Top 5 Players From 2010 - Number 4

The short countdown continues as we list our top 5 players from the 2010 season. Yesterday, Matt had Sampson Genus at number five on his list, and Mike had RB Demetris Murray. Today, we're still keeping it on the offensive side of the ball with our number 4. [keep reading]

Matt's #4: RB Moise Plancher

Coming in at number 4 on my list is senior running back Moise Plancher. The 6th year senior had a solid year on the field for the Bulls offense, leading the team in rushing as the offense transitioned under Todd Fitch and tried to find its way.

The 5’8” 195-pound senior had battled throughout his career at USF with multiple injuries, such as a torn ACL on just his second carry of his freshman season. Plancher had gone through multiple coaching changes, but was finally able to put it together and have a solid season on the field under Coach Holtz and Todd Fitch.

Plancher led the way with 176 carries for 820 yards, including 5 touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 99 yards.

While these numbers are not the biggest, they were huge for an offense that struggled for the larger part of the season under the new system. For the first time in years, the Bulls relied on a running back to get a majority of the carries and carry the load of the running game. Plancher was able to handle the job and had a solid season (Murray did as well behind him).

Plancher was never the fastest, biggest, or most skilled running back,but he was simply productive. He was able to get carries up the middle and was able to break to the outside and pickup big runs as well. He was reliable and became a consistent force behind B.J. Daniels.

Mike's #4: C Sampson Genus

I do realize that Matt talked about Genus in the last post, but there's no denying how important he was to this football team. Sampson was one of the few seniors left in Tampa after Coach Jim Leavitt's untimely departure, and made the commitment to himself and to the team that he would stay and lead this team. Genus was elected captain for the Bulls and helped the team through all their growing pains in the transition to Skip Holtz's form.

Genus doesn't play a position that makes up a lot of stats, but his leadership was what made him important on and off the field. He's always been a quiet guy off the field, but it was his experience that anchored the offensive line to one of their best seasons ever. The protection he provided was likely the reason USF didn't lose 8 games this year, and we have to appreciate what he did for the Bulls. He started all thirteen games this past season, and was selected to the first-team All Big East. He also got a nomination for the Wuerffel Trophy.

The future is semi-unclear for Genus, as he was not selected in the draft. He did, however, finish his Criminology degree in three and a half years, so there are always doors open to him while the NFL settles the lockout. USF, and the NCAA, could really use more athletes like Genus, whose dedication on the field is only surpassed by the dedication in the classroom.

So what do you think USF fans? Does Plancher deserve to be on the list? Is Plancher rated too high (over Genus in Matt's ranking) or should he be higher on the list of best players? Did Mike get it right with Genus? Leave your thoughts below. Go Bulls!