk, play-by-play Mark Robinson, analyst Thor Jozwiak, sideline PREGAME SHOW (2 HRS PRIOR TO KICK) Jim Lighthall, co-host Justin Pawlowski, co-host USF/IMG RADIO AFFILIATES 820 WWBA AM -- Tampa Bay ** ** Carry Coaches Show 107.9 WMUV FM -- Jacksonville ** 880 WZAB AM -- Miami ** 1080 WHOO AM -- Orlando ** 99.9 WXJB FM -- Brooksville** FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @USFFOOTBALL, @CoachTaggart Instagram: USFFOOTBALL Facebook: facebook.com/SouthFloridaFootball Vine: @USFFOOTBALL #GoBulls; #USF; #BullsUnite; #DoSomething USF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ATH 100, Tampa, FL 33620 OFFICE: 813-974-2125 FAX: 813-974-5328 Brian Siegrist, Associate AD for Communications O: (813) 974-4086 | C: (813)-293-3897 | [email protected]Steve Schoon, Assistant Director of Communications O: (813) 974-4087 | C: (620)-218-1693 | [email protected]2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE 20TH SEASON • 12 WINNING SEASONS • 7 BOWL APPEARANCES • 4 BOWL VICTORIES • 25 NFL DRAFT PICKS • 14 ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS • REACHED NO. 2 RANKING IN 2007 @USFFOOTBALL SEPT. 12. 2016 TAMPA, FLORIDA USF (2-0; 0-0 American) at Syracuse (1-1; 0-0 ACC) Sat., Sept. 17 • 3:30 p.m. (ET) • Syracuse, N.Y. • Carrier Dome (49,262) SURFACE: 419 Bermuda TV: ESPN3: Dough Sherman (p-by-p) & Al Groh (analyst) RADIO: USF/IMG (820 AM) ON-LINE AUDIO: Bulls Cast Radio: www.GoUSFBulls.com SIRIUS/XM: 134/194 on-line: 956 SERIES: USF leads, 7-2 IN TAMPA: USF leads, 3-2, W, 45-24 in 2015 IN SYRACUSE: USF leads, 4-0, W, 37-17 in 2011 NEUTRAL: NA LAST MEETING: USF W, 45-24, 2015 in Tampa USF DRIVE STARTERS • USF 2-0 for first time since 2012. Has won 9 of last 11 games. • USF 10th in nation in scoring/17th in yards per game. • Gulf Coast Offense nets program record 104 pts through 2 games. • USF averaging 545.2 yards and 48.7 points over last six games. • Flowers explodes for 350 yds passing, 403 total yards vs. NIU, collects numerous weekly honors. • #MackAttack has played a quarter and four minutes on the year, 251 yards shy of tying all-time USF rushing record. • #BayMade Bulls feature 19 of 44 players in opening two-deep from the seven-county Bay Area, 49 on roster. • ROLLING AT RAY JAY: USF has won 7 of its last 8 home games, with an average score of 51-19 in those eight games. • Seven Bulls on 12 national award watch lists entering season. USF RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): ............. -/12 votes HEAD COACH: ...... Willie Taggart (W. Kentucky, ‘98) RECORD AT USF: ............................. 16-23(4th) CAREER RECORD: .......................... 32-44 (7th) SYRACUSE RANKINGS (AP/COACHES): ......................... -/- HEAD COACH: ................................Dino Babers RECORD AT SYRACUSE: ...................... 1-1 (1st) CAREER RECORD: .......................... 38-17 (5th) 2016 SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT KICK/RESULT TV NOTABLE Sat., Sept. 3 TOWSON W, 56-20 ESPN3/ASN Bulls tie FBS opener record with 56pts Seven Bulls score a TD, 6 scoring drives under 2:00 Sat., Sept. 10 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W, 48-17 CBSSN USF posts 658 yards, 2nd-most ever Flowers CH 350 yards passing, 403 total yards Sat., Sept. 17 at Syracuse 3:30 ESPN3 USF won 45-24 in Tampa in 2015 USF leads series 7-2 Sat., Sept. 24 FLORIDA STATE Noon ABC L, 34-14 at FSU in 2015/tied at half USF won 17-7 at FSU in 2009 Sat., Oct. 1 at Cincinnati* TBA TBA USF won 65-27 in 2015 Bulls scored program record 51 first-half points in 2015 Sat., Oct. 8 EAST CAROLINA* (Homecoming) TBA TBA USF won 22-17 at ECU in 2015 USF leads series 5-1 Sat., Oct. 15 UCONN* TBA TBA USF won 28-20 at UConn in 2015 USF leads series 8-5 Fri., Oct. 21 at Temple* 7:00 ESPN USF won 44-23 in Tampa in 2015 Marlon Mack ran for 230 yards, Rodney Adams 147 yards receiving Fri., Oct. 28 NAVY* (Salute To Service) 7:00 ESPN2 USF last at Navy 29-17 in 2015 Injured Mack & Flowers combined for just 44 yds rushing Sat., Nov. 12 at Memphis* TBA TBA L, 24-27 to Memphis in 2015 Game pointed to as turning point of USF’s 2015 season Sat., Nov. 19 at SMU* TBA TBA W, 38-24 in 2015 Marlon Mack DNP, Quinton Flowers AAC QB record 201 yards rushing Sat., Nov. 26 UCF* TBA TBA W, 44-3 in Orlando in 2015 USF leads series 5-2, outscored UCF 95-42 in Tampa Sat., Dec. 3 American Championship Noon ABC/ESPN played at home site * American Athletic Conference game All games can be heard on the USF/IMG Radio Network and GoUSFBulls.com @USFFOOTBALL @COACHTAGGART @USFATHLETICS #USF #GOBULLS #BULLSUNITE SEASONS
Transcript
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
BULLS FOOTBALL
GAME DAY AT SYRACUSEUSF returns to the Carrier Dome for the first time since 2011. The Bulls are 4-0 all-time at Syracuse, with the teams having met there four times, starting in 2005, when both were members of the BIG EAST from 2005-2012. The Bulls have averaged 34.75 ppg at Syracuse and have won the four meetings by an average of 23 ppg. n 3 & 0: After starting a season 2-0 for the first time since 2012, USF will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since a 4-0 start in 2011, which included a victory at Notre Dame. n POWER FIVE: In the previous three seasons under Head Coach Willie Taggart, the Bulls played three road games at Power Five opponents and lost all three. USF last won at a current Power Five school at Syracuse in 2011 and at Notre Dame in 2011. USF has road wins at Florida State, Notre Dame, Auburn, Miami, Louisville, Pittsburgh, TCU, West Virginia, North Carolina, Rutgers, N.C. State & Syracuse since 2004.n USF ROLLING SINCE LAST MEETING WITH ORANGE: USF has won 9 of its last 11 games, including 3 of its last 4 true road games, since downing Syracuse, 45-24, in Tampa on Oct. 10 of last season. That game saw USF enter at 1-3 before winning 7 of its last 8 regular season games in 2015. (See complete note on Page 3)
USF STATISTICAL LEADERS RUSHING: Darius Tice: 25 att., 152 yds, 1 TD, 76 ypg PASSING: Quinton Flowers: 29-51, 56.9%, 528 yds, 6 TD, 1 INT RECEIVING: Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 8 catches, 151 yds, 1 TD SCORING: Emilio Nadelman, 14-14 PAT, 2-2 FG TACKLES: Auggie Sanchez, 10.0 tpg TFL: Nigel Harris, 3.5 SACKS: Black, Bronson, Dixon, Harris, Sanchez, 1 INT: Nigel Harris, 1 USF CAPTAINS: Quinton Flowers & Auggie Sanchez USF/IMG RADIO NETWORK FLAGSHIP: 820 AM WWBA (TAMPA) Jim Louk, play-by-play Mark Robinson, analyst Thor Jozwiak, sideline PREGAME SHOW (2 HRS PRIOR TO KICK) Jim Lighthall, co-host Justin Pawlowski, co-host USF/IMG RADIO AFFILIATES 820 WWBA AM -- Tampa Bay ** ** Carry Coaches Show 107.9 WMUV FM -- Jacksonville ** 880 WZAB AM -- Miami ** 1080 WHOO AM -- Orlando ** 99.9 WXJB FM -- Brooksville**
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @USFFOOTBALL, @CoachTaggart Instagram: USFFOOTBALL Facebook: facebook.com/SouthFloridaFootball Vine: @USFFOOTBALL #GoBulls; #USF; #BullsUnite; #DoSomething
USF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ATH 100, Tampa, FL 33620 OFFICE: 813-974-2125 FAX: 813-974-5328 Brian Siegrist, Associate AD for Communications O: (813) 974-4086 | C: (813)-293-3897 | [email protected] Steve Schoon, Assistant Director of Communications O: (813) 974-4087 | C: (620)-218-1693 | [email protected]
2016 SCHEDULEDATE OPPONENT KICK/RESULT TV NOTABLESat., Sept. 3 TOWSON W, 56-20 ESPN3/ASN Bulls tie FBS opener record with 56pts Seven Bulls score a TD, 6 scoring drives under 2:00Sat., Sept. 10 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W, 48-17 CBSSN USF posts 658 yards, 2nd-most ever Flowers CH 350 yards passing, 403 total yardsSat., Sept. 17 at Syracuse 3:30 ESPN3 USF won 45-24 in Tampa in 2015 USF leads series 7-2Sat., Sept. 24 FLORIDA STATE Noon ABC L, 34-14 at FSU in 2015/tied at half USF won 17-7 at FSU in 2009Sat., Oct. 1 at Cincinnati* TBA TBA USF won 65-27 in 2015 Bullsscoredprogramrecord51first-halfpointsin2015Sat., Oct. 8 EAST CAROLINA* (Homecoming) TBA TBA USF won 22-17 at ECU in 2015 USF leads series 5-1Sat., Oct. 15 UCONN* TBA TBA USF won 28-20 at UConn in 2015 USF leads series 8-5Fri., Oct. 21 at Temple* 7:00 ESPN USF won 44-23 in Tampa in 2015 Marlon Mack ran for 230 yards, Rodney Adams 147 yards receivingFri., Oct. 28 NAVY* (Salute To Service) 7:00 ESPN2 USF last at Navy 29-17 in 2015 Injured Mack & Flowers combined for just 44 yds rushing Sat., Nov. 12 at Memphis* TBA TBA L, 24-27 to Memphis in 2015 Game pointed to as turning point of USF’s 2015 seasonSat., Nov. 19 at SMU* TBA TBA W, 38-24 in 2015 Marlon Mack DNP, Quinton Flowers AAC QB record 201 yards rushingSat., Nov. 26 UCF* TBA TBA W, 44-3 in Orlando in 2015 USF leads series 5-2, outscored UCF 95-42 in TampaSat., Dec. 3 American Championship Noon ABC/ESPN played at home site
* American Athletic Conference gameAll games can be heard on the USF/IMG Radio Network and GoUSFBulls.com
USF QUICK FACTS HEAD COACH WILLIE TAGGART Years Coached: __________ 7th season (4th at USF) Alma Mater: _____________ Western Kentucky, 1998 ____________ 4 year starter at QB; 11 WKU records; __ set NCAA record for rushing yards by a QB (3,997) Career Record: _____________________ 32-44 (7th) Record at USF: _____________________ 16-23 (4th) American Conf. Record: _______ 11-13; 4th season Career Bowl Record: ______________________ 0-1
USF COACHING STAFF (game location) Raymond Woodie (box) __________ Defensive Coord. Darren Hiller (field) _ Co-Offensive Coord. - Offensive Line T.J. Weist (field) ___ Co-Offensive Coord. - Wide Receivers David Reaves (box) _____Assoc. Head Coach - Tight Ends Shaun King (field) _______________ Quarterbacks John Jancek (field) __________________ Safeties Donte Pimpleton (field) ___________ Running Backs Eric Mathies (field) ______________ Defensive Line Alonzo Hampton (field) ___________Defensive Backs Analysts: David Gilbertson, Joe Kinnan, Saki Mihalakos, Stephen Nicholas & Brock Willis Graduate Assistants: Clayton McGrath, Jamey McClendon, Blake Treadwell & Lindsey Lamar,
IN THE PRESS BOX OFFENSE: David Reaves DEFENSE: Raymond Woodie
UNIVERSITY QUICK FACTSLocation: Tampa, Fla. Enrollment: 48,793Nickname: Bulls Colors: Green & GoldConference: American AthleticPresident: Dr. Judy GenshaftAthletic Director: Mark HarlanFootball Office Phone: 813-974-7170Press Box Phone: 813-350-6225
TEAM OVERVIEW2015 Overall Record: 8-52015 American Athletic Record: 6-2 (5-0 East)Starters Returning/Lost: 15/9 Offense: 7/4; Defense: 7/4 Special Teams: 1/1Lettermen Returning/Lost: 45/22 Offense: 18/12; Defense: 24/8 Special Teams: 3/2
FOOTBALL HISTORYFirst Year: 1997 First Year in FBS: 2000Overall Record (years): 127-101 (20) FBS Record (years): 107-88 (17)All-Time Bowl Record: 4-3 (7 appearances)Last Bowl: 2015 Miami Beach Bowl (L to WKU)First Team All-Americans: 6First Team All-Conference: 24
STADIUM INFORMATIONName: Raymond James StadiumCapacity: 65,857 Surface: Tifway Bermuda 419Record At Ray Jay: 114 games: 77-37 (.675)
THE PROGRAMThe USF Football program is in its 20th season and 17th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made seven bowl appear-ances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 rank-ing in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
LAST TIME OUT USF POSTS 658 YARDS IN ROUT OF NIU, 48-17USF continued to shift the Gulf Coast Offense into ever higher gears on Saturday as the Bulls posted 658 yards, the program’s second-most ever and most since 2011, and jumped to a 41-7 lead before cruising home to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2012. • Quinton Flowers had a career day posting 350 yards and 4 TD passing and 403 total yards (53 rushing), all career highs. • USF was playing without two-time AAC leading rusher Marlon Mack. No mind, Darius Tice ran for a career-best 120 yards and 1 TD on 19 carries (6.3 ypc) and the Bulls collected 293 yards rushing on the day.• Flowers hit Ryeshene Bronson in stride for a 73-yard TD pass to push the offense into high gear. Bronson finished with a career-best 113 yards on just three catches.• Auggie Sanchez led USF with 13 tackles, 1 shy of his career high. The Bulls held NIU to 7 points and 222 yards through three quarters before going to their bench.• Rodney Adams scored on an 11-yard run and a 26-yard pass, improving his run of 9 of the last 11 games with at least one touchdown and 12 total TD over that period.• D’Ernest Johnson added a career-best 87 yards rushing on 16 carries, while adding 33 yards receiving and 38 on returns.
QUICKLY SPEAKINGUSF TEAMn USF is averaging 48.7 points and 545 yards per game over its last six games dating to 2015.n USF’s 104 points in two games to start the season are a program record.n USF has won 9 of its last 11 games, dating to 2015.n USF's 6 conference wins in 2015 set a program re-cord, the Bulls defeated every team in the East Division.n USF has scored first in 12 of the last 14 games dating to 2015.n USF’s opening day two-deep featured 21 underclass-men and 18 of 22 starters are juniors or younger.n The USF depth chart features 19 Bay Area players and 49 Bay Area players are on the roster.n The Bulls have new offensive and defensive coordina-tors for the second straight year. n A program record seven players were on 12 national award watch lists entering 2016. Marlon Mack, Quinton Flowers and Deatrick Nichols are on multiple lists.
OFFENSEn USF leads the AAC and ranks 10th nationally in scor-ing, averaging 52.0 ppg. USF is 17th nationally averag-ing 551 yards per game. n QUICK STRIKE: USF posted six touchdown drives of 2 minutes or less in the season opener and now has 8 on the year. The Bulls had 31 such drives in 2015. The Bulls’ longest scoring drive on the season (a TD) is 3:56.n For the first time in program history, USF had seven different players score an offensive TD as the Bulls logged 56 points vs. Towson.n After accounting for a program-record 34 TDs in 2015, Quinton Flowers has accounted for 8 thus far in 2016 (6 passing & 2 rushing).n USF returns the top triple threat (QB, RB, WR) in the state of Florida and one of the top 10 in the nation.n USF returns 93% of its offensive yardage from 2015, including record-breakers at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.n USF averaged 246.5 ypg rushing in 2015, shattering the previous USF season record by posting 3,205 yards. USF ranks 22nd nationally posting 253.5 ypg in 2016.n Marlon Mack (230) and Quinton Flowers (201) posted the top two rushing games in The American in 2015 and at 191.3 ypg, were the most potent duo in the AAC. n USF opened the season with 8 TDs by 7 different play-ers and got 6 by 5 different players in game two. The Bulls’ 54 offensive TD (28 run, 26 pass) in 2015 set a new program record for total TD.n The USF offense set a SEASON RECORD with 5,741 yards in 2015. USF ranks 17th nationally with 551 ypg in 2016, putting it on pace for a 7,000-yard season.n USF posted 440+ yards of offense in EIGHT games in 2015. USF has posted 444 & 658 thus far on the year.
n Quinton Flowers’ averaged 90 ypg rushing, 209 ypg passing and 3 TD over the last 8 games of 2015. He ranks 22nd nationally in total offense (313.5 ypg) & 7th in points responsible for (48 or 4 TD per game) in 2016.n Quinton Flowers set a USF season records for pass-ing TD (22) in 2015. He has 6 passing TD already in 2016, 11th in the nation.n RB Marlon Mack’s set a USF record with nine 100-yard games in 2015 and has a record 13 on his career.n Marlon Mack led the American in rushing for the sec-ond-straight season averaging 115 ypg in 2015. He set a USF record averaging 6.6 ypc, to rank 10th in the FBS.n Marlon Mack has 2,480 career rushing yards, good for 2nd on USF’s career rushing chart. He is 251 yards shy of the USF career rushing record of 2,731.n WR Rodney Adams set a USF record with 822 re-ceiving yards and 9 TD in 2015.n Adams has posted at TD in 9 of his last 11 games dating to 2015, including 12 total: 9 receiving, 2 rushing and 1 kickoff return.
