The USF Bulls finally got some reps in front of a home crowd during their annual spring football game on Sunday afternoon.
It was the offense against the defense, with the offense wearing green and the defense wearing white.
The game was played with modified rules:
-There were 12-minute quarters with a running clock. The only exception was in the fourth quarter, inside the two-minute mark.
-They started offensive possessions at the 25-yard line.
-Quarterbacks were off limits for contact.
-Offensively, it was a normal scoring game, except that a point was earned for consecutive first downs.
-Defensively, four points were earned for causing a turnover, three points earned for a fourth down stop, three points for a missed FG or missed PAT, one point for forcing a three-and-out, and one point for forcing a punt.
Other than that, it was business as usual in the annual USF spring game.
“Any time you’re playing football, it’s fun, so we’ll be out there having fun,” new USF head coach Brian Hartline said about the importance of the spring game. “Our main focus is the opportunity for these guys to compete and really showcase what they’ve learned over the spring.”
Hartline also emphasized that it is more than just a practice. It is a spring game, and players will be graded on their performance.
The big question is at quarterback, where it looks to be a battle between Michael Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek. Both were four-star recruits out of high school and have started in their collegiate career. Hartline had high praise for his two quarterbacks as spring practice wrapped up.
“They’re both doing a good job. Just the efficiency and frequency of what they’re doing is really what’s telling the tale. Any time you have healthy competition, you get the best version of these guys.”
Both quarterbacks had their moments. Both Van Buren and Kromenhoek had touchdown passes and moved the offense down the field. After the spring game, Hartline said nothing has been decided, and Van Buren and Kromenhoek will battle it out this summer to see who will lead the offense this season.
One position you notice quickly is the offensive line. USF has 13 offensive linemen weighing 300 pounds or more. They are still a work in progress and will need to decide who the starters are to develop the trust and chemistry needed to be successful.
Three running backs were clearly leading in the running back competition. Chase Garnett, Jason Collins, and Conner Matthews all had rushing touchdowns. Matthews had a 45-yard touchdown run.
Hartline stressed that there are two things the running backs need to do to be successful.
“First, make the first guy miss,” he said. “You know, we’re going to do the best we can. We’re going to do a darn good job trying to block everyone. There’s going to be that first guy that shows up. That’s your guy. So did the first guy miss? So make the first guy miss, and then, you know, do a great job in pass support.”
USF will open the season on September 5th against FIU at Raymond James Stadium.