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October 10, 2016 Vol. 54 No. 15

Hard-fought journey pays off Freshman Evelyne Viens leads USF in goals after reigniting her passion for soccer Page

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Presidential candidates Too late for GOP to Library exhibit celebrates drop Trump LGBT and Hispanic history maintain stances at debate Page 4 Page 6 Page 3

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News Briefs

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Second presidential debate ‘not a slam dunk’

Haitian death toll continues to rise

By Breanne Williams O P I N I O N

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

Hurricane Matthew tore through Haiti this weekend.

Thousands of homes were destroyed and at least 900 people are believed to have died, according to the BBC. Over 60,000 people have been displaced by the storm and health officials are concerned over the lack of clean drinking water currently available, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Organizations, including The Red Cross and Planting Peace, are accepting donations to help get medical, food and water supplies to the people affected by Matthew.

Political party leaders flee from Trump

A video was leaked this weekend of Rupublican presidential nominee Donald Trump making what have been called “lewd” comments about women.

After the release of this video, Republican leaders have been abandoning Trump by the dozens, according to the New York Times. Even Trump’s running mate Gov. Mike Pence has said he was “offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump.”

Terrorizing clowns spark nationwide distress

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Sunday night presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off in a town hall debate.

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

By Chelsea Grosbeck A S S I S T A N T

N E W S

E D I T O R

Following the first presidential debate, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump met again for the second presidential debate Sunday. The discussion spanned multiple controversial topics, including the education system, the cost of healthcare, and both candidates admitting one positive attribute about the other.

The debate was moderated

by Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz. Additionally, 40 uncommitted voters from the St. Louis area were there to directly ask the presidential nominees questions. The “town hall” layout of the stage centered around the presidential nominees and encouraged an intimate discussion on prime topics.

Susan MacManus, National Political Analyst and USF Political Science professor, attended the debate and offered her own analysis.

“What was disappointing, most

of all, was the fact there was hardly a town meeting in its true sense,” she said. “There were very few audience questions. Hardly ever got a close-up look, of their reactions.”

When both Clinton and Trump took the stage, both acknowledged the audience yet failed to shake hands.

The first question focused on the educational system on today’s youth, questioning both candidates if they are modeling appropriate behavior.

“Making sure we have the best education system from preschool through college and making it affordable,” Clinton said. “If we set those goals and go together to try to achieve them, there’s nothing America can’t do.”

The first question of the night proved to be the first area of common ground the candidates offered the public.

“Well actually I agree with that,” Trump said. “I was tired of seeing such foolish things happen to our country … My whole concept was to make America great again. I look at all the things this country

has, and we have such tremendous potential.”

However, the civility soon disbanded as the two moved on to more polarized topics.

Both Trump and Clinton have pre-existing controversies that challenge their campaigns. The release of an audio file of Trump using “locker room” talk with Bill Bush, then of “Hollywood Access” back in 2005, which surfaced this weekend was discussed liberally and Clinton’s emails — which were determined to be mostly personal with and classified as top secret — continually came under attack throughout much of the debate.

The candidates were asked to comment on the current federal healthcare system and what changes they would make to it if elected.

When asked what each candidate will do to make healthcare more affordable, Clinton responds first.

“I’m going to fix it (The Affordable Care Act) because … premiums have gotten too high:

n See DEBATE on PAGE 5

E D I T O R

Clown hysteria has swept the country as sightings continue to pop up across the nation.

Reports of people dressed as clowns terrorizing neighborhoods and of online accounts threatening to kill civilians have put many on high alert for the jesters. The issue struck USF last week when two calls were made to University Police (UP) reporting a clown on campus.

“On Oct. 3 … around 10:30 p.m., our dispatch center received two calls related to a clown sighting,” Renna Reddick, UP public information officer, said in an email to the Oracle. “The callers reported that the clown was seen heading north on USF Magnolia heading towards Fletcher.

When officers responded to the area, they didn’t see a clown.”

