USF Grad Transfer Slade Providing Pressure, Leadership
NEXT GAME: South Carolina State (2-0) at USF (0-2)
DAY/TIME: Saturday/6 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/RADIO: ESPN3/USF Radio Network (1250-AM), Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: First meeting
GAME NOTES: USF
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, SEPT. 10, 2019 – Bulls fans are starting to see why coaches have been so excited about the addition of grad transfer
Darius Slade.
Equipped with a strong will to win and eye-catching athleticism, the disruptive 6-foot-5, 257-pound defensive end has helped USF rank third nationally with an average of 12.0 tackles for loss through two games. Slade is one of 12 Bulls with a TFL on the year and he has a takeaway to his credit after falling on a fumble last week at Georgia Tech.
"He's playing very well for us," head coach
Charlie Strong said.
That's what was expected when Slade transferred to USF after playing one season for Arizona State and starting his collegiate career at Ohio State.
"He's come in and kept his head down, and just bought into our system and plays hard," defensive coordinator
Brian Jean-Mary said. "That's been contagious. You can see other guys kind of gravitating to him and trying to play as hard as he does."
Slade doesn't just bring it on defense. He's also flying around on the punt team and trying to do whatever he can to help USF succeed. The next opportunity is Saturday against South Carolina State in the Bulls' return to Raymond James Stadium.
"I just want to win games," he said. "Honestly, it's whatever the coaches want me to do."
Part of the reason why Slade is all ears when it comes to listening to coaches is because the staff was the main draw for him at USF. The pro football hopeful is making sure he takes full advantage of whatever knowledge 12-year NFL veteran
Paul Spicer is dishing out as USF's new defensive line coach. The longtime defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2000-08) spent the previous four seasons as an assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I'm very fond of Coach Strong and Coach Spicer, coming from the NFL. It's a really great coaching staff," the Montclair, N.J., native said. "That was pretty much it for me."
Slade also is applying tips he's getting from his cousin, Jared Odrick, a first-round NFL Draft pick who played defensive end for Miami and Jacksonville from 2010-16.
"I just got off the phone with my cousin, Jared, yesterday, talking about the game and how I can improve," said Slade, who has two other cousins with collegiate football experience – Julian Pinnix-Odrick (DL, Rutgers) and Kamani Odrick (LB, ASA College/LIU Post). "I always have that foundation and that support system."
Now, Slade has another football family at USF and he's leading by example as a veteran who brings an all-out style to the program.
"He's really quiet, but he plays with a lot of energy," said junior cornerback
Mike Hampton (Tampa). "He gives great effort and he really gets the D-line going."
That's the plan for Saturday, when Slade and the Bulls try to get rolling in the win column.
"I really love this team (and) the coaches," Slade said. "I'm excited to keep battling."
'Aussie' Brings the Boom
Punter
Trent Schneider brought the boom in record-breaking fashion at Georgia Tech.
The 29-year-old junior from Sydney, Australia set the new USF game record with an average of 51.6 yards on seven punts, including a 60-yard boot.
"It's nice to put our team in a good position to win the game," Schneider said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get it done, but overall it was a good effort by the punt team."
Schneider is only at the start of his second season with USF, but he's already all over the program record books.
The player nicknamed "Aussie" by Coach Strong set USF's season punting yards record in 2018 (3,176) and also matched the Bulls' longest punt distance with a 72-yarder against East Carolina last September. Schneider's average of 49.2 yards against ECU is tied for fourth on USF's single-game chart.
After his huge performance at Georgia Tech, Schneider now ranks fifth nationally and leads The American with yards-per-punt average of 48.5.
"It had been a good fall camp. It was the confidence from that leading into the games," he said. "Hopefully I can continue it for the rest of the season."
Bulls Bits
LIVINGSTONE THE SCHOLAR: Senior defensive end Kirk Livingstone has been selected as a nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native graduated in spring 2019 with a 3.6 grade-point average in health sciences. On the field, he's a three-year starter with 110 career tackles and 24.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 already this season.- HOME SWEET HOME: USF's 20-6 home record over the past four seasons is the Bulls' best home stretch since going 19-0 from 2000-02. The Bulls look forward to returning to Ray Jay on Saturday for the first time since seeing a crowd of 46,704 in the season opener. "It's the best time, playing at home in front of our fans," said senior Jordan Cronkrite (Miami). "We're just really appreciative of everybody who comes out and watches us. I'm happy to be back home."
- SWARMING SECONDARY: Junior cornerback KJ Sails (Tampa) hauled in USF's first interception of the season at Georgia Tech and more picks could be there for the taking Saturday against South Carolina State. "They like to take shots," said junior cornerback Mike Hampton (Tampa). "DBs, we've got to be on our Ps and Qs, and just be prepared to play." Through two games, three SC State quarterbacks have combined for a 49.4 completion percentage.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22nd season of football, and 19th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
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– #GoBulls –
