USF football head coach Alex Golesh often talks about winning in the margins, finding the hidden yardage, seeking an edge for victory.
The clear path to that is establishing excellent special-teams play.
Whether it's kicking, returning, protecting, tackling or executing the little things, Golesh said he expects the Bulls' special teams to become a key component of the team's success in 2025.
"I was a special-teams coordinator myself (as an Illinois assistant in 2015) and took so much pride in it … and now as a head coach, I still take so much pride in it,'' Golesh said. "We've been really, really good on special teams here (at USF). Part of that is the (quality of) specialists. Part of it is our emphasis on it and the time we spend on it.
"In our very first special teams meeting of fall camp, we talked about winning in the margins, about it being a game of inches. We put up our very last football game, our bowl game, up on the board. That was probably the greatest example.''
At the Hawaii Bowl, the Bulls trailed San Jose State by three points in the late going. After USF stalled, Golesh made the agonizing decision to punt and hope for a stop. Andrew Stokes unloaded a 72-yard punt, tying a program record and flipping the field. When the Bulls stopped the Spartans, Sean Atkins had a 16-yard punt return to establish good field position. With two seconds remaining in regulation, John Cannon had a game-tying 41-yard field goal, kissing it off the right upright.
USF prevailed 41-39 in five overtimes.
"Every phase of special teams figured in that,'' Bulls special teams coordinator Chad Creamer said. "If one of them falls short, maybe we don't put ourselves in a position to win that game. If you want to know why special teams are important, just look to that game. This program is never going to take special teams for granted.''
Everywhere you look, there are newsworthy tidbits.
Place-kicker Nico Gramatica, who made field goals of 58 and 51 yards last season against Miami, has returned for his sophomore season. He has a new holder (punter Chase Leon), but the same reliable long-snapper, Garret Cates, one of the nation's best. Luke Goater and Leon are competing for the punting spot, meaning USF will have an Aussie at the position for the eighth consecutive season.
With the departure of Ta'Ron Keith and Atkins, the Bulls seek new primary returners for kickoffs and punts. Transfer running back Sam Franklin averaged 22.2 yards on six kickoff returns last season at Oklahoma, while holdover receiver JeyQuan Smith, one of the team's fastest players, is another candidate. Defensive back Tavin Ward has volunteered to handle punt-return duties. Creamer said he wasn't prepared to name a starter for either return-man slot.
But whether it's returning or covering, Golesh said special teams play remains an important part of USF's plans.
"Our best players play on special teams, which I think emphasizes it even more,'' Golesh said. "We talk about transferable skills, the ability to block, the ability to get off blocks, the ability to tackle in space, the ability to create leverage. It's no different than offensive and defensive football.
"We use special teams to create confidence within guys before they have a big-time role offensively or defensively. JeyQuan Smith was one of our best special teams players. When he became a starter (at receiver), he was confident because he had played in big moments, making open-field tackles and being in the spotlight. Keshaun Singleton is another one who made a name for himself on special teams before he had the opportunity to really play on offense.''
Gramatica is probably the special-teams player who has made the biggest name for himself. As the son of Martin Gramatica, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Pro Bowl place-kicker, and the nephew of two former USF kickers (Bill and Santiago), he was surrounded by expectations before his first field-goal attempt.
Golesh said Gramatica is competing with Adam Zouagui, a transfer from Davidson College. Last season, Gramatica handled the long field-goal attempts (finishing 3-for-5 with all attempts in excess of 50 yards) while serving as the primary kickoff man.
"Those big kicks are awesome, but (having) consistency is really cool,'' Gramatica said. "That's what you see from the great kickers at the next level, guys with big legs, but they are super consistent inside the 40-yard line. That's what I'm striving for, being the most consistent guy I can be.
"The best advice I got (from his father and uncles) was to take every kick one kick at a time. Don't look back on a kick, whether it's a make or a miss. Just be in that moment and focus on that one kick.''
Golesh said he's confident in both place-kickers.
"Adam has done a good job pushing Nico, but Nico is mentally on a such a different level right now, just so locked into his craft,'' Golesh said. "That little human being (Gramatica) is different in a really, really good way. I don't know where he gets it from … probably from his sister.
"You can tell that Nico has been trained mentally to be about the right things. He's in a zone. He won't talk to anybody during practice. He's just laser-focused and you love to see that kind of mindset.''
–#GoBulls–
