The Bull Rush

USF softball: Bulls sweep double header against North Dakota

2021-03-20T16:27:00.001-04:00

The Bulls, 8-6, won 13 to 4 in game one and 2 to 0 in game two of the double header against North Dakota, extending their winning streak to 5 games in a row.

The sweep also included a no hitter from Georgina Corrick!

In the first game, the Bulls won 13 to 4 (5 innings) to run their record to 7-6 on the year and winning streak to 4 games in a row.

USF would go down 2 to 0 before they opened it up in the bottom of the 2nd, scoring 7 runs to take the 7 to 2 lead.

In the 3rd, Alexis Johns drove in two more runs to make it 9 to 2. Brooke Leistl then scored on an error to make it 10 to 2 followed by an RBI single from AnaMarie Bruni, making it 11 to 2. Bethaney Keen drove in another run to make it 12 to 2. In the 4th, Megan Pierro hit a home run, extending the lead to 13 to 2. ND would get two back in the top of the 5th but would get no closer.

Vivian Ponn (1-0) got the start, going 2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 2. Brittany Hook replaced her went 1.2 innings, allowing 3 walks. Lexie Kopko relieved her, going 1 inning, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs to close it out.

Georgina Corrick went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs. Kyndall Williams continued her weekend with a 2 for 3 outing with an RBI and scored 2 runs. Pierro went 2 for 3 with the home run.

In game two, USF won 2 to 0 on a no hitter from Georgina Corrick.

USF would go ahead 2 to 0 in the first inning on RBI singles from Bethaney Keen and Brooke Hartman to put the Bulls ahead early. That would be it for the offense and that would be all Corrick needed for the 28th no hitter in program history.

Corrick (6-3) walked out 2 and struck out 13 in 7 innings of domination.

Johns went 2 for 3 with a run scored and stole a base while Bruni went 0 for 3 but recorded another steal. Williams went 2 for 3 and Keen went 2 for 3 with an RBI.

It was a great weekend for the Bulls as they continue to get back on track and work their way past .500.

USF will host UNF for a double header on Wednesday starting at 4 PM.

USF volleyball: Bulls fall to Tulane in 4 sets

2021-03-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

The Bulls, 6-6, fell in 4 sets (17 to 25, 19 to 25, 25 to 23, and 21 to 25) to Tulane, splitting the regular season meeting with the Green Wave.

USF had a .140 hitting percentage for the game and worked their way up from a slow start at .037 but the Green Wave never dropped below .200 for the match. It was a tough game and along with a few power outages (for some reason), it was a disappointing match after such a strong game the day before.

Marta Cvitkovic had 12 kills, 6 digs, and 4 total blocks to lead the Bulls. Makayla Washington had 11 kills and 2 digs while Agata Plaga, 11 kills, 3 total blocks, and 3 service aces.

CC Clausen had 22 digs while Maria Idjilov had 24 assists and 5 digs to lead the USF individual performers in this match.

The Bulls will host the school from Oviedo for two games starting on Friday at 7 PM to wrap up the regular season.

USF baseball: Bulls fall to FAU

2021-03-19T20:58:00.001-04:00

The Bulls, 7-8, fell 5 to 1 on Friday night to FAU, extending their losing streak to 5 games as they continue to struggle during this stretch of the season.

FAU went ahead 4 to 0 in the top of the third inning and the USF offense just could not hit their way out of a paper bag in this opening game.

In the bottom of the 8th Carmine Lane hit a sac fly to get USF on the board, but it was still 4 to 1. FAU would get that run back in the top of the 5th and the Bulls would not have an answer in the bottom of the inning.

Jack Jasiak (2-2) pitched well again, going 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, walked just 1 and struck out 7. Joseph Sanchez relieved him, going 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 run and struck out 3 batters. The Bulls were better on the mound in this game compared to their last outing against Stetson, but the offense just could not get it going in this game.

Drew Brutcher went 3 for 3 with the lone run scored. Brutcher has now hit safely in 14 of the first 15 games. Carmine Lane was 0 for 2 with a walk and drove in that lone USF runs. Bulls were 5 for 31 as a team at the plate.

The two teams will do this again tomorrow night at 6 PM in the second game of the three game series as the Bulls look to bounce back.

USF softball: Bulls roll past North Dakota

2021-03-19T18:07:00.001-04:00

The Bulls, 6-6, won 12 to 0 in 5 innings over North Dakota on Friday afternoon to extend their winning streak to three game as they got back to .500 during this strange season.