DEFENSEn USF forced 25 turnovers in 2015. The Bulls got 4 takeaways in the season opener.n USF ranked 13th in the FBS, posting 7.5 TFL per game in 2015. The Bulls are again averaging 7.5 TFL per game in 2016.n USF ranked 14th in the nation with 17 interceptionns in 2015. USF sha one INT on the year.n USF returned four of five starters in the secondary, including first-team all-AAC cornerback Deatrick Nichols.n USF returned seven of its top nine tacklers from 2015.n LB Auggie Sanche has 8 career double-digit tackle games. He led USF with 13 vs. NIU and ranks 2nd in The American posting 10.0 tpg. He led USF with 117 tackles, the second-most in program history in 2015.n CB Deatrick Nichols led USF with four innterceptions in 2015. He was fourth on the team with 62 tackles and third with 8.5 TFL.
SPECIAL TEAMSn USF was FIRST in the AAC/6th in FBS in kickoff re-turns (26.7) and 2nd in the AAC in punt returns (10.9) in 2015.n Rodney Adams had a 97-yard return for a TD at Navy and ranked FIRST in the ACC & 6th in the FBS averag-ing 29.1 yards per return in 2015. He had a 52-yard retun in the 2016 season opener.n D’Ernest Johnson ranked third in the AAC averaging 26.8 yards per kickoff return in 2015.n Tajee Fullwood ranked second in the AAC/26th in the FBS averaging 10.4 yards per punt return in 2015.
BAYMADE: INSIDE USF FOOTBALLUSF’s football show is not your normal coaches show. Shot and produced by 20-time emmy winning Awesome Films out of Pittsburgh, Pa., BAYMADE: Inside USF Football takes fans inside the program with stunning cinematography and unprecedented access that reveals what makes the Bulls a unique program on the rise led by Bay Area native Willie Taggart. The 13-episode program tracks the Bulls development over the year with game highlights, player features and the sites and sounds of life as a Bull. The show will not air during USF’s bye weeks.
AIR TIMES: Each game week FOX Sun Sports (CH: 31 & 1148 HD Bright House; CH: 76 & 576 Verizon FiOS; DirecTV; Dish Network): Thursdays at 3:00 p.m.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: SYRACUSE: USF LEADS SERIES 7-2n Syracuse is coming off a 62-28 home loss to No. 13 Louisville, a game in which the Cardinals produced 845 yards of offense (414 rushing and 431 passing).n The Orange held Colgate to 143 yards in week 1 to gain a 33-7 victory.n The USF game will end a three-game homestand for the Orange and will be the first of back-to-back games vs. American Conference foes (UConn).n WR Amba Etta-Tawo has back-to-back100-yard receiving games entering Saturday. He and Ervin Phillips lead the Orange with 20 receptions each, to rank third in the nation at 10.0 catches per game. n A graduate transfer from Maryland, the 6-2, 202-pound senior Etta-Tawo is averaging 156.5 yards per game receiv-ing and has three touchdowns on the year. He caught one pass for 9 yards in USF’s game at Maryland in 2015 and did not catch a pass in the 2014 USF vs. Maryland game.n Syracuse is averaging 30.5 points and 484 yards per game (365 through the air), but are giving up 34.5 points and 494 yards per game. n QB Eric Dungey is completing 64.8% of his passes for 305 yards per game passing.
OUTLOOK
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BOWL GAMESTHE AMERICAN ATHLETIC
CONFERENCE BOWL LINEUPAutoNation Cure BowlAmerican vs. Sun BeltSaturday, Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m. ET Orlando, Fla.CBS SPorts Network
Miami Beach BowlAmerican vs. MACMonday, Dec. 19, 2:30 p.m. ET Miami, Fla.ESPN
Popeye’s Bahamas BowlAmerican vs. Conference USA/MACFriday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m. ET (Nassau, BahamasESPN
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces BowlAmerican vs. Big 12Friday, Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m. ET Fort Worth, TexasESPN
St. Petersburg BowlAmerican vs. ACCMonday, Dec. 26, 11 a.m. ET St. Petersburg, Fla.ESPN
Military Bowl presented by Northrup GrummanAmerican vs. ACCTuesday, Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. ET Annapolis, Md.ESPN
Birmingham BowlAmerican vs. SECThursday, Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET Birmingham, Ala.ESPN
Cotton BowlNew Year’s Six BowlMonday, Jan. 2, 12 p.m. ET Arlington, TexasESPN
2015 MIAMI BEACH BOWL
WINK & A NODUSF quarterback Quinton Flowers grew up with the nick-name "Winky," but after his career-best performance vs. NIU (9.10) he got a nod from several organizations.n Flowers was named American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the first time on his career. He also earned the honor from College Sports Madness.n Flowers was also recognized on the Davey O’Brien Award “Great 8” list for week two, joining such other dual-threat QB standouts as Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Ten-nessee’s Josh Dobbs.n Flowers was also named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week, joining eight players that included Jackson, Dobbs, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Florida’s Luke Del Rio.n Flowers set career highs in passing (350 yards) and total yards (403) and equaled a career high in passing TD (4)vs. NIU. His passing and total offense totals both ranked eighth-best all-time at USF. His 53 yards rushing on the day pushed his career total to 1,285, good for 10th on USF’s career charts.
LAST SIX RANK AMONG NATION’S BESTSince last season’s 44-23 victory against Temple on Nov. 14, 2015, USF’s offense has ranked among the nation’s best in yardage, total touchdowns and points per game.
SIX SHOOTEROver the past six games, dating to the 2015 season, USF is one of the nation’s most productive offensive teams.Date………Opponent/Result………Yds…..TD11/14/15….Temple/W, 44-23………..556…… 511/20/15….Cincinnati/W, 65-27.…… 561.….. 911/26/15….UCF/W, 44-3…………… .455……512/21/15….W.Kentucky/L, 35-45……597.….. 59/3/16…….Towson/W, 56-20………. 444….…89/10/16……N. Illinois/W, 48-17……. 658…… 6USF Record: 5-1USF Total Yards: 3,271 (545.2 per game)USF Total Touchdowns: 38 (6.3 per game)USF Points: 292 (48.7 per game)
NINE IS FINE...FOR A STARTIn the first two games, nine different players have scored touchdowns for USF — WR Rodney Adams, WR Chris Barr, WR Ryeshene Bronson, QB Quinton Flowers, RB D’Ernest Johnson, RB Marlon Mack, RB Darius Tice, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling and TE Mitchell Wilcox. It’s already an improvement from Willie Taggart’s sec-ond USF team in 2014, when eight different players scored touchdowns. Last season, 13 different players scored touchdowns for the Bulls.
SIGNS OF THE TIMESAlong with scoring and yards, USF has three other indica-tors for the success of the Gulf Coast Offense in 2016.n USF was 11 of 19 on third down vs. NIU and is 17 of 31 on the year (54.8%). A big jump over last year’s 37%.n USF is a perfect 10-for-10 in the redzone with 8 TD. The Bulls converted 87% last year with 32 TD on 47 chances.n USF produced 34 first downs vs. NIU, the most since 2011.
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
WWW.GOUSFBULLS.COM – 4 – @USFFOOTBALL
ROLLING AT RAY JAYn USF has won 7 of its last 8 home games, with all seven wins coming by three touchdowns or more.n USF has outscored opponents 364-151 during that 8-game span, for an average margin of 45-19.n USF is averaging 45 points and 504.8 yards per game over its last eight home games. n USF went 5-1 at home in 2015, with it’s loss coming to an 8-3 Memphis team (24-17) that spent time in the Top 25.n The 5-1 home mark equaled the Bulls’ best home record in the last 13 seasons, dating to a 6-0 mark in 2002.n USF posted its first winning record at home in five sea-sons, dating to a 5-3 mark in 2010.
QUICK STRIKEThe Gulf Coast Offense has made a habit of scoring very quickly since its introduction in 2015n USF logged six scoring drives (all TDs) under 2 minutes in the season-opener, including four of 30 seconds of less.n USF required just 2:22 seconds and 10 total plays, COMBINED in its first four touchdown drives of the 2016 season.n USF had 8 scoring drives of 2 minutes of less on 2016.The Bulls had 35 scoring drives of 2 minutes or less in 2015, including 31 for touchdowns. n Dating to last season, 39 of USF’s last 56 touchdown drives have required six plays or fewer.
EXPLOSIVE!n USF has (6) scoring plays of 20+ yards in the 2016, including plays of 73, 51 & 43 yards.n USF posted 27 scoring plays of 20+ yards in 2015, including 15 of 40 yards or longer.n The 20+ yard scoring plays OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS involved 10 players on the 2016 roster with Quin-ton Flowers (17), Rodney Adams (10) and Marlon Mack (6) leading the way.n USF has (16) 20+yard EXPLOSIVE PLAYS on 2016. The Bulls posted 74 such plays in 2015 (5.7 pg) up from (46) in 12 games in 2014 (3.8 pg). n Quinton Flowers was responsible for 47 EXPLOSIVE PLAYS in 2015 (37 passing and 10 running) including long runs of 67, 42 & 33 yards with 15 of those plays going for touchdowns. Flowers has (10) such plays in 2016, all pass-ing.
8 TOUCHDOWNS IN 10 MINUTESIn the season opener against Towson, USF scored eight offensive touchdowns on scoring drives that took a TOTAL of 10 minutes, 14 seconds (or roughly the amount of time it takes to fold a load of laundry ). There were three one-play scoring “drives’’ that required six, eight and five seconds. There were three others that clocked in under 2 minutes — 1:39, :29 seconds and 1:49.
It kept alive a rapid trend for USF’s Gulf Coast offense, which likes to work quickly.n Dating to the start of the 2015 season, USF has 40 out of 69 touchdown drives (58 percent) that were achieved in un-der two minutes. Meanwhile, 45 of of those 69 touchdown drives (65 percent) required six plays or less, including 11 one-play “drives.’’
GULF COAST OFFENSE IN FULL GEARThe Gulf Coast Offense has been running at full throttle since game five of the 2015 season, but has found another gear in the Bulls’ last six outings.n USF’s 56 points in its season-opening win equaled the program record for a season opener in the FBS era, match-ing the Bulls point total in the 2008 opener vs. UT-Martin.n USF’s combined 104 points in its opening two games are a program record.n USF has averaged 48.7 points and 545.2 yards per game in its last six outings.n USF has averaged 293.1 yards and 2.7 TD on the ground over the last six games.n USF had seven different players score a touchdown in the season-opener and has had 14 score a TD over the six-game span. n USF has logged 37 TD over the six-game span, an aver-age of 6 TD per game. n USF is the American Athletic Conference’s scoring leader and tied for 10th nationally in scoring offense.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENFor the first time in program history, USF had seven differ-ent offensive players score a touchdown from scrimmage in one game. QB Quinton Flowers scored twice, while RB Darius Tice, RB Marlon Mack, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR Rodney Adams, RB D’Ernest Johnson and TE Mitchell Wilcox each had a touchdown. On six other occasions, including last year’s 65-27 romp of Cincinnati, USF had games where seven differ-ent players scored touchdowns. However, each of those games featured at least one defensive or special teams touchdown. Here are the USF games in which seven different play-ers scored touchdowns: * USF 56, Towson 20 (Sept. 3, 2016) * USF 65, Cincinnati 27 (Nov. 20, 2015) * USF 55, Louisville 17 (Nov. 17, 2007) * USF 56, Charleston Southern 6 (Nov. 2, 2002) * USF 68, Liberty 37 (Oct. 27, 2001) * USF 59, Austin Peay 0 (Nov. 18, 2000) * USF 80, Kentucky Wesleyan 3 (Sept. 6, 1997)
BULLS RECOGNITIONRODNEY ADAMS- Senior WRBelitnikoff Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC First Team - Lindy’s, SNPreseason All-AAC Second Team - AthlonKOFI AMICHIA- Senior TPreseason All-AAC First Team - AthlonPreseason All-AAC Second Team - Lindy’sELKANAH DILLON - Sophomore TEJohn Mackey Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC First TeamTAJEE FULLWOOD - Junior S/PRPreseason All-AAC First Team (PR) - AthlonQUINTON FLOWERS - Junior QBDavey O’Brien Award Watch ListJohnny Unitas Award Watch ListManning Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC Second Team - Athlon, Lindy’sAmerican Conference Offensive POW (9.10)O’Brien Award “Great 8” (9.10)Manning Award Stars of the Week (9.10)College Sports Madness AAC POW (9.10)NATE GODWIN- Senior SPreseason All-AAC First Team - Lindy’sPreseason All-AAC Second Team - AthlonBRUCE HECTOR - Junior DTPreseason All-AAC Second Team - Lindy’sD’ERNEST JOHNSON - Junior RBPaul Hornung Award Watch ListMARLON MACK - Junior RBMaxwell Award Watch ListDoak Walker Award Watch ListWalter Camp Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC First Team - Athlon, Lindy’s, SNDEATRICK NICHOLS - Junior CBBednarik Award Watch ListJim Thorpe Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC First Team - Lindy’s, SNPreseason All-AAC Second Team - AthlonAUGGIE SANCHEZ - Junior LBButkus Award Watch ListPreseason All-AAC First Team - AthlonPreseason All-AAC Second Team - Lindy’sDEADRIN SENAT- Junior DTPreseason All-AAC Second Team - AthlonDOMINIQUE THREAT - Senior GPreseason All-AAC Second Team - Athlon
• DID YOU KNOW?
• JR QB Quinton Flowers’ nickname is “Winky.” Flowers attended the same Miami High School as ESPN College Game Day’s Lee Corso, who also played quarterback at Miami Jackson HS. • JR RB D’Ernest Johnson is second cousins with Edgerrin James, who also came out of Immokalee before starring in the NFL for 11 seasons.• JR DB Deatrick Nichols maintains beautiful and highly intricate cursive hand writing he learned from his father.• JR LB Auggie Sanchez is a third generation USF attendee. His older brother, Armando, played linebacker for the Bulls from 2009-11. Sanchez’s first-ever airplane flight was as a true-freshman when USF traveled to play at Michigan State. • JR S Devin Abraham is the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Donnie Abraham.• SR WR Rodney Adams and JR WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling are former high school teammates at Lakewood HS in St. Petersburg. Both were track stars and helped Lakewood win the 2013 Class 2A State Track & Field Championship and were part of the 2012 state champion 4X400 relay team.• RB Coach Donte Pimpleton and Head Coach Willie Taggart played on the same teams at Western Kentucky. Pimpleton was a back-up quarterback to Taggart and played some wide receiver and running back before taking the reins at QB fol-lowing Taggart’s graduation.• TE Coach David Reaves is the son of John Reaves, an All-American QB at Florida and longtime NFL QB.
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FEELING A RUSHFor the seventh straight game — and 10th in the past 11 games — USF surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark with 293 vs. NIU. It’s a strong indication of USF success. When USF rushes for 200 yards or greater under Coach Willie Taggart, the Bulls are 11-3. When USF has been held under 200 yards rushing under Taggart, the Bulls are 5-20.
NEW FACES SHINEUSF saw 18 players make their college debuts in the season opener: WR Deangelo Antoine, OL Billy Atterbury, LB Cecil Cherry, DB Malik Dixon, WR Donovan Geter, DT Marlon Gonzalez, P Jon Hernandez, DE LaDarrius Jackson, QB Brett Kean, OL Brooks Larkin, DE Kirk Livingstone, OL Eric Mayes, OL Marcus Norman, RB Tyler Pippens, WR Darnell Salomon, LB Nico Sawtelle OL Michael Smith, and TE Mitchell Wilcox.n USF had 4 transfer players make their USF debut: S Austin Hudson (Wisconsin) and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (N.C. State), RB Zaybreion Gunter (Ellsworth JC), K Brandon Behr (Jacksonville Univ.). n Freshman QB Brett Kean threw a 23-yard TD pass to D’Ernest Johnson on his very first play from scrimmage. Kean later connected with fellow freshman TE Mitchell Wilcox on a 21-yard TD to finish 5-of-7 for 52 yards and 2TD.n Freshman S Malik Dixon made his debut vs. Towson and tied for the team lead with 7 tackles while adding a sack, a forced fumble and a pass break-up.n Junior WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling made his USF debut and led the team with three catches for 79 yards, including a 51-yard TD catch.
