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Forum: Talk Bulls
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For more than an hour, the University of South Florida football team laid it on the line. There was no holding back. No one was saving anything for later.
They gave everything they had – to each other.
During last week’s open date on Nov. 3, seniors Tyrone McKenzie, Jake Griffin and Carlton Williams called a players only meeting.
“It was straight forward,” McKenzie said. “That’s how you can sum it up. We spoke what was on our mind. There was no sugar coating.”
Since starting 5-0, the Bulls (6-3) have lost three of their four Big East contests. With 17 returning starters, the Bulls fully understand they should not be in this situation.
“We felt like everyone has a burden and everyone is so tense and tight,” Williams said. “You get up here and say whatever you want to say.
“What a lot of guys were saying was so true. We needed as a team to see where everyone was coming from. We needed it to get back on track and get this thing rolling again.”
One of the problems addressed was the Bulls’ lack of enthusiasm and passion.
“We knew we should be undefeated right now,” junior DE George Selvie said. “We need to get things going. We’re not like the team we used to be when we made plays.
“We used to celebrate. Now when we make plays, it’s just ‘OK, you made a play.’ We didn’t feel like we were playing with enough energy.”
Selvie said it was a positive meeting.
“It was good to see how people felt,” Selvie said. “Matt [Grothe] doesn’t usually talk and he got up and said some stuff. I said some stuff and I usually don’t talk either.”
Senior LT Ryan Schmidt said the meeting was needed.
“Everybody was really frustrated after the [Louisville and Cincinnati losses],” Schmidt said. “It was nice. Some got up and took out their frustrations; others got up to rally the troops. It was a mixture of both.”
Posted by Patrick O'Rourke, D.C. on 11/12 at 08:51 AM
Too little too late.
This should have been done after that debacle against Pitt.
Posted by Chris, Florida on 11/11 at 10:17 PM
From what i can theorize from a distance Cindy, it seems that because expectations were so high for this team externally and as a result internally, they seemed to act if there was nothing to play for once they were no longer undefeated. But in general it has always been the history of this team to play better when they were the underdog, when they perceived they weren’t getting the respect they thought they deserved. The opposite can be said for when they were the favorites, perhaps thinking they were as good as their press clippings, setting themselves up as an easy target for overachieving teams like they once were.
Posted by Cindy Enlow, Lakeland, FL on 11/11 at 08:25 PM
I agree that there is no passion among the players, and I am glad that they are adressing it. I took time off to travel to Louisville and stay for the Cincinnati game. My husband and I both commented that unlike our opponents who rush onto the field, USF walked quietly out as though they were already defeated. There is no gathering on the sidelines after plays to analyze the game-everyone just sits down. We don’t see leadership and this is new for our beloved Bulls. What is going on?
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Posted by Don G, Madeira Beach, FL on 11/14 at 01:42 PM
Chris, your assessment of USF’s players may be key to last year and this years disappointments. I felt the same way and wondered if it’s the type of players they sign or is it with the overall program, philosophy or coaching atmosphere that promotes that kind of mindset and resultant play? I’ve said before that this team seems to lack heart and intestinal fortitude to carry the fight when there’s some adversity to overcome. It’s a strange thing, for sure!