Porter's Playbook | The Coaching Career of DJ Porter

Post by **ShireNiner** » 22 Nov 2025, 22:35

If you can land half of those recruits, that would be a really good class

Post by **The JZA** » 23 Nov 2025, 06:19

Hope youf find some gems on the recruiting board

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 07:53

redsox907 wrote: ↑
22 Nov 2025, 21:16
top 500 recruit

Pretty excited about him. He has some intriguing potential

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 07:55

ShireNiner wrote: ↑
22 Nov 2025, 22:35
If you can land half of those recruits, that would be a really good class

We don’t have very many seniors so I don’t need a hug class to fill the roster. I am worried about a lot of guys hitting the portal and there is a lot of dead weight left over at the bottom of the roster so hoping to trim some of that with this class as well.

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 07:55

The JZA wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2025, 06:19
Hope youf find some gems on the recruiting board

A gem would definitely be a pleasant surprise for us

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 08:49

GAME PREVIEW
USF 3-1 AT Charlotte 1-3
Saturday October 2, 2027 | 8:00PM | Jerry Richardson Stadium | Charlotte, North Carolina

USF BULLS
Head Coach: DJ Porter | 3-1 at USF | 3-1 Career
Schemes: Multiple | 3-3-5 Tite
2027 Season Schedule and Results
Sat, Aug 28 – at Northern Illinois – W 49-21
Sat, Sep 4 – vs Louisville – W 17-14
Sat, Sep 11 – at Boise State – L 7-14
Sat, Sep 18 – vs Florida A&M – W 41-20
Sat, Oct 2 – at Charlotte – 8:00 PM
Sat, Oct 9 – vs East Carolina – 7:00 PM
Sat, Oct 23 – at Florida Atlantic – 3:15 PM
Sat, Oct 30 – at Rice – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 6 – vs North Texas – 3:00 PM
Sat, Nov 13 – vs Navy – 12:30 PM
Sat, Nov 20 – vs UTSA – 3:30 PM
Sat, Nov 27 – vs Army – 1:30 PM

Injury Report
C Teriyan Morman | Compound Foot Fracture | 15 Weeks

CHARLOTTE 49ERS
Head Coach: Tim Albin | 12-17 at Charlotte | 46-36 Career
Schemes: Pistol | 4-2-5
2027 Season Schedule and Results
Sat, Sep 4 – at Ole Miss – L 27–21
Sat, Sep 11 – vs FCS Southeast – W 42–31
Sat, Sep 18 – vs Appalachian State – L 31–27
Sat, Sep 25 – at California – L 31–28
Sat, Oct 2 – vs USF – 8:00PM
Sat, Oct 16 – at North Texas – 9:00PM
Sat, Oct 23 – vs East Carolina – 5:00PM
Sat, Oct 30 – at Memphis – 2:30PM
Sat, Nov 6 – vs #25 Florida Atlantic – 4:00PM
Sat, Nov 13 – vs Army – 12:30PM
Sat, Nov 20 – vs UAB – 5:00PM
Sat, Nov 27 – at Temple – 6:45PM

Injury Report
HB Tyler Mason | Pulled Groin | 2 Weeks
FS Anfernee Andrews | Dislocated Ankle | 3 Weeks

Coach Porter's Notes
Charlotte’s record doesn’t fool us, they’ve been in every game they’ve played, and they’re a couple of late possessions away from looking like a completely different team.

Offensively, they spread you out with that pistol look and force your linebackers to play disciplined football. Their quarterback can push the ball downfield, and Middlebrook is a patient runner who can hurt you if you get out of your gaps. Something we struggled with at times against Florida A&M.

Defensively, they’re aggressive on the back end and they rally to the football. Their front might not have huge sack numbers, but they play hard, and their effort shows up on tape. If you don’t match their energy, they’ll make you uncomfortable.

For us, it’s about bringing road maturity. This is the conference opener so the pressure and intensity is ramped up. No slow starts, no giving away possessions. We need to dictate pace, stay efficient, and take advantage of scoring opportunities when they’re there. If we can play clean and keep the pressure on for four quarters, we’ll be in a good spot but nothing about this trip is going to be easy.