FORCING TURNOVERS Coming of a 2015 campaign in which USF forced 25 turn-overs and ranked 13th in the nation with 17 interceptions, the Bulls defense is back on the takeaway train.n USF posted 4 takeaways by 4 different players in the
opening game, getting three fumbles and an interception.n Nigel Harris, who led the nation forcing six fumbles in 2014, made an interception vs. Towson which he returned 49 yards.
BULLS PICKED TO WIN AAC EAST DIVISIONUSF was picked by a poll of 30 conference media as well as Lindy’s, Athlon and Phil Steel preseason publications to win The American East Division and face Houston in the conference title game. The Sporting News picked USF sec-ond in the East behind Temple, which was the No. 2 pick by conference media. The Bulls beat then No. 21-ranked Temple, 44-23, in Raymond James Stadium last season. The teams are scheduled for a Friday night, Oct. 21 clash in Philadelphia this year. Houston was the virtually unani-mous pick to win the West and the conference champion-ship game. Associated Press national writer Ralph Russo bucked the trend, picking the Bulls to win the conference overall and play in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE DAUNTINGPicked to win The American East Division by conference media, USF must navigate a conference schedule that includes road games at three programs picked to finish in the top three of their division. Those games include visits to Cincinnati (picked No. 3 in the East) to open conference play on Oct. 1, a Friday night game at Temple (picked No. 2 in the East) on Oct. 21, and a Nov. 12 road trip to Memphis (picked No. 3 in the West), a team USF has lost to in each of the last three meetings.
7 BULLS ON 12 NATIONAL AWARD LISTSUSF had a program-record seven players – five on offense and two on defense – named to 12 national award watch lists prior to the start of the 2016 season. All but one are juniors or younger. Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers (Manning, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Award) joined junior running back Marlon Mack (Maxwell, Walter Camp & Doak Walker Awards) and junior cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Bednarik & Thorpe Awards) among three Bulls named to multiple award watch lists. Junior linebacker Auggie Sanchez (Butkus Award), junior running back D’Ernest Johnson (Hornung Award), sophomore tight end Elkanah Dillon (Mackey Award) and senior wide receiver Rodney Adams (Biletnikoff Award) are also on national award watch lists entering the 2016 season.
CAPTAINS NAMEDJunior quarterback Quinton Flowers and junior linebacker Auggie Sanchez were voted team captains by their peers. It is the first year for both to serve as a team captain.
SITUATIONAL RECORDSUNDER WILLIE TAGGART ‘13 -15 2016vs. Top-25 opponents (AP/Coaches) 1-7 0-0vs. Top-10 opponents (AP/Coaches) 0-1 0-0USF Scores First 8-10 2-0Opponent Scores first 6-13 0-0USF leads after 1st quarter 8-4 2-0Opponent leads after 1st quarter 4-13 0-0USF leads at half 10-4 2-0Tied at half 1-2 0-0Opponent leads at half 3-17 0-0USF leads after 3rd quarter 10-3 2-0Opponent leads after 3rd quarter 3-20 0-0TIed after 3rd 1-0 0-0
USF OFFENSESCORING: 17 points or less 2-15 0-0SCORING: 20 or more points 11-5 2-0SCORING: 30 or more points 8-1 2-0TOTAL OFFENSE: 400 or more yards 9-1 2-0TOTAL OFFENSE: 500 or more yards 4-1 1-0TOTAL OFFENSE: 300 yards or less 3-17 0-0RUSHING: 200 or more yards 9-3 2-0RUSHING: 300 or more yards 2-0 0-0RUSHING ATT: 40 or more 10-5 2-0PASSING: 200 or more yards 6-6 2-0PASSING: 300 or more yards 0-2 0-0PASSING ATT: 25 or more 4-16 2-01st DOWNS: at least 20 7-3 2-03rd DOWNS: convert 40% or more 5-5 2-0TURNOVERS: two or less 14-17 2-0
USF DEFENSESCORING: allow 15 points or less 6-0 0-0SCORING: allow 20 points or less 8-3 2-0SCORING: allow 21 points or more 5-20 0-0TOTAL OFFENSE: 300 yards or less 5-6 1-0RUSHING: allow 150 yards or less 11-10 1-0RUSHING: allow 100 yards or less 8-3 0-0PASSING: allow 150 yards or less 3-5 0-0PASSING: allow 100 yards or less 1-5 0-01st DOWNS: allow 15 or less 5-1 0-03rd DOWNS: convert 33% or less 6-6 2-0TURNOVERS: two or more 7-13 1-0
TEAM COMPARISONRUSHING YARDS: USF has more 12-6 2-0PASSING YARDS: USF has more 7-8 2-0TOTAL YARDS: USF has more 9-2 2-0TURNOVERS: USF has fewer 6-7 1-0TIME OF POSSESSION: advantage 10-9 1-01ST DOWNS: USF has more 7-3 2-0PENALTIES: USF has fewer 7-8 1-0SPECIAL TEAMS SCORE: USF scores TD 1-2 0-0
1. 99,235 at Penn State Sept. 3, 2005 L, 23-132. 90,612 at Florida Sept. 12, 2010 L, 38-143. 83,524 at Florida State Sept. 26, 2009 W, 17-74. 82,617 at Auburn Sept. 8, 2007 W, 26-23 OT5. 80,795 at Notre Dame Sept. 3, 2011 W, 23-206. 78,900 at South Carolina Sept. 18, 2004 L, 34-37. 78,111 at Wisconsin Sept. 27, 2014 L, 27-108. 76,780 at Alabama Aug. 30, 2003 L, 40-179. 74,432 at Oklahoma Sept. 28, 2002 L, 31-1410. 72,811 at Florida State Sept. 12, 2015 L, 14-3411. 70,401 at Michigan St. Sept. 7, 2013 L, 21-612. 69,383 vs. Florida State Sept. 29, 2012 L, 30-1713. 67,012 vs. West Virginia Sept. 28, 2007 W, 21-1314. 66,469 vs. Miami Nov. 28, 2009 L, 31-1015. 65,948 vs. UCF Oct. 13, 2007 W, 64-1216. 63,976 vs. Cincinnati Oct. 15, 2009 L, 34-17
9 TO 5FLOWERS & MACK EMBRACE MONIKER & WORK ETHICThe tandem of quarterback Quinton Flowers (#9) and running back Marlon Mack (#5) have aquired the nicknamed “9 To 5” and have readily embraced it and its deeper meaning.n The roommates and spend most of every day (9 to 5) together. n Flowers & Mack say they “go to work all day, everyday, 9 to 5” and have embraced that work ethic while long having led by example on and off the field. n Flowers & Mack are at the crux of the Gulf Coast Offens’s read-option elements and the pair ran the attack to great effect last year.n Flowers & Mack set USF SEASON RECORDS in rushing last season, Flowers setting the record for a QB with 991 yards and Mack for all players with 1,381 yards. They combined for 2,372 rushing yards (182 per game) to form the most potent rushing duo in The American.n Flowers & Mack combined to score 20 rushing TD and were responsible for 43 TD, 79.6% of USF’s season record total of 54 scored in 2015.
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DEPTH CHART: BUILT FOR A LONG RUNn The Bulls brought a relatively young roster to the opening weekend with just 10 seniors among the 44 posi-tions on the offensive and defensive two-deep. n The two-deep features 21 underclassmen and seven redshirt freshmen, including starting right tackle Marcus Norman (Sebastian) and starting defensive end Kirk Livingstone (Fort Lauderdale).n Eight of 11 offensive starters and 10 of 11 defensive starters (18 of 22) are juniors or younger, with just four seniors listed as starters entering the opening week. n The depth chart features 19 Bay Area players, including record-breaking running back Marlon Mack (Sarasota), record-breaking wide receiver Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg), all-conference middle linebacker Auggie Sanchez (St. Petersburg), three-year starting linebacker Nigel Harris (Tampa), two-year starting safety Devin Abraham (Tarpon Springs), first-year starting cen-ter Cameron Ruff (Tampa) and standout transfer wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (St. Petersburg).n Six of the seven Bulls currently occupying national award watch lists return in 2017. Those include the Bulls’ starting quarterback, leading rusher, tight end, kick re-turner and running back, leading tackler, interception leader, eight of 10 members of the secondary two-deep and five of six players currently occupying the defensive line two-deep.
TOP 100 IN AP RANKINGS HISTORYDespite having played just 16 seasons of football at the FBS level, USF ranked among the top 100 programs in the Associated Press’ rankings of poll appearances since 1936. USF has appeared in the AP rankings in 26 weeks, four of those in the top 10, to rank 94th on the AP list. USF was eligible for ranking in only 20 percent of the 80 seasons the AP Top 25 has existed and first appeared in 2007. Nearly every other program on the list was eligible for ranking during the entire 80-year span. USF’s ranking history extrapolated out over 80 years would give USF 130 poll appearances, a mark that would rank among the top 60 programs.
ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP TRIPLE THREATSUSF’s Big Three offensive players (QB Quinton Flowers, RB Marlon Mack and WR Rodney Adams) lead the state of Florida and rank among the top 10 in the nation when compared to the top returning QB, RB, WR from each
Football Bowl Subdivision team (passing, rushing, receiv-ing, no return yards).n USF leads Florida in total yards from scrimmage and touchdowns accounted for among the Big Three.n USF leads the American Athletic Conference in touch-downs accounted for and ranks second (to Tulsa) in total yards from scrimmage.n USF ranks No. 8 nationally (among 128 FBS pro-grams) in touchdowns accounted for and No. 10 in total yards from scrimmage.
STATE OF FLORIDATOTAL YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE1. USF _________________________________ 5,682(QB Flowers, RB Mack, WR Adams)2. Miami ________________________________ 5,098(QB Brad Kaaya, RB Joseph Yearby, WR Stacy Coley)3. FIU __________________________________ 4,750(QB Alex McGough, RB Alex Gardner, WR Thomas Ow-ens)4. FSU _________________________________ 4,300(QB Sean Maguire, RB Dalvin Cook, WR Travis Rudolph)5. UCF. _________________________________ 2,582(QB Justin Holman, RB C.J. Jones, WR Tre’Quan Smith)6. FAU _________________________________ 2,021(QB Jason Driskel, RB Greg Howell, WR Kamrin Solo-mon)7. Florida _________________________________924(QB Luke Del Rio, RB Jordan Cronkrite, WR Antonio Cal-laway)
NATIONAL: FBSTOTAL YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE1. CLEMSON ___________________________ 7,850(QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, WR Artavis Scott)2. WASHINGTON STATE _________________ 6,491(QB Luke Falk, RB Gerard Wicks, WR Gabe Marks)3. BOISE STATE ________________________ 6,489(QB Brett Rypien, RB Jeremy McNichols, WR Thomas Sperbeck)4. TEXAS TECH ________________________ 6,456(QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Justin Stockton, WR Devin Lauderdale)5. TULSA ______________________________ 6,338(QB Dane Evans, RB D’Angelo Brewer, WR Josh Atkinson)6. OKLAHOMA _________________________ 6,321(QB Baker Mayfield, RB Samaje Perine, WR Dede Westbrook)7. SOUTHERN MISS _____________________ 6,291(QB Nick Mullens, RB Ito Smith, WR D.J. Thompson)8. WESTERN MICHIGAN _________________ 6,104(QB Zach Terrell, RB Jamauri Bogan, WR Corey Davis)9. MIDDLE TENNESSEE _________________ 5,934(QB Brent Stockstill, RB Shane Tucker, WR Richie James)10. USF _______________________________ 5,682(QB Flowers, RB Mack, WR Adams)
THE #MACKATTACKMARLON MACK - TWO-TIME FIRST TEAM ALL-AACRunning back Marlon Mack, from nearby Sarasota, Fla., has staked his claim as the best running back in The Amerian since starting every game as a true freshman in 2014.2015 SEASON: n LED The American/16th in FBS averaging 115 yards rushing per gamen Set USF SEASON RECORD with 6.6 yards per carry (10th in FBS). n Set USF SEASON RUSHING RECORD with 1,381 rushing yardsn Set USF SEASON RECORD with NINE 100-yard games, finished season with USF RECORD five straight
TOP CAREER GAMES:n 275 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns in his collegiate debut, tied the USF single-game SCHOOL RECORD and set the AMERICAN CONFERENCE RECORD.n 230 yards on 21 carries (11.0 ypc) & 2 TD vs. No. 21 Temple, 4th-best total in USF historyn 184 yards and 2 TD on 20 carries in win vs. Syracuse, third-highest total on his career.CAREER: n 2nd all-time at USF in career rushing (2,480 yards), Needs 251 yards to tie record n USF CAREER RECORD 13 100-yard gamesn 18 career rushing TD, tied 6th all-time at USF, 7 shy of record 25n Twice led The American in rushing (2014 & 2015)n Owns 12 USF Records
LEADING THE NATION IN HOMEGROWN TALENTAccording to a study of FBS rosters by Rukkus, USF leads the nation in homegrown talent. According to the Rukkus study of 13,738 FBS players, “far and away, USF recruits the most local talent” with on average USF players travel-ing just 128 miles from home to play for the Bulls. The average for all FBS schools is 446 miles players travel to attend school. n Rukkus also determined 1/3 of all FBS players hail from Texas, Florida or California, with the next closest state be-ing nearby Georgia, from which USF has five players.13.44% - Texas11.22% - Florida10.33% - California7.6% - Georgia
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TOUCHDOWNS ACCOUNTED FOR1. CLEMSON ______________________________ 672. OKLAHOMA ____________________________ 643. TEXAS TECH ___________________________ 614. (tie) SOUTHERN MISS ____________________ 604. (tie) WESTERN MICHIGAN ________________ 606. WASHINGTON STATE ____________________ 597. BOISE STATE ___________________________ 558. USF ___________________________________ 539. BAYLOR _______________________________ 52(QB Seth Russell, RB Shock Linwood, WR K.D. Cannon)10. OLE MISS _____________________________ 51(QB Chad Kelly, RB Akeem Judd, WR Quincy Adeboyejo)
TRAJECTORY OF IMPROVEMENTn USF is one of just five programs nationally that has im-proved its scoring offense and scoring defense in each of the last two seasons. The Bulls have seen their scoring offense go from 13.8 to 17.2 to 33.6 from 2013 to 2015. USF’s scoring defense went from allowing 28.6 to 27 to 22.9 from 2013 to 2015. n USF was the most improved rushing team in the na-tion in 2015, raising its yards per game from 107.9 to 247.0 (+139.1 ypc). The Bulls were the second-most improved in yards per carry going from 3.44 in 2014 to 5.41 in 2015 (+1.97). n USF ranked third in the nation for most improved scoring offense in 2015, increasing its points per game by 16.4 ppg.n USF led the nation in redzone improvement in 2015 going from a 33.3 percent TD percentage in 2014 to 68.1 in 2015, an improvement of 34.8 percent.n USF has improved its total offensive output by 42 per-cent since Willie Taggart’s first season in 2013. The Bulls averaged 255.5 yards per game and posted 3,066 total yards in 2013 to rank 121st in the nation. In 2015, USF averaged 441.6 yards per game and posted 5,741 yards to rank 35th in the nation. That’s a two-year total yardage improvement of 2,675 yards and 186.1 yards per game. n USF’s pass efficiency has skyrocketed into the top 25 nationally since 2013. The Bulls posted a pass efficiency of 91.11 to rank 123rd nationally in Taggart’s first season as the Bulls used four different starting quarterbacks. In 2015, using one starting QB in Quinton Flowers, USF post-ed a pass efficiency of 152.77 to rank 21st in the nation. n USF has seen its turnover margin go from -0.33 in 2013 (86th in the nation) to 0.77 in 2015, a mark that ranked 13th in the nation. n USF’s total offense leader in 2013 posted a mere 1,040 yards. In 2015, Quinton Flowers led USF in total offense with 3,287 yards, an improvement of 2,247.
