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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 22, 2015 – USF Football players sprinted to the locker room right after practice Saturday morning to get ready for an event USF Athletics looks forward to each season.
Members of every USF fall sports team flocked to the Sun Dome to meet the people who make every game magical during Bulls Fan Fest.
“People are smiling, they're excited about football and you know they really love USF Football and USF Athletics,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “They're passionate about it and those are the people you want to please, you want to make them happy. You get excited every day about getting up and coming to work because you know if you take care of business all these folks are going to be majorly happy around here.”
With the women's soccer team defeating Baylor in double-overtime on Friday night, Saturday felt like USF Athletics' second big win of the season because of the scene at Bulls Fan Fest.
The entire Sun Dome floor was filled with optimistic fans chatting with any Bull they wanted to about USF's football, soccer, volleyball and cross country seasons. Fans also got to meet the Sun Dolls and USF's cheerleading squad, who performed during the two-hour Green and Gold celebration.
“We've come every year, at least the last 6, 7 years,” said Marc Summa, a Tampa native, who was with his 8-year-old son, Daniel. ““They sign autographs for the kids. We get to see the cheerleaders and the Sun Dolls. My daughter loves getting their signatures. We have posters all over our house, garage, everywhere.”
Rocky The Bull and McDonald's Hamburglar character helped make the event extra special for fans like 8-year-old Jamari Hargrave and his mom, Ariane, who attended their first Bulls Fan Fest.
“It's amazing. I love all the mascots. I love all the athletes, the cheerleaders and everyone is really nice. It's very friendly atmosphere,” said Ariane, who will “definitely” be coming back next year with Jamari.
And while the team's autograph tables were packed with people, another popular place to be was the mini clinic area, where student-athletes taught kids volleyball and soccer techniques.
Senior Wylie Devlin had a blast showing several smiling girls the proper way to dig a volleyball.
“I used to coach 10-year-olds and I loved it,” Devlin said. “It's so cool that they look up to you and it shows you how important you really are in the scheme of things.”
Junior Graham Smith also had fun teaching youngsters some soccer moves near the nets behind the men's team's autograph table.
“They're who we play for. They're the inspiration when we're out there,” Smith said. “They give us the energy, so to really meet and interact with them, I think it's great.”
Bulls Efficient in Scrimmage
The Bulls woke up bright and early Saturday morning and looked sharp in the final scrimmage of training camp. USF's first scrimmage of the fall featured situational work, while Saturday's session took on more of a game-like feel.
“It was good. I thought we made plays on both sides of the ball. I thought the running backs were pretty consistent,” Taggart said.
Taggart noted there were very few penalties and no turnovers, which is the efficient style of play offensive coaches want to see this season.
“It was good overall seeing everyone making plays,” Taggart said.
Starting QB Decision a Group Effort
Taggart has yet to name a starting quarterback and said his coaching staff will be involved in the decision-making process.
“We're going to rely heavily on our coaches – all of them,” Taggart said. “They've all seen them throughout this training camp. We're going to rely heavily on the film that we've seen and pick the best guy we think that's going to lead our football team, take care of the ball and make plays. That's I think what we're all looking for – a playmaker.”
Both quarterbacks competing for the starting job helped their causes by moving the Bulls down the field Saturday. Senior Steven Bench is pleased with his performance overall this training camp.
“I feel like I'm seeing the defense very well and just doing what a quarterback is supposed to do,” Bench said. “Overall, I feel good about it. As far as who plays quarterback, that's not up to me. I put in my work and I've submitted my resume, and we'll see what happens.”
Also vying for the starting spot is sophomore Quinton Flowers, who produced the highlight of Saturday's scrimmage by throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chase Whitehead.
“I feel like I'm playing really good,” Flowers said. “I got my weight down, I'm moving around a little faster. I ran the offense in high school, so I feel really good about it.”
Bulls Bits
- Saturday marked the conclusion of training camp mode for the Bulls. USF now turns its full attention to prepping for the season opener against Florida A&M on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Raymond James Stadium. Purchase tickets at USFBullsTix.com.
- Saturday's routine gave the Bulls a taste of what's to come this fall. Taggart said the team is shifting to a morning practice schedule throughout the season. “I just think our kids do better overall when they get up and get going,” Taggart said. “We practiced (in the morning) in the spring and we did a good job academically and everything else.”
- This is Taggart's first fall using a morning practice schedule in his time as a head coach. “It's new for me, but I'm excited about it. I think it's going to be big for our football team,” he said. “A lot of colleagues have done it and have been trying to talk me into it for a couple years now.”
Quote of the Day
“That's not just a line. You can tell that's Willie Taggart.” – Taggart on the autograph-signing skills he showcased at Bulls Fan Fest.