Post by **Caesar** » 23 Nov 2025, 09:30

Good start to the season so far with a pretty easy schedule going forward

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 13:54

Caesar wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2025, 09:30
Good start to the season so far with a pretty easy schedule going forward

Yeah there are a few teams with pretty good advantages from a team rating standpoint, but I think we can hang with any of them.

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 15:37

SURVIVAL

USF bends, nearly breaks, but survives Charlotte’s ground attack

Saturday October 2, 2027 | 8:00PM | Jerry Richardson Stadium | Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina - There are clean wins, dominant wins, and statement wins.

This wasn’t any of those.

But for USF, it was still a win and given how things unfolded inside Jerry Richardson Stadium, that alone feels like an achievement.

The Bulls escaped Charlotte with a 28–21 victory Saturday night, surviving a nightmare performance against the run, a handful of critical defensive busts, and a late special teams scare that put the entire game on the shoulders of a defense that had struggled all night to get stops.

And yet, when it mattered most, the stop finally came.

USF moves to 4–1 on the season, but the final score doesn’t tell the story. The inability to tackle, contain the perimeter, or slow down 49ers tailback Jekail Middlebrook turned what could’ve been a comfortable road win into a four-quarter slog.

Middlebrook gashed the Bulls for 181 rushing yards on just 13 carries, including a 56-yard sprint in the third quarter where four missed tackles sprung him into the open field. He accounted for all three Charlotte touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air.

USF head coach DJ Porter didn’t sugarcoat it.

“We were bad in space,” Porter said. “We didn’t tackle. We let one guy dictate the entire flow of the game. That’ll be the number one thing we address this week.”

USF actually started fast. Locklan Hewlett opened the scoring with a 45-yard strike to Jordyn Bridgewater, then Steven Snead added a 16-yard touchdown run just moments later. At 14–0, the Bulls looked poised to coast.

They didn’t.

Charlotte immediately responded, and from there the game turned into a grind, the Bulls fighting for every yard, the 49ers ripping chunks of yardage on the ground seemingly at will.

Backup QB Joshua Brantley added touchdown runs in both halves, but even those drives felt labored. Hewlett was efficient but rarely explosive, finishing 16-of-26 for 190 yards and a lone touchdown.

Defensively, the Bulls were repeatedly gashed at the second level. Missed fits, missed angles, and missed tackles defined the night. The front seven had no answer for Middlebrook’s lateral cuts and acceleration through contact. Even in moments where USF stacked bodies at the line, Charlotte often fell forward or broke free.

Dinelson Exume was one of the bright spots, posting six tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Eric Rance added an interception that swung momentum, but the Bulls spent the majority of the evening playing from their heels.

“We didn’t deserve to feel comfortable tonight,” Porter said. “We have to be more physical. We have to be better tacklers. That’s the bottom line.”

Despite the defensive struggles, USF still held an seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter when Nico Gramatica lined up for a field goal that could have stretched the margin to two scores.

It never had a chance.

Charlotte knifed through the protection and blocked the attempt, marking the kicking team's second costly miscue of the night after they missed an earlier PAT. Instead of going up 31–21 with just over two minutes left, the Bulls handed the 49ers life, and the ball.

Suddenly, the entire game depended on whether the defense that had been battered all night could get one final stop.

They did.

Charlotte marched to the USF 32, but David Igbinoghene and Cedrick Hawkins broke up endzone passes on third and fourth downs to preserve the win.

Relief, not celebration, defined the sideline.

“We put our defense in a bad spot,” Gramatica admitted postgame. “They bailed me out tonight.”

A win is a win, but this one will linger in the film room. The tackling issues. The run fits. The explosive plays surrendered. The lack of consistent pressure. The protection lapses on special teams. All of it is now front-and-center heading into next week.

“We’re not hiding from it,” Porter said. “If we want to compete at the level we expect, we can’t give up nearly 200 rushing yards to a single player. We’re going to fix it.”