TURNAROUND TAGGARTWillie Taggart has proven to be a master of the turnaround in his previous college football stops and has done the same at USF as the Bulls doubled their win total for the second straight season in 2015 and were picked to win the American Conference East Division heading into 2016.n Taggart inherited a USF team that went 3-9 the previ-ous year and had posted back-to-back losing seasons. His USF teams won 2 games in 2013, 4 games in 2014 and 8 games in 2015, reaching the program’s first bowl game since 2010. n In his previous stop at Western Kentucky, Taggart in-herited a program that had lost 20-straight games prior to his arrival. They went 2-10 his first year and then 7-5 in his second before going 7-6 in his third and reaching the program’s first-ever bowl game.n Prior to WKU, Taggart helped Jim Harbaugh lead a magnificent turnaround at Stanford as running backs coach. The season prior to their arrival, the Cardinal went 1-11. Stanford won 4 games in their first season, 8 in their third and then posted a 12-1 mark in 2010, the year after Taggart left to take over WKU.n Taggart also helped engineer a similar turnaround at WKU first as a player and then as a coach. The Hilltoppers went 2-8 under Jack Harbaugh in 1995, Taggart’s first year on the team. They then proceeded to win 7 games the next year and then went 10-2 in his junior season with Taggart leading the team at quarterback. After graduation, Taggart joined Harbaugh’s staff and helped WKU go from 6-5 in their first season without Taggart as a player (1999) to 11-2 in their second (2000) before winning the 1-AA national title with a 12-3 mark in 2002 with Taggart as co-offensive coordinator.
TWO-YEAR TURNAROUNDUSF’s six-game improvement between 2013 to 2015 ranks among the best two-year turnarounds in FBS Football.Team 2013 Rec 2015 Rec DifferenceTemple 2-10 10-4 +8Southern Miss 1-11 9-5 +8TCU 4-8 11-2 +7California 1-11 8-5 +7W. Michigan 1-11 8-5 +7USF 2-10 8-5 +6Florida 4-8 10-4 +6Air Force 2-10 8-6 +6Memphis 3-9 9-4 +6
WHAT’S BACK FOR 2016?Coming off the program’s first bowl appearance in five years, USF returns four 2015 all-conference selections, school season record holders at quarterback (Quinton Flowers: 991 yards rushing, 22 passing TD, 34 total TD), running back (Marlon Mack: 1,381 rushing yards, nine 100-yard games) and wide receiver (Rodney Adams: (822 yards, 9 receiving TD), as well as a two-year starter at middle linebacker who posted the second-most tackles in school history.n On offense, the Bulls return 93 percent of their yards – including 98 percent of rushing, 93 percent of passing and 86 percent of receiving yardage – from a school record-smashing offense that posted school marks of 5,741 total yards, 3,205 rushing yards and 54 offensive touchdowns in 2015. The Bulls averaged 33.6 points and 441 yards of offense per game in 2015.n On defense, the Bulls return seven of their top nine tacklers, including leading tackler and all-conference line-backer Auggie Sanchez (117 tackles), and players that accounted for 12 of USF’s 17 interceptions and 16 of 25 turnovers gained. The defense ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in interceptions (14th), turnovers gained (24th) and tackles for loss (13th), and in the top 35 of seven statistical categories in 2015.
CLOSING 2015 STRONGUSF finished the 2015 regular season winning seven of its last eight regular season games, finishing 6-2 in American Conference play and coming within a Temple loss in its final regular season game of playing in the inaugural AAC Championship game. n USF defeated every team in the American East Divi-sion in 2015, going 5-0, including routs of No. 21 Temple (44-23), Cincinnati (65-27) and UCF (44-3) to close out the regular season. n USF outscored opponents 175-70 and averaged 503 ypg in winning its final four regular season games.
TRIO OF ADAMS, FLOWERS & MACK FIN-ISH 2015 CLICKING IN “GULF COAST OFFENSE”n Wide receiver Rodney Adams posted 777 of his USF record 822 receiving yards, eight of his USF record nine touchdown receptions, and 37 of his 45 receptions in the final eight games of the season. He averaged 4.5 catches, 97 yards and one touchdown per game over that span. That yards per game average would have ranked sec-ond in The American. Projected over 12 regular season games, that average would put Adams on pace to easily become USF’s first 1,000-yard receiver. USF is currently one of just nine schools never to have a player post 1,000 yards receiving in a season. It would also put Adams on
FLOWER POWERQUINTON FLOWERS - O’Brien, Manning & Unitas CandidateQuarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami) is in his second year as USF’s starting QB and has staked his claim as one of the most explosive players in the nation at the head of the Gulf Coast Offense.NATIONAL RANKINGS: 7th in the nation in points responsible for (48), 22nd in total offense (313.5 ypg), 32nd in passing yards per game (264 ypg).2016 SEASON: n 350 yards passing & 4 passing TD vs. NIU, 403 total yards in the game (passing & total yards 8th in USF history)n 18 TD passes vs. 3 interceptions in his last eight games.
2015 SEASON: n Posted 3,287 total yards and 34 total TDn Set USF SEASON RECORD with 991 rushing yards for a quarterback and ran for 12 TD.n Set USF SEASON RECORD with 22 passing TD and 34 total TDn Set AMERICAN CONFERENCE RECORD with 201 yards rushing and 3 TD vs. SMUCAREER: n 10th all-time in rushing at USF (1,285 yards)n 4th all-time in TD passes (28) in just 16 gamesn 5th all-time in career total offense at USF (4,098 yards)n Currently 11-5 (.687) as starting QB, second-best winning percentage in USF history
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pace to become USF’s all-time leader in career receiving yardage and touchdowns by the end of the 2016 season.n In his first year as a starter and directing a new “Gulf Coast Offense,” Quinton Flowers passed for just 525 yards and six TD and ran for 209 yards and two TD over the first four games of 2015 (131 yards & 1.5 TD passing & 52 rushing per game). Comfortable with the offense and turned loose by coach Willie Taggart, he exploded to pass for 259 yards and two TD and run for 55 yards and a TD in a 45-24 rout of Syracuse in game five. But, Flowers really hit his stride in the second half of the season. He rushed for 727 yards and nine TD over the final eight games (90 ypg, 1.1 TD per game) and passed for 1,258 yards and 12 TD over the final six (209 ypg, 2 TD per game). He ac-counted for 279 yards and nearly three TD per game over USF’s final eight games as he finished with 2,296 passing yards, 991 rushing yards and 34 total TD accounted for. n Marlon Mack ended 2015 by posting five-straight 100-yard games and logging eight of his nine 100-yard games on the year in the last 10 games. The five-straight 100-yard games is a USF record he will hope to extend when the 2016 season kicks off. Mack led The Ameri-can in rushing for the second straight season averaging 115.1 yards per game, but his production over the final five games increased to 132.6 yards per game, a pace that would put him on track for a 1,700-yard season. Mack posted a USF record 1,381 yards in 2015 despite missing the SMU game and logging just 10 carries for 29 yards at Navy due to injury. With 2,422 career yards, he is on pace to shatter the USF career rushing record (2,731) and pos-sibly reach 4,000 career yards in 2016.
RECORD-SETTING GULF COAST OFFENSEUSF’s offensive explosion in 2015 helped the program set 34 team and individual records on the year, including 16 team records and 18 individual marks. Notable team marks included: total yards (5,741), beat-ing the old mark by 358; rushing yards (3,205), shattering the old mark by 769; total TD (54), TD Passes (26); few-est turnovers (15); points in a half (51 vs. Cincinnati) and points in a conference game (65 vs. Cincinnati). Notable individual marks included: the season rushing record (1,381 by Mack); season QB rushing record (991 by Flowers); 100-yard games (9 by Mack); yards per carry (6.6 by Mack); receiving yards (822 by Adams); receiving TD (9 by Adams); touchdown passes (22 by Flowers) and all-purpose yards in a game (281 by D’Ernest Johnson).
BUILT BY THE BAYHead Coach Willie Taggart, a Bay Area native, has focused USF’s recruiting on the Bay Area since his arrival, calling the seven counties that sourround Tampa Bay the Bulls’ in-state recruiting area with all members of the coaching staff assigned to canvas the area. That focus has paid off in a transformation of the Bulls’ roster since Taggart’s arrival in 2013.n The 2016 Bulls’ roster features 49 players from the Bay Area.n The Bulls’ offensive and defensive two-deep features 19 of 44 players from the Bay Area. Of those, nine of the 22 players listed as starters are from the Bay Area.n Among the Bay Area standouts on the Bulls’ roster are the team’s leading rusher (Marlon Mack), leading receiver (Rodney Adams), leading tackler (Auggie Sanchez), active career tackle leader (Nate Godwin) and top punt returner (Tajee Fullwood).
TOP 10 BACKFIELD IN NATIONThe combination of Marlon Mack, QB Quinton Flowers and returning running backs Darius Tice and D’Ernest Johnson was named among the Top 10 backfields in the nation in Lindy’s preseason Unit Rankings. The four returning Bulls accounted for 3,139 of USF’s program record 3,205 rushing yards in 2015. USF and BYU’s backfields were the only units outside of a Power Five conference recognized in any of Lindy’s rankings of the best units nationwide.
DYNAMIC DUO BOTH HOLD AAC RECORDSBEST 2 CONFERENCE RUSHING MARKSWith the explosion of Quinton Flowers in the run game, USF now has THE MOST dynamic rushing duo in The American.n Marlon Mack (1st, 115.1 ypg) and Flowers (7th, 76.2 ypg) ranked in Top 10 in conference games in rushing in 2015, they combined for 191.3 ypg, THE MOST POTENT DUO in the conference. n Mack and Flowers BOTH ran for over 200 yards in a game in 2015 and owned the FIRST (Mack, 230 yards vs. Temple) and SECOND (Flowers, 201 yards vs. SMU) best rushing marks in the conference in 2015.n Mack and Flowers BOTH own American Conference rushing records. Mack set the overall conference game rushing record in his career debut with 275 yards and 4TD vs. Western Carolina in 2014, and his 230 yards vs. Temple are the second highest mark in conference history. Flowers set the conference rushing record for a QB with 201 yards and 3TD vs. SMU in 2015.
SANCHEZ HOOKS EM’Junior LB Auggie Sanchez is the mental, physical and sta-tistical leader of the Bulls defense. n Has led USF in tackles in (2) games in 2016 and (11) games on his career. n Has (8) career double-digit tackle games.n Ranked 2nd in The American at 10.0 tackles per game. 4th in 2015 with 9.0 tackles per game.n Voted team captain in 2016.n Posted 117 tackles in 2015, second-most all-time at USF. Just 10th Bull to post 100 tackles in a season.n Led USF with 13 tackles vs. NIU in 2016.n Led USF with a career-high 14 tackles at Navy in 2015.n Serves as the quarterback of the USF defense calling the defensive alignments and adjustments.n A Capital One Academic All-America nominee with a 3.5 GPA in communications, the highest among current Bulls undergrads. n Began his career at USF as a fullback.n An avid fisherman who who has caught six varieties of game fish in Tampa Bay and would like to be a charter boat captain in the Bay Area one day.
DID YOU HEAR?“I have seen no speed like the speed we
saw when we played USF last year.’’- Matt Rhule, Temple Head Coach
“Willie Taggart is doing a tremendous job recruiting. Each year he gets better players’
- Mack Brown, ESPN“Look how young they are at South
Florida…great future ahead” - Joe Tessitore, ESPN
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USF MEDIA POLICIESWEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCEUSF hosts a weekly press conference every Tuesday during a regular game week. An offensive and defensive player will be available at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room. Coach Taggart will take the podium at 11:30 a.m.
CREDENTIAL REQUESTS The online application process for USF football credentials can be found at www.sportssystems.com/usf . If you are requesting multiple credentials for a group, a form must be submitted for each person. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once your credential has been approved. Individual game credential requests must be made by Noon on Wednesday of each game week. Credentials will be available for pickup at USF in the Selmon Athletics Center lobby starting Thrusday at noon. Credentials not picked up will be place at Media Will Call at Gate D of Raymond James Stadium, near the TV trucks. Media Parking is in lot 7M at the stadium. Media members who did not pick up credentials will be on the pass list to park in that lot.
INTERVIEW POLICIES Under no circumstances should media members contact USF coaches or student-athletes without prior consent and approval from Associate Director of Athletics Brian Siegrist. The same policy applies to the family members of student-athletes. To request interviews outside of regularly-scheduled availabilities, please contact the USF Communications department at least 24 hours in advance.
PLAYER INTERVIEWSPlayers will be available three times per week during a normal game week. Those availabilities will occur on Tuesday (press conference), after practice Wednesday (10:00 a.m.) and upon request during one-on-one periods on Thursday (1-4 p.m.). To request a specific player for feature interviews, please contact the USF Communications department at least 24 hours in advance. STAFF INTERVIEWSCoach Taggart will be available three times per week during a normal game weeks. Taggart is available Monday (12:10 p.m. AAC Conference Call), Tuesday at his weekly press conference (11:30 a.m.) and Thursday after practice on the field.Coordinators will be available after practice on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
POSTGAME POLICYThe USF locker room is closed at all times. Coach Taggart will address the media following his postgame with the team. USF will take interview requests for players at the beginning of the fourth quarter. On the road, USF will conduct interviews at the designated location by the host institu-tion.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TELECONFERENCEThe American Athletic Conference football coaches will hold a weekly teleconference for the media taking place each Monday during the season starting on Monday Aug. 29. Each coach will be available for approximately 10 minutes. Media representatives may contact the USF Communications office to obtain the number. The schedule of coaches is as follows (all times Eastern):11:00 a.m. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy Noon Tommy Tuberville, Cincinnati11:10 a.m. Chad Morris, SMU 12:10 p.m. Willie Taggart, USF11:20 a.m. Bob Diaco, UConn 12:20 p.m. Matt Rhule, Temple11:30 a.m. Scottie Montgomery, East Carolina 12:30 p.m. Mike Norvell, Memphis11:40 a.m. Philip Montgomery, Tulsa 12:40 p.m. Scott Frost, UCF11:50 a.m. Tom Herman, Houston 12:50 p.m. Willie Fritz, Tulane
COLLEGEPRESSBOX.COMCollegePressBox.com is a great resource for media covering the Bulls and the AAC. Not only does it have media guides from the entire conference, but it also houses logos, head shots, action shots and much more. For access to the site, email Ted Gangi at webmasteratcollegepressbox.com.
USF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
4202 E. Fowler Ave., ATH 100, Tampa, FL 33620OFFICE: 813-974-2125 FAX: 813-974-5328 Brian Siegrist, Associate AD for Communications O: (813) 974-4086 | C: (813)-293-3897 | [email protected]
Steve Schoon, Assistant Director of Communications O: (813) 974-4087 | C: (620)-218-1693 | [email protected]
Website www.GoUSFBulls.com
6 WEEKLY USF FOOTBALL MEDIA SCHEDULE 6
WE ARE USFWhen referring to the University please be aware of the following policy regarding usage. First references to the school and its intercol-legiate athletics program should always be the University of South Florida. The only sec-ondary reference used should be USF or Bulls.
Please refrain from using South Florida, S. Florida, South Fla. or any other similar combi-nation.
No AvailabilityPractice: 9:40-11:30Media Watch last 15.Players/Coordinators after practice
MON | TUES | WED | THURS | FRI | SAT | SUN |
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HEAD COACHWILLIE TAGGART4th Season at USF (16-23)6th Season Overall (32-44)Western Kentucky, 19981 OF 15Willie Taggart is one of 14 African-American FBS head coaches in college football this season and Taggart is one of two such coaches in The American. Joining Taggart on the list are Dino Babers (Syracuse), James Franklin (Penn State); Darrell Hazell (Purdue); Paul Haynes (Kent State), Mike Jinks (Bowling Green), Derek Mason (Vanderbilt); Trent Miles (Georgia State); Scottie Montgomery (East Carolina); David Shaw (Stanford); Lovie Smith (Illinois), Charlie Strong (Texas) and Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), Frank Wilson (UTSA) and Everett Withers (Texas State).