In the 2nd inning, Alexis Johns singled in a run followed by an RBI double by Josie Foreman to put USF ahead 2 to 0.

In the third, Georgina Corrick hit an RBI double and then scored on an RBI single from Megan Pierro to make it 4 to 0.

In the 4th, the onslaught continued as Bethaney Keen hit a 3-run blast, followed by a solo home run by Kyndall Williams to put USF ahead 8 to 0. Jordyn Kadlub then hit a pinch hit RBI single to put the Bulls ahead 9 to 0. Madison Epperson followed her with a 2-run single to make it 11 to 0. Natalie Zwieg finished it off with an RBI single.

Georgina Corrick (5-3) went all 5 innings, allowing just 2 hits while striking out 9.

AnaMarie Bruni went 2 for 3 with 2 steals and scored a run. Keen was 2 for 3 overall with the three run home run. Williams went 2 for 3 with the home run and scored 2 runs overall. The Bulls had 14 hits as a team. USF looked confident in this game, perhaps using the experience against team USA to help them learn and prepare for the rest of the season.

These two teams will play two tomorrow starting at 11:30 AM as the Bulls look to keep the winning streak alive and get back on track with a few more wins. Let's see if they can run rule them again (that would be fun).

Time to get back to work

2021-02-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

It has been a long, long time since I have worked to cover the USF Bulls and I guess after spending over a year working at home I have made some decisions here and there (its what all that spare time can do for you). One has been to get this blog and this channel working again.

This was my original platform all those years ago, I mean, 2012, when I started to covered and talked about the Bulls. I mean just look at some of the old posts on here, I was talking about Skip Holtz and the Big East days. If that is not old school, I don't know what is. I'm going to keep the old blogs up as a look at the old past.

I have used a lot of different platforms and have tried a lot of different variations of this little blog but after all that time, it is time to get back to the old, old, roots and go with this blog. I have not written about USF (at least sustained for a long time) for some time, but with all of this down time at home, it is time to get back to some kind of work on this thing.

There have two posts on the two soccer games over the weekend, but that is just the beginning. I have to much to do, write, and talk about so let's go.

USF Homecoming Week 2012 Monday Events Schedule

2012-10-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again USF family! Homecoming Week 2012; Superbull XVI! Here are a list of events going on on all campuses throughout the day for Monday October 22nd, weather permitting.

USF Tampa Campus Events

Homecoming Kickoff | 12:00 PM

Marshall Center Amphitheater

USF St. Petersburg Campus Events

Homecoming Kickoff Pool Party

USF St. Pete Waterside

USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus

Cake Decorating Contest | 11:00 AM
Office Decorating Contest | 12:00 PM
Wax Hands | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Main Rotunda/Courtyard

USF Polytechnic Campus (Lakeland)

Homecoming Super Sweet Social | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

USF Polytechnic Grassy Area

USF Volleyball Wins Big Game Against St. John's

2012-10-21T16:15:00.000-04:00

The talented freshman Erin Fairs continues to light it up for USF (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

The USF volleyball won a huge game this afternoon, taking down St. John's 3 sets to 1 as they improve to 13-10 (5-5) on the season as every game down the stretch become even more important.

Kayla Walton had 12 kills and 1 dig. Freshman Erin Fairs had another monster game, totaling 17 kills and 16 digs. Valerie El Houssine had 9 kills and 10 digs. Natalia Soares had 30 assists and 3 digs. Claudia Cabrera had 17 digs and 4 assists. Andrea Rodriguez Gomez had 9 kills and 4 digs to round out a complete team performance.

The Bulls will hit the road on Friday as they take on DePaul at 8PM, another huge game as the season begins to wind down.

USF Volleyball Takes on St. John's

2012-10-21T11:20:00.000-04:00

The USF volleyball team takes on St. John's in a huge Big East show down (game begins at 2PM). The Bulls at 12-10 (4-5) are hoping for a late season run in the Big East standings, but St. John's is one of the top powers in the conference. SJU is 17-7 (4-4) on the year and will be trying to avoid the upset in Tampa.

SJU is led by sophomore outside hitter Aleksandra Wachowicz (6-0) who leads the team with 263 kills and 96 digs on the season. Freshman outside hitter Karin Palgutova (6-2) who has 251 kills and 148 digs on the season. Senior middle blocker Milicia Kristojevic (6-3) has 232 kills and 48 digs. Freshman outside hitter Sabina Piezga (6-0) has 774 assists and 6 digs on the year. Freshman libero/defensive specialist Shawna-Lei Santos (5-8) has 113 kills and 246 digs to round out the Red Storm attack.

