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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, OCT. 7, 2015 – Head coach Willie Taggart got straight to the point at his weekly press conference when he talked about what Syracuse likes to do on defense.
“I expect them to blitz. I expect them to blitz and I expect them to blitz some more,” Taggart said.
“They're shameless as far as how much they blitz. They blitz a lot,” co-offensive coordinator Danny Hope added.
The battle in the trenches is one of the biggest matchups of the week heading into USF's homecoming game 3:30 p.m. Saturday against the Orange and the Bulls' big guys up front are ready for the challenge.
“They're physical and they're disciplined, but we believe that we are physical and disciplined as well,” starting center Brynjar Gudmundsson said. “We just have to really outplay them up front, bring the intensity and just play harder than them.”
Physicality is a strong suit for USF's offensive line that features an average of 303 pounds per starter and the group is gaining confidence with each week.
“We've been together a little bit longer now and that makes a big difference,” said Hope, who also coaches the offensive line. “Some of the dialogue I have with the offensive linemen to pick up the pressure now is a much shorter conversation than maybe it was three or four weeks ago. I think we're gaining some momentum as far as continuity goes and that will be a huge difference in us being successful.”
Heading into the season, Gudmundsson started all 24 of USF's games the past two years before becoming a full-time center. Aside from Gudmundsson's experience, left tackle Kofi Amichia, left guard Thor Jozwiak, right guard Dominique Threatt and right tackle Mak Djulbegovic combined to average six starts in their careers.
“We've had a lot more starts on the offensive line just for this season alone than we had for all the season prior to coming in with that group of people,” Hope said. “We're just really now starting to develop some continuity.”
Following Wednesday's practice, Hope said his line is ahead of the game from a preparation standpoint heading into what's shaping up to be a toughman competition up front. Syracuse ranks 24th nationally with 11 sacks this season and 11th in turnover margin (1.50). Defensive ends Luke Arciniega and Ron Thompson are tied for 12th in the country with 4.0 sacks apiece.
All of that has been accomplished with Syracuse switching back and forth from a 4-3 base and a 3-4 defensive scheme.
“They play really hard through the whistle,” said Gudmundsson of the Orange defense. “They're not going to give up yardage due to lack of effort. They give high effort and they're in good condition. Their guys don't really get tired.”
Regardless of what Syracuse brings to the table, USF wants to continue to do what it has done well all season. The Bulls are averaging 210 rushing yards per game after Marlon Mack posted his sixth-career 100-yard outing with 107 yards on 20 carries against Memphis.
“They know what our M.O. is, we're going to run the ball,” Gudmundsson said. “As long as we stick to the game plan and keep playing hard, the backs are going to do what they're going to do. They're very talented, a three-headed monster back there, so if we just block up front and block hard I think that will continue.”
USF's passing game took a nice step forward against Memphis and the Bulls could have more opportunities if the line and backs pick up blitzes well against Syracuse. Just five starts into his career, sophomore quarterback Quinton Flowers threw for a personal best of 199 yards against Memphis after completing 17 of 26 attempts.
“He had better command of the offense. He's starting to gain some experience and it's starting to show,” Hope said.
Bulls Face a New Challenge on Defense
“Different” and “unique” were two words defensive coordinator Tom Allen used to describe Syracuse's offense heading into Saturday's game.
Quarterback Eric Dungey has thrown five TD passes and no interceptions through three games, but the Orange also can hurt teams with a diverse run attack. The Orange average 188 rushing yards per game and Dungey is averaging 4.4 yards per carry as Syracuse keeps defenses off-balance with the spread option at times.
“It does create some unique challenges obviously when teams run the option like that,” Allen said. “The thing about them is they're not like Navy, where they run the option all the time. Right now they're about 20 percent. I think you may see more of that as they get going with their quarterback as he gets back.”
USF's “Bull Sharks” rank 36th nationally in rush defense (131 yards allowed per game) and they did a solid job swarming to the ball against Memphis. The Tigers rushed for 120 yards and picked up just 37 yards on the ground in the opening half. USF has given up an average of 117 rushing yards in the past two games.
“Play after play (we were) doing great things. It just came down to two or three mistakes that cost us,” Allen said. “I'm very, very encouraged by the effort and encouraged by the passion. They refused to give in.”
Bulls Bits
- Taggart stressed ball security throughout fall camp and the Bulls have followed his orders well. USF is one of just seven FBS teams that haven't lost a fumble this season. “Normally when we turn the ball over in practice we make them run extra. We haven't run after practice in a while now as a result of a turnover,” Hope said. USF ranks 24th nationally with only five turnovers lost a year after turning the ball over 20 times.
- After sitting out the Maryland game with an injury, tight end Elkanah Dillon returned to action with a one-handed 23-yard touchdown catch against Memphis. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound redshirt freshman is averaging a team-best 26.0 yards per catch and he's just scratching the surface of his potential. “He was a neophyte as a player when I got here back in December,” Hope said. “He has really made some progress and he's a super talent. He's very big and very fast, and in a couple of years down the road he could be a big, big-time tight end prospect.”
- Against Memphis, USF was led in receiving yards by Sean Price, who worked his way into the program record books in the process. The senior from Citra, Fla., is USF's all-time leader in receptions by a tight end (61) and he's just 84 yards away from topping Cedric Hill's program record of 774 receiving yards by a tight end. “He's the veteran of the bunch and he's doing a solid job,” said Hope of Price.
The USF Football program is in its 19th season overall and 16th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
