Keep It In the Family: The Story of USF Football

Story by Miranda Cain

This is no normal news story or report. I set out to write a story on a team that had an unbelievable year in their third year as a member of the NCAA Division II. Instead of boasting a record of 10-1, their top tier stats, or even the players who are All- American hopefuls, I decided to tell you the story of a family.

In the freezing temperatures of January, a group of 75 young men prepared themselves after a disappointing 2013 season. All of them knew the task ahead. With new goals set in place, coaching changes being made, and the birth of a dream, these men went to work. It started with intense weight lifting sessions involving the infamous “Squat Till U Drop”. After what they called the first quarter, the Cougar Football team headed into their second quarter with their heads held high, remembering the goals they set only a month ago.

The team battled through morning work outs in the Stewart Center in the wee hours of the morning. Zach Mathers, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, was pushing the Cougars beyond limits they did not know they could reach. Never allowing themselves to quit, they pushed through the second quarter until the start of spring football. This would be the first time the returning Cougars would play under their new coordinators, Dusty Horovka as Offensive Coordinator and Tremaine Jackson as Defensive Coordinator. The team picked up the new systems with no trouble and was ready to transition in their third quarter.

The third quarter of their program was the summer session of work outs. This may seem relaxing to most because there is no school involved but the team realized this was a difficult quarter with exhausting runs including brutal hill work outs and an obstacle course that mentally challenged the majority of the team. This phase would break many teams but the men grow closer and were beginning to bond as a family.

The time then arrived to begin the fourth quarter of their program; the 2014 season.

The new freshmen arrived and were ready to go to work. A quick reminder of the goals was given at the beginning of fall camp to keep the team focused. The team then strapped up for the first time as a whole and kicked off an incredible season. As the delightfully cool camp seemed to drag on, the team found ways to keep themselves entertained. One way they did this was by giving Mike Mehling improv scenes to act out. By the end of camp the Cougars were no longer a team, but instead a family.

Many rumors spread throughout the community and country that this season was not going to be one to remember. The family then headed into their first game and decided to lay down the foundation of something that would be remembered for ages. The Cougars were off to an unexpected start to many. The men rallied behind one another and kept the fire going, winning game after game. This family grew closer and closer. One could literally see the love that was on this team and the chemistry between players and coaches.

Then, USF was to face the highest ranked team in the country in a hostile Minnesota State at Mankato environment. The Cougars shocked the Mavericks in a closer game than what the score showed.

The Cougars, at Mankato, received its first taste of the playoffs; knowing they would get more, they avenged their only loss in the season with two final impressive wins.

As Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014 rolled around, this tight knit family was awaiting the announcement of the playoff bracket; the men were ready to see who they would face in the first round. After shocking the nation and putting up stats that competed among the nation’s best, the Cougars were left out of the playoffs, finishing seventh in the region. Their hard work had not paid off the way they expected; leaving them devastated. They deserved a chance at the playoffs. A chance to prove they were among the best teams in country.

Jed Stugart, Head Coach, was composed as always, when he then realized, on the following afternoon in a team meeting, that he had 75 sons sitting in front of him not only discouraged but also, motived with a heat that could melt Antarctica. Stugart’s sons are ready to prove a point and show the nation, they are to never be overlooked again. This motivation will lead them into the Mineral Water Bowl on December 6th, 2014 against a Central Oklahoma team that is unaware of the storm headed their way.

Being a part of this family has woken me up the idea that nothing is stronger than family. I have been blessed to be a part of this and I am excited to have the opportunity to play more final game with them. I love my coo family, this school, and this town. I am honored to know every one of these gentlemen and be under the coaching staff of USF.