Defensive Ends Dialing Up Pressure This Fall

Defensive Ends Dialing Up Pressure This Fall

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 3, 2017 – With a Birmingham Bowl victory on the line, Mike Love crashed into the South Carolina quarterback for a game-sealing sack that secured USF's school record 11th win of the 2016 season and the Bulls' fifth bowl victory.

Fast-forward to August and you'll find Love and the rest of the Bulls' aggressive, athletic defensive ends doing more of the same this fall in new defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary's scheme.

"He lets the D-line have fun and get to the football," defensive ends coach Damon Cogdell said.

USF's defense is determined to improve on its 2016 numbers and the Bulls know for a resurgence to happen, the hungry ends will have to get to the quarterback often.

17485"It's very important, especially with our teammates in the backfield," Love said. "They're hoping the D-linemen get home and get to the quarterback. We have to get there as fast as possible, so they don't have to wait."

USF's seventh practice of the fall saw the Bulls' defensive ends turn up the heat, especially in 11-on-11 work, when junior Frank Johnson (Woodville, Miss.) flew off the line for a would-be sack.

Johnson's play certainly drove up his stock, while Cogdell is seeing lots of production from the rest of his position players.

Sophomore Kirk Livingstone (Fort Lauderdale) was the first standout he mentioned at the end of Thursday's practice. Livingstone started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman last season and, after sitting out the spring as an injury healed, he's looked explosive this fall.

"He's showing me a lot of good things right now," Cogdell said.

As he did late last season, Livingstone looks impressive in camp on the first-team line that includes the defensive hero of the Birmingham Bowl. Love, a senior from Clearwater, started the last nine games of last season and finished with career highs in tackles for loss (7) and sacks (3).
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Another player attracting Cogdell's attention this fall is junior Juwuan Brown (Tampa), who got Ray Jay rocking during his 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown against UCF last season. Cogdell sees a lot of potential in junior Vincent Jackson, another Tampa native, while a walk-on keeps rising up the ranks at defensive end.

Sophomore Greg Reaves (Bradenton), a former Manatee County prep defensive player of the year, is thriving with increasing first-team reps as a push rusher with solid pass coverage skills. Reaves gained eight games of playing experience last season and earned USF's Scout Team Award for defense in 2015.

"The guy that's really, really, really ringing a bell for me is Reaves," Cogdell said. "… He's the type of kid that's going to give you that effort play."

Bulls Like Playing for Cogdell
USF has been getting steady progression from a defensive end group that's jelling well with new position coach Damon Cogdell.

"He teaches us a lot," Mike Love said. "It's just a great experience with him and I enjoy playing for him."

Cogdell got the most out of his players as a defensive line coach at West Virginia (2014-15) and helped Shaq Riddick earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors in his first season with the Mountaineers. Last season, Cogdell served as defensive coordinator for Class 6A state champion Carol City, a team that included current USF defensive backs Naytron Culpepper and Donelle Thomas, along with current Bulls' receiver Kevaughn Dingle.

"You can just come up and talk to him about anything," Kirk Livingstone said.

Bulls Return to Preseason Coaches Poll 17481
For the first time since 2008, USF will start the season in the top 25 after earning the No. 21 spot in the Preseason Amway Coaches Poll on Thursday.

USF matched its highest-ever preseason ranking in the coaches poll (No. 21, 2008) while eight different Bulls are on 13 national award watch lists this fall.

Fans anxious to catch the action at Raymond James Stadium can get a great deal in the process by purchasing the Bulls' new ticket mini plan. Priced at $79, the mobile phone accessible Boundless Bulls Pass gives fans access to all four Saturday home games this season, including tests against Stony Brook (Sept. 2), UMass (Oct. 14), Cincinnati (Oct. 28) and Houston (Nov. 4). 

Bulls Bits
  • Kicker Emilio Nadelman (Miami) put together perhaps his best performance yet at fall camp, going 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and nailing his final kick from 41 yards out. The senior is returning to form following an injury that caused him to miss games at the end of the 2016 season. 
  • Quinton Flowers (Miami) was precise on his deep balls Thursday, finding Darnell Salomon (Miami) for a 30-yard touchdown before hitting Chris Barr (Jacksonville) in stride on a 45-yard scoring strike during seven-on-seven action. Flowers also threw a 40-plus yard pass to Elkanah Dillon (Ocala, Fla.) and found the end zone again during 11-on-11 work with a touchdown pass caught by a diving DeVontres Dukes (Tampa).
  • Junior Stanley Clerveaux (Miami), whose promising career has been hampered by injuries, made his case for playing time by maneuvering past the defense for a 60-yard touchdown on a deep throw from Brett Kean (Lakewood, Ohio).
  • Happy birthday to head coach Charlie Strong, who turned 57 on Wednesday. "Everybody would think that he's about business, but when you actually get to know him, he's cool," receiver Deangelo Antoine said. "I love him as a coach."

Up Next
USF continues its practice run with another session Friday afternoon on campus. Practice is closed to the public.

ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF finished the 2016 season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll with a school-record 11 wins following the program's fifth-ever bowl victory in the Birmingham Bowl. The Bulls' 11-2 record marked the fifth-best winning percentage in FBS football in 2016 and one of just 11 teams to reach 11 wins. USF set nearly 40 team and individual records in 2016, including team records for total yards (6,650), rushing yards (3,714), touchdowns (77) and scoring (569). Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led a school-record 10 players named to the all-conference team, six of which, including Flowers, will return in 2017. 

Purchase tickets for the upcoming season by following the USFBullsTix.com link HERE.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
- #GoBulls -


 
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