EDITOR'S NOTE - This is the sixth of eight team previews leading up to the 2011 football season. The previews will be released in reverse order of the preseason poll.
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USF'2011 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
USF registered its third consecutive season at 8-5 in 2010, winning five of its last seven games.
USF is one of just 15 schools that has won at least eight games in each of the last five seasons.
The Bulls take a streak of six straight postseason appearances, including three straight bowl wins, into the 2011 season. USF has played in a bowl game in each year it has been a member of the Bowl Subdivision.
Head coach Skip Holtz has taken his team to the postseason in five consecutive seasons. He made four straight bowl appearances with East Carolina from 2006-09 before bringing USF to a win against Clemson in last year’s Meineke Car Care Bowl.
QB B.J. Daniels enters the 2011 season ranked fourth on USF’s career passing yards (3,754) and passing touchdowns (25) lists. Daniels battled through injury to throw for 1,685 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
WR A.J. Love, who is in his sixth year of eligibility, looks for a successful return from a knee injury to lead a veteran group of receivers.
OG Chaz Hine, a veteran with 25 career starts — and an accomplished opera singer — is one of two returning starters on the offensive line.
RB Demetris Murray is the most experienced man in the offensive backfield following the departure of leading rusher Moise Plancher. Murray rushed for 542 yards and four touchdowns last season.
USF must replace four All-BIG EAST players on defense, but returns two starting linebackers and three starters from the secondary.
LB DeDe Lattimore (69 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks) and LB Sam Barrington (65 tackles, 6.5 TFL) were second and third, respectively, on the team in tackles last season.
SS Jon Lejiste had a team-high four sacks last year, leading a defense that had eight players register at least two sacks. Twelve players had at least one interception, including returning FS Jerrell Young, who had three.
WR Lindsey Lamar was the 2010 BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and an All-BIG EAST First Team choice last year. Lamar amassed 903 yards on kickoff returns with two touchdowns last season.
K Maikon Bonani enters his third year as the Bulls’ regular kicker after making 17 of 21 fied goal attempts in 2010. Bonani was 13-for-13 from inside 40 yards last season.
P Justin Brockhaus-Kann returns after averaging 37.6 yards per punt last season.