Though the police were unable to locate the clown alleged to be on campus, clown sightings in Florida are increasing in frequency.

A high school student in Pinellas County reported being chased at her bus stop on Sept. 28. A group called “Ain’t Clowning Around” posted threats against various schools on Twitter that caused Pasco County School District to be on high alert. Pasco police in Holiday, FL are investigating multiple clown sightings, as well as clown-themed social media accounts attempting to interact with children.

In Pasco, a 12-year-old was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening — a second-degree felony — for allegedly posting a threat online, accompanied by a

n See CLOWNS on PAGE 5

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Opinion

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Too little too late for GOP to replace Trump

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What you said Opinion Editor Breanne Williams asked students if they think the clown sightings are indicative of an actual threat.

“Yeah I do, because anytime some weird trend goes on and we don’t take it seriously, it ends up ruining a lot of lives.”

- Sakibuz Zaman, a graduate student studying electrical engineering Over 160 Republican leaders have taken a stand against Donald Trump. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

By Breanne Williams C O L U M N I S T

After footage showing Republican candidate Donald Trump bragging about groping and attempting to have sex with women was released on Friday, many members of the Republican Party are calling for him to drop out of the race.

However, doing so would annihilate any chance the party has at occupying the White House.

There is approximately one month left until Election Day. The GOP can’t waste its time scrambling to replace a candidate who refuses to play by the rules.

“Donald Trump does not represent me or my party,” former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said in the aftermath of the video’s release. “Today I ask Donald Trump to step aside and for the (Republican National Convention) to replace him with (Indiana) Gov. Mike Pence.”

Even if by some miracle the GOP was able to unite behind a replacement like Pence, it is far too late to ensure they are accurately represented in the polls.

In some locations, early voting has already begun. Citizens who requested mail-in ballots receive them 45 days before the general elections. The fact is that Trump remains on the ballot.

To condemn him now and attempt to grasp for a more conventional candidate would

simply split votes.

Seventy-four percent of Republican voters want party officials to continue to support Trump, while only 13 percent want the party to drop him, according to a Politico poll.

This is already a nail-biting election. The two candidates are neck-in-neck and many speculate the influence of third-party voters may cause 2016 to mirror 2000, when President George W. Bush barely made the cut thanks to a small fraction of liberal voters splitting their vote between Democratic nominee Al Gore and Green Party nominee Ralph Nader.

Republicans welcome this repeat of history as their voters are, though largely begrudgingly, still behind Trump. As a result the heat is solely on Clinton who has to capture the elusive supporters of Bernie Sanders, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.

The GOP does not want those tables to turn. If it throw a smooth-talking, Bible-toting, Reagan idolizer like Pence into the mix as Trump’s replacement it will quickly see voters jumping ship. Not enough to give them a win, but enough to undoubtedly rip the presidency from Trump’s grasp.

Trump has his share of loyal, die-hard supporters. Like many of Sander’s fans, they will not abandon their anti-establishment candidate. And yes, Trump’s lewd and utterly disgusting comments isolated vot-

ers. But not enough to ensure Clinton will win the election.

Clinton is only leading Trump head-to-head by four points in the polls, 45 to 41 percent, according to Politico. And despite essentially encouraging sexual harassment and assault, Trump unbelievably still has a very good shot at being our next leader.

More than 160 Republican leaders have come out against Trump. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late.

“Nothing that has happened in the last 48 hours is surprising to me or many others,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich said in a statement. “The actions of the last day are disgusting, but that’s not why I reached this decision, it has been an accumulation of his words and actions that many have been warning about.

I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. Our country deserves better.”

Kasich is only stating the obvious. Trump does not represent the majority of what the GOP claims to stand for. Yet, here he is as the GOP nominee.

Republicans, you’ve made your bed, it’s time to lie in it. You can’t change the sheets four weeks before Election Day. Breanne Williams is a senior majoring in mass communications.

“In general, it’s probably not a big threat but there will probably be one or two people who take it too seriously and do harm.”

