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USF Bulls defense aims to keep it simple

 
North Carolina State wide receiver Bra'lon Cherry's uncontested 17-yard TD catch over the middle on Saturday was an example of the communication breakdowns in the USF secondary. [OCTAVIO JONES   |   Times]
North Carolina State wide receiver Bra'lon Cherry's uncontested 17-yard TD catch over the middle on Saturday was an example of the communication breakdowns in the USF secondary. [OCTAVIO JONES | Times]
Published Sept. 17, 2014

TAMPA

At flustering intervals Saturday, USF's defensive communication apparently was breaking down as badly as its offensive protection.

Such is how S Jamie Byrd described it. On the heels of an inspired, turnover-inducing effort against Maryland, the Bulls defense seemed to have more wires crossed than the Spinal Tap sound crew in Saturday's 49-17 loss to N.C. State.

Case in point: quarantined WR Bra'lon Cherry's uncontested 17-yard TD catch over the middle.

"They did pretty much everything we saw on tape," said Byrd, whose unit surrendered 589 total yards. "But as we saw it on the field, it got a little confusing to us, and we were having a lot of miscommunications between each other getting the calls in.

"We might run one thing on one side of the field and another thing on the other side of the field."

Hence the reason coach Willie Taggart is calling for simplicity. Even as he exhorts his linemen to be more physical, he wants his linebackers (and corners and safeties, for that matter) to be less cerebral.

"Our defense plays really good and fast when they don't have to think much, and we've got to make sure we keep putting them in position where they're not thinking much, where they can just go out and play football and play fast," he said Tuesday. "That game against Maryland, they didn't think much."

Performing with reckless and thoughtless abandon, the Bulls held Maryland to 317 total yards, snagging four fumbles and picking off two passes. They flew around, converged, broke on the ball. In short, they prospered.

Saturday, they processed. Taggart blames himself and his staff, which suddenly finds itself saddled with the nation's 100th-ranked defense (453.3 yards per game).

"We can't be too fancy, just play our defense and just play football and let 'em go," he said. "We don't have to reinvent the wheel because a guy goes in motion, just play football. I think our guys understand that and we won't have those issues anymore."

If instincts can supplant indecision, the unit has shown enough — albeit in glimpses — to foster hope.

In 15 games under defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan, the Bulls have been astounding (i.e. Michigan State, UCF, Maryland) and appalling (N.C. State, McNeese State) at various stages. Even so, they finished 21st nationally in total defense in '13, and their opportunism (10 turnovers gained in three contests) remains unparalleled in league play.

Moreover, their collective desire is unquestioned. Whether it was LB Reshard Cliett sprinting off the edge on a stunt or Byrd and fellow S Nate Godwin racing in from the secondary in run support, the Bulls are hungry.

Taggart and Bresnahan simply must be sure there's not too much on their plate.

DAZZLING DEBUT: If the debut of men's golf coach Steven Bradley is any harbinger of spring, the Bulls will be turning more heads in April and May than Rickie Fowler's wardrobe.

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Competing in their first tournament under Bradley, the Bulls rolled to a 27-stroke victory (14-under 282) Sunday at the 14-team Invitational at the Ocean Course in Charleston, S.C. Bulls junior Chase Koepka shot 8-under 208 in the 54-hole event to win medalist honors by a stroke. Sophomore Rigel Fernandes (212) and senior Trey Valentine (215) also placed in the top 10.

BULLS OUTLAST AUBURN: In dire need of momentum after a shaky start to 2014, the volleyball team traveled to Auburn last weekend and, literally, killed it.

USF (4-5) collected 11 kills in the final set — including three down the stretch from Erin Fairs — to eke out a 25-22, 25-22, 31-33, 15-25, 15-13 win against the Tigers in the final of the Active Ankle Challenge.

Fairs, the event's MVP, had 55 kills in three matches, including 22 in the final. Junior Natalia Soares had 41 assists, breaking her single-match record by seven and moving into 10th place on the school's career list.

The Bulls begin play Friday evening in the Pitt Panther Invitational against the host school.

ODDS AND ENDS: Junior Michael Babinec — a Riverview High alum — and sophomore Catherine Blaney won the men's and women's races, respectively, at Friday's Early Bird Classic in Brandon. Babinec finished the grassy 4-mile equestrian course in 20:52 for his first collegiate victory, while the women (30 points) won the team title. … The softball team closes its fall exhibition schedule with home games against the Puerto Rican national team Nov. 17 and 18.