...UCF Fiesta Bowl team.
I liken this year's USF team to UCF's 2013 Fiesta Bowl team, which for the most part got better as the year moved along and really came together in the second half of the season. Moreover, that 2013 UCF team really played up and down to its competition:
Penn State 34-31 ...mediocre PSU team that finished 7-5
South Carolina 28-25 ...Lost to a very good USC team but had a chance to win
Memphis 24-17 ...finished the year 3-9
Louisville 38-35 ...Charlie's best and last UL team before bolting to UT
Houston 19-14 ...mediocre Houston team that lost 4 of last 5 games to close the season
Temple 39-36 ... took one helluva a catch to pull out that game; Temple finished 2-10
SMU 17-13 ...Mustang finished the year 5-7
USF 23-20 ...one of USF's worst teams ever that with a little luck could have pulled the upset; finished 2-10
UCF only had on true blow out that season in destroying UCONN 62-17, every other game was either decided by one score and IIRC at least three of those were come from behind in the 4th quarter types of victories.
My point is that this USF may win all its games this year and never blow anyone out (other than UCONN) ...b/c it's just a grinding type of team. November will show the quality of this team for sure...but it will also do the same for UCF, Cincy and Houston. Plus I hesitate to include Houston b/c they have already lost a winnable game against TTU and played several close games where they trailed at the half against dreadful RICE and were in a dogfight against the same Tulsa team that gave USF fits. If Tulsa doesn't turn the ball over against UH ....that game could have had a different result.
This is not one of those flashy CWT teams....which never won anything, or those up and down Leavitt teams which also never won anything and regularly lost close conference games. This team has some amazing grit...and the experience of close games will pay dividends toward the end of the year. Let's not give Cincy, Houston and Temple too much credit either b/c if you scrutinize them as closely as we do with USF they have just as many warts. UCF is the team to beat...not doubt...but I trust that by Black Friday this team will be ready to play.
I liken this year's USF team to UCF's 2013 Fiesta Bowl team, which for the most part got better as the year moved along and really came together in the second half of the season. Moreover, that 2013 UCF team really played up and down to its competition:
Penn State 34-31 ...mediocre PSU team that finished 7-5
South Carolina 28-25 ...Lost to a very good USC team but had a chance to win
Memphis 24-17 ...finished the year 3-9
Louisville 38-35 ...Charlie's best and last UL team before bolting to UT
Houston 19-14 ...mediocre Houston team that lost 4 of last 5 games to close the season
Temple 39-36 ... took one helluva a catch to pull out that game; Temple finished 2-10
SMU 17-13 ...Mustang finished the year 5-7
USF 23-20 ...one of USF's worst teams ever that with a little luck could have pulled the upset; finished 2-10
UCF only had on true blow out that season in destroying UCONN 62-17, every other game was either decided by one score and IIRC at least three of those were come from behind in the 4th quarter types of victories.
My point is that this USF may win all its games this year and never blow anyone out (other than UCONN) ...b/c it's just a grinding type of team. November will show the quality of this team for sure...but it will also do the same for UCF, Cincy and Houston. Plus I hesitate to include Houston b/c they have already lost a winnable game against TTU and played several close games where they trailed at the half against dreadful RICE and were in a dogfight against the same Tulsa team that gave USF fits. If Tulsa doesn't turn the ball over against UH ....that game could have had a different result.
This is not one of those flashy CWT teams....which never won anything, or those up and down Leavitt teams which also never won anything and regularly lost close conference games. This team has some amazing grit...and the experience of close games will pay dividends toward the end of the year. Let's not give Cincy, Houston and Temple too much credit either b/c if you scrutinize them as closely as we do with USF they have just as many warts. UCF is the team to beat...not doubt...but I trust that by Black Friday this team will be ready to play.
