Bulls Beat: Questions entering Stage 5

Skip Holtz calls winter workouts Stage 1, spring practice Stage 2, summer conditioning Stage 3, fall camp Stage 4, and the start of the season Stage 5.

In his eight months as the University of South Florida's first football coach not named Jim Leavitt, Holtz has finished the first four stages and mastered many of his off-the-field duties, firmly placing a winning smile on a program that needed a big hug when he showed up.

But Stage 5 is finally here, and that's the part of his new job that Holtz is most excited about.

In a little more than 48 hours, we'll finally see what a Holtz-coached team looks like on the field in the season opener against Stony Brook.

Holtz also likes to say that "every football team has a life expectancy of one year."

In USF's case, that saying seems to fit entering the 2010 season. So much has changed since Leavitt and his players celebrated an International Bowl win in Toronto in January. And so much will change from Holtz's first team to his next.

However, for now it's all about this team and these players. With that in mind, here is a look at the top questions surrounding the Bulls as they close in on Saturday night's season opener:

•Did USF make the right call in hiring Holtz to replace Leavitt? All indications point to a resounding yes. If in five years the Bulls have yet to win a Big East title, then the answer will be different, but Holtz has been the perfect remedy for what ailed the Bulls when he was hired.

•Can the Bulls avoid their annual second-half slide? Other than playing at Florida, USF's first give games are very winnable. But the last seven are a different story, so another second-half collapse is entirely possible.

•What happens if sophomore quarterback B.J. Daniels suffers the same fate as Matt Grothe a year ago? Let's put it this way: there's not another B.J. Daniels on the roster.

•How important a role will Evan Landi play? Huge. If Daniels gets hurt, freshman walk-on Bobby Eveld has emerged as a candidate to take over. However, with Landi starting at receiver and still the team's second-most proven quarterback, Landi is very important to this team.

•Which receiver will emerge as the top target? Senior Dontavia Bogan is expected to be that player, but Bogan has had a very average camp. Landi has come on, as has freshman walk-on Stephen Bravo-Brown and T.J. Knowles. Still, Bogan is the one who needs to be Daniels' go-to guy until A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin return.

•Do the Bulls have an impact freshman? Former Hillsborough High standout Terrence Mitchell has the best chance to be that player. Mitchell is expected to play cornerback and return kicks following a stellar camp.

•Is there another Jason Pierre-Paul on the roster? Pierre-Paul came out of nowhere a year ago to become a first-round NFL pick. Two defensive players to watch this season are linebacker Mike Lanaris and defensive back Mistral Raymond. Both players are expected to surpass past production in a big way.

•Who is going to lead the team in rushing? Holtz doesn't want Daniels to, but that may be impossible. The best-case scenario is for sixth-year senior Mo Plancher to carry most of the load.