It’s finally here.
At 5:30 p.m. today, the talk about USF’s opening game with Boise State gives way to the actual game and players on the field. The time for talking is over.
By the way, that also includes what Bulls coach Alex Golesh will say to his team in the locker room before the game.
The traditional image of the pregame speech is straight out of Rockne – a vein-bulging, ear-piercing, paint-peeling demand to GO GET ‘EM!
That may still happen in some places, but I’d imagine that’s mostly at high schools. At the level USF plays, the approach is different.
It’s expected that the Bulls will be ready to GO GET ‘EM before they load the bus for the ride to Raymond James Stadium.
“I think if you need a pregame speech to get you going, probably a step behind,” Golesh said. “I also feel that way about halftime.”
The verbal preparation reaches a crescendo – probably a mild one – on the night before the game. Golesh and two assistants for a sit-down with the players.
“It’s just the three of us. We talk. And it's essentially our true, final plan for how we're going to go attack the game,” Golesh said. “Sometimes it's an opportunity to get their mind away for a second and talk about life, but it's my 30 minutes with the team every week where there's no other distractions, nothing around. It's just us.
“In the pregame part, we essentially just hit on what's got to happen. And I truly think it's your prep leading up to it, that if I'm going to have to say something before the game to get you going, man, like we're off base.”
It follows the old Mike Tyson line that everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the face. You want your players to be hyped and ready to go, but you also don’t want them so emotionally jacked up that they lose focus.
Besides, it’s not like USF doesn’t know what’s at stake in this game. A win would immediately propel them into the national conversation. It would be one of the most significant victories in program history.
There’s no need to shout beforehand. Save that for the locker room celebration afterward if the Bulls pull this off.
However, while they’re waiting to take the field, a simple statement will suffice.
Go get ‘em.
For maximum impact, say it softly.