Wait is over: Bulls getting back to business

Posted Aug 3, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Aug 3, 2011 at 09:36 PM

It was a day Skip Holtz eagerly looked forward to, and it’s one he said produced plenty of smiling faces around the University of South Florida athletics offices, not just on his own.

The wait was over. It was time for the USF football team to get back to business.

And there’s plenty of business to take care of before the 2011 season opener next month.

Players reported Wednesday and the Bulls will be back on the field Thursday, with a morning walk-through and afternoon practice scheduled for the first day of preseason camp. The focus will turn to building competition and depth at key positions that were an area of concern coming out of spring practice, notably along the offensive and defensive lines, cornerback and tight end.

“We need to bring some depth on this football team if we’re going to compete for a 12-week season as we go through the entire year, and that’s the big picture we’re trying to look at,” Holtz said.

The good news for Holtz is that he’ll have all the players he expected to have in the fold available. The coach reported there were no academic casualties among returning players, and added all 17 freshmen who signed in the 2011 recruiting class had qualified. The latter seemed a particularly positive sign, considering Holtz believes seven or eight from the group will have a chance to help the team this fall.

More good news was the reports Holtz received from strength and conditioning coach Mike Golden regarding USF’s offseason summer workouts. At the end of spring practice Holtz called the summer workouts critical for his team’s development, and said based on what he’s heard he believes his team made the most of it.

“Mike Golden just ranted and raved about the job his staff did, and also about the job this team did. Mike’s been doing this along time; just their focus, their determination, their leadership, there’s a confidence growing in this football team,” Holtz said.

“I’ve said this before, do you win and gain confidence or gain confidence and win? I think you gain confidence by seeing all your teammates in there and working out with them and knowing how hard they’re working and they’re pushing, and that’s where that confidence grows from. That’s one of the things that probably has me as excited as can be to get out there on the grass (today).”

Holtz noted the excitement within the program entering his second season, and believes the Bulls are in a position to make a run at their goals in 2011.

“There’s still a lot of question marks and still a lot of growth and development as a team to get there, but I certainly feel like we have a chance to get there right now,” Holtz said. “I certainly feel like we have a chance to line up and compete for the Big East championship, which is what our goals are.”

BULLS BITS: There are 21 players who did not participate in spring drills joining USF for camp; the 17 freshmen from the 2011 recruiting class, Florida transfer WR Chris Dunkley, and three preferred walk-ons: OL Jake Smith (Bloomingdale) and Mak Djulbegovic (Carrollwood Day) and K Mattias Ciabatti (Hillsborough). … The only players on the roster who won’t participate in camp are TE Jeff Hawkins, who suffered a torn ACL during voluntary workouts this summer and will miss the 2011 season, and OL Jake Kaufman, who had back surgery at the end of spring. Holtz said Kaufman will be re-evaluated in the next couple of weeks. … All practices held during the portion of camp in Vero Beach (Aug. 7-17) are open to the public, which includes the team’s first scheduled scrimmage Aug. 13 at 1:10 p.m.