After a tough loss to UCONN, the Bulls will need to regroup and refocus against a tough SJU squad. If the big time hitters for USF like Fairs, Walton, and others can step up big, the Bulls will be able to hang in this match and could pull the upset.

USF Falls to Louisville, Losing Streak at Five Games Now

2012-10-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

Another week, another loss (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

As most of you know, I have been in Atlanta all week for work and flew home today, taking off at 4PM and missed most of the USF game on the TV. However, using the wonderful world of the stat update on the phone and twitter accounts of the USF faithful, I got a pretty good handle of what happened in this game for the Bulls and it seems some things never change.

The Bulls battled tough and were able to rally late in the game to tie and take the lead against the Cardinals. However, late in the game, bad game management and poor execution doomed the team. The time out call by Holtz with seconds left left me wondering what he was thinking out there. The Bulls wasted seconds in their final drive. The defense failed to get anything done in the late drive against the Cardinals, allowing them to carve up the field and take the lead. Then of course there was the decision to kick the extra point, the penalty, and then the decision to go for two points when the decision should have been made the first time. The clock management and the coaching strategy was bad and nothing seems to be changing. Yet, with all that said, there were some highlights that we should take from the game.

Daniels was 21 out of 38 attempts for 189 yards, 3 scores and a late interception that he threw up for grabs. He was sacked 4 times in the game as the line continued to struggle to keep him on his feet. He rushed 12 times for just 34 yards.

The USF run game overall did well. Lindsey Lamar had 15 carries for 110 yards, Demetris Murray had 13 for 57 yards, and Marcus Shaw had 4 carries for 30 yards.

Andre Davis returned on the radar, catching 4 balls for 47 yards and 2 scores. True freshman tight end Sean Price caught 3 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, his first catches of his career, a career we are all hoping continues to grow. Derick Hopkins had 5 receptions for 54 yards and D'vario Montgomery, returning from a bruised hand, had a catch for 8 yards.

The defense played well at times, but late in the game was not able to get a stop and continued to get gashed for big yards. Sam Barrington led the way with 10 tackles. Reshard Cliett, starting to get more reps, responded with 9 tackles, Mark Joyce had 5 tackles, DeDe Lattimore had 5 tackles, and Tevin Mims had 4 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.

So where do we go from here? USF has lost 5 games now, continues to repeat the same mistakes and fans are near the end of the rope of patience for this team. The Bulls will return home to take on Syracuse on Saturday night at 7PM for the home coming game. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, make a sacrifice to the gods at the volcano, the team needs to do everything they can to rally, stay together and not completely mail it in for the rest of the season

USF Ice Bulls to Host Loyola University Maryland

2012-10-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Puck drops Saturday 4:15 PM at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex.

The team is coming off of a bye week after a rough weekend against UCF. Tomorrow afternoon Saturday, October 20th, the USF Ice Bulls (3-2-0) will be hosting the Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds for a one game conteat at the Bulls alternate home in Ellenton, FL. Although the Ice Bulls did not meet the Greyhounds in the regular season last year, this grudge match is sure to be a good one as they are looking to avenge last year's 4-2 loss at the second round of the ACHA DIII Regionals that ended the Bulls post-season. The puck drops at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 PM. Stay tuned to the game over Twitter and Facebook for scores and updates, best of luck to the team and GO ICE BULLS!

Five Ways USF can Win or Lose This Game to Louisville

2012-10-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a tough game for the Bulls on the road. They have the players to get the upset win, but it will take a tremendous effort and a little bit of luck to get it done. Let's take a look at the ways USF can wins this game and how they can just as easily lose it.

Five Ways USF can Win this Game

Urgency - The Bulls have lost 4 straight, 10 out of their last 11 games in conference play. It is time for this team to come out swinging. They know they are the underdog, facing a real challenge, they have to quit thinking and just play football. If they can do that, they have a shot.
Senior Leadership - The roster is full of 24 seniors, young men who are the leaders of this team. They will have to be the voice and be the leadership and rally this team. It will be on the seniors to lead the team, rally them, and get everyone to play at a higher level and try to salvage something on this season.
B.J. Daniels - Daniels is the heart of the offense. He has put together huge games before and will need to put on his superman cape to get the job done. His ankle is still a bit sore, but Daniels has to roll out of the pocket and lead the attack. The Bulls need to score points and Daniels is the trigger man to get it done.
Front 7 on Defense - Bridgewater is a growing star and will pick apart any defense he faces. The Bulls, who continue to struggle to get pressure, will have to get after him, force him off his reads and force him to throw the ball into traffic. If USF lets him sit back there, throwing all day, it will be another ugly loss.
Run Game - The Bulls need to take the workload off of Daniels a bit and the best way is to control the clock by running the ball. Murray, Shaw, and Lamar have to carry the load, get yards, keep the offense on the field, and help the Bulls get points.

