Advertisement

USF Bulls take long route to Madison

 
USF safety Jamie Byrd upends Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon for one of his career-high 14 tackles.
USF safety Jamie Byrd upends Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon for one of his career-high 14 tackles.
Published Sept. 28, 2014

MADISON, Wis. — The Bulls were hardly immune to the Midwest air traffic ordeal that disrupted the travel plans of thousands Friday.

The team's charter flight left Tampa as scheduled at 1:45 p.m. Friday, but was diverted from Madison — its original destination — to La Crosse, Wis., after roughly 3 1/2 hours in the air.

"If you were to draw a direct line to Madison, we were nowhere near it," team spokesman Brian Siegrist said.

After a bus ride of about three hours, the Bulls reached Camp Randall Stadium for an evening walkthrough under the lights. But almost immediately upon leaving the team hotel Saturday morning, the last of the four buses in its caravan was rammed on its side by a car. No one was injured in the car or bus, which featured primarily Bulls traveling boosters, Siegrist said.

Setting off the snarl was an employee at a bustling Aurora, Ill., air traffic control center, who on Friday was charged with trying to set fire to the facility before trying to take his own life. More than 1,800 Chicago-based flights reportedly were canceled, and hundreds more nationwide were delayed or eliminated. USF's cheerleaders, in fact, never made it out of Tampa.

"They were ready to play," said coach Willie Taggart, whose team had to bus back to La Crosse to fly home Saturday evening. "I don't think our guys were really concerned about all the travel. They were happy they got here safe and got to the hotel and they were ready to play this morning."

INJURY UPDATE: Senior NG Todd Chandler was a surprise scratch from the lineup. According to Taggart, Chandler was poked in the eye in Thursday's practice, but should be cleared to return when the Bulls host East Carolina on Oct. 11 after a bye.

Also expected back for ECU is senior WR Andre Davis, who returned to practice Monday and dressed out for Saturday's game, but didn't play. He hasn't played since injuring his sternum on a diving 44-yard catch in the opener against Western Carolina.

"He just wasn't in football shape yet," Taggart said.

SAFETIES SHINE … AGAIN: For the fourth time in five games, a safety led the Bulls in tackles. This time, Jamie Byrd (free) and Nate Godwin (strong) each tallied 14, a career high for both. Both also tied for the team lead with eight against N.C. State.

Good or bad stat?

"Bad stat, good stat, both," Taggart said. "They tackled, they got guys down, so I loved that. But when your safeties lead your team in tackles that means the ball's getting to them too much."

ODDS AND ENDS: The audience of 78,111 was the seventh-largest in Bulls history. … Ten true freshmen were among 31 underclassmen traveling with the Bulls. … Wisconsin has scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the second half in all four games this season. … Bulls OLB Reshard Cliett's second-quarter sack was his team-best third of the season. … Wisconsin remains the only team in the nation not to surrender a red-zone TD in 2014.

AUDIBLE: "I'm not getting in trouble. You can ask those guys (officials) that." — Taggart, when asked about USF's 11 penalties.