Ex-USF coordinator could help UCF

TAMPA — One of the less conspicuous story lines emanating from this week’s USF-UCF contest may or may not evolve into one of the more significant.

If the Knights possess any noticeable edge, it might be first-year defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan’s insight into the Bulls personnel. Bresnahan spent the previous two years in the same job on Willie Taggart’s staff before being dismissed last December.

And while the Bulls have changed virtually everything in terms of scheme and signals since Bresnahan’s departure, he still knows many of USF’s starters. No matter, Taggart said.

“Everything’s different from when [Bresnahan] was here, other than some of the guys. And even those guys are different now,” Taggart said following Sunday evening’s practice. “They’ve grown up and they’ve gotten better and have a better understanding of what’s going on.”

Bresnahan’s unit, by the way, ranks 115th nationally (464.9 ypg). His 2014 Bulls unit, which converted to the 3-4 from a four-man front, also allowed more than 400 yards a game (402.8). His first USF unit, however, ranked 30th nationally. “They’re having not the best season out there so far, but when we played [UCF] a few years ago [2013] when they went to the Fiesta Bowl, we gave ’em a really good game and we were terrible,” Bulls linebacker Auggie Sanchez said. “So coach Bresnahan, he’s a great coach. He’s gonna do some things to us that we probably haven’t seen all year.”

Joey Knight, Tampa Bay Times