#DOSOMETHINGWillie Taggart coined the phrase “Do Something” for his team when he arrived on the USF cam-pus and the avid twitter user (@CoachTaggart w/18.8K+ followers) has made it a popular hashtag among USF students. The phrase has become a mantra throughout the USF Athletic Department with athletes from many of the school’s 19 varsity sports repeating the phrase to Taggart when they see him in the Lee Roy Selmon Center, which houses the department’s coaches and ath-letes. Taggart even had a parking bumper created for his spot outside the football facility with “#DoSomething” painted on it. TAGGART AT A GLANCE
TAGGART FILEEDUCATION• B.S. in social sciences, Western Kentucky (1998)
FOOTBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE• 2013-present: Head Coach, USF• 2010-12: Head Coach, Western Kentucky• 2007-09: Running Backs, Stanford• 2003-06: Asst. Head Coach/Quarterbacks, Western Kentucky• 2001-02: Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks, Western Kentucky• 2000: Quarterbacks, Western Kentucky• 1999: Wide Receivers, Western Kentucky
FOOTBALL PLAYING EXPERIENCE• 1994-98: Four-year letterwinner, quarterback, Western Kentucky
POSTSEASON/BOWL GAMES• 2015 Miami Beach Bowl (WKU 45, USF 35)• 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Central Michigan 24, WKU, 21)• 2009 Sun Bowl (Oklahoma 31, Stanford 27)• 2004 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs (Lost at Sam Houston St., 54-24)• 2003 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs (Def. Jacksonville St., 45-7; lost at Wofford, 34-17)• 2002 NCAA Division I-AA Champions (Def. Murray St., 59-20; def. W. Illinois, 28-21; def. Georgia Southern, 31-28; def. McNeese St, 34-14)• 2001 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs (Lost at Furman, 20-24)• 2000 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs (Def. FAMU, 27-0; lost to Appalachian State, 14-17)
PERSONAL• Born Aug. 27, 1976• Wife, Taneisha• Sons: Willie, Jr. & Jackson; daughter: Morgan
4Hired Dec. 9, 2012, 3rd head coach in USF history.4Tampa Bay area native born in Bradenton, Fla., in 1976. The youngest of six kids, his parents, John & Gloria, worked the fields in Palmetto, Fla. picking vegatables.4Was presented the Key To The City of Palmetto in 2016.4An all-state QB at Bradenton Manatee HS, led Hurricanes to back-to-back state title games and state championship as a junior.4Recruited to Western Kentucky by Jim Harbaugh where he played for Jim’s dad, Jack Harbaugh.4Remains very close to the Harbaugh family and Harbaugh brothers, Jim & John. Jim was the best man in Taggart’s wedding. John visited USF practice in August.44-year QB starter at WKU where he set 11 school records and posted an NCAA DI record for rushing for a quarterback (3,997). A 1998 All-American and I-AA Independent Offensive Player of the Year. His No. 1 jersey was retired at WKU.4Led WKU to a victory at USF in 1998, rushing for 206 yards and scoring three TDs, including the winning TD in fourth quarter.4Has picture in his office of himself being tackled by four USF players from his WKU playing days.4Helped lead WKU to I-AA national title as co-offensive coordinator in 2002. 4Assistant coach for three seasons at Stanford (2007-09) under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Helped team go from 1-11 the season before he arrived to No. 14 ranking and first bowl game since 2001 in the 2009 season.4Guided Stanford’s Toby Gerhart to Doak Walker Award and runner-up Heisman Trophy finish while posting Stanford record 1,736 rushing yards and 26 TDs in 2009.4Helped Stanford lead the Pac-10 in total offense (441.4 ypg) and rank 11th in FBS in rushing (224.3 ypg) in 2009.4Took over WKU program that had lost last 20 games.Losing skid extended to 26 games in his first season before turning the program around and posting back-to-back win-ning seasons and program’s first-ever bowl appearance.
TAGGART RECORD AS HEAD COACHSEASON W L PCT. NOTES2010 (WKU) 2 10 16.6 First year as Head Coach2011 (WKU) 7 5 58.3 Biggest turnaround in Sun Belt Conference history2012 (WKU) 7 6 53.8 2012 Little Caesars Bowl 2013 (USF) 2 10 20.0 2014 (USF) 4 8 33.32015 (USF) 8 5 61.5 Miami Beach Bowl2016 (USF) 2 0 TOTALS 32 44
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TAGGART TURNS 40One of the youngest coaches in FBS football when he was hired at USF in 2013, Willie Taggart (8/27/1976) turned 40 just days before the start of the 2016 season. He celebrated his birthday on the same day as the USF Fan Fest and was serenaded with the Happy Birthday song by approximately 3,000 people.
HEAD COACHES AGES IN THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCEName School AgeMike Norvell Memphis 34Scottie Montgomery East Carolina 38Willie Taggart USF 40Tom Herman Houston 40Matt Rhule Temple 40Scott Frost UCF 41Bob Diaco UConn 42Philip Montgomery Tulsa 43Chad Morris SMU 46Ken Niumatalolo Navy 50Willie Fritz Tulane 56Tommy Tuberville Cincinnati 60
VS. RANKED TEAMSn UNDER TAGGART: 1-7: USF downed No. 21 Temple (44-23) in 2015 for their first win over a ranked foe under Taggart. The Bulls faced three Top 25 ranked teams in 2013: falling to No. 15 Miami (49-21) and No. 18/16 Louisville (34-3) and at No. 17/19 UCF (23-20). In 2014: USF fell at No. 19 Wisconsin (27-10) and to No. 19 ECU (28-17). In 2015: USF fell at No. 8 FSU (34-14), beat No. 21 Temple (44-23) and lost to No. 25 W. Kentucky (45-35).n OVERALL RECORD: USF is 10-21 all-time vs. FBS ranked teams since joining the FBS in 2000. The Bulls are 14-26 overall when playing ranked foes, including a 4-5 record vs. I-AA (FCS) teams from 1997-2000.n LAST WIN: The Bulls downed No. 21 Temple, 44-23, on Nov. 14, 2015 in Raymond James Stadium.n AT HOME: USF is 6-10 at home vs. FBS ranked teams, last posting a win with a 44-23 victory over No. 21 Temple on Nov. 14, 2015.n ON THE ROAD: USF is 4-10 on the road vs. FBS ranked teams, last posting a win with a 23-20 victory at No. 16/18
HOME COOKIN’n USF has posted an 83-40 (.678) record in home games since the program started in 1997, 77-37 (.675) in Raymond James Stadium. USF played its entire 1997 home schedule and the first two games of the ’98 season in Tampa Stadium, going 6-3, moving to Raymond James for the Citadel game in ‘98.
nUSF has notched a winning home record in 14 of its 19 seasons. It’s gone undefeated three times (2002, ’01 and ’00) and suffered just one loss six times (2015, 2007, ’06, ’05, 1999 and ’98). USF’s best home mark is 7-0 in 2001.
n The Bulls five seasons with a losing home record were in 2014 (2-5); 2013 (1-5); 2012 (2-4), 2011 (3-4) and 2004 (2-4).
ON THE ROADn USF has posted a 41-56 record in true road games during the program’s 19-year history. n The Bulls have had four seasons with winning road records (2010, ‘07, ’03 and ’02) and four where they finished at .500 (2009, ’08, ’06 and 1998). n In the first five seasons of program history, the Bulls were 6-15 (.286) in road games, but in the 10 seasons since then, USF has gone 31-34, including seven of 10 seasons at .500 or better.
n USF is 21-28 in conference road games. The most wins in a season is three.
CONFERENCE COMPETITIONAfter spending the first six seasons of program history as an independent, USF joined Conference USA in 2003, and then, moved to the BIG EAST in 2005. Realignment mophed the BIG EAST into the American Athletic Conference in 2013. n Overall, USF is 41-55 in its 14th year as a conference mem-ber. The Bulls were 8-8 (.500) over their two-year span with C-USA , 22-34 (.392) in eight seasons in the BIG EAST, and are 11-13 in The American . n First-year Head Coach Willie Taggart made history in his last conference as his one-year turnaround from 2-10 in 2010 to 7-5 in 2011 was the single-best turnaround in Sun Belt history. n Most wins in a season is six, posted in 2015.n USF is 7-6 in conference openers, 2-1 in The American.
NON-CONFERENCE RECORDUSF has gone 37-20 in regular-season, non-conference games during their 11 seasons as a conference member. n The Bulls are 5-9 since joining The American. n During their time in the BIG EAST (2005-2012), USF went 30-9 (.769) in regular-season, non-conference matchups. n Since 2007, the Bulls have wins at Notre Dame (2011), vs. Miami (2010), at Florida State (2009), at N.C. State (2008), vs. No. 10 Kansas (2008), at Auburn (2007) and vs. North Carolina (2007). n USF posted a 3-3 (.500) record in non-conference games in two seasons of Conference USA play.
FOR THE RECORD: HOME; ROAD; CONFERENCE; NON-CONFERENCE MARKS
BULLS IN THE POLLSWEEK AP COACHESPreseason 2V 2VWeek 1 - 4VWeek 2 - 12V
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BULLS IN THE NFLUSF has 10 former Bulls on active NFL rostersPlayer (Yrs at USF) ___________ Team (Yrs with Team)Nate Allen (2006-10) _________ Oakland Raiders (2015-16)Andre Davis (2011-14) ______ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016)Mike Jenkins (2004-07) _________ Arizona Cardinals (2016)Aaron Lynch (2013) ________ San Francisco 49ers (2014-16)Terrell McClain (2007-10) _______ Dallas Cowboys (2014-16)Mike McFarland (2011-14) ________Indianapolis Colts (2016)Jason Pierre-Paul (2009) ___________N.Y. Giants (2010-16) Austin Reiter (2011-14) ____ Washington Redskins (2015-16)Kayvon Webster (2009-12) ______ Denver Broncos (2013-16)Darrell Williams (2011-14) _____ Los Angeles Rams (2015-16)
NOTE-A-BULLS-
PLAYERS TO WATCH: SPECIAL TEAMS
S13PR
• 46-yard punt return at FSU in 2015, longest for USF in 3 seasons, 45-yarder vs SMU• 10.4 average ranked 2nd in AAC, 26th in FBS• Tampa native (Tampa Bay Tech HS)
TAJEE FULLWOOD • 6-2 210 • JR
USF STUDENTS BRING THE NOISE TO RAY JAYn USF boasts one of the largest student sections in the country and the largest in the American Athletic Confer-ence with 12,501 seats permanently allocated to students and the ability to place as many at 16,000+ in the stadium. n USF saw 7,252 students fill the student section for the Bulls victory vs. NIU on Sept. 10, 2016, the largest student turnout since Florida State came to town in 2012.n USF students occupy the north endzone at Raymond James Stadium just below the iconic Buccaneers pirate ship.n The Beef Studs are the most passionate student sup-porters who regularly occupy the first row and paint their bodies green and gold while donning bull horns.
USF FOOTBALL RADIO SHOWCoach Willie Taggart’s weekly radio show will air on 820 AM on Mondays of game weeks during the fall. The show airs 7-8 p.m. live from Beef O’Brady’s restaurant in the Marshall Student Center on the USF campus. Taggart will be joined by hosts Jim Louk and Mark Robinson for the hour-long program that welcomes fan questions from twitter (@USFFootball) and USF Football Facebook page.
35• 14-14 on PAT, 2-2 on FG in 2016• Made 9 straight FG’s to end 2015 regular season• Went 15-of-23 on field goals with a 49 yard long & 53-of- 54 on PAT in 2015• Led team with 98 points, the 3rd highest total in program history• Made 6 FG of 40+ yards
1
THE HERDIn 2015, the USF Student Government passed a resolution to officially rename the USF student sec-tion The Herd. USF’s student section numbers more than 12,000 students, making it the largest in the American Athletic Conference and among the larg-est in the nation. Front row fans that arrive early and paint their bodies green and gold are known as The Beef Studs.
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THE USF FOOTBALL PROGRAMThe USF program is in its 20th season and began in 1997, playing on the FCS level until joining the FBS in 2000. n The Bulls have had three head coaches in 20 seasons. n USF’s winning percentage of .630 (76-43) from 2000-09 ranked 26th nationally over that time span. n The Bulls reached as high as the No. 2 ranking in 2007. n USF has played in seven bowl games and won four. n Claimed victories in Tampa over Louisville, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Kansas and North Carolina among others.n USF has claimed road or nuetral site wins over Florida State, Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame, Miami, Louisville, N.C. State, West Virginia and TCU among others.n USF has had 16 first-team All-Conference selections including 1 Defensive Player of the Year, 2 Special Teams Players of the Year and 1 Rookie of the Year in the Big East. n USF has had five players selected a first-team All-American a total of six times.n 10 USF players have been part of a Super Bowl team and eight have been part of the winning team. n Two former Bulls (Jason Pierre-Paul and Mike Jenkins) have reached the NFL Pro Bowl.
RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM: HOME OF BULLS & BUCSTOP USF SEASON AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
RANK AVERAGE YEAR __________________GAMES _____ ATTENDANCE 1. 53,170 2007 _____________________6 ___________ 319,019 2. 52,553 2009 _____________________6 ___________ 315,319
n The USF program is one of a few in college football that plays in an NFL Stadium, opened on Sept. 20, 1998.n Raymond James Stadium is home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has hosted two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 between the Ravens and Giants and Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 between the Steelers and Cardinals. n Oct. 9, 2009, U2’s 360° Tour drew the largest stadium crowd ever with more than 72,000 people in attendance.n Will be the site of the 2017 College Football Championship game, also home of the Outback Bowl.
WELCOME TO THE SUNCOASTNOTING TAMPA, FLA. & THE BAY AREAn The city of Tampa has a population of around 400,000. The greater Tampa Bay area has a population of more than 4 million and is growing by nearly 100,000 residents per year. It is the 11th largest TV market in the United States.n Tampa ranks as fifth-most popular American city (where people want to live) according to a Pew Research Center study.n Tampa ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes. Average highs range 70 to 90 °F year round, and lows 52 to 76 °F.n Nicknames: Cigar City & The Big Guavan The city of Tampa operates over 207 parks and beaches within city limits and in the surrounding area.n An average of 361 days of sunshine each year create an ideal setting for many of the world’s top-rated beaches.
USF POSTS RECORDGRADUATION SUCCESS RATEUSF posted another program record in the classroom when the NCAA announced Graduation Success Rates (GSR) for all Division I institutions. USF posted a depart-ment record 83 percent Graduation Success Rate for scholarship student athletes over a six-year period start-ing with freshmen that entered college in 2007. The 83 percent GSR represented a six percent increase over last year’s announced rate. n USF has seen its overall program GSR rise in each of the last five years and now exceed the national aver-age for Football Bowl Subdivision schools, which stands at 75 percent. n Seven USF Athletics programs exceeded or matched a program record high in GSR during the latest period. n USF’s Graduation Success Rates for African-American student-athletes of 75 percent and Hispanic student-ath-letes of 86 percent were well above the national averages of 68 percent and 79 percent, respectively.n The football program saw its GSR rise to a program-high 69 percent, an increase of 12 percent over the pre-vious year and the fifth straight year with improvement.
n The football team posted an APR score of 970 in 2015 to rank third in The American and third among 11 colle-giate football programs in the state of Florida. n In 2014, Taggart’s Bulls recorded the program’s best APR score since reporting began and marked an im-provement of 64 points since the 2007-08 season.
n USF Football logged a record number of 38 academic all-conference honorees in 2015. That followed record performances of 23 selections in 2013 and 2014, marking the eight straight seasons in which the Bulls increased their number of honorees, and three straight years un-der head coach Willie Taggart in which the Bulls set a program record.
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OFFENSIVE COACHING CHANGESFor the third-straight off-season, Willie Taggart reworked his offensive coaching staff, bringing to USF three new coaches on the offensive side of the ball. While Taggart remains the pri-mary play caller, USF added co-offensive coordinators in Dar-ren Hiller (Offensive Line/Run Game) and T.J. Weist (Wide Receivers/Pass Game) and quarterbacks coach Shaun King to the staff, while shifting David Reaves to associate head coach with oversight of the tight ends. Running backs coach Donte Pimpleton and senior offensive analyst Joe Kinnan remain a part of the Bulls’ offensive brain trust. Weist and Taggart previ-ously coached together at Western Kentucky, helping lead the Hilltoppers to an FCS championship in 2002.
GULF COAST OFFENSE ROLLING IN FINAL FOUR GAMES OF 2015USF’s Gulf Coast offense gained its legs in the fifth game of the 2015 season when the Bulls blitzed Syracuse 45-24 behind 540 yards, but it truly started to hit on all cylinders in the final four games of 2015. In those contests, the Bulls averaged 542 yards and 47 points per game including impressive routes of No. 2 Temple (44-23), Cincinnati (65-27) and UCF (44-3) to close the regular season, a combined margin of 153-53. The Bulls averaged 230 yards and three TD through the air and 313 yards and 2.75 TD on the ground during that span, including season-bests of 355 yards rushing vs. Cincinnati and 307 yards passing vs. Western Kentucky.
RETURN OF THE MACKJunior Marlon Mack returns after leading The American in rush-ing for the second-straight season and posting a USF season record 1,381 yards and 6.6 yards per carry on the ground in 2015. Mack owns two of the just five 1,000-yard seasons in USF history and with 2,480 career yards stands just 251 shy of the Bulls’ career record. After a season record nine 100-yard games in 2015, he has a USF record 13 career 100-yard outings and 18 TD in his third season. Mack (210) added five pounds of muscle in the off-season, as he prepares for another campaign with 200 plus carries.
FIRST SPRING WITH A QB LEADERThe Bulls entered spring practice for the first time in Willie Tag-gart’s four seasons with an established quarterback. Quinton Flowers posted one of the best seasons in USF history as a sophomore, setting a school record with 22 TD passes and 991 yards rushing by a QB while passing for 2,296 yards and compiling a team-high 3,287 yards of offense. He completed 59 percent of his passes while throwing just eight intercep-tions. Flowers started every game in 2015 and posted a career-best 273 yards passing in the Miami Beach Bowl. Behind Flowers, redshirt freshman Brett Kean had a very impressive fall camp and is now the clear No. 2 quarterback with the ability to both run and pass in the Gulf Coast Offense.
