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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 23, 2015 – Willie Taggart's Bulls are gearing up for a wild final week of the regular season.
USF (7-4, 5-2) could possibly punch its ticket to the conference championship game with continued success and some good fortune.
It all starts with the rivalry game against UCF in Orlando on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. If USF wins and UConn beats Temple on Saturday night, the Bulls would be playing for the conference crown on Dec. 5.
“I'm sure a lot of our guys will be watching that game, only if we take care of our business on Thursday night,” Taggart said.
USF has made this a season to remember by putting together the program's best stretch after October since 2002. Bowl eligible for the first time since 2010, USF has won six of its past seven games after routing Cincinnati, 65-27, on Nov. 20 at Raymond James Stadium.
“It was a great victory for the Bulls. I thought we saw a football team that was highly motivated to go out and get a win,” Taggart said. “It was a team that wanted to try to play its best ballgame and I feel like our guys did that.”
USF has gotten back to business quickly because of what's ahead. The Bulls have a 4-2 lead in their all-time series with UCF, but the Knights have won the past two games and left Tampa with a 16-0 victory last November.
“A lot of (our) guys played on that team last year, so they know what it was. I don't have to talk about it,” Taggart said. “For us, it's continuing to focus on the things that we've been focusing on all year long, and that's getting USF better. That's been our mindset and that's been our approach every week. It's not going to stop this week just because we're playing UCF.”
USF's mindset has paid off this season, especially in the past two games against conference contenders. The focused Bulls averaged 54 points and 343 rushing yards per game against Temple and Cincinnati on the way to the fifth-best turnaround in the FBS in the past two years.
“It's about us. It's been that way all along,” co-offensive coordinator Danny Hope said. “Our guys are highly motivated and playing like an inspired football team.”
The coaching staff expects the same from a USF team that also continues to respect opponents' capabilities heading into each game. UCF (0-11, 0-7) looks to finish its season on a positive note and the Bulls know the Knights will be ready for the rivalry game. All three USF-UCF games in Orlando have been decided by seven points or less.
“Whatever their best shot is we're going to get it,” defensive coordinator Tom Allen said.
The Half to Remember
USF gained ground in the divisional title race with a 44-23 win over then-No. 21 Temple on Nov. 15. The Bulls put any thoughts of a letdown in the rearview mirror quickly last Friday with the most explosive half in school history.
The Bulls scored on eight of its first nine drives with seven touchdowns during a 51-point opening half. Quinton Flowers threw touchdown passes on each of his first three attempts and had a career-high four TD tosses at the half.
“I don't know if I've ever seen a first half like that and I've done this a long time,” said Allen, who has been coaching since 1992.
Allen's “Bull Sharks” defense had a big hand in USF's first-half success by forcing five of its season-high six takeaways in the first two quarters. USF's defense even got into the scoring act in the second quarter with Deatrick Nichols' 29-yard interception return for a touchdown that helped extend the lead to 34-0.
“The offense was on fire and our defense was creating takeaways and giving them fits,” Allen said. “We just really couldn't ask for any better way to start a game, especially when you come off such a big win.”
Nichols Named American Defensive Player of the Week
Deatrick Nichols was named The American's Defensive Player of the Week and his pick-6 was just part of the reason for the prestigious honor.
The sophomore cornerback from Miami now has a team-high four interceptions after hauling in two against Cincinnati along with registering eight tackles and a pass breakup.
“He had a phenomenal game. The thing he does is he studies film better than anybody that I've had in the back end,” Allen said. “Therefore, he anticipates and can jump routes. The pick-6 he got was because of film study.”
Bulls Bits
- Despite the secondary's show-stopping performance, Allen said the defensive MVPs of the Cincinnati game were the Bulls' front line. Bruce Hector and Eric Lee combined for three sacks and four of the Bulls' seven tackles for loss. The stout D-line helped the Bulls limit Cincinnati to 97 rushing yards on 35 carries. “As a collective group, they're very impressive. They understand their role and they execute it really, really well,” Allen said.
- Thursday will mark the Bulls' third game in a 13-day span and the staff has planned accordingly. “I think Coach Taggart has done a great job managing the football team because if you're not careful you can over train them at this time of year. There is only so much tread on the tire,” Hope said. “I think he's done a good job of backing off, and at the same time the quality of practices have been really good.”
- Stay up to date on everything Bulls by catching the USF Football Radio Show on Monday from 7-8 p.m. on 820-AM and GoUSFBulls.com. Fans can catch the show in person live from Grillsmith in Wesley Chapel (2000 Piazza Ave, #100).
- USF weekly press conference takes place Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. with select players at the podium followed by Taggart. Watch it in progress at GoUSFBulls.com.
The USF Football program is in its 19th season overall and 16th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
