USF Offers 2012 Linebacker

Recruiting never takes a day off and the Bulls are always at work. USF has offered 2012 linebacker prospect Dallas Griffiths.

Dallas Griffiths, the 6-2 225-pound linebacker out of North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, Florida is a 3-star athlete that is starting to get more attention as camps and recruiting continues to heat up this summer.

Griffiths is a very athletic linebacker that has tremendous speed for his size and will only get bigger at the next level. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, runs the shuttle run in 4.32 seconds and has a 32" vertical (better than some wide receivers we have talked about on here).

Griffiths has a few offers in hand now. Georgia Tech (not in good shape with NCAA), Maryland, and Southern Miss have all offered (even Liberty has offered) and now the Bulls have joined the mix.

Now the name Griffiths should be familiar to the Bulls. His brother, Chase Griffiths was part of the Bulls team for two seasons, seeing action in only one game last year. He was a tight end that converted to fullback, but decided to transfer out of the program. This should not affect his decision, but then again, we don't know how the Griffiths family views the Bulls, so it could play a factor at some point. It would be nice to pick him up in recruiting, but we will have to wait and see what happens.

Five Most Important Players for 2011: Number 3

Darrell Scott will play a big role on the offense this season for the Bulls.

As this short countdown continues, we look at the players that are going to be key to the success of the 2011 football team. The Bulls are loaded with talent, but there are key players and positions that have to excel in order to help the Bulls try to capture that elusive Big East title. Here are the number three players I personally think will need to have a big season. [keep reading]

Five Most Important Players for 2011: Number 4

Kayvon Webster needs to have a huge season for the Bulls defense.

With A.J. Love and Sam Barrington in the books at number 5, this short segment continues as we look at the most important players for the 2011 season. Remember, these are the players that have to step up for the Bulls. They are either star players or new comers that have to step and make an impact this season to help the Bulls claim their first Big East title. Here are the players that come in at number 4 on the list that have to step up and make it happen this season. [keep reading]

The 2011 USF Primer: Quarterback

The success or failure of the 2011 season may come down to the play of junior quarterback B.J. Daniels.

Here we go USF fans, the final part of the 2011 Primer. Hopefully you have enjoyed the primer so far as it gets you ready for the upcoming 2011 season. Remember all of the names, stats, and insights we have given you as you cheer on the Bulls during this upcoming season.

We finally get a chance to look at the quarterback situation of the Bulls. The Bulls had a roughs season last year with B.J. Daniels learning the play book of Todd Fitch on the job. The passing game struggled to find rhythm (doesn't help having two starters out) and the Bulls battled to get a touchdown on the board at times. This season, the success or failure of the team rests on the play of the quarterback position. Time to look at who will be making the calls. [keep reading]

USF 2011-2012 Non-conference Schedule Released

Yep, it could be another long season for Coach Stan Heath and his team.

USF released their non-conference portion of their schedule for the 2011-2012 season. With the Big East being as tough as it is, the non-conference portion is just as rough.

The Bulls are going to be homeless this season as the renovations are underway on the Sun Dome. While they are much needed and probably should of happened years ago, the team will not play a game on campus, leaving them on the road, traveling between Lakeland, University of Tampa's campus, the St. Pete Times Forum, and the Lakeland Center for all of their home games.

A brief look at the schedule and there are several games that pop out. Old Dominion, Marist, VCU, and Cleveland State are all tough mid-major teams that could beat up the Bulls. Games against Kansas and possibly Kentucky (or Penn State, an NCAA Tournament team from last season) are also brutal games. Auburn will be better and the Bulls lost to Southern Miss last time, so that is not a proven game either. Here is the full list of the non-conference schedule and possible locations for games (as of now).

· Sat, Nov 12 Vermont (at University of Tampa), 7:00 p.m.

· Mon, Nov 14 Marist (at St. Pete Times Forum), 7:00 p.m.

· Wed, Nov 16 Florida Southern (at Lakeland Center), 7:00 p.m.

· Sat, Nov 19 Old Dominion (at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT - Naismith Memorial HOF Tournament), 2:00 p.m.

· Sun, Nov 20 Kentucky or Penn State (at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT - Naismith Memorial HOF Tournament), time TBA

· Wed, Nov 23 Georgia Southern (at St. Pete Times Forum), 7:00 p.m.

· Sat, Nov 26 Florida Atlantic University (at University of Tampa), 7:00 p.m.