O-LINE MAKEOVERUSF found great success replacing three offensive line starters and its offensive line coach in 2015 and finds itself in the same position in 2016. New offensive line coach Darren Hiller will look to replace starters Brynjar Gudmundsson (C), Thor Jozwiak (G) and Mak Djulbegovic (T) from a line that started the same five in every game of 2015. Returning from that starting unit will be junior guard Dominique Threatt (330) and senior tackle Kofi Amichia (297). Returners from the 2015 two-deep include junior center Cameron Ruff (320), guard Jeremi Hall (332), and sophomore center Michael Galati (298).
SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONSThe Bulls got a first-hand look at the ability of wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in practice last year. The 6-5, 205-pound junior transfer from N.C. State proved to be a physi-cal playmaker and will line up alongside former high school teammate Rodney Adams in a talented and deep wide receiver unit. The pair were previously teammates at St. Petersburg’s Lakewood High were Scantling logged 78 catches for 1,400 yards and 20 TD in his last two seasons.
MARLON MACK • 6-0 • 210 • JRHB5
BAY AREA NATIVE
MAXWELL, WALTER CAMP & DOAK WALKER CANDIDATETWO-TIME 1st TEAM ALL-AAC• Led AAC in rushing last two seasons, 16th in NCAA in 2015• Set USF season record with 1,381 yards & 6.6 ypc in 2015• USF record 9 100-yard rushing games in 2015, 13 on his career• 2,480 career yards & 18TD, 215 yards & 7 TD to eclipse USF career records• Owns school & AAC record with 275 yards rushing in debut vs. WCU (2014)• 8 career touchdown runs of 45 yards or longer
#MACKATTACK
QB9
DAVEY O’BRIEN, JOHNNY UNITAS, MANNING CANDIDATE • 2015 TEAM MVP• Career high 350 yards & 4 TD passing vs. NIU, 8th-best USF history• Career high 403 total yards vs. NIU, 8th-best in USF history• Set USF record with 22 TD passes & 991 yards rushing for a QB in 2015• Accounted for 3,287 total yards and 34 TD (22 passing/12 rushing) in 2015• Completed 59% of passes for 2,296 yards & just 8 INT• 16 career starts/ 11-5 in those starts• Ran for 201 yards vs. SMU in 2015, AAC record for a QB
QUINTON FLOWERS • 6-0 • 209 • JR
RODNEY ADAMS • 6-1 • 190 • SRSLOT87
BAY AREA NATIVE
BILETNIKOFF AWARD CANDIDATE • 2015 2nd TEAM ALL-AAC • Set USF season record with 822 receiving yards & 9 TD in 2015• Three 100-yard receiving games in 2015• 77 career receptions for 1,246 yards & 12 TD• Need 905 yards & 5 TD to equal USF career records• CAREER HIGHS: 7 catches, 147 yards & 1 TD in win vs. No. 21 Temple• Led AAC & 6th in NCAA in kickoff returns (29.1 ypr), 97-yard TD at Navy
PAUL HORNUNG AWARD CANDIDATE • 2015 CO-OFFENSIVE MVP• 2nd on team with 26 receptions, 356 receiving yards & 4 TD in 2015• 1,251 all-purpose yards in 2015, 16th in FBS in kickoff returns (26.8 ypr)• USF record 281 all-purpose yards vs. Cincy in 2015• Threw two TD passes (29 & 34) on two attempts in 2015
RB2
D’ERNEST JOHNSON • 5-10 • 208 • JR
RYESHENE BRONSON • 6-3 • 200 • JRWR (X)
81• Career high 113 yards on 3 catches, 73-yard TD vs. NIU• 17 catches for 258 yards & 1 TD, 15.2 ypc in 2015• 3 catches for 81 yards & 1 TD vs. Syracuse in 2015• A Semper Fidelis All-American game selection; ESPN 4-star recruit
DARIUS TICE • 5-10 • 210 • SRRB13
• Career-high 120 rushing yards vs. NIU• Scored on 43-yard pass play for USF’s first TD of 2016• 88 carries for 460 yards (5.2 ypc) & 4 TD in 2015• 857 yards rushing & 5 TD on his career
CHRIS BARR • 5-10 • 175 • SOSLOT1
• Caught a 6-yard TD pass vs. NIU• Third on team with 23 receptions and 200 yards in 2015• 34-yard catch at Navy, 24-yard catch at Florida State• 3-star recruit, 28 TD and more than 2,000 yards in HS, led team to state title
TE (Y)85 MACKEY AWARD CANDIDATE
• 9 receptions for 208 yards (20.8 ypr) & 2 TD in 2015• Added 10 pounds of muscle in off-season• Set USF RECORD for TE w/ 126 yards on 4 catches & 62-yard TD vs. FAMU
ELKANAH DILLON • 6-5 • 256 • SO
T75 • Started last 15 games at left tackle, all 13 in 2015
• 17 career starts, 19 career games at USF• Georgia All-State selection
KOFI AMICHIA • 6-4 • 297 • SR
G61 • Started last 15 games at right guard, all 13 in 2015
• 22 career starts, 28 career games at USF• Tied USF RECORD squating 700 pounds• Georgia All-State selection
DOMINIQUE THREATT • 6-1 • 330 • SR
WR11
BAY AREA NATIVE
• Leads USF with 8 catches for 151 yards & 1 TD• Led USF with 3 catches for 79 yards & 51-yard TD catch in USF debut• Transfer from N.C. State who sat out the 2015 season• 44 receptions for 558 yards in two seasons at N.C. State
MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTILING • 6-5 • 205 • JR
OFFENSIVE NOTESPLAYERS TO WATCH: OFFENSE
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
WWW.GOUSFBULLS.COM – 15 – @USFFOOTBALL
WOODIE LEADS D; JANCEK JOINS BULLSRaymond Woodie was named the Bulls defensive coordinator in January of 2015 following the departure of Tom Allen to the same position at Indiana. Woodie, a Bay Area native from Pal-metto and and Academic All-American linebacker at Bethune-Cookman, has led the Bulls’ linebacker the last three seasons, guiding Auggie Sanchez and DeDe Lattimore to all-conference honors. Woodie has been on Willie Taggart’s staff for the last six years (including three at Western Kentucky) and was a former head coach at Bayshore and Palmetto High Schools, at one-time serving as the youngest head coach in the state of Florida after being named to lead Bayshore at the age of 23. Former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek joined USF in February as the Bulls’ safeties coach. A veteran of 25 years in collegiate coaching, he has served as a defensive coordinator at seven programs, including Cincinnati (2010-13), Central Michigan (2003-05), Grand Valley State (1999-2003), Hillsdale College (1996-99) and Wayne State (1992-95) and served as co-defensive coordinator at Georgia in 2009.
4-2-5 PROVES SUCCESSFULUSF shifted to a 4-2-5 set on defense in 2015 that accentuated the program’s strength in secondary players and matched the plethora of spread offenses now populating the American Con-ference. The aggressive defense ranked 13th in the nation in tackles for loss (7.5 tpg) and 14th in interceptions (17), while ranking in the top 35 in sacks (26th/2.62), rush-ing defense (31/141.4), pass efficiency defense (34th/118.76), and scoring defense (35th/22.9) The defense also uses a “Bull” position moving a smaller, quicker linebacker to the D-line as a pash rusher, and a “Striker” position which brings a free safety closer to the line in a hybrid linebacker position.
SANCHEZ LEADS BULLSJunior linebacker Auggie Sanchez has established himself as the leader of the Bulls’ defense, leading the team with 117 tackles (tied for second-most in a season at USF) and making all of the defensive play calls and adjustments from his middle linebacker position. Sanchez ranked fourth in the AAC in tack-les (9.0 tpg) in 2015 and is THE TOP RETURNING TACKLER in The American in 2016.
VETERAN SECONDARY IS STOCKEDThe Bulls will have to replace safety (Striker) Jamie Byrd, who racked up 183 tackles, 13.5 TFL and 5 INT in two seasons, but return four of five starters in the secondary, including first-team all-conference cornerback Deatrick Nichols, and 90% (9 of 10) players in the 2015 two-deep. Among those play-ers are five with 10 or more career starts, led by safeties Nate Godwin (28) and Devin Abraham (19), and seven that have seen action in 16 or more games, including Johnny Ward (34), Lamar Robbins (32), Nichols (25) and Tajee Fullwood (21). Four players have logged 70 or more tackles (led by Godwin (184) and Ward (99)) and the group has a combined 14 interceptions by six players.
YOUNG D-LINE BECOMING ANCHORSophomores and freshman from 2015 have become an expe-rienced and talented anchor for the Bulls D-line, led by junior Deadrin Senat who led all D-lineman with 46 tackles in 2015. Junior Bruce Hector, tied for the team lead with 5.0 sacks, and sophomore Kevin Bronson, a starter in three of the final four games, also emerged in 2015.
POSITION NAME CHANGESThe Bulls will stay with a 4-2-5 scheme, but will adjust some names. The “Husky” safety position moves to “Striker” and the “Stinger” weak-side linebacker reverts to the “Will” linebacker.
#BAYMADEUSF returns 7 of its top 9 tacklers from 2015, six of which are Bay Area natives (Auggie Sanchez, Nate Godwin, Devin Abra-ham, Deadrin Senat, Nigel Harris & Tajee Fullwood). Ten Bay Area players populate the Bulls’ defensive two-deep in 2016.
NIGEL HARRIS • 6-0 • 225 • SR
DEVIN ABRAHAM • 5-9 • 188 • JR
LB(WILL)
57BAY AREA NATIVE
S20
BAY AREA NATIVE
AUGGIE SANCHEZ • 6-2 • 245 • JRMLB
43BAY AREA NATIVE
BUTKUS CANDIDATE • 2015 2nd TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE • TEAM DEFENSIVE MVP• 13 tackles vs. NIU. Has led USF in tackles in first two games• Led team with 117 tackles in 2015, 2nd-best total in USF history• Has led team in tackles in 10 games, 8 in double-digits• Started all 27 games the last three seasons• Career: 203 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 2 FR• QB of defense calling all alignments and audibles• Two-time all-state selection at Northeast HS in St. Petersburg, Fla.
• 49-yard interception return, sack, 1.5 TFL & 6 tackles in 2016 season opener• LED THE NATION with SIX forced fumbles in 2014, a USF season record• Led team with 10.5 tackles for loss in 2014• 42 tackles, 4.5 TFL in 11 games in 2015• Career: 165 tackles, 21 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 8 FF, 2 FR, 2 INT
• 5th on team with 51 tackles & 2nd with 3 INT in 2015• Career-best 9 tackles in Miami Beach Bowl• 21 career starts, including all 13 games in 2015• Quarterback of secondary with great football mind
CB3 THORPE AWARD CANDIDATE • 2015 1st TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
• Led team with 4 INT & 5 PBU, 4th with 62 tackles in 2015• Added 8.5 TFL (3rd on team), 1.0 sacks, 2 FF & 1 FR in 2015• Career-best 9 tackles vs. SMU, 8 tackles & 2 INT vs. Cincinnati• 16 careers starts, all 13 games in 2015
DEATRICK NICHOLS • 5-10 • 189 • JR
DT10 • Led D-Line with 46 tackles (6th on team) in 2015, 5.5 TFL, 1 FR, 1 FF
• One of the strongest Bulls (675lb squat) and dominant force in the middle• Added 15 pounds of muscle in off-season• 9 tackles at Maryland, 8 tackles at Florida State
DEADRIN SENAT • 6-1 • 305 • JR
SS(rover)
36BAY AREA NATIVE
• 3rd on team in tackles in 2015 (63) & 2014 (72) & 4th in 2013 (49)• 192 career tackles • Appeared in all 39 games last 4 seasons, 30 starts tied for most among returners• One of the fastest Bulls
NATE GODWIN • 5-10 • 210 • SR
CB19 • Posted 26 tackles, 2 INT & 6 PBU in first season in 2015
• Started final 10 games of 2015• Broward County 8A-7A-6A Defensive Player of the year• 28 career interceptions in HS, 15 in senior season (4 returned for TDs)
RONNIE HOGGINS • 5-8 • 175 • SO
DT99 • 4 tackles, 2.0 TFL & a sack vs. NIU
• Started 3 of final 4 games in 2015• 13 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 3 PBU, 1 INT, 1 FF in 11 games in 2015• Added 10 pounds of muscle in off-season
KEVIN BRONSON • 6-4 • 275 • SO
KIRK LIVINGSTONE • 6-4 • 266 • RFRDE94
• After redshirt season, emerged as a standout in the spring• Led team with 14 sacks in senior HS season• Three-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale• Academic All-Conference honoree
DT60
BAY AREA NATIVE
• 19 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 1 FF in 12 games in 2015• Tied for team lead with 5.0 sacks in 2015• 6 tackles and 2 sacks vs. FAMU• Has seen action in 20 games last three seasons
BRUCE HECTOR • 6-2 • 296 • JR
DEFENSIVE NOTESPLAYERS TO WATCH: DEFENSE
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
WWW.GOUSFBULLS.COM – 16 – @USFFOOTBALL
2016 USF FOOTBALL NUMERICAL ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class/Elig. Hometown (Previous Schools) 1 Chris Barr WR 5-10 175 So./So. Jacksonville, Fla. (Trinity Christian Acad.) 2 D’Ernest Johnson RB 5-10 208 Jr./Jr. Immokalee, Fla. (Immokalee HS) 2 Armunz Mathews CB 6-0 197 Fr./Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. (North Florida Christian) 3 Deatrick Nichols CB 5-10 189 Jr./Jr. Miami, Fla. (Miami Central HS) 3 Darnell Salomon WR 6-3 215 Fr./Fr. Miami, Fla. (Miami Central) 4 Jimmy Bayes DE 6-3 228 Jr./So. Immokalee, Fla. (Immokalee HS) 4 Asiantii Woulard QB 6-3 215 Sr./So. Winter Park, Fla. (Winter Park HS/UCLA) 5 Marlon Mack RB 6-0 210 Jr./Jr. Sarasota, Fla. (Booker HS) 6 A.J. Legree WR 6-1 198 Sr./Sr. Fort White, Fla. (Fort White HS/Kentucky) 6 Lamar Robbins DB 6-2 200 Sr./Sr. Miami, Fla. (Southridge HS) 7 Brett Kean QB 6-1 209 So./RFr. Lakewood, Ohio (St. Edward HS) 8 Tyre McCants WR 5-11 219 Jr./So. Niceville, Fla. (Niceville HS) 9 Quinton Flowers QB 6-0 210 Jr./Jr. Miami, Fla. (Miami Jackson HS) 10 Chris Oladokun QB 6-2 184 Fr./Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Sickles HS) 10 Deadrin Senat DT 6-1 305 Sr./Jr. Immokalee, Fla. (Immokalee HS) 11 Marquez Valdes-Scantling WR 6-5 207 Sr./Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood HS/N.C. State) 12 Andre Polk, Jr. LB 6-4 227 Fr./Fr. Fort Myers, Fla. (South Fort Myers HS) 13 Tajee Fullwood S 6-2 210 Jr./Jr. Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Tech HS) 13 Darius Tice RB 5-10 210 Sr./Sr. Miami, Fla. (Northwestern HS) 14 Deangelo Antoine WR 5-10 185 So./RFr. Orlando, Fla. (Oak Ridge HS) 14 Mike Hampton DB 6-1 170 Fr./Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough HS) 15 Vincent Jackson DE 6-3 256 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (Jesuit HS) 16 Donovan Geter WR 6-6 200 So./RFr. Tampa, Fla. (Newsome HS) 17 Tyler Pippens WR 5-10 161 So./RFr. Riverdale, Ga. (Ola HS) 18 DeVontres Dukes WR 6-4 204 Fr./Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Wharton HS) 18 Jaymon Thomas S 6-3 195 So./So. Immokalee, Fla. (Immokalee HS) 19 Ronnie Hoggins CB 5-8 175 So./So. Coconut Creek, Fla. (Monarch HS) 20 Devin Abraham S 5-9 189 Jr./Jr. Tarpon Springs, Fla. (East Lake HS) 21 Khalid McGee S 5-10 198 So./So. Miami, Fla. (Miami Northwestern HS) 22 Hassan Childs S 6-0 185 Sr./Jr. Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola HS) 23 Mazzi Wilkins CB 6-0 176 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS) 24 Johnny Ward CB 6-0 183 Sr./Sr. Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County HS) 25 Cameron Gergley CB 6-0 180 Jr./So. Orlando, Fla. (Winter Park HS) 25 Marcus Wingate WR 5-8 185 Jr./Jr. Boyne City, Mich. (East Jordan HS) 26 Craig Watts S 6-0 185 Fr./Fr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Admiral Farragut Acad.) 27 Austin Hudson S 6-2 208 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS/Wisconsin) 28 Trevon Sands RB 5-11 201 Fr./Fr. Miami, Fla. (Southwest Miami HS) 29 Devon Jones-Stewart S 6-1 194 Sr./Sr. Lake Mary, Fla. (Lake Mary HS/Stetson) 30 Jalen Spencer CB 6-0 187 Gr./Sr. Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola HS) 31 Elijah Mack RB 6-0 205 Fr./Fr. Punta Gorda, Fla. (Charlotte HS) 32 Reggie Allen DB 6-1 200 Jr./Jr. Frostproof, Fla. (Frostproof HS/Stony Brook) 33 Cecil Cherry LB 6-0 240 So./RFr. Frostproof, Fla. (Victory Christian Acad. HS/Texas) 34 Malik Dixon S 6-3 210 So./RFr. Port Charlotte, Fla. (Port Charlotte HS) 35 Emilio Nadelman PK 5-6 175 Sr./Jr. Miami, Fla. (Central HS) 36 Nate Godwin S 5-10 210 Sr./Sr. Tampa, Fla. (Freedom HS) 37 Nate Ferguson S 5-9 180 So./So. Tampa, Fla. (Sickles HS) 38 Nick Cuccia CB 6-0 185 So./So. Indian Trail, N.C. (Jireh Prep HS) 38 Zaybreion Gunter RB 5-10 216 Sr./Sr. Baldwin Fla. (Baldwin HS/Ellsworth JC) 39 Trent Shaw LB 6-2 220 So./RFr. Lutz, Fla. (Steinbrenner HS) 40 Riley Sheehan FB 6-3 237 So./RFr. Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS) 41 Brent Gordon P 6-3 198 So./So. Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin HS) 41 Greg Reaves DE 6-2 236 So./RFr. Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS/Air Force Prep Acad.) 42 Adrian Palmore TE 6-4 240 Jr./Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood HS/Morgan St./Arizona Western CC) 43 Auggie Sanchez LB 6-2 245 Sr./Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Northeast HS) 44 Jonathan Hernandez P 6-4 241 Jr./So. Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS/Florida State) 45 Brandon Behr K 5-11 187 Sr./Jr. Fleming Island, Fla. (Fleming Island HS/Jacksonville Univ.) 46 Shannon Smith DB 6-1 193 Sr./Sr. Brandon, Fla. (Armwood HS/Concordia Univ.) 47 Javarus Edwards DL 6-4 233 So./So. St. Augustine, Fla. (St. Augustine HS) 48 Spencer Adkinson TE 6-3 245 Gr./Jr. Seminole, Fla. (Indian Rocks Christian) 49 KJ Miles TE 6-6 250 Sr./Sr. Seffner, Fla. (Armwood HS/Assumption College
Name No.Devin Abraham 20Rodney Adams 87Spencer Adkinson 48Austin Aikens 88Reggie Allen 32Kofi Amichia 75Deangelo Antoine 14William Atterbury 78Daniel Awoleke 93Chris Barr 1Jimmy Bayes 4Brandon Behr 45Glen Bethel 70 Josh Black 55Kevin Bronson 99Ryeshene Bronson 81Juwuan Brown 56Garry Cadet 96Cecil Cherry 33Hassan Childs 22Stanley Clerveaux 86Nick Cuccia 38Elkanah Dillon 85Malik Dixon 34DeVontres Dukes 18Javarus Edwards 47Nate Ferguson 37Quinton Flowers 9Tajee Fullwood 13Christion Gainer 50Michael Galati 68Cameron Gergley 25Donovan Geter 16Nate Godwin 36Marlon Gonzalez 95Brent Gordon 41Zaybreion Gunter 38Jeremi Hall 73Mike Hampton 14Nigel Harris 57Bruce Hector 60Jonathan Hernandez 44Derek Hintze 90Ryan Hintze 80Ronnie Hoggins 19Austin Hudson 27LaDarrius Jackson 92Vincent Jackson 15D’Ernest Johnson 2Frank Johnson 91Devon Jones-Stewart 50Brett Kean 7Brooks Larkin 72A.J. Legree 6Kirk Livingstone 94Mike Love 98Logan MacDonald 76Elijah Mack 31Marlon Mack 5Armunz Mathews 2
ALPHABETICAL
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
WWW.GOUSFBULLS.COM – 17 – @USFFOOTBALL
