I just got back from Head Coach Willie Taggart’s Thursday sit-down with the media, and the talk was much more about WKU than it was about the Toppers’ opponent this week, South Florida.

Just a few snippets that we’ll have more on later today after WKU’s practice:

— Taggart said that USF quarterback B.J. Daniels will be a handful, saying that you can sometimes have a defender there and he’ll still miss. Taggart said he knew Daniels was a good basketball player in high school, and that he “plays like a point guard” on the gridiron.

“He’ll cross you over with the ball,” Taggart said.

— Taggart said sophomore quarterback Kawaun Jakes is still learning the offense and is just now getting the reps that he would have received in the spring if he hadn’t injured his ankle.

He said Jakes’ throws are coming around, but that he’d like to see Jakes use his ability to run a little more than he has so far.

“I like quarterbacks that can get us three first downs with his feet,” Taggart said. “The thing I don’t want him to do is feel like he’s got to sit in the pocket and make every throw. I’m not asking him to do that right now.”

— Taggart said that the health status of safeties Mark Santoro and Ryan Beard is still up in the air at this point, along with offensive lineman Mychal Patterson.

Taggart said Beard has a deep thigh bruise and Santoro and Patterson both have nagging neck injuries, and they will all be game-time decisions.

Taggart also said that former quarterback Courtney Dalcourt is continuing to progress in his rehabilitation from a second knee surgery.

He said during fall camp that Dalcourt might be back by October, and Taggart said Dalcourt has looked good running vertically lately.

“The kid’s not taking a day off,” Taggart said. “Not too many guys come back from two knee injuries. I told him, ‘You’ve got the chance to make one heck of a story.'”

— Taggart said that freshmen defensive backs Tyree Robinson, Arius Wright and Kiante Young, as well as receiver Donald Campbell, have all had a good week of practice.

He said freshman running back Antonio Andrews has also impressed, and all will make the trip to Tampa, Fla.