Five Ways USF can Lose this game

Road Game - The road has not been kind to USF lately (are any areas kind?). The Bulls are now are the road again facing a tough home crowd and a team that is ready to get a huge win. USF has to be ready for what they are facing in this game.
USF Being USF - The Bulls are just not playing well. Mistakes, bad coaching, and everything in-between has gone wrong for this team and the Bulls have no signs they are changing. If they don't change, it could be an ugly Saturday afternoon.
Teddy Bridgewater - Bridgewater is a growing star. He is getting better in each game and the Bulls are facing one of the best young arms in the nation. If they don't get pressure on him, it will be a long afternoon and could send the Bulls to a 5th straight loss.
B.J. Daniels - Daniels is the heart of the offense, but if he is not 100% healthy and makes the mistakes he has in the past, he could hand more of the game to the Cardinals. Louisville will pressure him and bring pressure, if he panics, it could be ugly.
Louisville Just Too Good - Face the facts, USFis spiraling right now. Fans are anger, the board is angry, and everyone knows it. The team has played bad in every game and now they are facing a ranked team on the road. If the trend continues, it will be more anger for the fans as the team continues to fall apart.

Key Match-ups for USF vs. Louisville

2012-10-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

The individual match-ups will be very important in this game. Winning those battles will help either side get the upper hand and win the game.

DE Ryne Giddins vs. Teddy Bridgewater - We keep talking about pressure and getting to Bridgewater, Giddins, the top pass rusher for the Bulls has to get the job done. If Giddins can't get to Bridgewater, at least causing pressure and forcing him to move, it will be an ugly day. Giddins has to step up in this game.

USF Front 7 vs. Louisville RBs (Jeremy Wright, Senorise Perry, Dominque Brown) - The Cardinals are a very balanced team, but have a stable of running backs that can eat up yards on any defense. For USF, the front 7, that has struggled against the run all year, needs to stay in their gaps and not allow the Cardinal tailbacks to get yards and keep their offense going.

QB B.J. Daniels vs. WLB Daniel Brown - Daniels is at his best when he uses his legs and gets to the edge, both in passing and getting yards in the run game. Brown, an athletic linebacker for Louisville, will be protecting the edge and will be chasing down Daniels once he tries to escape.

TE Evan Landi vs. S Hakeem Smith - The Bulls are looking for offense and senior tight end Evan Landi is a big target down the middle of the field. Hakeem Smith, one of the best Louisville defenders, will be taking him out of the game and making it a tough battle.

C Austin Reiter vs. NT Brandon Dunn - Reiter has struggled this season at the center position. Facing Dunn, a big nose tackle, will be a match-up to watch during this game. If Reiter can't stop and block Dunn, Daniels and the run game will suffer.

Scouting Louisville: Offense

2012-10-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Louisville offense has a lot of playmakers on the field that can attack the Bulls in a wide variety of ways. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the best young quarterbacks in the country, hitting all his targets and running a very balanced offense. The Bulls will facing a tough task and an offense that can take them apart. Let's see what they are facing in this game.

At right tackle is sophomore Jamon Brown (6-6 340-pounds). Behind him is redshirt freshman Ryan Mack (6-5 308 sounds) and freshman Joe Manley (6-6 335-pounds). At right guard is sophomore Jake Smith (6-3 314-pounds) and behind him is redshirt freshman Josh Stearns (6-1 251-pounds). At center is Senior Mario Benavides (6-4 287-pounds). Behind him is junior Kamrun Joyer (6-3 282-pounds) and redshirt freshman Mike Romano (6-4 295-pounds). At left guard is sophomore John Miller (6-2 313-pounds). Behind him is Joyer and redshirt freshman Chase Petersen (6-4 298-pounds). At left tackle is senior Alex Kupper 6-3 296-pounds) and behind him is freshman Abraham Garcia 6-5 245-pounds). The Cardinal offensive line is young, but talented. It will be a challenge for the Bulls to get any pass rush on Bridgewater.

