5 Reasons Why the 2012 USF Football Tam Could Struggle

Quarterback B.J. Daniels is a talented quarterback, but he could be a reason the team struggles in 2012.

Earlier this week, we took a look at five of the strengths of the 2012 team, this time, we will play the bad guy and look at five ways the team could struggle this year.  The team has a lot of positives, there are also a lot of areas of concern for this team heading into 2012 that could lead to another rough year.  Depth, new starters, and other factors should have the fans concerned about this group and how far they are really go this season.  Here are five of the biggest concern areas that could lead to a rough year.

Depth at quarterback

B.J. Daniels is the starter, there is no debate about that. However, the last two seasons, Daniels has gone down with an injury (2011 was the shoulder) and missed time and a game due to the injury.  Daniels is a scrambler, exposing him to hits by the defense.  When Daniels went down last year,  sophomore Bobby Eveld, who had been solid the year before, came in and threw 4 interceptions in his limited playing time.  The offense hit the wall and the team struggled down the stretch.

This year, the back-up position is wide open.  Junior Eveld is the most experienced signal caller the Bulls have behind Daniels, but his timing and footwork were bad last year.  Freshman Matt Floyd burst onto the scene in spring last year and many though he would take over the back-up role this season, but he had an average spring, not enough to pull ahead of Eveld, leaving the battle open through the summer and into fall camp.  It the end, the Bulls need a back-up that can move the offense in case Daniels gets injured during the season.  Eveld has shown signs, but has also struggled.  Floyd has promise, but he has to execute better in practice and show he is ahead of Eveld. 

The Bulls need someone to step up and fill that void.  It probably won't be Baylin Trujilo or Tommy Eveld/Trenton Miller (part of the 2012 recruiting class) either, so the fall will be key for the position.

Running back


One of the concerns facing the team this year is at the running back position.  Junior Darrell Scott decided to leave early for the NFL, placing the workload on Demetris Murray who has shared carries with other running backs the past two seasons.  Murray is a solid, all-around running back that has power, speed, and can catch passes, but there is some concern if he can carry the workload this season and who will help carry some of the burden behind him.

Wide receiver Lindsey Lamar was moved back to running back (natural position) and emerged as the number two running back out of the spring, but at 5-9, he is a small back that is not built for running between the tackles and is best suited for outside the box runs and screen passes out of the backfield.  Behind Lamar, there are two other running backs that have little or no experience.  Freshman Willie Davis redshirted last year and added weight in the offseason, but he is a smaller back that has never carried in the collegiate level.  Junior Bradley Battles, a former 4-star recruit, has not lived up to the hype yet when he was recruited and can't seem to make his way from the practice field to the game.  The Bulls signed JUCO running back Michael Pierre in the 2012 recruiting class, giving them another veteran back in the backfield, but he is not on campus yet and there is no telling how much of an impact he will be this year. 

The Bulls have to find a number two running back to help support Murray and the group behind him has a lot of questions.  The team could use other players like Victor Marc to take carries, but they are all special package plays and Daniels can't carry the ball all season, so finding a number two running back behind Murray is a great area of concern facing this team.

History

Face the facts, the Bulls have never finished well in the Big East.  The best finish for the program happened in 2007 when they finished 4-3 and 4th place in the conference, since then, it has been a struggle in league play and the reason for it still escapes the program.  Last year the team went 1-6 in league play (dropped so many close games) and the frustration for the team and fans continued to grow.

Entering this season, the team is battling for the title once again, but can they do it?  For years, the team has been a darkhorse favorite to win the league.  On paper, the Bulls have just as much talent, if not more, than their opponents and with the speed and skillplayers, the team should be able to win the conference games, but they haven't been able to do it yet. 

So entering this season, there is a lot of talk about the team, speculation that they can win well with the team they have and the favorable schedule, and everything else, but history has shown over the years that they just can't break through in league play and it could be another season of defeats.

Depth at the center position

At the end of last year, the Bulls lost their starting center, Chaz Hine, and the back-up, Kevin McCaskill, to graduation, leaving the team searching for a new man in the middle.  Sophomore Austin Reiter has apparently won the job, but without a snap in a collegiate game, there is concern here and there is no one with experience behind him.

Reiter played well in the spring and there didn't appear to be an exchange problems between him and the quarterbacks.  Teammates stated Reiter was a great vocal leader, stepping up to lead the offensive line, a strength returning from last years' team.  But while practices are going great, it could be a different story during the season against real competition and if for some reason he is injured, who on the roster could take his spot?

The Bulls added JUCO Chandlor Mathews in the 2012 recruiting class to compete for the center position, but he didn't make it any higher than 3rd team and has left the program to be closer to home.  Redshirt freshman Thor Jozwiak is listed as the number two center, but has never taken a snap at the college level either. 

The Bulls have to be a little concerned at the center position and Reiter has to continue to progress at the position through the summer and the fall to secure and anchor the middle of the offensive line.


B.J. Daniels


Yes, he is a weakness.  In the earlier post this week, we listed him as a strength, looking at everything he has going for him this year, but when we step back and take off our green and gold colored glasses, there has to be a lot of concern.  


Daniels has the arm and legs, but looking over the past few years he has been the starter for the Bulls, he has never put it all together.  He has struggled at times with his decision making in the passing game, mis-reading defenses and placing the ball in bad places.  He has also turned the ball over a lot over the past seasons, mostly at the worst times for the team.  


There are the doubters and while we are hoping for the best and believing this is the year, after 3 seasons, can he do it?  The team will go the way of Daniels.  If he has a big season, the Bulls will be a tough team to beat and will make noise in the conference, but if he fails or gets injured (hamstring, shoulder) the team could slip. 


So what do you think?  Are there other areas that this team could fail or do you think these areas we have marked could be strengths and there is nothing to worry about?  Share your thoughts!