No one knows what's next for USF, but page is turned

The page turned.

Before the big 59-14 win, the new coach led the way when his lads took the field for the romp, just like his predecessor. Only Skip Holtz trotted. He did not run as if being chased by killer bees. Nor did he head butt a soul.

OK, he did call sacrificial Stony Brook a "quality opponent." Now that sounded like the last guy.

But as far as I'm concerned, South Florida's season opener became a success when Joel Miller ran out of the tunnel and Jim Leavitt didn't.

Did I mention that Miller - the kid, the throat - caught a touchdown pass? Well, he did. It happened near the end of the second quarter - Miller's first career TD.

Wonder what happened in the locker room at halftime?

Get over here, I need a hug.

The page turned Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.

True, some of the other pages stuck together at first, but they turned, too. After some sloppiness, especially on special teams and defense, Skip Holtz's grand opening featured hanging 52 straight points on Old Stony.

"It's great to be 1-0," Holtz said.

It started with a bang: B.J. Daniels hit Dontavaia Bogan, who went 59 yards for a touchdown on USF's first play from scrimmage. First play, first series of the year, a USF first - nothing to it, Skip, right?

Not quite.

Stony Brook University, despite playing its first game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, refused to play along at first.

By the way, Stony Brook also goes by State University of New York at Stony Brook and SUNY-Stony Brook. In the time it took to write that, the Seawolves (yes, Seawolves) scored twice to take a 14-7 lead.

Stony Brook even stuffed USF on a goal-line stand.

Stoned by Stony Brook?

Not quite.

Stony Brook was brought here to lose, and lose they did, going away.

That won't be the case next week.

Holtz's crew travels to Gainesville. Florida could hardly snap the ball Saturday as it made Miami of Ohio look like Miami of Miami, but Urban Meyer, the walking headache, will have the Gators' full attention in practice this week, so it could be rough for Skip and the Bulls.

Back to Holtz's first win with the Bulls. Daniels (15 of 22, 264 yards) threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The special teams got one back when JaQuez Jenkins blocked a punt in the end zone and Chris Lane fell on it, and the Bulls republic began to be saved.

Then all sorts of other people scored, including a TD pass from walk-on freshman quarterback Bobby Eveld, formerly of Jesuit High, an interception return for a TD by freshman Mark Joyce and a long touchdown run by freshman Marcus Shaw.

The season-opening crowd was so small (40,201) you thought the Bucs were playing. Chalk it up to the opponent, or the economy, or a simple case of wait and see.

We still don't know what Holtz and this team have in store for 2010.

Maybe Bogan will become the playmaker Daniels needs in Holtz's pro-style offense. Maybe this defense will find a star like the ones who were drafted into the NFL, including Jason Pierre-Paul, who was at the game Saturday. Four interceptions was a good start.

But who can tell after Stony Brook?

It might be get bumpy starting next week.

Skip Holtz and his Bulls won Saturday. For starters, that was enough.

It certainly seemed enough when, just before halftime, B.J. Daniels dropped back and threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to a diving ... Joel Miller.

"I was really proud of him tonight," Holtz said.

Page turned.