On having so much time to prepare for WKU...

You get to this point and the film hasn't changed. It's the same film that it was in summertime and we're just trying to be careful because there is a point that you need to do stuff. What we're trying to do is really hone in on the stuff that we want to run. The one thing that we want to do is line up and play fast.

On Wisconsin's turnaround from the late 90s and him being there for that...

It didn't turn overnight. We had a plan built around discipline and physicality and tough football players and then eventually surrounded itself with a whole bunch of really talented players. So it took a little bit of the recruiting part, to an extent, to get it to where it's at today. Recruiting can continue to create competition. I think that's really really important. Because it even makes the players that are starters here, if they feel like their job is threatened you'll be amazed how hard they play but if they don't feel threatened and you can take a little bit of easing. So I think that comes as we continue to get better from a recruiting standpoint.

When analyzing his defense where do his eyes go first...

If you put a gun to my head and said like, what's the stuff that we had to clean up? It's just in-space tackling. I think if you ask a random fan, they could be able to see that you know what I mean? So that goes into just execution that goes into running to the football for each other.

Is eliminating missed tackles job one...

I think anybody that's ever played this game, if you get a decent skill guy out there, you're gonna miss a fair share. But if we can run to the football, like I'm talking about run, run, and we can get people to the football that one guy that's out there, you know, there's a confidence level one you know that you're not the only guy out there. So that I think that's probably the biggest thing that we've been stressing to our guys is we've got to really really like we got to press the gas and run and then we can't be afraid have to do is some people in there when they get tired because you know this is up tempo they're gonna run a lot of ball plays their spots for us that we truly believe that the guys can come out there and play winning football, and we're gonna have to tell those guys to get on the field. If we're going to try to empty the tank and run to the ball the way we need to. We just can't save ourselves when that ball goes out in the perimeter. Everybody from Inside Out has to go help that person that's out there.

On Coach Golesh saying there would be 17 or 18 guys in the rotation. How do you go about doing that...

It's skill set wise. The first thing I look for is like are they accountable? Can you trust them? Like that's the first thing because like I have a really hard time putting somebody on the field knowing that they're going to break down you know, what I'm saying? And then the second part is what is their skill set. So there's some guys that are like, good to cover him but maybe not as good as like an in-box player or there's somebody that's skillful in the pass game, and vice versa. But so you start to build packages around those guys because they're good football players. But what is their role gonna be and trying our best to minimize bad matchups or minimize asking somebody to do something that they're not great at? I think everybody has a certain skill set you'd like for everybody to be a first, second and third down skill set. You know, what I'm saying? But ideally, somebody might just have a first and second down skill set not a great third down and vice versa. They might be great on certain down the distances and not so but they're still there. Your top players, you know, they're still really good football players. They keep everybody hungry when you go to practice. And you say, hey, man, compete your tail off, but that kid believes that he's going to be a starter on a sub package or whatever it is. If you create competition between it they're gonna practice hard. If you say to him, like, practice your tail off and I don't think you're gonna play like I wouldn't be real fired up about that.

On having enough dependable bodies to run in and out at this point...

It's, you know, it's, it's not like lights out lights out, but I feel comfortable with the first and second units and a couple guys that we can put in there that you know, skill set wise can defend the run game. So I do I feel like we can do that. And if we have to manufacture some things to go along with it. If we need to get more pressure on the QB, that schematically we have to do it but I feel good. We're gonna, I think we're in a decent spot right now. You know, we'll see how the game plays itself out you know, because we're gonna see some pacing. The first guys that get the most tired are those guys up front but have a plan to be able to rotate those guys in there. And keep us fresh up front.

On a defensive identity...

You know, I'm saying like, you can forge anything you want on a practice field, but until you're under the lights you don't really know. That's the part that I want to find out. You know, because you can do some decent things in practice. You can, like, talk the talk a little bit, but until you physically go out in the field and you're on your own. You know, we're we're going to an away game. We'll find out. You know, that's the part that's the unknown right now. Whether they bow up and say, okay, like, let's get it on. So we'll find out.

