Sports

Highlights

By Tom Zebold | USF Athletics

Get On the Bus

First-year USF Head Coach Willie Taggart grabbed everyone’s attention at his introductory press conference in December when he said: “What we have to do now is put everyone on the bus, put them in the right seat, and let Coach T drive this bus.”

Coach T and his bus full of Bulls got the season rolling Saturday, Aug. 31 against McNeese State at Raymond James Stadium. USF follows with tests at Michigan State (Sept. 7) and gets FAU (Sept. 14) and Miami (Sept. 28) at home before jumping into league play in the brand new American Athletic Conference.

The Bulls were predicted to finish fifth in The American’s preseason media poll, but USF’s new leading man is setting the bar much higher for his players.

“Our expectations are high. Our intention is to win a championship; that’s what we want to do and we intend to do that,” Taggart says.

Soccer Season Openers

The USF men’s soccer team looks to book a seventh straight trip to the NCAA tournament, starting with its season opener at home against Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday, Aug. 30.

The Bulls went 2-0 against FGCU last season and topped the Eagles in penalty kicks to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The USF women’s team also started its season at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday, Aug. 23. Season tickets are available by calling 1-800-GoBulls.

Koepka Plays in U.S. Amateur

Chase Koepka had one big order of business at hand before heading back to campus for a much anticipated season with the USF men’s golf team.

Koepka qualified and advanced to the second round of competition at the 113th U.S. Amateur Championship that finished on Aug. 18 in Brookline, Mass.

Koepka helped the Bulls capture their first Big East championship before being named conference player and freshman of the year, marking the first time a player had accomplished the feat in league history.

The sophomore has been tirelessly working on his golf game this summer, competing in the U.S. Open qualifier and finishing third at The Players Amateur in Hilton Head, S.C., a day before he arrived at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for the first round of U.S. Amateur qualifying in July.

Koepka finished July off by competing at the Porter Cup in Niagara Falls before focusing his attention on the oldest golf championship in U.S. history that dates back to 1895.