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class/Elig. Hometown (Previous Schools) 50 Christion Gainer OL 6-6 300 Fr./Fr. Panama City, Fla. (Bay Senior HS) 51 Mi’Cario Stanley LB 6-2 248 Fr./Fr. Cape Coral, Fla. (North Fort Myers HS) 52 Michael Wiggs OL 6-3 300 Fr./Fr. Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson HS) 53 Danny Thomas LB 6-1 215 So./So. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Amos P. Godby HS) 54 Nico Sawtelle LB 6-2 245 So./RFr. Jensen Beach, Fla. (Jensen Beach HS) 55 Josh Black DE 6-2 252 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (Sickles HS) 55 Eric Mayes OL 6-4 287 Jr./So. Sarasota, Fla. (Booker HS/Milford Acad.) 56 Juwuan Brown DE 6-2 255 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson HS) 57 Nigel Harris LB 6-0 225 Sr./Sr. Tampa, Fla. (Hillsborough HS) 58 Dylan Rutledge LS 6-3 232 Sr./Sr. New Port Richey, Fla. (River Ridge HS/Stetson) 59 Alex Salvato LS 5-11 200 Sr./Sr. Lakeland, Fla. (Victory Christian Academy) 60 Bruce Hector DT 6-2 296 Sr./Jr. Tampa, Fla. (Robinson HS) 61 Dominique Threatt OL 6-1 330 Sr./Sr. Atlanta, Ga. (Tri-Cities HS) 63 Michael Smith OL 6-3 307 Jr./So. Miami, Fla. (Miami Central HS) 66 Matt Nelson OL 6-2 286 Fr./Fr. Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic HS) 67 Hal Roberson OL 6-1 295 Fr./Fr. Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS) 68 Michael Galati OL 6-3 298 Jr./So. Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS) 69 Trey West OL 6-2 296 Fr./Fr. Orlando, Fla. (The First Academy) 70 Glen Bethel OL 6-6 315 Jr./Jr. Nassau, Bahamas (Champagnat Catholic HS/Arizona Western C.C.) 72 Brooks Larkin OL 6-3 315 So./RFr. Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS/Air Force Prep Acad.) 73 Jeremi Hall OL 6-5 332 Sr./Jr. Atlanta, Ga. (Tri-Cities HS) 74 Cameron Ruff OL 6-3 320 Sr./Jr. Tampa, Fla. (Jesuit HS) 75 Kofi Amichia OL 6-4 297 Sr./Sr. Riverdale, Ga. (McEachern HS) 76 Logan MacDonald OL 6-4 270 Fr./Fr. Davenport, Fla. (Ridge Community HS) 77 Marcus Norman OL 6-6 305 So./RFr. Sebastian, Fla. (Sebastian River HS) 78 William Atterbury OL 6-4 302 So./RFr. Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater Central Catholic HS) 79 Grant Polk OL 6-6 295 So./RFr. Punta Gorda, Fla. (Charlotte HS/Virginia) 80 Ryan Hintze TE 6-6 237 Sr./Jr. Bradenton, Fla. (Braden River HS/SCF Manatee-Sarasota) 80 Trevor Steinke WR 5-11 187 So./RFr. Lutz, Fla. (Hillsborough HS) 81 Ryeshene Bronson WR 6-3 200 Jr./Jr. Fort Myers, Fla. (Dunbar HS) 82 Jordan Reed WR 5-10 170 So./So. Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS) 84 Alex Mut WR 6-3 195 Sr./Sr. Port Charlotte, Fla. (Charlotte HS) 85 Elkanah Dillon TE 6-5 256 Jr./So. Ocala, Fla. (Vanguard HS) 86 Stanley Clerveaux WR 6-3 207 Jr./So. North Miami, Fla. (North Miami HS) 87 Rodney Adams WR 6-1 190 Sr./Sr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood HS/Toledo) 88 Austin Aikens WR 6-0 180 Sr./Sr. Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS/Western Kentucky) 89 Mitchell Wilcox TE 6-4 248 So./RFr. Tarpon Springs, Fla. (Tarpon Springs HS) 90 Derek Hintze TE 6-5 225 Fr./Fr. Bradenton, Fla. (Braden River HS) 91 Frank Johnson DE 6-5 220 Jr./So. Woodville, Miss. (Wilkinson City HS/Hinds C.C.) 92 LaDarrius Jackson DE 6-4 243 Jr./So. Birmingham, Ala. (Parker HS/Hinds C.C.) 93 Daniel Awoleke DT 6-5 295 Gr./Sr. Lakeland, Fla. (George Jenkins HS 94 Kirk Livingstone DE 6-4 266 So./RFr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Stranahan HS) 95 Marlon Gonzalez DT 6-4 280 So./RFr. Cape Coral, Fla. (North Ft. Myers HS) 96 Garry Cadet DL 6-6 275 So./So. Boynton Beach Fla. (Boynton Beach HS) 97 Nicholas Munera DE 6-5 247 Jr./So. Tampa, Fla. (King HS) 98 Mike Love DE 6-4 266 Sr./Jr. Clearwater, Fla. (Countryside HS) 99 Kevin Bronson DT 6-4 275 Jr./So. Delray Beach, Fla. (Village Academy HS)
Name No.Eric Mayes 55Tyre McCants 8Khalid McGee 21KJ Miles 49Nicholas Munera 97Alex Mut 84Emilio Nadelman 35Matt Nelson 66Deatrick Nichols 3Marcus Norman 77Chris Oladokun 10Adrian Palmore 42Tyler Pippens 17Andre Polk, Jr. 12Grant Polk 79Greg Reaves 41Jordan Reed 82Lamar Robbins 6Hal Roberson 67Cameron Ruff 74Dylan Rutledge 58Darnell Salomon 3Alex Salvato 59Auggie Sanchez 43Trevon Sands 28Nico Sawtelle 54Deadrin Senat 10Trent Shaw 39Riley Sheehan 40Michael Smith 63Shannon Smith 46Jalen Spencer 30Mi’Cario Stanley 51Trevor Steinke 80Danny Thomas 53Jaymon Thomas 18Dominique Threatt 61Darius Tice 13Marquez Valdes-Scantling 11Johnny Ward 24Craig Watts 26Trey West 69Michael Wiggs 52Mitchell Wilcox 89Mazzi Wilkins 23Marcus Wingate 25Asiantii Woulard 4
SCORING DRIVES UNDER 2:00: 7 (7TD)LONG DRIVES:Longest by PLAYS: 11 plays (79 yards, 3:22, TD vs. Towson), 11 plays (92 yards, 3:56, TD vs. N. Illinois)Longest by YARDS: 92 yards (11 plays, 3:56, TD vs. N. Illinois)Longest by TIME: 3:56 (11 plays, 92 yards, TD vs. N. Illinois)
Defensive/Special Teams scores : -
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS TDDEFENSIVE PLAYS -SPECIAL TEAMS -
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
WWW.GOUSFBULLS.COM – 20 – @USFFOOTBALL
2016 USF GAME-BY-GAME STARTERSOFFENSEGAME LT LG C RG RT QB HB Slot X Y (TE) Z TOWSON Amichia Hall Ruff Threatt Norman Flowers Mack Adams Scantling Dillon Bronson NORTHERN ILLINOIS Amichia Hall Ruff Threatt Atterbury Flowers Tice Adams Scantling Dillon Bronson* Started two tight ends **Started four wide receivers
DEFENSEGAME DE DT DT BULL MIKE WILL CB STRIKER ROVER FS CB TOWSON Livingstone Senat Hector Jackson Sanchez Harris Nichols McGee Thomas Abraham HogginsNORTHERN ILLINOIS Livingstone Senat Hector Jackson Sanchez Harris Nichols McGee Thomas Abraham Hoggins* Started in 4-3
USF TURNOVERS CAUSED: 2 OPP TURNOVERS CAUSED: 3USF POINTS OFF TOS: 21 OPP POINTS OFF TOS: 6USF DEFENSIVE TD’s: - OPP DEFENSIVE TD’s: -USF RETURN TD’s: - OPP RETURN TD’s: -
USF TURNOVERS FORCEDQT Play .... Ball On ResultTOWSON (4)2nd .... FF: TEAM, REC: Jaymon Thomas .........USF 49........................ TD4th ..... INT by Ronnie Hoggins ......................OPP 33 ....................... TD3rd ..... FF: Malik Dixon, REC: Nate Godwin ....OPP 36 ....................... TD4th ..... FF: Eric Mayes, REC: Nico Sawtelle ......USF 40...........................-
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (-)None
OPPONENT TURNOVERS FORCEDTurnover Player Ball On ResultTOWSON (2)INT .................. of Flowers USF 41.........................FGFumble ............ by Mack TOW 26 ...............Fumble
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (1)Fumble ............ by Childs USF 25.........................FG
CONSECUTIVE 100-YARD RUSHING GAMESGAMES NAME OPPONENTS5 ................................Marlon Mack ..................................2015: at ECU (117), vs. Temple (230), .................................................vs. Cincinnati (106), at UCF (102), vs. Western Kentucky (108)4 ................................Andre Hall (Jr.) ................................... 2004: at UAB (275), vs. ECU (161), ........................................................................................at Cincinnati (155), vs. Memphis (134)
CAREER 200-YARD RUSHING GAMESRANK NAME GAMES YEAR1. Andre Hall ................................................ 3 ................................................................... 2004-052. Marlon Mack ....................................2 ................................................ 2014-Present Dyral McMillan ......................................... 2 ................................................................... 1998-994. Quinton Flowers (QB) .......................1 ................................................ 2014-present Mike Ford ................................................. 1 ................................................................... 2007-09
CAREER RECEPTIONSRANK NAME RECEPTIONS YEAR1. Andre Davis ............................................. 153 (2,136) .................................................. 2011-142. Hugh Smith .............................................. 131 (1,523) .............................................. 1999-20023. Huey Whittaker ........................................ 117 (1,447) .................................................. 2001-034. Taurus Johnson ....................................... 112 (1,434) .................................................. 2005-085. Dontavia Bogan ....................................... 107 (1,534) .................................................. 2007-10 Jessie Hester ........................................... 107 (1,226) ............................................ 2005, 07-097. Carlton Mitchell ........................................ 105 (1,648) .................................................. 2007-098. Charlie Jackson ....................................... 104 (1,373) .............................................. 1997-20009. DeAndrew Rubin ..................................... 91 (1,306) ................................................ 1999-200210. Chris Iskra ............................................... 83 (1,119) .................................................... 2000-03 Rodney Adams..................................77 (1,246) .............................................. 2013-
BY A RUNNING BACK1. Rafael Williams ........................................ 68 (659) ................................................... 1997-20002. Clenton Crossley ..................................... 56 (368) ....................................................... 2001-04 D’Ernest Johnson .............................39 (519) ................................................. 2014-
USF RECORD WATCHINDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS
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CAREER RECEIVING YARDSRANK NAME YARDS YEAR1. Andre Davis ............................................. 2,136 (153) .................................................. 2011-142. Carlton Mitchell ........................................ 1,648 (105) .................................................. 2007-093. Dontavia Bogan ....................................... 1,534 (107) .................................................. 2007-104. Hugh Smith .............................................. 1,523 (131) .............................................. 1999-20025. Huey Whittaker ........................................ 1,447 (117) .................................................. 2001-036. Taurus Johnson ....................................... 1,434 (112) .................................................. 2005-087. Charlie Jackson ....................................... 1,373 (104) .............................................. 1997-20008. DeAndrew Rubin ..................................... 1,306 (91) ................................................ 1999-20029. Rodney Adams..................................1,246 (77) .................................. 2014-present10. Jessie Hester ........................................... 1,226 (107) ............................................ 2005, 07-09BY A TIGHT END1. Sean Price ............................................... 897 (75) ................................................... 2012-20152. Cedric Hill ................................................ 774 (60) ....................................................... 2005-083. Mike McFarland ....................................... 643 (55) ....................................................... 2011-144. Trevor Hypolite ........................................ 535 (46) ....................................................... 1997-98 Elkanah Dillon ..................................235 (10) ................................................. 2015-BY A RUNNING BACK1. Rafael Williams ........................................ 659 (68) ................................................... 1997-20002. D’Ernest Johnson .............................519 (39) ..................................... 2014-present3. Demetris Murray ...................................... 492 (49) ....................................................... 2009-12
CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMESCareer ................................ 6 .............................. Andre Davis ................................................. 2011-14 ............................3...........................Rodney Adams ....................................... 2014-
CAREER TOTAL OFFENSERANK NAME YARDS YEAR1. Matt Grothe .............................................. 10,875 (2,206r / 8,669p) .............................. 2006-092. B.J. Daniels ............................................. 10,501 (2,068r / 8,433p) .............................. 2008-123. Marquel Blackwell .................................... 10,343 (1,235r / 9,108p) .......................... 1999-20024. Pat Julmiste ............................................. 4,456 (814r / 3,642p) ................................... 2003-065. Quinton Flowers ...............................4,098 ......................................... 2014-present6. Chad Barnhardt ....................................... 3,996 (-142r / 4,138p) .................................. 1997-98
PLAYER CAREER BESTS - OFFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS#1 CHRIS BARR Receptions ................................................... 5, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)Receiving Yards ................................................ 41, vs. SMU (10/25/15)Receiving TDs .............................................1, 2x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)Long Reception ................................................ 38, vs. SMU (10/25/15)
#6 A.J. LEGREE Receptions .............................................3, vs. Vanderbilt (at Kentucky)Receiving Yards ....................................47, vs. Vanderbilt (at Kentucky)Long Reception ................................................ 15, vs. SMU (10/24/15)
#8 WR TYRE MCCANTS Receptions .......................... 3, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Receiving Yards ................. 88, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15) Long ........................................................... 56, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)Receiving TD .................. 1, 2X, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)
#11 WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING Receptions ..............................................................5 vs. NIU (9/10/16)Receiving Yards ................................................79, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Long ........................................................... 56, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)Receiving TD ...........................................1, 2x, last vs. Towson (9/3/16)
#81 WR RYESHENE BRONSON Receptions .................................................3, 3x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)Receiving TDs .............................................1, 3x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)Receiving Yds .................................................... 113, vs. NIU, (9/10/16)Long Reception ............................................ 75, vs. NC State (9/13/14)
#82 WR JORDAN REED Receptions .....................................2, 2X, last vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Receiving Yards ....................................11, vs.vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Long ......................................................... 10, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Receiving TD ............................................... 1, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)
#87 WR RODNEY ADAMS Receptions ...................................................... 7 vs. Temple (11/14/15)Receiving Yards .......................................... 147, vs. Temple (11/14/15)Receiving TDs .................................................. 3, vs. UConn (10/17/15)Long Reception ......................................68 (TD) vs. Temple (11/14/15)Rushes ................................ 5, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15) Rushing Yards .................... 45, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Long Rush ......................... 34, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Kick Return Yards ..............................................139 at Navy (10/31/15)Kick Return Long ....................................... 97 (TD), at Navy (10/31/15)
#85 ELKANAH DILLON Receptions ........................................................... 4, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)Receiving Yards .................................................126, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)Receiving TDs ....................................1, 2X, last vs. Memphis (10/2/15)Long Reception ...........................................62 (TD), vs. FAMU (9/5/15)
#89 MITCHELL WILCOX Receptions .........................................................1, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Receiving Yards ................................................21, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Receiving TDs .....................................................1, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Long Reception ................................................21, vs. Towson (9/3/16)
QUARTERBACKS#9 QB QUINTON FLOWERS Completions ........................................................21, vs. NIU (9/10/16))Attempts ..............................................................33, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Passing Yards ......................................................350, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Long Pass ..................................................... 73 (TD), vs. NIU (9/10/16)Passing TDs ................................................4, 2x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)Rushes .........................................................24, at Maryland (9/19/15)Rushing Yards ................................................... 201, vs. MU (10/24/15)Long Rush .........................................................67, vs. SMU (10/24.15)Rushing TDs ....................................................... 3, vs. SMU (10/24/15)Total Yards ..........................................................403, vs. NIU (9/10/16)
#7 QB BRETT KEAN Completions .......................................................5, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Attempts ............................................................7, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Passing Yards ....................................................52, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Long Pass .........................................................23, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Passing TDs ........................................................2, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Rushes ................................................................................................ -Rushing Yards ...................................................................................... -Long Rush ........................................................................................... -Rushing TDs ........................................................................................ -
RUNNINGBACKS#5 RB MARLON MACK Rushes ............................................................ 31, vs. UConn (9/19/14)Rushing Yards .............................. 275, vs. Western Carolina (08/30/14)Long Rush ..........................................75 (TD), at Memphis (11/22/14)Rushing TDs .................................... 4, vs. Western Carolina (08/30/14)Receptions ................................................... 8, at Memphis (11/22/14)Receiving Yards .......................................... 57, at Memphis (11/22/14)
