After going to bowl games from 1998-2006, the Cardinals will look to get back to that plateau under new coach Charlie Strong. Strong comes to the Big East after serving as Urban Meyer's defensive coordinator at Florida. Strong inherits a team that brings back 15 starters.
Offense - Nine of those starters comes from the offensive side of the ball and look to improve in 2010. The biggest question on offense will be at the quarterback position. Three players who saw action as starters last year all return for the upcoming season, but who will take a stronghold on the position will still be unknown. Adam Froman has the most experience after recording seven starts and throwing for 1,354 yards and six touchdown passes with five interceptions. Justin Burke battled injuries and threw for 654 yards and three scores. Will Stein threw for 450 yards in his two starts.
Victor Anderson, Bilal Powell and Jeremy Wright give the Cardinals a very deep backfield. Anderson was the Cardinals’ leading rusher despite missing most of the season due to injury. After rushing for 1,047 yards in 2008, Anderson was hampered by a shoulder injury that limited him to 473 yards and five touchdowns.
Powell rushed for 392 yards and four touchdowns last season. He looks physically ready to be a force in the league and throughout the country. Wright is another talented running back who will fight for playing time.
The Cardinals are extremely thin at wide receiver with only six scholarship players returning. Senior Doug Beaumont is the premier receiver of the group, having caught over 100 passes for 1,265 yards in his career.
In 2009, Beaumont’s numbers dipped to 38 catches for 465 yards after catching 62 passes for 750 yards in 2008. Senior Troy Pascley caught just four passes for 35 yards a year ago. Sophomore Andrell Smith is a big wide receiver who will need to step up and be a guy the Cardinals can count on. Knowing the lack of depth, Strong and his staff, signed six wide receivers in this recruiting class.
Defense - The defense brings back six starters from last year's squad. There is inexperience on each of the line, linebacker and secondary units.
A lot of the questions, surrounding the 2010 Cardinals sit with the development of the defensive line. Strong has emphasized that to play winning football teams must be strong upfront. After 15 spring practices, the Cardinals are still trying to find answers along the defensive line. The spring showed that the Cardinals are going to need a lot of different combinations of players to step up if the defense is going to be successful. This group will be very young and inexperienced, but there is talent to build upon.
Junior Greg Scruggs moved inside this spring to play tackle, but also did play some defensive end. He started all 12 games in 2009 and came up with 21 tackles, five and a half of which were for loss. Senior Tim High bulked up and improved his conditioning, and will be needed to take snaps along the defensive line. Coming from Hutchinson Community College, Randy Salmon will be counted on heavily in the fall to be a playmaker upfront. The Cardinals have some pretty good depth at the defensive end positions with senior Malcolm Tatum and junior William Savoy returning — both of whom started games in 2009. Tatum recorded 29 tackles in his first season, while playing both tackle and end, while Savoy was second on the team with five sacks. Both players will have to take on an expanded role for the Cardinals to be successful. Despite limited action, Savoy has recorded six sacks in his first two seasons.
The Cardinals do have some talented linebackers returning in seniors Brandon Heath and Antwone Canady, but it is a unit that does lack much-needed depth. Heath, who will play the weakside, recorded 48 tackles and a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown, while Canady, who will be in the middle, was credited with 34 stops. Heath also had three and a half sacks. Senior Eugene Sowell and red-shirt freshman Jacob Geffrad also worked at the weakside in the spring. At the strongside spot, junior Dexter Heyman moved back to linebacker after working at defensive end last season. Heyman played a little at linebacker as a freshman, before moving to defensive end in 2009. He had seven tackles and a fumble recovery last season.
The secondary also has a lot of question marks entering the fall. One question that has a good answer is senior Johnny Patrick, who played all 12 games a year ago. He recorded 53 tackles and was tied for second on the team with a pair of interceptions. A pair of red-shirt freshman Zed Evans and Champ Lee will compete behind Patrick for playing time. Senior Bobby Burns, who played quite a bit last season, will compete for reps at the other corner spot, with Darius Ashley, who made the move to defense in the spring. Burns had nine tackles and a pick last year. At free safety, sophomore Shenard Holton has an opportunity to be a leader on defense. He played a lot towards the end of the year and showed that he has the potential to be an impact player for the next three seasons.