For now, USF leaves Charlotte battered, humbled, but 4–1, and still very much alive in the conference race.

But the Bulls know they can’t afford many more like this one.

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
(USF) Jordyn Bridgewater, 45-yard pass from Locklan Hewlett (Nico Gramatica kick), 7:32
(USF) Steven Snead, 16-yard run (Nico Gramatica kick), 6:50
(CLT) Jekail Middlebrook, 6-yard pass from Tyler Chambers (Bo October kick), 2:30
Second Quarter
(USF) Joshua Brantley, 1-yard run (missed kick), 1:29
Third Quarter
(CLT) Jekail Middlebrook, 56-yard run (Bo October kick), 4:26
Fourth Quarter
(USF) Joshua Brantley, 1-yard run (Daidren Zipperer 2-point conversion), 8:15
(CLT) Jekail Middlebrook, 1-yard run (Bo October kick), 4:42

USF Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Hewlett – 16/26 190 Yds 1 TD 0 INT
Rushing
S. Snead – 10 Car 105 Yds 10.5 Avg 1 TD
G. Shembo – 16 Car 51 Yds 3.1 Avg
J. Brantley – 5 Car 8 Yds 1.6 Avg 2 TD
Receiving
J. Bridgewater – 6 Rec 87 Yds 14.5 Avg 1 TD Long 45
T. Williams – 5 Rec 51 Yds 10.2 Avg Long 13
D. Zipperer – 2 Rec 24 Yds 12.0 Avg Long 16
K. Michaels – 2 Rec 19 Yds 9.5 Avg Long 12
G. Shembo – 1 Rec 9 Yds 9.0 Avg
Defense
C. Hawkins – 9 Tkl
J. Dalias – 6 Tkl 1 TFL
D. Exume – 6 Tkl 3 TFL 2 Sck
D. Igbinoghene – 5 Tkl
N. Jones – 5 Tkl
I. Guy – 4 Tkl
E. Rance – 4 Tkl 1 TFL 1 INT 1 Yd
D. Felton – 1 Tkl 1 TFL 1 Sck
Special Teams
N. Gramatica – 2/3 XP 0/1 FG (Blocked)
D. McSurdy – 3 Punts 99 Yds 33.0 Avg 57 Net Yds
D. Igbinoghene – 1 KR 19 Yds
E. York – 1 KR 16 Yds, 3 PR 24 Yds

Charlotte Stat Leaders
Passing
T. Chambers – 11/18 117 Yds 1 TD 1 INT
Rushing
J. Middlebrook – 13 Car 181 Yds 13.9 Avg 2 TD
T. Chambers – 8 Car 3 Yds 0.3 Avg
Receiving
A. Hopkins – 6 Rec 52 Yds 8.6 Avg Long 15
M. Burris – 1 Rec 23 Yds 23.0 Avg Long 23
J. Middlebrook – 2 Rec 21 Yds 10.5 Avg 1 TD Long 15
C. Sneed – 1 Rec 17 Yds 17.0 Avg Long 17
Defense
A. Cotman Jr – 11 Tkl
S. Bowman – 11 Tkl 1 TFL 0.5 Sck
C. Allen – 10 Tkl
A. Speca – 10 Tkl 2 TFL 0.5 Sck
M. Peterson – 7 Tkl
J. Odenigbo – 6 Tkl
N. Rossum – 4 Tkl 0.5 Sck
Special Teams
B. October – 3/3 XP 0/0 FG
K. Stoneburner – 4 Punts 127 Yds 31.7 Avg 1 In-20
V. Ellis – 5 KR 90 Yds 18.0 Avg Long 20
B. Dalton – 2 PR 42 Yds 21.0 Avg Long 37