On QB Austin Reed and what WKU does offensively...

Well, he's extremely accurate. He knows the system inside and out. He just runs the whole show. So there's nothing that he hasn't seen. Guys it's just a great story. You know, it's a story about a guy that went to you know, a natty and looked for a home and a lot of people had an opportunity to recruit him and take him and he stays loyal to those guys and comes back. But he's extremely accurate. I mean, like we had an opportunity to play him at the last place I was at he can thread needles, but he never got rattled. That was the part that I thought was really unique about them. They'll run him he's not afraid to run the football. Just a really, really good player and he's got weapons that he can distribute the ball and just take, you know, when you really really watch him how patient he is and just takes what the defense gives him. They have a scheme that allows him to do that. But in terms of making every throw, he can do that and he's a really really good player.

On having so much time to prepare for WKU...
I think we're really trying to just focus on us. You know, as much as anything we have to make sure that what we're doing regardless of who we're playing, that we understand what that is and how it works and coming to work every single day and really focusing on the detail and the discipline that it takes to play to play the way that we want to.

In this type of offense, you're prepared to be at 20 percent passes, aren't you?

We gotta be prepared to do whatever it takes to win the football game. Those would be pretty lopsided numbers to be 80%. Probably either way, but you never know how it's going to go. We do feel like what we do on offense we have the ability to be flexible enough to adjust and manifest the pass game that's gonna give us the best chance to move the ball up and down the field and score points and we'll be willing to do that as well. But yeah, I think balance in our eyes is really just being able to take advantage of the opportunities that we have, whether it be run game or pass game and just, you know, go play it and let it roll.

On what the WKU defense offers and how to attack them...

They had a really good defense last year. You know, one of the things that stands out to us as an offensive staff, and as we've tried to, make the point to our players, you know, in preparing for this group as they lead the country and takeaways last year. So, anytime you're doing that, that's not an accident. You know, they were very opportunist, when they had the opportunity to get on fumbles, and obviously, they're creating fumbles and they're catching interceptions, not dropping them. You know, they did a phenomenal job of turning the teams over last year. So that's always a challenge for any offense is to take care of the football for 60 minutes, but you know, they're multiple, you know, the they do a bunch of different things which, you know, make you on offense have to be well prepared or, you know, you can get exposed pretty quickly. But they have really good players, they play really hard for 60 minutes, and you know, they're confident so, we're gonna have to match, you know, the excitement level on the field that they're going to bring and we're gonna have to match, you know, the detail that they bring to the table. You know, on our side of the ball.

Coach Orlando talked about seeing how his defense performs with the lights on. Do you feel the say way...

Absolutely. You know, this is why I prepare and work year round to get to the games and, you know, for all of us as first year coaches here, you know, being with this team, being brand new for all of us here, we haven't been on an airplane ride. We haven't been in a hotel we haven't done, you know, in a game setting. So I think that's what I'm, you know, super excited about is to see what happens when our guys are out there by themselves and playing against somebody else and, you know, they get an opportunity to kind of define who they are.

Does it take some games to learn how to best utilize players?

Yeah, I think we try to we try to figure out as much as we can before the game, you know, and put the guys in positions to kind of let those skill sets shine. But I do think the game is really the ultimate, you know, measure of, you know, what kind of player any any of our guys or anybody is really going to, you know, turn into when the lights turn on. And, you know, we've had some guys do some really good things in practice. And, you know, we're obviously expecting that they're going to be able to do the same things in the games but, you know, when when you get a chance to as a player, you get a chance to go out there and you're by yourself. You're not gonna have a coach whispering in your ear. You're playing against another opponent, I think you're definitely going to have an opportunity to see some things, at least from the coach's perspective like man, never seen this player do that or haven't seen this player do that. So I definitely think when the lights come on, and it's game time, you're gonna have an opportunity to see some things that you probably haven't seen in practice.