Recruiting
Schedule - The team starts off the season with two home games against in-state teams, Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky. They then travel to Oregon State and Arkansas State before having a three-game homestand. They welcome Memphis, Cincinnati and Connecticut to Papa John's Stadium in consecutive weeks. They then end the season with three of the final five games on the road. They start with road games at Pittsburgh and Syracuse before hosting back-to-back games against USF and West Virginia before traveling to Rutgers to end the season.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
College Football Previews: Kansas
Two years after going 12-1 and getting an Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech, the Jayhawks are looking to rebuild under new coach Turner Gill, who takes over for Mark Mangino after Mangino resigned amid mistreatment rumors. Gill comes from Buffalo after having turned one of the worst teams in college football into a conference champion.
Offense - Despite returning eight starters, it may be the four that they lost that will be the most crucial. Gill will have to replace departed seniors quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier and running back Jake Sharp. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to Chuck Long's scheme.
The loss of Reesing hurts the Jayhawks the most. Reesing threw for 3,616 yards on his way to breaking numerous school passing records. He leaves Kansas as the school leader in career passing yards (11,194), career attempts (1,461), career completions (932), career touchdown passes (90) and total offensive yards (11,840). The returnees, however, only threw for a combined 38 yards in 2009. That's not to say that there won't be any depth at the position tho. Kale Pick was four of five passing for 22 yards, while adding 167 rushing yards on 14 carries as a backup in 2009. Quinn Mecham is a junior college transfer who threw for 3,091 yards and 40 touchdowns at Snow Junior College in 2009. He is already on campus and will participate in spring practice. A trio of quarterbacks redshirted as freshmen in 2009 including Christian Matthews, Jacob Morse and Jordan Webb.
Toben Opurum led the team in rushing as a freshman, rushing for 554 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009. Rell Lewis saw limited time running for 72 yards on 13 carries. Angus Quigley, a running back at KU until playing linebacker last season, returns to his original position after gaining a medical hardship. Quigley ran for 309 yards in 2008.
The Jayhawks lost the two most productive wide receivers in school history in Dezmon Briscoe, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior campaign, and Kerry Meier. In 2009, Briscoe caught 84 passes for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns, while Meier pulled in 102 balls for 985 yards and eight scores. Johnathan Wilson had been the third option in his career and pulled in 35 receptions for 449 yards in 2009. Bradley McDougald started six games as the fourth wide receiver and caught 33 passes for 318 yards last year. Tertavian Ingram saw action a year ago and had two catches. Daymond Patterson, D.J. Beshears, Erick McGriff and Chris Omigie ,a pair of redshirt freshmen all could make an impact.
Defense - A mix of experience and youth returns on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas, including seven starters. Among the returnees are All-Big 12 Honorable Mention players in defensive end Jake Laptad and linebacker Drew Dudley. Linebacker Huldon Tharp and safety Lubbock Smith earned Freshman All-America honors in 2009. Chris Harris has been a regular in the secondary for the past three seasons. In all, five of the top eight tackle leaders from 2009 return.
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention players in defensive end Jake Laptad had 49 tackles, including a team-high 12 for loss and six and a half sacks. Quinton Woods, who saw limited time with four tackles, is the only other end with experience. Inside, John Williams started the final seven games of 2009 at tackle after moving from the offensive line. He replaced Richard Johnson in the starting lineup, but Johnson returns this season as well.
Last season Kansas used two linebackers in its 4-2-5 alignment and two of the main three players in last year’s rotation return. Drew Dudley was second on the team with 88 tackles last year, while Huldon Tharp made 59 stops as a true freshman en route to earning some Freshman All-America honors. Justin Springer has been a key reserve and last year had 25 tackles.
The 2009 secondary was a team effort as 10 different players started games during the season. KU lost two long-time regular safeties in Darrell Stuckey, who led the team with 93 tackles, and Justin Thornton, who registered 80 tackles in 2009. Chris Harris leads the returnees. Harris has played safety and cornerback in his career and last year was third on the team with 84 tackles, while leading the team with nine passes broken up.
