The Difference Between USF's Losses to Cincinnati and to Connecticut

I know many USF football fans are disheartened after such a promising start to the 2011 season and being let down in October as usual. But I'm here to shed a little light on both of USF's most recent losses to Connecticut and to Cincinnati, and hopefully give you, the loyal fans, a little shred of optimism for the rest of the season coming off this rough past month of October.

It's no secret that USF played poorly last weekend against UConn. Everyone knows that. B.J. didn't really show his full potential, and Darrell Scott wasn't the powerful runner that we're used to seeing. But I don't think it's all their fault that they played poorly. I think everyone here pretty much knows that the coaches, specifically Offensive Coordinator Todd Fitch, had a major part in the poor production of a clearly superior USF team. Defensively, the Bulls only gave up 9 points, so not much can be blamed on them although they were pretty porous at times. But we're pretty much all in agreements that USF's offensive coaches have to shoulder much of the blame for the poor performance. They cited the weather for providing poor conditions for passing, but any self-respecting team should be able to withstand a little wind and rain. USF came out of halftime with a great drive, mixing runs and passes at appropriate times, resulting in a touchdown. So what do they do on the next drive? Do they go back to the previous drive that was so successful? Nope, they closed up the playbook again and went back to running the ball in between the tackles every down. B.J. was underutilized and only passed for 164 yards against a UConn team that had allowed almost 950 yards through the air in the previous two weeks. I don't care if you're in the crosswinds of a hurricane, you have to throw the ball at least a few more times against a pass defense that bad. Every team has that one game they wish they could play over again, and ours is this UConn game. If you want to blame someone, you'd be right to blame the offensive staff.

The Cincinnati game was full of ups and downs for Bulls fans. The biggest coaching blunder by far was the debacle right before the half, when USF had driven to the 2 yard line and allowed the clock to run all the way down to three seconds, settling for a field goal instead of a touchdown, which turned out to be the deciding points of the game. But aside from that, the coaches did well. The playbook opened up considerably, B.J. threw for over 400 yards, and the offense looked good. Scott wasn't outrageously effective, but he ran enough to allow the passing game to open up. The difference between this loss and last week's loss, however, was where USF lost the game. Last week's loss was on the hands of the coaches. But this week, USF took the field with the lead and only one job: don't let Cincy drive. Obviously the defensive coaches drew up the plays that ultimately broke down in USF's demise, but it was the players who failed to execute. That's why, while this loss was excruciatingly painful, it's not quite as bitter as the UConn loss, because these athletes weren't robbed of an opportunity to succeed, they lost it on the field themselves.

So USF's chances at a Big East championship are virtually dead. We haven't won a game in the conference yet and we're still looking for bowl eligibility. But there were some good things to take away from this game. The USF coaches' confidence in B.J. seems to be restored, and the Bulls' offense appears to be moving in the right direction. Defensively, there's still work to do. But USF has the talent and ability to turn this midseason rough patch into a successful season still. The Bulls are sitting on three losses and have no real chance at a conference championship, but the future still holds the potential for a ten-win season for USF. The Bulls have to of course win all of their remaining games, but a 9-3 Bulls team could still see an appearance in a significant bowl game, perhaps in the Belk Bowl against Florida or the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State. Although we entered the season with high expectations, there is still potential for this season to become a relative success. A 10-3 USF team would finish in the postseason BCS Top 25, a feat that has never been accomplished by any USF team; not to mention the first double-digit win season in school history. So keep you heads up, USF fans, this season is far from over.