Golesh hasn't been on the field since he was at Iowa State. Is there an adjustment going from the booth to the field?

Yeah, absolutely. I spent most of my life as a coach upstairs in the press box. Last season, actually, probably the midpoint of the year, actually made the transition down to the field. And it's a whole nother game on the field. Like it's so much of the emotion that kind of gets blocked out when you're in the press box. You know when you get down on the field and you're in front of a bunch of people, you realize that obviously the emotions that the players are going through on the field is way different than it seems, you know, when you're in a press box. It's, you know, almost silent, you know, throughout the game, but obviously the vision and the angle that you see the field and all the bodies and all those things. Yeah, it definitely is different. And I'm sure you know, it'll be an adjustment and what we've tried to do as many things to prepare ourselves as a coaching staff or what that game is going to be like, you know, throughout the spring and throughout our fall camp to try to get ready for that.

On the communication between himself and Golesh during a game...

Yeah, there's a lot going on for us, you know, from one plate to the next and it's really been a work in progress for the whole staff, you know, not just myself and coach Golesh. We all kind of have, you know, our roles and our jobs on game day when we're playing. And from the first time that we did it in the spring to the Spring Game all the way through the fall we've been working on that and trying to improve it every single time but it is, man, communication is is the key, for sure.

IRVING, Texas (July 20, 2023) – As the 2023 college football season approaches, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has again partnered with the College Football Officiating (CFO) to highlight the key rule changes that will take effect this fall.



Since 2011, the NFF has partnered with the College Football Officiating (CFO), led by Steve Shaw and chaired by Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, to help generate awareness for the rule changes in college football. The CFO functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level, and the organization has held its annual winter meeting of conference coordinators for football officials each January at the NFF headquarters in Irving, Texas since 2013.



Shaw, who became the CFO National Coordinator of Football Officials in March 2020, previously served the Southeastern Conference and Sun Belt Conference as coordinator of officials. He also serves as the Secretary-Rules Editor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, a position critical to the development of competition rules and policies. Shaw excelled as a head referee for 15 years in the SEC, earning 14 postseason assignments, including two national championship games. He has been a leader in revamping the sport's officiating mechanics and advancing the use of technology to assist officials.



"The mission of the Rules Committee is to develop and evaluate rules changes that will enhance the sport, protect the image of the game, and enhance the student athlete's health and safety," said Shaw. "Player safety has been the highest priority of the committee for many years now resulting in significant changes that have improved the game in terms of mitigating injuries.








Enforcing all players’ health and safety rules continues to be the top point of emphasis from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The Targeting rule will remain the same in 2023 as the committee feels the rule continues to drive positive player behavior in terms of the use of the helmet. The committee also noted last year’s change to the blocking below the waist rule resulted in data showing fewer player injuries.



The most significant 2023 football rules changes involve adjustments to the timing and clock rules. The rules committee made these changes to drive three strategic initiatives:

• Keep the game moving in terms of pace of play.
• Moderately reduce the number of plays per game.
• Ensure consistency in officiating mechanics managing the game clock.

Stopping and Starting the Clock – First Downs (Rule 3-3-2-e-1)

When Team A (the offense) gains a first down, the clock will no longer be stopped to award a first down except with less than two minutes remaining in the 2ndand 4th quarters. This change is effective immediately for DI and DII and will be implemented in 2024 for DIII.



Consecutive Charged Team Timeouts (Rule 3-3-4-a)

Consecutive charged team timeouts will no longer be allowed by the same team in any individual dead ball period. Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half, with no more than one charged team timeout available per team, per individual dead ball period.



Extension of Periods (Rule 3-2-3-a)

A period shall be extended for an untimed down in the 2nd or 4th quarter only if a penalty is accepted for a live-ball foul, if there are offsetting fouls, or an inadvertent whistle. The 1st and 3rdquarters will not be extended, and any penalty enforcement will be carried over to the following quarter.



