Big East 2010-South Florida Bulls

2009 Record: 8-5 (3-4)
Head Coach: Skip Holtz (1st season...72-50 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Todd Fitch (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: Mark Snyder (1st season)
2009 Bowl Game: International Bowl, Defeated Northern Illinois 27-3

Offense: 9 starters return on offense for the Bulls in 2010., but the squad took a beating when they lost WR AJ Love to a knee injury in spring ball that will have him missing at least half of the season. Dontavia Bogan and Sterling Griffin both have starting experience and will more than fill the void until Love returns from injury. Moise Plancher returns as a 6th year senior after getting a medical hardship to return at RB. He is not nearly the best back in the conference, and there may be a committee approach to RB this season. All five starters return to the offensive line, which should be music to the ears of OC Todd Fitch and QB BJ Daniels. Daniels was very solid replacing injured Matt Grothe last season, and now he is the man.Daniels passing numbers were solid for a partial season, but he rushed for 772 yards to lead the team.

Defense: 7 starters are gone. This is going to be a major challenge for new DC Mark Snyder, the former Marshall HC. Only DT Terell McClain returns on the line, so there is complete rebuilding going on there. Sabbath Joseph is the lone returning LB, and there is virtually no experience elsewhere at the position. Quentin Washington and Kayvin Webster are returning at CB, but both safeties will be brand new starters. This could get scary.

Special Teams: Eric Schwartz and Maikon Bonani are battling it out for the starting PK job going into fall camp. Schwartz started in 2009, but Bonani started in 2008, and did not play due to injury last season. Jason Brockhaus-Kann is the leader to take the punting job.

2010 Schedule

Wins: 9/4 Stony Brook, 11/25 Western Kentucky, 10/2 Florida Atlantic, 10/9 Syracuse, 11/13 @ Louisville
Toss Up Games: 11/3 Rutgers, 12/4 UConn

Losses: 9/11 @ Florida, 10/14 @ West Virginia, 10/22 @ Cincinnati, 11/20 Pittsburgh, 11/27 @ Miami

There are some easy wins here, but there are some definate losses as well. The Bulls need to steal both of the toss games to be bowl eligible. Both of those games, if you will notice, are at home. All but one of the losses should occur on the road.

Outlook: The offense will be fantastic, but the defense won't be, and that's the problem. The defense is in complete rebuild mode, and that could cost a bowl bid in Skip Holtz's first season as coach. Jim Leavitt, the only coach in school history, as let go after allegations of abuse by players. Holtz will have rather large shoes to fill, but he should be able to do so without fail.