At the starting quarterback position is sophomore Teddy Bridgewater (6-3 220-pounds). He has completed 117 pass attempts out of 163 tries 1438 yards including 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He is hitting over 70% of his passes, so he can just take a defense a part. Behind Brigewater is senior Will Stein (5-10 183-pounds) who is 4 of 6 for 15 yards and redshirt freshman Jerry Arlinghaus (6-4 197-pounds).

At running back is junior Jeremy Wright (5-11 205-pounds). who has 99 carries for 450 yards and 6 touchdowns (13 receptions for 102 yards). Behind him is junior Senorise Perry (6-0 198-pounds) who leads the team with 96 carries 559 yards and 9 touchdowns (10 receptions for 113 yards), junior Dominique Brown (6-2 226-pounds), and redshirt freshman Coroin Lamb (5-9 216-pounds).

At the X-wide receiver position is sophomore DeVante Park (6-3 204-pounds) has 15 receptions 319 yards and 2 touchdowns. Behind him is senior Andrell Smith (6-3 219-pounds) who has 15 receptions for 220 yards and a score. At the Z-wide receiver position is redshirt freshman Charles Gaines (5-11 187-pounds) who has 9 receptions for 163 yards and one score. Behind him is junior Damian Copeland (6-1 188-pounds) who has 18 receptions for 169 yards and junior Jarret Davis (5-9 174-pounds) who has one grab for 12 yards. At the H-wide receiver position is senior Scott Radcliff (5-10 185-pounds) who has 9 receptions for 76 yards. Behind him is sophomore Eli Rogers (5-10 185-pounds) who has 11 receptions for 105 yards and a score and sophomore Kai Dominguez (6-0 189-pounds). At tight end is senior Nate Nord (6-5 250-pounds). Behind him is sophomore Ryan Hubbell (6-5 255-pounds) who has 5 receptions for 51 yards and a score and junior Chris White (6-4 243-pounds).

Overall, USF is facing a tough test. They have to get pressure and not let Bridgewater sit back and pick them apart, an easier task said than done.

Scouting Louisville: Defense

2012-10-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

The Louisville defense runs a base 4-3 system, but has the speed and players to match up with the spread and pistol formations USF will be facing in this game. Let's see what they are up against.

At defensive end is junior Marcus Smith (6-3 256-pounds) who has 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. Behind him is sophomore Deiontrez Mount (6--3 285-po5 243-pounds) has 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks and junior B.J. Butler (6-2 275-pounds) who has 7 tackles and 1 sack. At the other defensive end position is sophomore Lorenzo Mauldin (6-4 240-pounds) who has 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the year. Behind him is sophomore B.J. Dubose (6-5 273-pounds) who has 7 tackles and a half tackle for loss. At the defensive tackle position is freshman Sheldon Rankins (6-2 280-pounds) who has 4 tackles. Behind him is junior Roy Philon (6-3 290-pounds) who has 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss on the year and B.J. Butler. At the nose tackle position is junior Brandon Dunn (6-3 285-pounds) who has 12 tackles and 1 sack on the season. Behind him is freshman DeAngelo Brown (6-0 310-pounds) and sophomore James Brooks (6-4 330-pounds).

At the strong side linebacker position is junior George Durant (6-0 234-pounds) who has 16 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. Behind him is junior Champ Lee (6-0 217-pounds) who has 10 tackles and redshirt freshman Jalen Harrington (6-2 231-pounds) who has 3 tackles. At middle linebacker is junior Preston Brown (6-0 257-pounds) who has 28 tackles and a half tackle for loss. Behind him is freshman Keith Brown (6-1 229-pounds) who has 23 tackles and freshman Nick Dawson (6-3 228-pounds). At weak side linebacker is senior Daniel Brown (6-1 234-pounds) who has 17 tackles. Behind him is freshman James Burgess (6-0 210-pounds) who has 9 tackles and junior Deon Rogers (6-2 192-pounds) who has 7 tackles.