Drone Policy (Rule 1-4-11-d)

Drones are not allowed over the field or the team area when squad members are present within the playing enclosure. Outside the limit lines, game management (or conference policy) will govern drone activity. This governance includes all FAA, state, and local laws including campus policy where appropriate.



Halftime Intermission (Rule 3-2-1-c & 11-1-3)

The field will be available to squad members for halftime warmup no later than three minutes prior to the second half kickoff. When any Squad Member enters the playing enclosure during the halftime intermission, a staff member from that team must be present on the field.



If kickers or other squad members come onto the playing enclosure before the field is available, their activities must be confined to the team area. All team personnel will be respectful of scheduled halftime activities, and all kicks must be into the practice kicking nets until the field is available.



When the field is available to players, the field will be divided into an “L-shaped” configuration with the thirty yard-lines forming the “L” in order to keep the teams separated.



Instant Replay without an Instant Replay Booth Official (New Rule 12-2-1-c)

The optional use of instant replay in games that do not have an instant replay booth official is now permissible and must be in full compliance with Rule 12 (the replay rule) with the following exceptions:

• The Referee will be the sole decision maker on any review and may include one additional crew member to consult on the review.
• The equipment used in the review must be located outside the limit lines on the sideline or end zone and must be completely outside the team area. The referee and additional crew member must be provided a separate, secure location away from fans and sideline personnel, with a tent or similar type shelter structure.
• The Referee will stop the game to review all Targeting Fouls that are called on the field. The only other method to stop a game for a replay review is through a head coach challenge. When the head coach requests a timeout for replay review, the replay challenge flag must be dropped onto the field of play.
• Other than for a Targeting review, the crew on the field may not initiate an instant replay review.
• The head coach may initiate a Targeting review if the team has a timeout available and a coach’s challenge remaining.

We go 'Behind Enemy Lines' with Derrick Deen of InsideHilltopperSports.com for insight on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

STORY

Get your minds right.

I'll be making the long ass drive from my house up to WKU on Saturday to cover the game for the site. It should be one of two or three games I'll handle myself this year. I'm looking forward to seeing how they look and checking off another stadium off my list.

…but stay safe

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Is USF going to release a depth chart leading up to Saturdays game?

QB- Marcelis Tate (Fletcher) lost 43-21 to Mandarin. Fletcher was 14/24 for 159 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs, he ran for 98 yards on 12 carries with another TD.

RB- Alvon Isaac (Hawthorne HS) His team won 26-7 over Middleburg. Isaac had a 77 yard touchdown catch one of his two catches for 83 yards.

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WR- Axzavian Alexander (Heritage HS) had a big opening game with 6 catches for 73 yards and 2 TDs in a 40-0 win over Satellite on the road.

WR- Joshua Porter (Fort Meade) won 28-14 over Sarasota on the road. Porter had five catches for 70 yards and a TD.

WR- Brandon Winton (Alcoa, TN) moved to 2-0 with a 17-13 win over Bearden, did not see any stats.

OL Frederick Hinton (IMG Academy- Bradenton, FL) knocked off St. Joseph's Prep (NJ) 17-14

OL- Tyreek Major (Gaither- Tampa, FL) beat Steinbrenner 35-7 in their opener.

OL- Teriyan Morman (Vanguard- Ocala, FL) beat Erie 26-20 in a nailbiter.

DEFENSE
DE- Damien Gill (Killian- Miami, FL) fell 31-7 to Booker T. Washington in their opener. No stats available

DE- Ryan Jenkins (Westover- Albany, GA) improved to 1-1 with a 30-18 win over Sumter County. No stats available.

DE- Ashton Mosley (Blountstown, FL) lost 35-7 to Walton. He had five total tackles and a QB hurry.

DT- Jahari Grant (Treasure Coast- Port St. Lucie, FL) beat Osceola 22-8 on Saturday. No stats available.

