After winning just three games in 2012, South Florida looks for a complete program revamp in 2013 with Willie Taggart and one of the least experienced teams in the nation.
2013 South Florida football schedule: Opponents, game dates and more
With a new head coach in Willie Taggart and a highly touted transfer in Steven Bench, South Florida looks to improve on a bad season with a totally new cast of characters. Follow @SBNationCFB
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It’s tough to expect much from a program that went 3-9 in 2012 and lost a lot of the players that did it. USF only brings back 10 starters from last year’s team. It could be a recipe for disaster, or it could be a blessing in disguise as Taggart tries to establish himself with the Bulls.
Here’s a look at the team’s 2013 schedule:
2013 South Florida schedule
Projections from Football Outsiders’ 2013 college football almanac.
As noted, there are a few open spots. Starting quarterback B.J. Daniels is gone after, oh, 15 or so seasons. Replacing him should be Steven Bench, a transfer from Penn State who opted to leave the Nittany Lions this offseason instead of fighting for a job with blue chip QB prospect Christian Hackenberg. He was one of the first major recruiting wins for Taggert, and he'll have immediate eligibility due to the sanctions placed on Penn State. Matt Floyd looked mediocre or worse in 2012 when filling in for an injured Daniels, so the job is likely Bench's.
South Florida also lost their top-two running backs, Demetris Murray and Lindsey Lamar, as well as three of five starting linemen. But they bring back six starters from a defensive unit that was actually kinda solid, and it isn't necessarily the worst thing to lose a whole bunch of players from a team that went 3-9.
As for the schedule, the opportunities are there for South Florida to improve on three wins. Non-con games against Michigan State and Miami are awfully ambitious, but the FCS matchup and a game against FAU can and should be wins. And the American is easier this year than the Big East was last year, with Syracuse and Pitt swapped out for UCF (okay), Houston (decent), SMU (worse) and Memphis (ha!). There are wins on the schedule if Taggart’s squad is up to the task.
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