Recruiting - The Jayhawks signed a class of 18 in 2010, including 10 on the offensive side of the ball. Of those 10, four are wide receivers. Of the eight defenders, four are on the line. Kansas was able to pull Brandon Bourbon out of Missouri and boy did they get a player. On his way to being named the 3A Player of the Year, he amassed a school record 2,531 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 5,551 rushing yards. On defense, the stud is linebacker Ed Fink. He registered 149 tackles and eight sacks as a senior.
Schedule - This year's schedule is relatively tougher than last year's as two of their four nonconference opponents qualified for bowls, including a BCS bowl game. Three of the team's nonconference games are in Lawrence, as North Dakota State and Georgia Tech come to Lawrence, before the Jayhawks
Offense - Despite returning eight starters, it may be the four that they lost that will be the most crucial. Gill will have to replace departed seniors quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier and running back Jake Sharp. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to Chuck Long's scheme.
The loss of Reesing hurts the Jayhawks the most. Reesing threw for 3,616 yards on his way to breaking numerous school passing records. He leaves Kansas as the school leader in career passing yards (11,194), career attempts (1,461), career completions (932), career touchdown passes (90) and total offensive yards (11,840). The returnees, however, only threw for a combined 38 yards in 2009. That's not to say that there won't be any depth at the position tho. Kale Pick was four of five passing for 22 yards, while adding 167 rushing yards on 14 carries as a backup in 2009. Quinn Mecham is a junior college transfer who threw for 3,091 yards and 40 touchdowns at Snow Junior College in 2009. He is already on campus and will participate in spring practice. A trio of quarterbacks redshirted as freshmen in 2009 including Christian Matthews, Jacob Morse and Jordan Webb.
Toben Opurum led the team in rushing as a freshman, rushing for 554 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009. Rell Lewis saw limited time running for 72 yards on 13 carries. Angus Quigley, a running back at KU until playing linebacker last season, returns to his original position after gaining a medical hardship. Quigley ran for 309 yards in 2008.
The Jayhawks lost the two most productive wide receivers in school history in Dezmon Briscoe, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior campaign, and Kerry Meier. In 2009, Briscoe caught 84 passes for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns, while Meier pulled in 102 balls for 985 yards and eight scores. Johnathan Wilson had been the third option in his career and pulled in 35 receptions for 449 yards in 2009. Bradley McDougald started six games as the fourth wide receiver and caught 33 passes for 318 yards last year. Tertavian Ingram saw action a year ago and had two catches. Daymond Patterson, D.J. Beshears, Erick McGriff and Chris Omigie ,a pair of redshirt freshmen all could make an impact.
Defense - A mix of experience and youth returns on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas, including seven starters. Among the returnees are All-Big 12 Honorable Mention players in defensive end Jake Laptad and linebacker Drew Dudley. Linebacker Huldon Tharp and safety Lubbock Smith earned Freshman All-America honors in 2009. Chris Harris has been a regular in the secondary for the past three seasons. In all, five of the top eight tackle leaders from 2009 return.
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention players in defensive end Jake Laptad had 49 tackles, including a team-high 12 for loss and six and a half sacks. Quinton Woods, who saw limited time with four tackles, is the only other end with experience. Inside, John Williams started the final seven games of 2009 at tackle after moving from the offensive line. He replaced Richard Johnson in the starting lineup, but Johnson returns this season as well.
Last season Kansas used two linebackers in its 4-2-5 alignment and two of the main three players in last year’s rotation return. Drew Dudley was second on the team with 88 tackles last year, while Huldon Tharp made 59 stops as a true freshman en route to earning some Freshman All-America honors. Justin Springer has been a key reserve and last year had 25 tackles.
The 2009 secondary was a team effort as 10 different players started games during the season. KU lost two long-time regular safeties in Darrell Stuckey, who led the team with 93 tackles, and Justin Thornton, who registered 80 tackles in 2009. Chris Harris leads the returnees. Harris has played safety and cornerback in his career and last year was third on the team with 84 tackles, while leading the team with nine passes broken up.