- Andrey Skylar, a senior majoring in electrical engineering

“I think it’s scary. Are people doing it because Halloween’s around the corner, or is it a real threat? I think it could be a real threat.”

- Tee Noel, a sophomore majoring in psychology

“I think it started serious but then people just jumped on the bandwagon — especially, on our campus. But I think it’s really scary, though.”

- Jillian Scivelli, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences

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CLOWNS

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photo of a clown, to kill children attending Seven Springs Middle School in New Port Richey.

This is not a completely new trend in Florida. In 2014, several individuals reportedly dressed as clowns and scared citizens in multiple towns, including Jacksonville.

Moreover, USF is not the only college in Tampa to have reports of a clown lurking. On Oct. 3, a clown was also reported roaming the University of Tampa (UT) campus. The UT Campus Safety dispatch searched the area after receiving multiple reports of clown sightings. However,

DEBATE

Continued from PAGE 3

copays, deductibles, prescription drug costs and ” she said. “I have laid out a series of actions we can take to get those costs down … if we start over (repeal) benefits are lost to everybody. My goal is to get us to 100 percent, and keep costs down and quality up.”

While Clinton posed a plan that would offer minimal changes to the current healthcare program set up

by President Barack Obama, Trump proposed eliminating Obamacare all together.

“Obamacare is a disaster … we have to repeal it and replace it with something absolutely much less expensive and something that works,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, throughout the debate, moderators and voters asked the nominees additional questions regarding “islamophobia,” immigration, the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the prioritized qualities in appointing a new Supreme Court Justice.

MacManus said she looked over the actual time difference of how much each of the candidates spoke and found that there was less than a minute between them. She said that while the candidates seemed to be putting “everything but the kitchen sink” in their answers in order to cover all their bases, both spent the evening going through their stances and talking points from the campaign trail.

“They each made strong points on various topics,” MacManus said.

“In terms of demeanor, he interrupts, she doesn’t. She tried very hard not to make facial expressions even when she was feeling strongly about

T H E O R AC L E

they failed to find the suspects.

Unlike USF, UT responded to the reports by issuing a message from the Dean of Students warning them against dressing up as a clown and encouraging students to report any suspicious activity.

As of the time of publication, 39 of the 50 states have now been affected by clown sightings or threats.

So far, a majority of the incidents have been dismissed as pranks; though over a dozen people have been arrested in connection to the sightings.

With Halloween right around the corner, several police departments have asked trickor-treaters to avoid dressing up as clowns. certain things. But she reflects what we all know, that women behave a little differently before a camera than men.”

However, she felt it wasn’t a “slam dunk” for either candidate. In her opinion, the debate could have been enhanced if the uncommitted voters were able to pose more questions and their responses were more visible. She said, they were “like plants on the stage.”

Toward the end of the debate, the candidates were posed a unique question: what is one thing you respect in one another?

“I respect his children,” Clinton said. “His children are incredibly able and devoted and I think that says a lot about Donald. I don’t agree with nearly anything else he says or does, but I do respect that.

I think that is something that as a mother and a grandmother that is important to me.”

Trump took a different approach to answering the question by speaking about Clinton’s perseverance.

“I will say this about Hillary. She doesn’t quit,” he said. “She doesn’t give up. I respect… She’s a fighter, I disagree with much of what she’s fighting for. But she does fight hard and she doesn’t quit and doesn’t give up and I consider that to be a very good trait.”

MacManus said the question itself was refreshing in a political battle that has been widely controversial and polarizing within the country.

“Thank goodness, this is the first positive question we seen out of any of the presidential debates,” she said. “Try to make America feel good about their Presidential candidates.”

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LIFESTYLE

Where history, heritage intertwine 6

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Library exhibit showcases LGBTQ and Hispanic materials

By Elisa Santana C O R R E S P O N D E N T

LGBTQ and Hispanic history are prominent at USF, with both communities included in various clubs on campus.

