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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 24, 2015 – Willie Taggart and the Bulls aren't getting caught up in the hoopla of USF-UCF rivalry week.
The Bulls continue to have a businesslike approach leading up to the clash in Orlando on Thanksgiving night.
“It's big because it's the next game. It's big because we have a goal that we want and we can't reach that goal unless we win this ballgame,” Taggart said Tuesday. “We're so locked into doing that. We're so close to where we want to get and we can't have any hiccups right now.”
USF (7-4, 5-2) has a main goal of competing for the American Athletic Conference title and two things need to happen for the program to win the East Division and punch its ticket to the Dec. 5 championship game. If the Bulls beat UCF, they'll need UConn to knock off first-place Temple on Saturday night in Philadelphia.
“If we take care of our business, then the pressure goes on the other team,” Taggart said.
The first order of business is taking care of an opponent that's won the past two games in the rivalry series. UCF (0-11, 0-7) has had a tough run since beating USF last November, but the Bulls say the past means nothing Thursday night.
“We're not going to take these guys for granted,” senior defensive end Shawn Hill said. “We don't care what their record is or anything like that.”
USF has acted like it's preparing to face an undefeated foe, which has been pleasing for the coaching staff. Taggart has been looking to see if there would be a drop-off in production after three straight wins, but that hasn't been the case.
“We really had a great week of practice. I really was impressed with the energy and the concentration and focus our guys had these last couple of days, especially with it being a short week,” Taggart said. “… “We got a lot of good work done the entire week. I'm excited about our guys and excited about Thursday night. I'm ready to see them play.”
Mack Closing In on Single-Season Rushing Record
Marlon Mack now owns the USF single-season record with seven 100-yard games and the star sophomore has another top Bulls feat in reach.
With 1,171 yards, Mack needs 204 more yards to break the USF single-season rushing record set by Andre Hall in 2005.
“It would be great to break the record,” said Mack, who noted it's a goal for his offensive line.
Mack earned American Rookie of the Year honors by rushing for a USF freshman record 1,041 yards last season. Mack Attack sprinted past his 2014 total with 336 rushing yards in the past two weeks. In addition to leading The American in rushing, Mack ranks 10th in the FBS with 6.69 yards per carry.
“It's more satisfying because we're winning more games,” he said.
Bulls Winning in the Trenches
Big guys up front on both sides of the ball have helped the Bulls win six of their past seven games, the program's best stretch after Oct. 1 since 2002.
With the offensive line paving the way, USF has set a program record with 2,634 rushing yards this season. The Bulls rank 12th nationally with 240 yards on the ground per game.
Tom Allen's “Bull Sharks” defense is 11th in the FBS with 7.7 tackles for loss per game and the defensive line has accounted for nearly half of the team's 85 stops behind the line.
“I think with any good football team, that's where it starts on both sides of the ball and our guys are doing a great job,” Taggart said.
Bulls Bits
- Taggart and the Bulls continue to receive praise from the national media for their impressive turnaround. USF received a vote in this week's AP Poll and even got some great compliments from FSU coach Jimbo Fisher. “It's pretty cool they think of you that way, but that goes all back to our players and coaches and what they've been able to accomplish this year to put us in this position. This is what we all wanted,” Taggart said. “We wanted people saying good things about USF football. We went out and took care of business and it's gratifying now to know that the plan that you put in place is starting to work for you. The Bulls family is reaping the benefits from it.”
- Tuesday marked USF's final practice of the regular season and Taggart's “Last Tackle” tradition continued with some fun after the action. With the team forming a tunnel, each senior got to sprint toward a tackling dummy and attack it however they wanted. Kicker Michael Hill got some laughs with his acrobatic dropkick. “There was some interesting tackling going on there, but it's amazing how much fun they have being able to do that. It's pretty cool to watch,” Taggart said.
- The Bulls will get together for Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday prior to traveling to Orlando. “Turkey is pretty good and some gravy. I wish I could get my mom's though,” Mack said with a smile.
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.