· Wed, Nov 30 at VCU, time TBA

· Sat, Dec 03 at Kansas, time TBA

· Sun, Dec 11 Florida A&M (at University of Tampa), 2:00 p.m.

· Thu, Dec 15 at Auburn, time TBA

· Mon, Dec 19 Cleveland State (at St. Pete Times Forum), 7:00 p.m.

· Thu, Dec 22 at Southern Miss, time TBA

This could be another rough season, maybe even worse than last season. The Bulls are literally homeless and should not expect huge home crowds due to the venues they are traveling. If Heath wants to prove himself this season, this is the time to rally this team and pull them together during this rough transition year without a true home court.

The Bulls finished last season at 10-23 (4-16). This season could be equally as rough or even worse. The Bulls will be a bit better with Gilchrist opting to return, but losing Crater, as much as we joke about him does hurt. He was a senior guard with starting experience in the Big East. The Bulls will have to put the ball in the hands of incoming JUCO star Blake Nash and hope he can grow quickly and play under these strange and tough circumstances.

This UCF Business Has Gone Far Enough

If you don't know by now, there is much buzz around college football fans because of the release of EA Sports NCAA Football '12 today. What many of you may not know is that EA Sports released a raw video of a game between UCF and USF where it appears that the Knights are playing against a bad high school football team. The video features five UCF touchdowns against a hilariously bad defense and defensive highlights that would bring a tear to Ray Lewis's eye. But enough of me talking about this video, see it for yourself here:

As you can see, either EA is not giving South Florida any credit or they're trying to make UCF look like they belong at the top of the SEC. Let's not forget that EA has an office in Orlando. Coincidence? You decide. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, I've seen enough garbage lately glorifying Central Florida beyond what they really are. I've got much more to say about the media's tilt toward UCF after the jump.

Five Most Important Players for USF Football in 2011: Number 5

How important is A.J. Love being back on the field for the Bulls this season?

As we eagerly await the 2011 football season and count down the seconds until the Bulls stampede onto the field, we begin to look at every position on the team and debate on how important each player will be to the success of the team in 2011. I am beginning a small series where I pick 5 key players on each side of the ball that must step up this season and will be an essential part of the Bulls success. While every position and player is important, these are players and positions that are key for the Bulls and a lot of the success this season rests on their shoulders. [keep reading]

The 2011 USF Primer: Running Backs

Demetris Murray is the leading returning running back for the Bulls this season.

As the primer begins to wrap up, we take a look at the running back position. The Bulls began to rely on the running backs more last season, taking the ball out of the hands of B.J. Daniels. Mo Plancher did a solid job and Demetris Murray helped carry the load. This season, the Bulls have new faces and a season under them, making most fans very optimistic about the running game entering the 2011 season. [keep reading]

New USF Bulls New Era Cap

New Era "NCAA White 2-Tone 59Fifty"

Now Available at Lids.com

Top 10 Moments of 2010 Season: Number 8

Number 8: Lindsey Lamar's 94-yard kickoff return vs. Syracuse

In a game that had very few highlights, Lindsey Lamar's kickoff return in the 3rd quarter provided a short burst of hope that USF's Homecoming Game could be salvaged.

USF had gone into the half tied with Syracuse, 3-3. That's right, Syracuse. The same team who USF had made a mockery of every year since joining the Big East. Both teams' offenses looked awful all day, and halftime couldn't come soon enough. Out of the gate in the second half, Syracuse ended an 11-play, 49 yard drive with a 41-yard field goal by Ross Krautman to go up 6-3.

USF prepared for the ensuing kickoff, needing excellent field position because the offense wasn't going to win this one on their own. They needed all the help they could get, and with the defense doing a good job so far just holding the Orange to just two field goals, just a spark might do it for the Bulls. Krautman booted the ball to USF, where Lindsey Lamar took it in at the 6 yard line. Fullback Richard Kelly led the way with a block that opened a gaping hole in the coverage, which turned out to be all the elusive Lamar needed. After weaving through the first line of defense, all he had to do was beat the kicker, which proved to be no task for the track star. Lamar trotted into the end zone for the first touchdown of the day, and for a brief moment USF looked like they would be able to hold off Syracuse once again.

After the game, when asked about his return, the humble Lamar didn't credit his performance with the momentum shift that it provided:

"It's extremely disappointing — it doesn't matter, because we lost"

The game itself was certainly lacking highlights, but Lamar gave Bulls fans a reason to stand up and cheer for as brief a moment as it was.