Meetings at a Hispanic club may showcase various foods, dances, apparel and other aspects from the culture while the LGBTQ clubs pride themselves on being safe spaces for students of all sexual identities as well as educating these students on LGBTQ culture.

LGBTQ History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month overlap in October and, to celebrate, an exhibit was curated to display items that show the history behind both of these cultures. The Hispanic & Latinx (pronounced ‘la-teenex’) and LGBTQ Community Special Collection Exhibit was first unveiled on Sept. 15 on the fourth floor of the library.

The exhibit features items such as books, LGBTQ buttons, flags, and posters.

The exhibit was organized

by Maria Merrill, the coordinator of LGBT Programs & Services, and Justin Monell, the Coordinator, Cultural Initiatives, from the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

“Looking at this piece of intersectionality, you could be a part of the Hispanic or Latinx community but also

have another identity LGBTQ that intersects,” Monell said.

“We really wanted to showcase both heritage and history months in one particular space so students could get the feel of you could be every identity in one.”

They chose the Special Collections section on the fourth floor of the library because this section already has a vast collection of work on both communities.

“It helps that Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ Month share two weeks so that also kind of made that logical connection piece there,” Merrill said.

Matt Knight, assistant coordinator of Special Collections at the library, said students can find pieces such as “Patricia Heisman’s first book she wrote as Claire Morgan like lesbian fiction, one of the first pamphlets from what’s now USF P.R.I.D.E. from 1974, and Cuban books about Jose Marti wrapped in cigar paper.”

Synth Rosario, president of the P.R.I.D.E. Alliance at USF, said there are many other things happening this month for LGBTQ History Month.

P.R.I.D.E. Alliance had its annual Coming Out Day on Thursday, where some mem-

Students can view pieces related to LGBTQ history and Hispanic heritage on the fourth floor of the USF library. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/JACKIE BENITEZ bers of the LGBTQ community told their coming out stories to the public.

“We’ve even had students come out at these events before,” Rosario said.

Rosario wants students

to try and get educated on the LGBTQ community and suggests the Safe Zone program through the Office of Multicultural Affairs, where students can become allies.

While Hispanic Heritage

Month runs from Sept. 15 to this Saturday, LGBTQ Month is the entire month of October.

Students can find other LGBTQ events to attend on the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ website.

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TRANSITION

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found passion for soccer.

“My club coach is one of the best, if not the best, I’ve had,” Viens said, adding that she does not yet know the USF coaching staff well enough yet to make a sure determination. “He helped me go from the bottom to (being) really ready to come (to USF).

“He was so soccer-smart, never screaming, just saying, ‘You need to do that, that, and that.’ The practices were so concentrated that I think it gave me the attitude to be ready to come here and have the soccer mind.”

It is this laser-sharp focus and driven attitude — not just her play — that her teammates have taken note of since her first USF practice. Even before she could speak English clearly, Viens’ drive and dedication to the sport were evident.

“Honestly ever since we started playing soccer (as a team), and even when we were doing just the cardio, I could tell that Evelyne was really driven,” said fellow freshman and Canadian Yasmine Hall, who shared a room with Viens and freshman Aubrey

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T H E O R AC L E

Megrath during summer camp.

“Even if we’re down, she’s still trying so hard. Some of the girls’ heads are down and Evelyne’s still out there, sprinting everywhere, never stopping.”

It would be easy to buy into the narrative that all of her individual work and self-scrutiny of the flaws or perceived weaknesses in her game had a direct causal effect on her eye-popping stat line.

But the budding superstar from a picturesque suburb of Quebec City would be quick to correct you, even if it required the use of her sometimes-translator in Hall, who also speaks French but with no hint of the accent.

“I love scoring goals, but I don’t like when (the attention is on) just one person because it’s not (true) that we’re winning (only) because I am scoring goals,” Viens said.

“The goalkeeper, Kat (Elliott), is amazing. And nobody’s speaking about Kat. She’s like the main piece of our team.”

Lamenting post-game interviews where she has come to be asked time and again about the significance of her own goals or her individual impact, Viens would much prefer to speak of the team’s achievements as a

whole.

