Thoughts on USF Up-Tempo Offense

B.J. Daniels and the offense are moving the ball, but they have to finish. (Picture: www.tbo.com)

We got to witness this new look offense for the first time on Saturday night (in person) and I must say (personally of course) that I was impressed by the progression of B.J. Daniels and the speed and efficiency of the offensive unit.

While there is a lot of good to talk about with the tempo and career night for Daniels passing, there are still question marks that need to be answered, especially in downfield throwing and redzone efficiency, two things the Bulls must correct if they want to continue to be successful and get more points on the board when they have the opportunity to. Here are some areas that caught my interest with the offense.

Speed

The first thing you notice with the offense is the tempo. It seems after every play, the offensive line gets back to formation fast, plays come into Daniels quickly and the offense is ready to roll. This is all due to familiarity with Todd Fitch and his offense and the new tempo that Fitch wanted to introduce this season (had to put training wheels on the offense last season). It gets the players moving faster, creates greater urgency and gets the opposing defense tired. It has helped our defense get ready for the spread formations we will be facing this season and continues to get a lot of positive yardage. As long as they are executing, I think the up-tempo and pace is great.

Bubble screens

Loved and hated, the quick bubble screen pass continues to be a favorite play for the offense. While it doesn't always produce at ton of yards, it does move the chains. It gets the ball out of Daniels hands fast, which is good, making his read a lot easier and less prone to mistakes. Also with the playmakers Daniels has at his disposable, he wants to swing the ball out quickly so the fast players like Lamar and Mitchell can catch the ball in open space and get going without a wasted effort. While they are not the big plays everyone wants, they are effective enough, give players chances, and control the tempo well.

Down field passing

This is something we haven't seen too much of yet, at least successfully. Daniels is getting better with his passing and finding all his weapons, especially Landi down the middle. But the big explosive play down the sideline that we saw so many times with Bogan last year has not happened in the first two games. With Andre Davis and Ruben Gonzalez getting rid of their redshirts, they should get their chances to shine and show their ability to get down the field and go up for passes, making the big catch when needed. Daniels had a pick in the last game because of miscommunication with Sterling Griffin, but Holtz praised the pass and said that Daniels is close to getting the pace and offense down perfectly.

Running game

Murray continues to do a solid job and now with Scott showing he is more than a bruiser, this could be a nice year for the running backs. Murray is reliable, showing speed and power, but Scott could be a big time player if he continues at this pace. Showing power and speed, he adds a new dimension to the offense that has been lacking for years, but now is back. Add in the speed of Shaw and Lamar in the backfield along with Daniels ability to escape and create with his legs, the running game can take advantage and wear people down with their strength and the tempo of the offense.

What has to improve

While the offense has the weapons and the tempo they still aren't getting the job done. As GA mentioned earlier yesterday, the offense is 9 of 10 in red zone appearances, but 5 of those drives have only been field goals. As the season goes on and the Big East conference comes around, the offense has to execute more and get the points when they having the chances too. The offense is moving, they just need to finish the work.

Overall, the offense is a lot better this year and seems to be finding its way despite a few question marks left. Hopefully with these last two non-conference games, the Bulls will be able to get the rest of their questions answered and become an even better unit.