At cornerback is senior Adrian Bushell (5-11 184-pounds) who has 32 tackles and 4 passes defended. Behind him is sophomore Stephan Robinson (5-10 174-pounds). At the other cornerback position is sophomore Terell Floyd (5-10 210-pounds) who has 25 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks on the year. Behind him is sophomore Andrew Johnson (5-9 187-pounds) who has 15 tackles and 1 tackle for loss and junior Titus Teague (5-11 174-pounds) who has 4 tackles. At the strong safety position is junior Hakeem Smith (6-1 180-pounds) who has 32 tackles. Behind him is redshirt freshman Jermaine Reve (6-0 182-pounds) who has 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. At free safety is sophomore Calvin Pryor (6-2 210-pounds) who leads the team with 46 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 interception and behind him is freshman Gerod Holliman (6-0 190-pounds) who has 2 tackles.

Scouting Louisville: Special Teams

2012-10-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Special teams is always a key to every game and facing a talented team like Louisville on the road, every yard will count for the Bulls. USF has struggled in the kick return game, but has been better on punt coverage. Here is what they are up against in this game.

At the place kicker position is redshirt freshman John Wallace who is 5 for 5 this season in field goals. He is also the kick-off specialist. Behind him is sophomore Matthew Nakatani (5-8 175-pounds).

At the punter position is sophomore Ryan Johnson (5-11 197-pounds) who has punted 16 times, averaging 43 yards a kick. He is accurate and will make it hard to get a punt return against him. Behind him is freshman Josh Appleby (6-3 236-pounds).

At the punt return position is sophomore Kai Dominguez (6-0 189-pounds) who has 9 returns for 54 yards. USF will have to keep the talented return man in check, although he hasn't been a major threat all season long (no need for him to break out in this game). Behind him is redshirt freshman Charles Gaines (5-11 187-pounds) and sophomore DeVante Parker (6-3 204-pounds).

At kick return is junior Senorise Perry (6-0 198-pounds) who has 3 returns for 41 yards. Joining him back to return kicks are senior Adrian Bushell (5-11 184-pounds) who has 5 returns for 126 yards, junior Jeremy Wright (5-11 205-pounds) who has 3 for 49, and redshirt freshman Charles Gaines (5-11 187-pounds).

Meet the Louisville Coaching Staff

2012-10-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Louisville coaching staff leads their talented team onto the field against the Bulls. Head Coach Charlie Strong is one of the fasting rising young coaches in the nation and has his team leading his example and will have them ready to take on our Bulls.

Head Coach Charlie Strong - Strong enters his third season as the head coach at Louisville. After spending time as the defensive coordinator at UF, winning those national titles, he took the Cardinal job and has been a big time hire for their program. Strong is a great game planner, has his team prepared (especially that defense), and has become an excellent recruiter, coming down to Florida to fish prospects right out of our back yard. Strong is a great coach and will have his team ready for this one.

Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford - Bedford is also entering his third year at Louisville. After spending time with strong at UF at the defensive back coach, he joined Strong in Louisville and has had the Cardinal defense at its best. Before coming to Louisville and UF, he was the cornerback coach in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, so he brings a world of knowledge to the field with him.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson - Watson is entering his second season as the OC. He has a strong connection to Strong and a great relationship with Bridgewater, leading their offense to a ton of points and great efficency. Before becoming the OC at Louisville, he was the OC at Nebraska, leading a very balanced spread offense attack. Before that he was the HC at Southern Illinois, showing his great background and the leadership he brings.

Who is Louisville?

2012-10-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Louisville, the conference favorite, will be looking to defend their home turf. The Cardinals, 6-0 (1-0) won their first Big East game of the season after hanging 45 points on Pitt on the road. They now return home and will be looking to continue their incredible play this season. Meanwhile, USF at 2-4 (0-2), is coming off of a bye week and still dwelling on the loss to Temple two weeks ago. The fans have been frustrated, Holtz is feeling the heat, and the team is under achieving, so do they have a chance in this game?

On the year, the Cardinals are averaging 33 points per game and allowing just 21 points per game. They rush for 167 a game and pass for 240 yards a game, finding balance running out of their spread system. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league and will pick apart a defense that does not get any pressure on them, this does not favor the Bulls,but stranger things have happened.

Louisville beat USF last season in Tampa in a game where B.J. Daniels was on the sidelines with a shoulder injury (lost 24 to 34 in that one). The Bulls manged to rush for just 64 yards and passed for 247 yards in that game with Bobby Eveld running the show. Murray had 6 carries for just 11 yards, Marc had 2 carries for 10 yards. Eveld was 20 of 35 for 210 yards, including a touchdown and one interception. Deonte Welch had 4 receptions for 62 yards and a score. Murray had 4 for 44 yards, Andre Davis had 4 for 36 and Evan Landi had 3 for 24 yards.