Recruiting - The Jayhawks signed a class of 18 in 2010, including 10 on the offensive side of the ball. Of those 10, four are wide receivers. Of the eight defenders, four are on the line. Kansas was able to pull Brandon Bourbon out of Missouri and boy did they get a player. On his way to being named the 3A Player of the Year, he amassed a school record 2,531 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 5,551 rushing yards. On defense, the stud is linebacker Ed Fink. He registered 149 tackles and eight sacks as a senior.
Schedule - This year's schedule is relatively tougher than last year's as two of their four nonconference opponents qualified for bowls, including a BCS bowl game. Three of the team's nonconference games are in Lawrence, as North Dakota State and Georgia Tech come to Lawrence, before the Jayhawks
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
College Previews: Iowa
The final results of the 2009 season were an 11-2 overall record and a second place Big Ten (6-2) finish. The Hawkeyes finished in the Big Ten’s upper division for the eighth time in nine years. The 11 wins equal the most (2002) wins ever by an Iowa team. Iowa finished seventh in the final rankings of both major polls. It was Iowa’s highest season-ending rank since 1960 (third). And, Iowa has now won successive January bowl games after an Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech.
Offense - Iowa brings back six starters from last year's squad, including quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The team averaged 23 points per game, eight more than their opponents.
Stanzi has passed for 4,373 career yards to rank sixth on Iowa’s all-time list. Last season he was 171-304 for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns. He will have to cut down on his interceptions, however, as he threw 17 in 2009. Sophomore James Vandenberg (6-3, 212) replaced Stanzi following the ankle injury he suffered in the team's first loss of the season vs. Northwestern. His performance in the overtime loss at Ohio State and
the season ending win over Minnesota were impressive as he completed 42 of his 87 passes and had two touchdowns.
The Hawkeyes began 2009 spring practice with sophomores Jewel Hampton and Jeff Brinson the top two contenders for the starting slot. Hampton was injured during the summer and Brinson played sparingly, because of injuries, in three games (one rush for seven yards). The Iowa running back situation was thin the rest of the season with redshirt freshman Adam Robinson, true freshman Brandon Wegher and senior Paki O’Meara left to carry the load. Robinson and Wegher also suffered injuries during the 2009 season that forced each to miss at least one game. But, the result turned in by the two freshmen was impressive. Robinson rushed for 834 yards, scored five touchdowns and had a 4.6 yards per carry average. Wegher rushed for 641 yards and a freshman record eight touchdowns.
Senior Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was a second team all-Big Ten selection last year. He, along with junior Marvin McNutt, will be Iowa’s number one receivers. Johnson-Koulianos led the way with 45 catches for 750 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.7 yards per catch. McNutt started five games, caught 34 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season as a wide receiver. He had previously been a quarterback. Listed behind McNutt are sophomore Keenan Davis and senior Paul Chaney, Jr. Davis caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman. Chaney was injured and missed the final seven games of the 2009 season. He caught seven passes for 50 yards before the injury. They will be looking for a replacement at tight end after Tony Moeaki graduated. He caught 30 balls for 387 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Defense - As usual, the defense was quite good last year. They surrendered a mere 15 points per game and had 21 interceptions, fifth-most in the nation.
The defensive line looks to be the strongest unit on defense, as it brings back all four starters, including All-American candidate defensive end Adrian Clayborn. He had 70 tackles last year, including 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He also forced four fumbles. Anchoring the starting end spot on the other side of the line will be junior Broderick Binns. He had 63 tackles in 2009. Seniors Karl Klug and Christian Ballard are the returning starters at defensive tackle. Ballard has career tackles. Klug had 65 tackles last year, along with 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Ballard also had nine tackles for loss.
Gone from last year's linebacking unit is first team all-American Pat Angerer (258 career tackles) and all-Big Ten outside linebacker A.J. Edds (226). Senior Jeremiha Hunter is Iowa’s lone returning starter at linebacker. The all-Big Ten candidate has 25 career starts and started all but the Minnesota game last year. He was Iowa’s second leading tackler in 2009, for the second straight year, with 89 tackles.