After all, it is the team and its international roster that have played a large part in helping her acclimate to Florida, which has rather quickly become her home away from home.

She recalled being unsure at the end of high school whether she even wanted to pursue an education away from the comforting confines of L’ancienneLorette.

And the language barrier was no small part of her initial apprehension about coming to a new country with a culture that could not possibly be more different than her hometown, in which 97 percent of the population is native French speakers.

“I didn’t speak English at my house, so I was (thinking), ‘I don’t want to go study in English, I don’t want to leave my house,” Viens said. “I love my family; I love my friends; I just want to stay home.”

But, with a little persuasion from USF assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jason Dowiak, and a reassuring visit to the Tampa campus, Viens was in.

And so were her parents, Chantel and Andre.

She recalled a visit with her

parents to USF in which they had a chance to meet and interact with the coaching staff. She recalls her dad saying, “OK, I can relax now, you are with good people.”

And when the family returned home to their snow-covered home in Quebec, the decision was made.

“I visited in March, and came back to my home — snow was everywhere — and my mom was (like), ‘You need to go,’” Evelyne said, flashing a grin and laughing.

Viens described USF as “too nice, too beautiful” and professed a particular love for the beach, perhaps even greater than her love for soccer.

But that is not to say her meteoric rise as a freshman and unwavering reputation as a teamfirst player has not been without its struggles.

“When I have a day off and I don’t know what to do, I’m like, ‘I want to go home right now.’

Viens said.

But soccer, and the guiding comfort of players like Hall, Megrath, Jamaican born Trudi Carter and Canadian Leticia Skeete — her designated ‘big sister’ on the soccer team — has helped her find solace in her new

home.

This international mix has taught her new things that help to keep her busy and to keep her mind on friends, soccer and the beach. In other words: to keep her mind off of what she misses about L’ancienne-Lorette.

“I love to learn more about (other) cultures,” Viens said. “You just realize how we are lucky to be here and to study and to play soccer and to just realize the challenge that we have (ahead).”

Though she is unsure about her post-collegiate soccer career, she said she would give professional play a shot if Team Canada comes calling. However, her future degree in accounting gives her the chance to work in both the U.S. and Canada.

One thing is for sure: her career at USF will be one to remember.

“I didn’t go to the NCAA, to USF, just to be on the soccer team and have my jersey and (be satisfied) playing for the Bulls, (to) come back home and be good with that,” she said. “They (the senior class) want to win this year. I think they deserve it. If we (the freshmen) stick together for four years, I’m sure that we are going to win (a title).”

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Women’s Soccer

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A successful, yet challenging transition

By Sam Mire

C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Canada native and USF freshman forward Evelyne Viens has left an indelible mark on the 2016 USF women’s soccer team.

The stats speak for themselves: a team-leading 11 goals, four multi-goal games — including a hat trick against Jacksonville University — to go along with 3 assists on the season.

Viens (pronounced Vee-eh) would prefer that the statistics speak for themselves so she doesn’t have to occupy the cameras and microphones after every standout performance, which have come to be routine.

L’ancienne-Lorette, a sleepy suburb less than half an hour west of the capital of Quebec, gives one an idea of the massive transition Viens has embraced in coming to Tampa to play soccer and earn a degree in accounting.

The population of L’ancienne-Lorette: 16,745 at last count. Tampa: approximately 353,000.

The persistently frigid winters in Quebec meant playing and practicing soccer on gym floors for all but three months out of the year during which the grass would finally defrost to provide a fleeting reprieve from the 5-on-5 nature of gymconstrained soccer.

Early in her time with the Bulls, the stifling humidity and physical conditioning that came along with it had Viens calling home with thoughts of giving up on soccer.

However, she said the biggest challenge in making the journey from L’ancienneLorette to the U.S. is not a difficult question. It’s not a question she had to ponder or think about: the language.