#31 RB DARIUS TICE Rushes .................................................................19, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Rushing Yards .....................................................120, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Long Rush ...........................................................44, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)Receptions ................................................... 3, at Memphis (11/22/14)Receiving Yards ................................................43, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Long Reception ................................................43, vs. Towson (9/3/16)
#32 RB D’ERNEST JOHNSON Rushes .................................................................16, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Rushing Yards .......................................................87, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Long Rush ................................................ 23, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Receptions ..............................................................5, at FSU (9/12/15)Receiving Yards .....................................................89, at FSU (9/12/15)Receiving TDs ............................................. 2, 2X, last at FSU (9/12/15)Long Reception ............................................. 71 (TD), at FSU (9/12/15)TD Pass .......................... 1, 2X, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)
SPECIALISTS#41 P BRENT GORDON Punts ................................... 7, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Yards ............................... 277, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Avg ................................. 39.6, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)Long .................................. 44, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)I20 ....................................................................................................... -
#44 P JONATHAN HERNANDEZ Punts ......................................................................5, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Yards ..................................................................221, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Avg ....................................................................44.2, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Long .....................................................................52, vs. NIU (9/10/16)I20 ..........................................................................2, vs. NIU (9/10/16)
#35 EMILIO NADELMAN Field Goals ................................................... 3-3, 2X, at UCF (11/26/15)Long Field Goal ........................................ 49, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Points ............................................................14 ,2X, at UCF (11/26/15)
#13 TAJEE FULLWOOD (PUNT RETURNER) Long Punt Return .................................... 45, at Florida State (9/12/15)Punt Return Yards ............................................. 82, vs. SMU (10/24/15)Yards per return (minimun 2) ........................27.3 , vs. SMU (10/24/15)
#32 D’ERNEST JOHNSON (KICKOFF RETURNER) Long Kickoff Return .................................. 54, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Kickoff Return Yards ............................... 181, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)Kickoff Return Average ...................45.25 (4), vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)
#87 WR RODNEY ADAMS (KICKOFF RETURNER) Kick Return Yards .............................................139, at Navy (10/31/15)Long Kickoff Return ...........................................97, at Navy (10/31/15)Kickoff Return Average ...................................65.5, at Navy (10/31/15)
2016 USF GAME NOTES GAME 3 • AT SYRACUSE
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PLAYER CAREER BESTS - DEFENSE DEFENSIVE BACKS#3 DB DEATRICK NICHOLS Tackles ...........................................8, 2X, last vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15) TFL ............................................................ 2.5, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)Sacks ............................................................ 1, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)INT ............................................................. 2, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)INT return for TD ......................................... 1, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)FF ............................................................1, 2x, last at Navy (10/31/15)
#13 S TAJEE FULLWOOD Tackles ...............................................................7, vs. Towson (9/3/16)INT ................................................... 1, 2x, last vs. N.C. State (9/13/14)TFL ................................................... 1, 3x, last vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)PBU ............................................................1, 4x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)FF ........................................................... 1, 2X, last vs. SMU (10/24/15)
#18 DB JAYMON THOMAS Tackles .............................................................. 7, vs. Towson (9/3/16)TFL ..................................................................1.0, vs. Towson (9/3/16)FR .......................................................................1, vs. Towson (9/3/16)
#19 DB RONNIE HOGGINS Tackles ..........................................................5, vs. Memphis (10/2/15)TFL ............................................................. 1.5, vs. Memphis (10/2/15)INT ................................ 1, 2X, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)PBU ............................................................1, 3x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)
#20 DB DEVIN ABRAHAM Tackles ................................ 9, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)TFL ................................... 2.0, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)INT .................................................................1, at Maryland (9/19/15)PBU ................................................................1, at Maryland (9/19/15)FF ....................................................................1, vs. Maryland (9/6/14)FR ................................................................. 1, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)
#21 DB KHALID MCGEE Tackles ....................................................3, 2x, last vs.Towson (9/3/16)TFL ..................................................................1.0 , vs. SMU (10/24/15)INT ...................................................................................................... -FR ....................................................................... 1, vs. SMU (10/24/15)
#23 DB MAZZI WILKINS Tackles ...........................................................5, at Maryland (9/19/15)TFL ...................................................................................................... -INT ...................................................................................................... -PBU ................................................................1, at Maryland (9/19/15)
#24 DB JOHNNY WARD Tackles ...................................................7, vs. East Carolina (10/11/14)Sacks ................................ 1.0, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)TFL ................................ 1, 3X, vs. WKU, Miami Beach Bowl (12/21/15)FR ...................................................1, twice, last vs. Maryland (9/6/14)FF ..........................................................................1, at UCF (11/29/13)INT .............................................1, 2x, last vs. East Carolina (10/11/14)PBU ............................................................ 1, 2X, last at FSU (9/12/15)
#30 DB JALEN SPENCER Tackles ................................................................. 3, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)TFL ...................................................................................................... -INT ....................................................................... 1, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)
#36 DB NATE GODWIN Tackles ........................................................ 14, at Wisconsin (9/27/14)TFL ........................................................ 1, 2x, last vs. UConn (9/19/14)INT .......................................................................1, vs. UCF (11/29/13)Touchdown ................................................ 1, vs. Cincinnati (10/05/13)FR ...........................................................1, 2x, last vs. Towson (9/3/16)PBU .................................................................2, vs. UConn (10/12/13)
#37 DB NATE FERGUSON Tackles .......................................................1, 4x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)TFL ...................................................................................................... -INT ...................................................................................................... -
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN#10 DT DEADRIN SENAT Tackles ...........................................................9, at Maryland (9/19/15)Sacks ................................................................................................... -TFL ............................................................ 1.5, vs. Syracuse (10/10/15)FR ................................................................ 1, vs. Syracuse (10/10/150
#60 DT BRUCE HECTOR Tackles ................................................................. 6, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)Sacks ............................................... 2.0, 2X. last vs. Temple (11/14/15)TFL .....................................................................3.0, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)FF ............................................................... 1, vs. Cincinnati (11/20/15)
#93 DT DANIEL AWOLEKE Tackles ...................................................................5, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Sacks .......................................................... 1, 2X, last at FSU (9/12/15)TFL .......................................................................1.5, at FSU (9/12/15)
#94 DE KIRK LIVINGSTONE Tackles ...................................................................2, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Sacks ................................................................................................... -TFL ..................................................................0.5, vs. Towson (9/3/16)
#98 DE MIKE LOVE Tackles ...............................................................3, vs. Towson (9/3/16)Sacks .......................................................................1, at FSU (9/12/15)TFL .......................................................................1.0, at FSU (9/12/15)
#99 KEVIN BRONSON Tackles ...................................................................4, vs. NIU (9/10/16)Sacks .......................................................1.0, 2x, last vs. NIU (9/10/16)TFL ......................................................................2.0, vs. NIU (9/10/16)FF .............................................................. 1, at Florida State (9/12/15)
LINEBACKERS#43 LB AUGGIE SANCHEZ Tackles ..............................................................14, at Navy (10/31/15)Sacks ...................................................................1.0, vs. NIU (9/10/16)TFL .....................................................................2.0, vs. FAMU (9/5/15)FR ...............................................................2X, last vs. SMU (10/14/15)TD ...................................................................1, vs. Maryland (9/6/14)INT ..................................................................1, vs. Maryland (9/6/14)PBU .................................................... 1, 2X, last vs. Temple (11/14/15)
#53 LB DANNY THOMAS Tackles ....................................................................6, at FSU (9/12/15)Sacks ................................................................................................... -TFL ......................................................................1.0, vs. NIU (9/10/16)
#54 LB NICO SAWTELLE Tackles ...............................................................4, vs. Towson (9/3/16)TFL ........................................................................................................Sacks .....................................................................................................FR .......................................................................1, vs. Towson (9/3/16)
#57 LB NIGEL HARRIS Tackles ...............................................................12, vs. FAU (09/14/13)Sacks ......................................................1, 3x, last vs. Towson (9/3/16)TFL .......................................................................3, vs. UCF (11/28/14)PBU ........................................................... 1, vs. Cincinnati (10/05/13)FF ....................................................................2, vs. Maryland (9/6/14)FR .............................................................1, 2x, last vs. UCF (11/28/14)INT .........................................................1, 2x, last vs. Towson (9/3/16)
nUSF matched the program’s FBS record for points in a season opener in a 56-20 win over Towson Saturday night before a crowd of 35,976 at Raymond James Stadium.nQuarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami) accounted for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) and backup Brett Kean (Lakewood, Ohio) threw two more touchdown passes in the second half. nUSF’s Gulf Coast Offense finished with 444 yards and matched the 56-point total produced by the 2008 team in its opener vs. UT-Martin. nUSF logged six scoring drives that lasted less than two minutes and its longest scoring drive among the eight on the night took only 3 minutes, 22 seconds.n USF needed just 10 plays and two minutes, 22 seconds to score four touchdowns in the opening half. Darius Tice put the Bulls ahead with a 43-yard touchdown catch less than three minutes into USF’s 20th season of football. Marlon Mack followed with a 7-yard touchdown run, Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in a 51-yard TD pass and Flowers’ 5-yard scoring run helped USF build a 28-10 advantage by the break. nMarlon Mack left the game with 10:41 to play in the first half after an injury and did not return. He led USF with 58 yards rushing on nine carries, ending a streak of 5-straight 100-yard games.nUSF forced four turnovers in the debut of new defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie. Senior linebacker Nigel Harris finished with six tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and returned his second-career interception 49 yards a play before USF took a 28-10 lead. nUSF scored 21 points off turnovers while Tajee Fullwood, Auggie Sanchez and Jaymon Thomas tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece. nSeven Bulls scored a touchdown, led by QB Quinton Flowers who ran for two and passed for two in his second season- opener as the USF starter.nThe USF defense gave up just one play over 20 yards and held Towson to 292 yards of offense and 7 punts.nFreshman QB Brett Kean made his debut and threw a 23-yard TD pass on his first play. He later connected on a 21-yard TD pass to fellow freshman TE Mitchell Wilcox.
Punting No Yds Avg LgJ. Ryder 7 346 49.4 68Totals 7 346 49.4 68 Punt Returns No Yds Lg Totals 0 0 0
Kickoff Returns No Yds Lg S. Simpson 8 229 61A. Dessenberg 1 11 11Totals 9 240 61
Defensive LeadersUnassisted Tackles: 10 - D. WallaceAssisted Tackles: 4 - D. Wallace, C. TedderTotal Tackles: 14 - D. WallaceSacks: 1.0 - D. Wallace, E. Handy
GAME 2: USF 48, NIU 17RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM • TAMPA, FLA. SEPT. 10, 2016 • 7 P.M. • CBS SPORTS NETWORKUSF 2-0 • NIU 0-2
n The Bulls’ high-powered Gulf Coast Offense racked up 658 total yards, the second-highest total in school history, with several players finishing with career-high numbers.n For the ninth time, USF has begun 2-0. Six of those seasons finished with a winning record — 1998 (8-3), 2002 (9-2), 2006 (9-4), 2007 (9-4), 2008 (8-5) and 2009 (8-5). Only the inaugural 1997 campaign (5-6), 2011 (5-7) and 2012 (3-9) produced losing seasons after a 2-0 start.n USF had five touchdown drives of 74 yards or greater, including a season-high 92-yarder. USF is averaging 545.2 yards and 48.7 points over its last six games, dating to 2015.n USF is 2-0 for the first time since 2012, the ninth time overall, and has set a new program record with 104 points through the first two games of the season. nQuarterback Quinton Flowers (Miami) reached a new career milestone with 350 passing yards and matched his top total of four touchdown passes after completing 21 of 33 pass attempts with no interceptions. n Flowers’ 403 total yards were good for eighth place in USF’s single-game history books. Flowers also rushed for 53 yards and moved into 10th place on USF’s career rushing list with 1,285 yards. nWith Marlon Mack out with an injury, Darius Tice (Miami) rushed for a career high of 120 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. USF rushed for 293 yards and was a perfect 6-for-6 inside the red zone.n D’Ernest Johnson (Immokalee) also rushed for a career-high 87 yards on 16 carries and his 13-yard touchdown catch helped spot USF a 34-7 lead midway through the third quarter. n Rodney Adams has scored at least one touchdown in nine of USF’s last 11 games. In that 11-game span, he has 12 total touchdowns (nine receiving, two rushing, one kickoff return). nRyeshene Bronson (Fort Myers) hauled in a 73-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 113 yards on three receptions. n USF’s swarming 4-2-5 defense limited NIU (0-2) to 5-for-18 on third-down conversions and kept the Huskies scoreless until 1:36 was remaining in the first half. n Linebacker Auggie Sanchez (St. Petersburg) led the way with 13 total tackles, one off his career high, and a sack.