The defensive backfield returns three of four starters in 2010. The 2009 pass defense was rated first in the Big Ten after allowing only 153 yards a game. That figure ranked fourth in NCAA statistics. The team’s 21 interceptions ranked second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. Senior Brett Greenwood returns at the free safety position. A second team all-Big Ten selection, he had 55 tackles and three interceptions last year. Tyler Sash returns at strong safety. He was named third team 2009 all-American by the Associated Press and first team all-Big Ten. Sash was Iowa’s third leading tackler with 85 tackles. He intercepted a team leading six passes. One cornerback spot should be anchored by Shaun Prater. He totaled 41 tackles and two interceptions last year.
Recruiting - The Hawkeyes bring in 21 student-athletes in its 2010 class, including four linebackers. Only seven of the recruits are on the offensive side of the ball. Linebacker Christian Kirksey comes in after having a monster senior season. He finished his senior campaign with a whopping 163 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions. Defensive back B.J. Lowery comes in after putting up impressive numbers in his senior season as well. His senior season saw him in on 128.5 tackles and four interceptions. Jim Poggi comes in as a linebacker after putting up huge numbers as a senior too. His 2009 season saw him collect 137 tackles, 12 sacks, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. C.J. Fiedorowicz comes in trying to replace Moeaki at tight end. Coincidentally, both are Illinois products. He had 44 catches for 921 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
Schedule - The Hawkeyes face seven of their 12 opponents at home in 2010. The Hawkeyes open with four of their first five games at home. Eight of the 2010 opponents appeared in bowl games last year. Three of the four non-conference games will be played in Iowa City. They start out with home games against Eastern Illinois and rival Iowa State before traveling to Arizona. The team then faces Ball State before starting Big Ten play by hosting Penn State. The PSU game is followed by a bye week and a trip to Michigan. The last six games of the year including road games at Northwestern, Indiana and Minnesota, while home games are against Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin. So the team's three biggest conference games (Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State) are all at home.
Offense - Iowa brings back six starters from last year's squad, including quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The team averaged 23 points per game, eight more than their opponents.
Stanzi has passed for 4,373 career yards to rank sixth on Iowa’s all-time list. Last season he was 171-304 for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns. He will have to cut down on his interceptions, however, as he threw 17 in 2009. Sophomore James Vandenberg (6-3, 212) replaced Stanzi following the ankle injury he suffered in the team's first loss of the season vs. Northwestern. His performance in the overtime loss at Ohio State and
the season ending win over Minnesota were impressive as he completed 42 of his 87 passes and had two touchdowns.
The Hawkeyes began 2009 spring practice with sophomores Jewel Hampton and Jeff Brinson the top two contenders for the starting slot. Hampton was injured during the summer and Brinson played sparingly, because of injuries, in three games (one rush for seven yards). The Iowa running back situation was thin the rest of the season with redshirt freshman Adam Robinson, true freshman Brandon Wegher and senior Paki O’Meara left to carry the load. Robinson and Wegher also suffered injuries during the 2009 season that forced each to miss at least one game. But, the result turned in by the two freshmen was impressive. Robinson rushed for 834 yards, scored five touchdowns and had a 4.6 yards per carry average. Wegher rushed for 641 yards and a freshman record eight touchdowns.
Senior Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was a second team all-Big Ten selection last year. He, along with junior Marvin McNutt, will be Iowa’s number one receivers. Johnson-Koulianos led the way with 45 catches for 750 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.7 yards per catch. McNutt started five games, caught 34 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season as a wide receiver. He had previously been a quarterback. Listed behind McNutt are sophomore Keenan Davis and senior Paul Chaney, Jr. Davis caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman. Chaney was injured and missed the final seven games of the 2009 season. He caught seven passes for 50 yards before the injury. They will be looking for a replacement at tight end after Tony Moeaki graduated. He caught 30 balls for 387 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Defense - As usual, the defense was quite good last year. They surrendered a mere 15 points per game and had 21 interceptions, fifth-most in the nation.