“At the beginning (of summer), when I was not speaking, it was so hard because I was not able to say anything (in

futility of the team and the pressure she put on herself to carry the burden of winning became too much to bear.

“I was loving soccer, but eventually I wanted to stop,” Viens said. “I was 13 or 14 and I was putting myself under pressure every time (I played).

My team was really bad — when I say ‘bad,’ it (was) really bad — so I knew I needed to score if we wanted to continue (to play) together. But then it didn’t work, even if I scored.”

A change of teams would eventually alleviate the pressure, as she found freedom in her new role as a mere contributor for her new club team Club de Soccer de la HauteSaint-Charles. It was the coach of this team, Fabien Cottin, whom Viens credited for having the patience to meld her focus and drive with a new-

n See TRANSITION on PAGE 9

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ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ

toward leadership has rubbed off on her teammates and a freshman class that has proved vital to the Bulls’ 9-1-1 record in 2016 and an impressive 38th place ranking in the NCAA’s Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which counts wins, losses and strength of schedule in determining national rankings.

With all of her individual success — a phrase that makes Viens cringe and insist every goal is the result of team play — it is hard to fathom that she may never have reached USF if not for a change of team early in her soccer career and a coach who re-ignited her love for the game.

After following in her soccer-loving brother Nicolas’ footsteps, Viens found herself enrolled in the youth circuit at what she estimated to be 6 years old. As she progressed and grew more serious, the

Bulls’ hot start worthy of more support

Sprinkled in throughout the sea of red seats at Raymond James Stadium for USF’s homecoming game against East Carolina on Saturday was a fan base reminiscent of that of a high school football game.

Vinnie Portell Looking at CO M M EN TARY the stands, one would expect USF (5-1, 2-0) to be at the bottom of the pack in not only the AAC, but the NCAA as well.

Playing in front of an embarrassing actual attendance of 16,585, according to the Tampa Sports Authority, the Bulls defeated ECU 38-22 to further their quest for a first-ever conference championship.

It was the least-attended USF homecoming game in the program’s 20-year history.

When it comes to not showing up, some may blame the noon kickoff. Others will point to the heat, which hovered around the high-80’s nearly all game.

But these are nothing more than excuses, and poor ones at that.

Just two years ago, when USF couldn’t even scratch and claw its way to a bowl game, students and fans pointed to losing as the reason people couldn’t be bothered to show their support.

The Bulls went 6-18 in coach Willie Taggart’s first two seasons and there was little reason for fans to get excited, let alone show up. But things have changed.

Now, USF is one game away

Freshman forward Evelyne Viens has led USF to a 9-1-1 record with a team-high 11 goals in 2016.

English),” Viens said. “I love to talk and I love to tell stories at home, and I (realized) that if we are eating together, if we are being together (as a team), I need to talk.”

Couple her native French tongue with a shy demeanor around new people and the bright lights of NCAA Division I athletics and one gets a picture of the Viens who first arrived on USF’s campus for preseason summer practices.

But a lot has changed since then. For one, she is now talking — at least when the coaches are not.

“On the field, I am so concentrated. In practice, if someone is speaking (when they should be listening) I’m like, ‘Shh! Shh! We need to understand what’s happening right now,’” she said, putting a finger to her mouth.

This natural gravitation

Football

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Bulls overcome mental errors, injuries in win over ECU

By Chuck Muller S T A F F

W R I T E R

Despite a 5-1 record midway through the 2016 season, self-inflicted mental errors and physical injuries have forced the Bulls to rally and regroup, finding new ways to finish out games.

Powered by one of the most explosive offenses in all of college football, averaging 44.5 points per game in 2016, USF (5-1, 2-0) has racked up 503 yards per contest, the 18thbest total offense in the NCAA. However, committing nine penalties for 101 yards in Saturday’s win over East Carolina (2-4, 0-2) raises concerns for USF coach Willie Taggart. “(It’s) very concerning, very concerning,” Taggart said following Saturday’s win. “It was a sloppy game by us, especially offensively there. We’re in the red zone, and we get these penalties behind the sticks … it was just sloppy all over.”