Team Stats Comparison

Category	USF	Charlotte
Score	28	21
First Downs	20	13
Total Offense	335	300
Total Plays	60	43
Yards Per Play	5.6	7.0
Rush\|Yards\|TD	34\|145\|3	25\|183\|2
Yards Per Rush	4.3	7.3
Comp\|Att\|TD	16\|26\|1	11\|18\|1
Yards Per Pass	7.3	6.5
Passing Yards	190	117
3rd Down Conv.	3\|9 (33%)	1\|8 (12%)
4th Down Conv.	0\|1 (0%)	1\|3 (33%)
2 Pt Conv.	1\|1 (100%)	0\|0 (0%)
Red Zone TD\|FG\|%	3\|0\|75%	2\|0\|66%
Turnovers	0 (+1)	1 (-1)
Fumbles Lost	0	1
Interceptions	0	1
PR Yards	24	42
KR Yards	35	90
Total Yards	394	432
Punts (Avg)	3\|33.0	4\|31.8
Penalties	1\|5	2\|19

Post by **djp73** » 23 Nov 2025, 15:48

USF POSTGAME REPORT

USF 28 – CHARLOTTE 21

Offense
USF’s offense wasn’t flawless, but it delivered enough toughness and explosiveness to grind out a win on the road. With 335 total yards and a steady performance from Locklan Hewlett, the Bulls maintained control despite several missed opportunities that could have broken the game open much earlier.
Hewlett finished 16-of-26 for 190 yards and a touchdown, showcasing poise in a game defined by field position and long drives. Jordyn Bridgewater was once again the reliable go-to target, recording 87 yards and a 45-yard touchdown that set the tone early.
The rushing attack was a tale of two backs. Steven Snead gashed the 49ers for 105 yards on just 10 carries, including a 16-yard touchdown, while George Shembo chipped in 51 yards despite Charlotte loading up the box. Joshua Brantley bullied his way to two short-yardage touchdowns, making the most of his opportunities at QB in short yardage situations.
Still, inconsistency showed up in stalled drives and missed chances to bury Charlotte early. Execution will need to sharpen as conference play continues.

Defense
For as gritty as USF’s win was, the defensive performance raises red flags. Charlotte’s Jekail Middlebrook ran wild, racking up 181 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, most of them untouched until the second level. Missed tackles, poor gap integrity, and slow pursuit angles plagued the front seven throughout the game, marking back-to-back weeks where run defense has been a glaring issue.
Charlotte finished with 183 rushing yards and averaged a staggering 7.3 yards per carry. The Bulls allowed chunk gains far too easily, including a 56-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that tied the game and injected life into the home crowd.
There were bright spots, Eric Rance’s interception, Dinellson Exume’s disruptive 2-sack outing, and several key third-down stops late, but the coaching staff made it clear afterward that defensive fundamentals will be a focal point moving forward.
USF may have escaped with a win, but the tape will not be kind.

Special Teams
It was a difficult night for Nico Gramatica. After missing an extra point in the second quarter, he had a potential game-sealing field goal blocked with two minutes left. That miscue handed Charlotte great field position and put enormous pressure on the defense to protect a seven-point lead, fortunately for USF, the defense delivered when it mattered most, getting a critical stop near midfield to secure the win.
Punter Drew McSurdy was busy, averaging 33.0 yards across three kicks, while Elton York and David Igbinoghene contributed modestly in the return game.

Quotables
“We won, and that’s important. But we’re not playing to our standard on defense. If we want to compete for this conference, that has to change immediately.” – DJ Porter, USF Head Coach.
“Too many missed tackles, too many cutback lanes. We know it. We’ll fix it.” – Cedrick Hawkins, Safety.
“Proud of the fight, proud of the finish, but we all know we left a lot out there.” – Locklan Hewlett, Quarterback.

Injury Notes
No new injuries were reported following the game. Center Teriyan Morman remains sidelined with a season-ending foot fracture.

News
DJ Porter and Tony White were seen in a heated discussion on the sideline in the third quarter with Terrance Knighton eventually pulling White away. Both coaches dismissed the situation, with White referring to it as normal sideline stuff.

Next Up
USF returns home next Saturday to host East Carolina in their second conference matchup of the year. The focus will be shoring up the run defense before the Pirates arrive in Tampa.

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