TAMPA — Based on the various perspectives of the 3,255 observers at USF's spring intrasquad game, Saturday's proceedings — a 10-9 Green triumph — provided either a wince-inducing reminder of last fall, or a positive harbinger for the next one.
Or both.
On a crisp, windy afternoon, the offenses combined for three times as many interceptions (three) as touchdowns and stymied themselves with false starts as their new high-tempo approach got trumped by first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen's brisk 4-2-5 (a.k.a. nickel) attack.
The unofficial game MVP: senior Tashon Whitehurst, transitioning from a traditional weakside linebacker to a "husky" in Allen's vernacular. With his main competitor for the job, former Hillsborough High star Nigel Harris, suspended indefinitely, Whitehurst finished with 19 tackles and an interception for the White.
"A lot of flying around," Whitehurst said.
"We were able to learn the system and we were able to adjust and pick it up," added Green linebacker Auggie Sanchez, who led his team with eight tackles. "I think all of us bought in and I think that's how we got better."
Any sign of offensive improvement couldn't readily be ascertained from the game, which featured a running second-half clock and sacks credited if a defender got a hand on the quarterback in the pocket or two hands outside it.
Senior Steven Bench's 62-yard run on a zone-read play was the lone touchdown. Sophomore tailback Marlon Mack, last season's American Athletic Conference rushing leader, led everyone with 83 yards on 13 carries.
"I wasn't happy with our tempo today," said coach Willie Taggart, who also expressed displeasure with the litany of flags.
"I talked to our team about it afterwards, that I thought we were walking around too much. And part of it is depth; we divided the teams up and didn't have a lot of depth. But I thought some of the execution could've been better if we were going faster. We didn't look like we've been looking throughout spring ball."
Sophomore Quinton Flowers (6-for-17, 124 yards) threw no interceptions but was sacked twice, though he likely would've kept the play alive both times in an actual game. His longest pass was a 49-yarder to tight end Elkanah Dillon (three catches, 62 yards) down the right side.
Meantime, Bench (5-for-11, 48 yards, two INTs) split time with on-again, off-again 2014 starter Mike White (11-for-17, 83 yards, one INT) on the Green. Twice in the fourth quarter, White led his team into the red zone before the drive stalled.
"We're going to go back and evaluate this entire spring and if we feel comfortable we'll name a quarterback as the starter," Taggart said.
"If we don't, then we'll go into the fall. But I think it's important that we eventually name (one) so that guy can go and be the leader, and this entire football team knows who their leader is going to be and can get behind him and get rolling."
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.