STORYLINES
USF doubled its wins total from 2013 in Willie
Taggart’s second year as the Bulls’ head coach.
Since 2007, USF has registered nonconference
wins against Auburn, UCF, Clemson, Florida
State, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Northern
Illinois and Notre Dame, among others.
The Bulls will have new coordinators on both
offense and defense in 2015. Co-offensive coordinator
Danny Hope was formerly the head
coach at Purdue.
OFFENSE
RB Marlon Mack was named the American Athletic
Conference Rookie of the Year in 2014 after
he led the conference in rushing (86.8 ypg). Mack
had four 100-yard games and five touchdown
runs of at least 54 yards in his freshman season.
QB Steven Bench and QB Quinton Flowers will
battle for the starting spot in the summer. Bench
has made three career starts, while Flowers
made one start as a freshman last year.
Returning starters OG Brynjar Gudmundsson and
OG Thor Jozwiak provide a solid foundation on
the interior line.
The top returning receiver is WR Rodney Adams,
who had 23 catches for 323 yards and two
touchdowns in 2014
DEFENSE
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen joins the staff
after he spent the last three seasons as the
linebackers coach at Mississippi.
LB Nigel Harris led the nation with six forced
fumbles in 2014. He is part of a USF defense that
returns its top five tacklers from last season.
Harris joins LB Auggie Sanchez as returning
starters at linebacker. S Jamie Byrd also returns
as a starter at the husky position.
The secondary returns three starters — CB
Johnny Ward, S Nate Godwin and S Devin Abraham.
S Tajee Fullwood saw starting duty as well.
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Mattias Ciabatti is among the top punters in
the nation. He led The American and was 10th
nationally with an average punt of 44.4 yards
on his way to all-conference first-team honors.
The Bulls will have to replace the production of
Marvin Kloss, a former Groza Award finalist who
was one of the nation’s top kickers.
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