How B.J. Daniels Can Attack Notre Dame

There is a lot of pressure on Daniels this season to perform and lead the offense.

Football! This will be the talk all week on every site, among every fan, and every enemy. College football has finally returned and the campus is buzzing here in Tampa as the Bulls prepare for Notre Dame. We have talked about the USF defense, the offense, and everything in between until we are blue in the face, but as we approach game day, one player continues to be the talk of the USF football team, quarterback B.J. Daniels.

Now we all know about Daniels. The physically gifted quarterback that can win a game on his own and also lose it just as quick. Daniels struggled last season in the first year under offensive coordinator Todd Fitch, but as they season went on, the playcalling adjusted a bit and Daniels was able to move more out of the pocket, used the option game effectively, and continued to work on his downfield throwing, something that improved in the win over Clemson in the bowl game.

So that leads us to Daniels and Notre Dame. From the talk of fans and people who know about USF, the consensuses is the same across the board, Daniels will either come up big vs. Notre Dame or he will continue to flounder and lead the team to a loss.

What can Daniels do to be effective vs. Notre Dame and lead them to a win? Here are three offensive schemes that will allow Daniels to be effective and hopefully notch victory number one.

I am not the offensive coordinator of USF, that is Todd Fitch's job. I am sure that Fitch and Holtz have a game plan to attack the 3-4 defense of Notre Dame, but after watching the games last season and seeing the evolution of the offense, how Fitch called games, and the natural ability of Daniels, these are ways Daniels and the offense can move the ball.

Down field passing

Before people lock me away for saying that, think about the ability of getting the ball down field on big throws. Daniels has a strong arm, there is no question about that and last season, when Bogan was on the field, the offense would take a deep shot and throw the ball vertically. While Bogan is gone, the offense returns A.J. Love, Sterling Griffin, Evan Landi and a host of talented receivers that are all capable of battling downfield, going up, and making the catch. Daniels is more confident in the offense and now that he has more reliable targets on the side, he should be confident in making these passes.

If the offensive line (3 new starters) can give him enough time, Daniels will make his reads and find the big time receivers that are going to be open vs. Notre Dame.

Let Daniels run

Face the facts, Daniels is not a pocket passer, he is a scrambler. Last season, keeping him in the pocket (trying to avoid injury) was the game plan. This year, with confidence in the back-ups, look for Fitch and Holtz to allow Daniels to get outside more and create. Whether it means allowing him to roll out of the pocket and find receivers or allow him to use his feet and run the ball, the offense needs to allow it.

Now the coaches don't want Daniels to become a run first and run second quarterback and still prefer him to stand in the pocket, read the defense and make a strike, but with his ability to scramble and create, why hold him back? Daniels will get a little more opportunity to run and will be able to make big plays.

Triple option

The Bulls used this quite a bit last season, the old fashion triple option. With the running game not setting the world on fire and the passing game taking an early vacation, Fitch dialed up the triple option and it worked wonders. For one, it allowed Daniels to move outside the pocket and make reads on the fly, always having a person to pitch the ball too.

Secondly, it allows the Bulls' skill players to get the ball in space and attack the ND defense. Bulls are loaded with speed and ND probably can't match that all game long. With Lamar, Mitchell, and Shaw on the sides, able to take any pitch all the way for a touchdown, that can wear down a defense and gives the offense more weapons. It is also a great way to move the pocket if the offensive line is having trouble protecting Daniels as well.

So here are just a few possibilities for the USF offense and how they may be able to use B.J. Daniels to get the ball moving vs. Notre Dame (and for the rest of the season as well). The offense has a lot more firepower this season, a lot more confidence, and it should be a big game for the Bulls.