The defensive line looks to be the strongest unit on defense, as it brings back all four starters, including All-American candidate defensive end Adrian Clayborn. He had 70 tackles last year, including 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He also forced four fumbles. Anchoring the starting end spot on the other side of the line will be junior Broderick Binns. He had 63 tackles in 2009. Seniors Karl Klug and Christian Ballard are the returning starters at defensive tackle. Ballard has career tackles. Klug had 65 tackles last year, along with 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Ballard also had nine tackles for loss.
Gone from last year's linebacking unit is first team all-American Pat Angerer (258 career tackles) and all-Big Ten outside linebacker A.J. Edds (226). Senior Jeremiha Hunter is Iowa’s lone returning starter at linebacker. The all-Big Ten candidate has 25 career starts and started all but the Minnesota game last year. He was Iowa’s second leading tackler in 2009, for the second straight year, with 89 tackles.
The defensive backfield returns three of four starters in 2010. The 2009 pass defense was rated first in the Big Ten after allowing only 153 yards a game. That figure ranked fourth in NCAA statistics. The team’s 21 interceptions ranked second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. Senior Brett Greenwood returns at the free safety position. A second team all-Big Ten selection, he had 55 tackles and three interceptions last year. Tyler Sash returns at strong safety. He was named third team 2009 all-American by the Associated Press and first team all-Big Ten. Sash was Iowa’s third leading tackler with 85 tackles. He intercepted a team leading six passes. One cornerback spot should be anchored by Shaun Prater. He totaled 41 tackles and two interceptions last year.
Recruiting - The Hawkeyes bring in 21 student-athletes in its 2010 class, including four linebackers. Only seven of the recruits are on the offensive side of the ball. Linebacker Christian Kirksey comes in after having a monster senior season. He finished his senior campaign with a whopping 163 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions. Defensive back B.J. Lowery comes in after putting up impressive numbers in his senior season as well. His senior season saw him in on 128.5 tackles and four interceptions. Jim Poggi comes in as a linebacker after putting up huge numbers as a senior too. His 2009 season saw him collect 137 tackles, 12 sacks, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. C.J. Fiedorowicz comes in trying to replace Moeaki at tight end. Coincidentally, both are Illinois products. He had 44 catches for 921 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
Schedule - The Hawkeyes face seven of their 12 opponents at home in 2010. The Hawkeyes open with four of their first five games at home. Eight of the 2010 opponents appeared in bowl games last year. Three of the four non-conference games will be played in Iowa City. They start out with home games against Eastern Illinois and rival Iowa State before traveling to Arizona. The team then faces Ball State before starting Big Ten play by hosting Penn State. The PSU game is followed by a bye week and a trip to Michigan. The last six games of the year including road games at Northwestern, Indiana and Minnesota, while home games are against Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin. So the team's three biggest conference games (Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State) are all at home.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Football Previews: Houston
The Cougars finished the season at 10-4 and made their fifth straight appearance in a bowl contest in 2009.
Offense - As the nation’s No. 1 team in total offense (563.4 ypg.), passing offense (433.7 ypg.) and scoring offense (42.2 ppg.) in 2009, the Cougars return nine starters from this record-breaking squad, including senior quarterback Case Keenum, who finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was a finalist for several other national honors.
Keenum, enters his senior season as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and is on the cusp of setting every Houston, Conference USA and NCAA total offense and passing marks. In 2009, Keenum became only the second quarterback in NCAA history to throw for at least 5,000 yards twice (Texas Tech’s Graham
Harrell is the other), tossing for a career-best 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns. His 5,671 yards were over 1,400 more than the second place finisher and he has amassed 13,741 total yards in his Cougar career. His 12,905 passing yards are about 4,000 less than all-time leader Timmy Chang. Keenum has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 straight games.