LB- Zavier Hamilton (Fort Walton Beach, FL) fell 28-6 at Godby in the season opener. Hamilton had seven tackles.
LB- Josiah Taylor (Sebring, FL) won 47-6 at Centennial no stats available.

S- Fred Gaskin (Vanguard- Ocala, FL) beat Erie 26-20 in a nailbiter. Gaskin had a 32-yard KR, no other stats.

CB- Hasaan Sykes (Tucker, GA) moved to 2-0 over Southwest DeKalb 48-36. Sykes had three tackles and a fumble recovery.

PK- Nico Gramatica (Cambridge Christian- Tampa, FL) won 31-9 at IMG Academy Blue, he had four touchbacks on five kickoffs, was 4-4 kicking on PATs and 1-2 on FGs, made a 29 yarder.

Well fellas it’s the time of year again! With it comes our typical weekly prediction thread.

WKU may not be a power conference but they are no slouch. They are picked to finish first in CUSA I believe. They also bring a brand new OC.

I would like to see our team be prepared for this first time in years for our opener. Not getting blown out by 40pts would be a great start. Unfortunately I think this match up is just too much too soon for CAG and company.

I’ll say 35 WKU- 24 USF. USF will get better as the season progresses.

South Florida head coach Alex Golesh previews Western Kentucky.

VIDEO

We will have a press conference with CAG, OL Donovan Jennings and CB Amaris Brown today. Since campus is closed today and Wednesday the presser will be via zoom. I’m going to record it off of my screen and I’ll post the video on the board and Tweet it.

Shortly before the press conference, the USF football Twitter account might Tweet the QB1 for this week. If they don’t that probably means Golesh won’t announce his QB during the presser.

Wednesday a media availability is scheduled for DC Todd Golden and OC Joel Gordon. If I have WiFi, I’m going to record it off of my screen and I’ll post the video on the board and Tweet it.

Our coverage plan includes a Behind Enemy Lines interview with the WKU site on Thursday and a game preview from our intern Jack Ward on Friday.

Shortly after the game I'll publish an Instant Analysis.

Jack will have a game recap, possibly in the Good/Bad/Ugly format we've used the two previous seasons.

Besides a Bulls win. I'll start,

An Improved and more mature Jordan McCloud

Some of these portal guys live up to the hype on offense

A clean game in special teams to kick off the post Justin Burke Era

Somebody, anybody step up at DE and wreak some havoc

Devonte Dukes Produce in something besides practice and spring games

A more mature LB corps play like the USF LBs used to in the CJL days and just wreak havoc

Add on....

Golesh just had his first former player picked Darnell Wright at #10 by the Bears

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From our old buddy Sean. I think this is pretty spot on.

I think USF should do something like this.

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We already have a beer brewing course. Along with the awesome Yuengling Beer center they just opened, we should pair up and develop something.

I personally vote for something a golden to brown lager.

Notre Dame dominating Navy 35-0 early in the 3rd quarter.

So if you go on over to alabama 247 site they dont really have a qb. They even have a qb meltdiwn thread lol. The guy they need wont be on campus till next year. Its thier worse wb situation since saban has been there. All 3 guys are inconsistent and lack pocket awareness. Oh boy

I figured it was time for an update on some key targets. The last few weeks have been the dead period blues for recruiting

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He pushed back his announcement to September. He wants to do it a game with some media coverage. I still feel good about the Bulls landing him and nothing has changed with his recruitment, he just decided to wait to announce.

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USF leads for the Exume twins, Marshall is #2 and the Herd are getting an OV this fall, but my sources say it is too far from home and the really are most likely going to end up in Tampa unless something crazy happens like Miami wants them both.

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The Bulls continue to go after Rigby and there was some smoke about a decommitment from Purdue coming, but that has not happened yet. This will be a fight up to NSD in December.

Things will pick back up at the end of next week as the season starts with recruiting as the dead period ends.

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