As has usually been the case, Saturday's spring football game saw the South Florida Bulls struggling to move the ball and score points. The two defensive units were allowed to use their entire playbook and they controlled much of the game, stuffing the run, pressing passers, and causing a total of five turnovers. The final score of the game was Team USF 10, Team Bulls 7, and while a defensive purist might have enjoyed the action, Skip Holtz was less than pleased with his offense's performance, especially the passing game.
"It was pretty discouraging watching the passing game today," Holtz said. "I think it was very discouraging. ... I thought the way we executed the passing game was really poor today. We just didn't throw and catch it well. ... We definitely have to get better at that if we're going to have any shot as an offensive football team."
Despite the 10-7 score, there were some other chances to put points on the board that the offenses didn't capitalize on. Derrick Hopkins and Sterling Griffin both dropped touchdown passes (although they each would catch one later). Victor Marc fumbled into the end zone on the first series of the game. Terrence Mitchell's reverse for a touchdown was canceled by a penalty. As well as the defenses played, the offenses also had some self-destructive tendencies that are frustrating but fairly common during a spring scrimmage.
One of the few offensive players to come out of the game with any glory was QB Matt Floyd, an early enrollee who took part in the spring game when many of his old classmates were still making prom preparations. Floyd was pressed into more action than expected when backup quarterback Bobby Eveld was jacked in the jaw by a rush from Ryne Giddins on the first play of the game, came back in, and then was flattened on an interception return to end his day. Floyd went 20-for-34 for 233 yards, with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Hopkins, and showed a lot of promise for the future.
Although the "spring game" was yesterday, this is not the end of spring practice for the Bulls. The team will hold three more practices next week, and wrap up their spring season with the Green & Gold Bowl next Saturday at 5:00pm in the USF Track & Field Stadium (formerly the soccer stadium).