The Bulls are facing a tough task here. The Cardinals are a tough, balanced team. They can run the ball, hit the big plays, and get down the field. For the Bulls on defense, pressure is going to be important. They have to get to Bridgewater and get him moving and uncomfortable. If they allow him all day back there, he will pick the secondary apart. On offense, the Bulls have to be consistent. Daniels needs his skill players to catch the ball and get up field and the offensive line needs to keep him on his feet. Holtz said there will be new faces emerging, those who are producing on the field, so we could see a few new faces such as Cliett, Whitehurst, and others shine.

This will be a make or break game for USF. If the Bulls come out and show some fight, it will show the team is still battling. If the come out and lay an egg, it could be a long season.

Programming Note

2012-10-14T11:45:00.000-04:00

Hello USF fans. As you know, we bring you all the coverage on all the teams, on time and up to date. However, this week, I, Matt, will be in Atlanta for the week for a work conference. As much as I would like to stay in Tampa and tweet and post about the Bulls all day, I have to pay the bills.

With that said, material for this week, from the football previews, to the other previews and recaps, will be posted first thing in the morning. Since the work schedule for the conference won't allow me any time to even sit, any comments, tweets, etc. will be answered late at night or earl in the morning. So if you are looking for posts around lunch, sorry, won't be able to, but material will continue to flow.

USF Volleyball Takes on Georgetown

2012-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

USF volleyball takes on Georgetown (game begins at 2PM). The ladies took it to Villanova on Friday night, winning in three sets, improving their overall record to 11-9 (3-4) on the year, but now face a tough Hoya team that will be looking for the road win. The Hoyas, 6-8 (0-1) will be looking for their first conference win of the season.

The Hoyas are led by sophomore outside hitter Alex Johnson who leads the team with 213 kills and 192 digs on the season. Sophomore middle blocker Dani White (5-10) has 146 kills and 44 digs on the season. Senior middle blocker Lindsay Wise (6-3) has 94 kills and 9 digs on the season. Sophomore libero Mackenzie Simpson (5-5) has 186 digs and 19 assists. Junior defensive specialist Haley Lowrance (5-9) has 597 assists and 119 digs on the year to round out their squad.

The Bulls were dominate in their win against Villanova. They will need to bring the same energy and fight to the court to take down the Hoyas.

USF Women's Soccer Takes on St. John's

2012-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

USF women's soccer takes on St. John's (game begins at 1PM). The ladies are now 9-4-2 (5-1-2) on the season and have won 3 straight after beating Syracuse on Friday night, but now have to get back to work in this game and face a tough challenge with the Red Storm. SJU is 6-8-1 (2-5-1) on the year, but will be looking to knock the Bulls off and stop their momentum.

SJU is led by freshman midfielder Emily Cubbage who leads the team with 3 goals and 2 assists on the season. Senior forward/midfielder Runa Stefansdottir has 2 goals and 1 assist on the year. Junior defender/forward Sandra Osborn has 2 goals on the year. Junior midfielder/forward Morgan Ritter has 1 goal and 2 assists. Junior defender Hailey Hemmer has 1 goal and 2 assists to round out their offensive attack. Christiane Endler has been playing at a high level for USF in the net and will need to keep it going and not allow SJU to get a goal.

In net is freshman Ellen Conway. She has made 65 stops this season but has allowed 21 goals, showing her and the back line will give up shots. The USF front line with Passariello and others, will need to dictate the pressure and take a ton of shots to get ahead and take the game.

USF Men's Soccer Falls to Syracuse

2012-10-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

The Bulls took a tough loss tonight, falling 0 to 1 to Syracuse. USF, now 7-3-4 (1-1-3) needed this win and had momentum after beating Mercer, but the Orange defense wouldn't allow the Bulls to get anything done. Syracuse struck in the 16th minute and after that, despite constant pressure, the Bulls just couldn't get it done tonight. USF will next face Louisville Wednesday night at Corbett as they try to get another big conference win.

USF Men's Soccer Takes on Syracuse

2012-10-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

The USF men's soccer team continues their homestand as they take on Syracuse (game begins at 730PM). After beating Mercer on Wednesday night 1 to 0, the Bulls, 7-2-4 (1-0-3) on the year, are hoping to get another big win. Syracuse, 9-3 (2-0) on the year will be a huge test for the Bulls as they try to defend their home turf.

