TAMPA, Fla. -- USF head football coach Jeff Scott's had an interesting first season as head coach. The Bulls had one spring practice, and they've had a limited preseason.
But Scott was getting ready for all the adjustments without even knowing it.
"I want to be sure we get credit. We had the first Zoom staff meeting in December of 2019," Scott joked at his weekly news conference. "I’ve had a lot of fun already, and the season hasn’t started yet."
Despite the changes, Scott says it didn't take long for his players to buy into his way of running the program.
"Every day, being around these guys. Seeing their excitement and energy. And they bought in," Scott said. "We set the standard. This is going to be the standard. This is going to be the expectation. And either you meet it or you don’t."
"When he tells us we’re going to practice hard, he comes with a lot of juice as well," said senior wide receiver Devontres Dukes. "When he tells us he’s going to do something for us, he gets it done. I have nothing but respect for him because everything that he said he’s going to do- he’s done it."
Scott even threw in a baseball analogy to illustrate what the team's going through.
"When you put that weight on your bat, and you’re swinging that heavy bat. So that when you get up there in the batter's box, you’re swinging a light bat," the Arcadia native said. "I feel like this year, and potentially into next year, we’re swinging a heavy bat. But it’s going to pay off for us down the road."
The Bulls open the season tomorrow night at home against The Citadel. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. There won't be fans in attendance, but the game will air on ESPN U.
USF is 17-6 in season openers.
