Taggart sticking with DC Woodie with No. 22 Navy looming

USF coach Willie Taggart said there would be no changes in who’s calling the plays when No. 22 Navy comes to play USF on Friday. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/JACOB HOAG

Despite allowing over 300 rushing yards and 46 points in a 16-point loss to Temple on Friday, USF coach Willie Taggart said there would be no changes in who’s calling the plays when No. 22 Navy comes to play USF on Friday.

Rather than trying out another defensive coach with the playbook, Taggart said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday that defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie will remain at the helm of the ‘Bull Sharks.’

“(John Jancek) is a former defensive coordinator who ran a totally different defense,” Taggart said. “We’re in the middle of the season, so no (there won’t be a change in play calling). We’re going to get better, everybody.”

USF (6-2, 3-1) will have to adjust quickly if its run defense is to contain Navy quarterback Will Worth and an offense that has averaged 293 rushing yards per game in 2016.

In his past two games, Worth has dropped back to pass only nine times compared with 63 rushing attempts.

“Will Worth, he’s worth talking about,” Taggart said. “He’s done an unbelievable job coming in not expecting to be the starter, but to me it tells you what kind of kid he is.”

Even with no changes being made in play calling assignments this week, Taggart said he doesn’t expect the defense to change much of what it usually does.

“Trust me, it’s not major,” Taggart said. “It’s being where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there and doing it with fanatical effort. And when it comes to tackling, you’ve got to want to do it and put them on their backside.”

Playing with effort is something junior linebacker and defensive captain Auggie Sanchez said the Bulls defense was lacking in its loss to the Owls.

“We had no energy just as a whole team, mostly defensively,” Sanchez said. “We didn’t play passionate and that’s on us. It’s on me as a leader to get that back, to get us to have passion, to have energy and give it our all.”

After losing control of first place in the AAC East, USF will try to right the ship it plays Navy (5-1, 4-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.