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Football report: Davis still sidelined

 
Published Sept. 16, 2014

USF again will be without senior WR Andre Davis for Friday night's American Athletic Conference opener against Connecticut, and could remain sidelined for the foreseeable future, Coach Willie Taggart said Tuesday.

Davis, 14 catches and 162 yards shy of the school's career record in both categories, has missed the last two games after injuring his sternum while making a diving catch in the season opener against Western Carolina. Taggart did not have a timetable for when the senior could return.

"It's going to take some time to get him right, Taggart said.

"We'll have to go with the (other receiving options) we have and keep going. ... We want Andre to come back when he's 100-percent healthy. That's the only way he's going to help our football team and he's not 100 percent right now."

Taggart said the team plans for OL Thor Jozwiak (shoulder, turf toe) to return against the Huskies. The junior was in full pads at practice.

GET PHYSICAL: After watching the Bulls muster only 159 yards and eight first downs in Saturday's 49-17 loss to N.C. State, Taggart reiterated Tuesday he wants to see his offense play with aggressiveness against UConn.

"We've got to develop a physical, tough attitude on that side of the ball," he said. "That's football. Football is a game where you can be physical without going to jail and hit someone without going to jail. And I want guys to hit people and ... let out all of those emotions. We've got to do that."

ODDS AND ENDS: A day after Taggart said there was no longer job security along the offensive line, offensive coordinator Paul Wulff said there "could be a change or two" made this week, but did not offer any specifics. ... After punting seven times against N.C. State, Mattias Ciabatti moved to second in the American and 10th in the nation in punting average (46.8). ... Mike White and Quinton Flowers' combined five pass completions against the Wolfpack was two shy of the program-worst mark of three (Charleston Southern 2002, Louisville '04).

AUDIBLE: "Last week, I thought we had our best week of practice. We were constantly making plays in practice and I was like, 'Wow, this is awesome. We're getting ready to put on a fireworks show (against N.C. State).' Then, it was like it was Fourth of July and raining. We couldn't let the fireworks go off." -- Taggart, summing up his team's performance on Saturday. The 32-point loss to N.C. State was USF's worst margin of defeat to a Division I-A school since a 49-16 loss to Rutgers in 2008.