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TAMPA — Though USF football coach Alex Golesh prefers not to talk about expectations, you could hear them from across the indoor practice facility as the Bulls opened spring practice Tuesday.
Is this the group, someone in the huddle yelled, that gets to keep playing into December?
From the sidelines, the answer looks like a yes.
“We’re, like, a football team,” defensive lineman Rashad Cheney said.
They have not always looked the part, and not just because of the Bulls’ 4-26 record under Golesh’s predecessor, Jeff Scott. The roster was in rough shape a year ago. The Bulls were so depleted at receiver during the spring game that running back Kelley Joiner switched to slot receiver — and then was the position’s most prolific player. Golesh vowed to mine the transfer portal.
Eleven months later, it’s clear that this, as men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim says, is not the same ol’ South Florida. The Bulls looked noticeably bigger when they took the field for their first of 15 practices. Starting quarterback Byrum Brown is up about 15 pounds to 220. The linemen look beefier. The talent was more impressive.
That’s all a product of continuity and stability as Golesh goes through his second year. When the team’s offseason began last winter, Golesh’s goal was simply to get his players ready for spring. This time, they could fine-tune the intricacies of how to run and lift.
“You were able to develop skill rather than just try to get guys in shape,” Golesh said.
The same refinement applies to spring practice. Golesh felt behind last year as the Bulls started with the basics, like how to line up in their new systems. Installing those systems took time, which meant speeding through things.
“You felt like you were just putting fires out schematically,” Golesh said.
Not anymore. The systems are…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/usf-football-big-changes-alex-210500444.html
Author : Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Publish date : 2024-03-05 21:05:00
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