The South Florida defense is stacked with top Florida talent. Breakout receiver Andre Davis is a “Mohamed Sanu clone” that looks primed for the NFL. And just over a year ago, quarterback B.J. Daniels toyed with Doug Marrone’s team on its own home turf.

If you ask Marrone, the roster of Syracuse’s next opponent speaks for itself.

“They have the ability to beat every team they play,” Marrone said during the Big East coaches’ teleconference on Monday. “I just see a lot of talent on the field, but they’re not catching the kind of breaks out there.”

It has to be more than just bad luck by now. Despite its talent, South Florida is 2-5. The team has lost each of its three Big East conference games during its current five-game slide. And of its last 11 conference games, the Bulls have won only once.

It’s been five seasons since the Bulls posted a winning record in Big East play. In 2007, Matt Grothe was USF’s quarterback. Jim Leavitt was USF’s head coach. And for one week during that season, the Bulls were ranked No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series poll, right behind eventual runner-up Ohio State.

This year’s USF team is nowhere near the annual powers of college football. Picked to finish second in the Big East’s preseason poll, the Bulls have dropped crushing games to Ball State and Temple after a quick 2-0 start to the season. They haven’t won a game since Sept. 8 at Nevada.

Head coach Skip Holtz thought that streak was about to change last weekend. On the road against No. 16 Louisville, Holtz saw running back Lindsey Lamar find lanes against a stout rushing defense. Daniels threw the third of his three second-half touchdown passes and Holtz began to hope that his defense could hold on for a much-needed win.

It didn’t. A 75-yard drive sparked by a personal foul on cornerback Kayvon Webster let the Cardinals reclaim the lead for good and forced Holtz to start searching for answers.

“Five in a row,” Holtz said with a laugh during the coaches’ teleconference. “Somebody else might have to answer that question.”

Holtz can answer it himself by taking a look at his defense. He said his secondary is porous and mistake prone. On film, he noticed his young defensive linemen fail to stick to the rushing lanes they’re assigned to. It’s no surprise for Holtz that in three games of the current five-game losing streak, his team was unable to hold onto a fourth-quarter lead.

The first meltdown happened in Muncie, Ind. Daniels turned a 12-point deficit into a three-point lead with two touchdown tosses and a clutch two-point conversion run by running back Demetris Murray. But despite the efforts of Daniels, Ball State rallied to beat the Bulls on a touchdown with 1:02 left.

A similar fate awaited the Bulls in Philadelphia two weeks later. Down 30-28 against Temple, Daniels and the offense put USF in position for a 45-yard field goal attempt with 1:11 remaining.

The field goal was blocked, and one play later, the Owls ran for a 35-yard game-sealing score.

It’s a common theme for the Bulls during Daniels’ tenure. The fourth-year quarterback starts slow early on, plays better late and puts his team in a position to win. Then, by virtue of a defensive gaffe or an ill-timed interception, the Bulls lose again.

“As a team leader, I can’t point fingers,” Daniels said. “I can only try and get better with the group of guys we have, and I know we have a team here we can win. We all believe we’re better than our record indicates.”

After every game, the Bulls come together in the locker room for their post-game vow. Win or lose, they pledge that they won’t surrender.

Daniels said this team is sticking to that pledge. And Holtz, who has watched his program wither from upstart title contender to Big East bottom feeder, is happy that his team hasn’t lost hope yet.

“Everyone’s upset; we’re upset,” Holtz said. “We preach that last week’s game doesn’t have anything to do with this week’s unless we allow it. But that’s certainly harder to do when you’ve been through what we’ve been through.”

Published on October 23, 2012 at 11:43 pm

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