Cuse is led by junior forward Tony Asante who leads the Cuse with 5 goals and 3 assists on the season. Freshman midfielder Jordan Vale has 5 goals and 1 assists, giving Cuse a strong one, two punch on the offensive side of the ball. Senior midfielder Ted Cribley has 3 goals and 5 assists on the year, setting up others but also adding to the offense. Senior forward Lars Muller has 4 goals and 1 assist. Sophomore defender Jordan Murrell has 2 goals and 4 assists to round a deep and talented Cuse team. Overall, the Cuse team is loaded with talent and will challenge the Bulls. USF used Jaye in the net for the last game, so it will be interesting to see who plays in net for the Bulls.

In net is freshman Alex Bono. He allowed 7 goals this season and has made 33 saves. The Bulls will have to go on the offensive attack and take it to the Cuse defense and get after their young freshman goalkeeper.

USF Volleyball Dominates; Women's Soccer Continues to Roll

2012-10-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

The USF volleyball team came out strong and took care of business, beating Villanova in 3 straight sets to improve to 11-9 (3-4) on the season.

Andrea Rodriguez Gomez had 4 kills and 2 digs. Kayla Walton had 9 kills and 1 dig as she continues to play at a high level. Erin Fairs had 14 kills and 19 digs. Claudia Cabrera had 12 digs. Shelbey Bleke had 8 kills and 4 digs. Wylie Devlin had 21 assists and 5 digs on the year. The Bulls will next face Georgetown on Sunday at 2PM.

Not to be out done, the women's soccer extended their winning streak to 3 games as they hung on to beat Syracuse 1 to 0. The ladies are now 9-4-2 (5-1-2) on the season.

USF got on the board in the 17th minute as Kelly Campbell struck on an assist from Taylor Patterson. After that, the Bulls played tremendous defense, their calling card all season. Christiane Endler had another monster night as the Bulls continue to surge.

USF will face St. John's on Sunday at 1PM.

USF Women's Soccer Takes on Syracuse

2012-10-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

The USF women's soccer returns home to take on Syracuse (game begins at 730PM). After winning two huge games on the road over the weekend, the ladies, 8-4-2 (4-1-2), are looking to keep the momentum going as they return home to Corbett field, but the Orange won't be an easy task. Cuse, 8-4-2 (5-1-1) is sitting towards the top of the conference standings and will be trying to add another big win to their resume.

Cuse is led by senior Alysc Mottershead who leads the team with 4 goals and 2 assists on the year. Senior Jenna Rickan has 2 goals and 6 assists. Freshman Jackie Firenze has 4 goals. Freshman Erin Simon has 3 goals and 2 assists. Sophomore Alexis Koval has 3 goals and 2 assists to round out their offensive attack. Overall, the Cuse offense is very balanced and has a lot of strikers that can get to the net. Christiane Endler, who dominated last weekend on the road, will have to bring her best in this match-up if she wants to keep Cuse off the board.

In net is junior Brittany Anghel. She has allowed 15 goals this season and has made 50 saves. The USF offense led by Sharla Passariello, has been aggressive and moving the ball well. Other players such as Marsha Harper and Demi Stokes, are adding firepower to the front line and are helping the Bulls offense strike early. The ladies will need to continue that momentum and go on the attack in this game, keeping Cuse on their heels.

USF Volleyball Takes on Villanova

2012-10-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

The USF Bulls return home to take on Villanova (game begins at 7PM). After dropping two straight games on the road, taking each match to five sets, the Bulls, 10-9 (2-4) are hoping to rebound in this one against the Wildcats. Villanova on the other hand, 9-10 (3-2) are hoping to get a big road win to move up in the Big East standings.

Nova is led by freshman outside hitter Lauren Carpenter who leads the team with 204 kills, 138 digs, and 28 blocks on the season. Senior outside hitter Krista Andersen (6-0) has 156 kills and 60 digs on the season. Junior outside hitter Carly Edwards (6-5) has 130 kills and 45 digs on the season. Freshman setter Emma Pettit (5-10) has 34 kills, 482 assists and 146 digs on the season. Junior defensive specialist Mariah Henley (5-8) has 413 digs and 55 assists to round out the Wildcat roster.

Villanova is very similar to USF, a team that has young players rising and a strong corps of seniors. The Bulls, after battling Marquette to five sets on Sunday, have proven they are on the rise and will battle in each game. As the team returns home, they should be energized and ready to build off of their road trip and with the home crowd cheering them on, they will hopefully notch a big win.