Notwithstanding these mental errors, the Bulls are still off to their best start since 2009, when they finished 8-5 with a win over Northern Illinois in the International Bowl.

Taggart did say, however, that the ability to bounce back against in-game adversity like the Bulls faced in the final minutes against ECU, is a positive he can take away despite

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the penalties committed.

“I thought it showed a lot of character out of our football team,” he said.

“Our team has shown now that they can find a way to win a lot of different ways. We were up in Syracuse down 17 (points) early and found a way to come back and win that ball game. (But) to let them get back in it late I thought showed a lot of character and a lot of growth in our football team.”

After USF led by double digits for most of the game, ECU managed to close the gap to within two after a Pirates’ touchdown came with 6:58 left in the game.

But the defense bailed out the team, holding the Pirates out of the end zone on the subsequent game-tying two-point conversion, later sealing the game with an interception by senior linebacker Nigel Harris on ECU’s final drive.

“The defense goes by the motto of ‘bend but don’t break,’” junior cornerback Deatrick Nichols said.

“You’re gonna bend, but just never break. We just bowed up … our offense needed us, and we just completed our job.”

Senior safety Nate Godwin led the Bulls’ defense with 10 tackles. Godwin believes in finding a way to contribute. “(It’s all about) just helping the team, wherever they need

Senior defensive back Nate Godwin (36) led USF with 10 total tackles against ECU on Saturday while filling in for the injured Devin Abraham. ORACLE PHOTO/JACOB HOAG me,” Godwin said. “Wherever they need me … if they want me at nickel, I’ll play nickel.

But, it’s all wherever the team needs me.”

Making his first career start at tight end in lieu of injured sophomore Elkanah Dillon, redshirt freshman Mitchell Wilcox also contributed in

roles he isn’t used to.

Along with two catches for 52 yards, Wilcox also had four kick returns for 23 yards with ECU opting to kick short most of the game.

Despite the errors, this young team continues to make timely plays and strides towards its first conference

title in program history.

“I think all of our guys take pride in their position group,” Taggart said. “We constantly talk to our guys about the opportunities. They don’t come often, but, when they do, you have to be ready for it and I see that our guys are taking that to heart.”

SUPPORT

(Weeks 2 & 4) of over seven thousand students in attendance, the most in four years.

For Saturday’s homecoming game, USF distributed 5,715 student tickets. Only a paltry 2,031 managed to make their way through the gates.

With such a stark contrast in attendance, it looks as if the student support was more due to securing tickets for the Bulls’ game against Florida State than excitement about the team.

USF allotted tickets for its game with FSU to students based on their attendance to the Bulls’ two preceding home games, and with the marquee matchup of the year now in its past, it’s clear as to why students were showing up in the first place.

Following USF’s win, players took to Twitter to share their

thoughts on the support.

“We don’t care if there’s 2 people in the stands or 65,000.

We’re coming to play every Saturday regardless. It don’t hurt to come support (though),” defensive end Vincent Jackson wrote on Twitter.

USF is playing its best football in nearly a decade and has a legitimate shot at hosting — and maybe even winning — the conference championship.

If this isn’t enough for fans to show up, they’ll be hardpressed to ever find a reason to make it to games.

Saturday’s attendance, especially by students, was nothing short of an embarrassment punctuated by pathetic excuses.

It’s time to show up and support a team that deserves better.

Continued from PAGE 10

USF set a program low in attendance for a homecoming game Saturday when 16,585 people showed out to support the Bulls.

ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ

from locking in a second consecutive bowl game appearance and is poised to compete for an AAC championship deep into the season.

Taggart and the Bulls have turned their fortunes around, but students and fans have yet to hold up their end of the bargain.

Three home games into 2016, it seemed as though USF support had turned the corner.

An average of 34,226 people brought energy and life to a stadium too often devoid of it on Saturdays.

Those crowds were highlighted by record-breaking student turnout, which culminated with back-to-back home games

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