Not many teams in America can boast they have back-to-back Freshmen of the Year in their backfield. The Cougars tout sophomore Charles Sims (2009 winner) and junior Bryce Beall (2008 winner) at running back, and both could be considered first-team running backs in Conference USA. Last season Sims burst on to the scene by rushing for 698 yards and nine touchdowns while hauling in 70 passes for 759 yards,
while Beall—once year removed for rushing for 1,247 yards and 13 scores—added 670 yards and seven touchdowns and had 32 catches for an additional 311 yards.
The Cougars became only the fourth team in NCAA history to have three wide receivers with over 1,000 yards receiving. Throw in Keenum’s 5,000- plus yard passing and UH was only the third team to have the 5,000-yard passer, 1,000, 1,000, 1,000-yard receiving quartet. C-USA Newcomer of the Year James Cleveland led the Cougars in receiving with 104 catches for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns; this, despite missing two games with injuries. He is joined in the four-receiver set by juniors Tyron Carrier (91 catches, 1,029 yards, seven touchdowns) and Patrick Edwards (85 catches, 1,021 yards, six touchdowns) as well as senior Kierrie Johnson (16 catches, 237 yards).
Defense - Brian Stewart assumes the role of Defensive Coordinator this year and plans to take advantage of the Houston speed and athleticism on defense to put non-stop pressure on opposing offenses with his new 3-4 scheme. Stewart has six returning starters to work with in 2010.
Sophomore Zeke Riser and junior David Hunter return to battle for their spots. With the change in schemes, Riser holds on to one defensive end spot while Hunter shifts outside to man the other end spot. Hunter finished the year ninth on the team in tackles with 57. Of those eight and a half were for loss and four sacks. He also contributed with four pass breakups as well as three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles, both of which were second on the team. Riser had 36 tackles, three and a half for loss, two and a half sacks and two fumble recoveries.
With 259 total tackles in two years as a starter, junior linebacker Marcus McGraw has developed into one of the premier defenders in C-USA. Inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2008, McGraw has started 27 straight games and should add to that streak in 2010. He will man one inside spot while redshirt
freshman George Bamfo is listed at the other. Bamfo should be a nice compliment to veteran in the middle.
Sophomore Phillip Steward is slotted in at one outside spot, and after a trial by fire a year ago he should be a top-line defender this year. Another sophomore, Kelvin King III, is listed as the starter opposite Steward,
making the move this spring from defensive end to linebacker.
Houston has two returning starters in the secondary, senior cornerback Jamal Robinson and junior free safety Nick Saenz. Saenz finished third on the team in tackles with 114 and should be the leader in the
secondary again this season. Robinson had 58 tackles, and a team-high five interceptions. He also added eight passes broken up and five tackles for loss. Heading into 2010, senior Loyce Means appears to have nailed down the other cornerback slot and his experience as a part-time starter over the past two seasons should help.
Recruiting - The Cougars bring in 26 recruits in 2010, highlighted by two quarterbacks and four linebackers. Terrance Broadway comes in from Louisiana as a rivals.com four-star player, as well as the fifth-best dual threat quarterback. In his senior year, he threw for 2,140 yards and 20 touchdowns. The other quarterback comes from Texas powerhouse Southlake Carroll. In 2009, David Piland threw for 2,668 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Efram Oliphant and Austin Wilson lead the four-man linebacker group. Each was a three-star recruit by rivals.com and had over 100 tackles as seniors. Oliphant finished his final season with 125 tackles, six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Wilson had 108 tackles (60 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
Schedule - Houston opens the year with four of its first five games at home. The first two are against in-state rivals Texas State and UTEP. The UTEPSMU and Memphis. That's followed by two home games against UCF and Tulsa before finishing with road games at Southern Miss and Texas Tech. In all, nine of Houston's 12 teams are in the state of Texas.
Offense - As the nation’s No. 1 team in total offense (563.4 ypg.), passing offense (433.7 ypg.) and scoring offense (42.2 ppg.) in 2009, the Cougars return nine starters from this record-breaking squad, including senior quarterback Case Keenum, who finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was a finalist for several other national honors.
Keenum, enters his senior season as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and is on the cusp of setting every Houston, Conference USA and NCAA total offense and passing marks. In 2009, Keenum became only the second quarterback in NCAA history to throw for at least 5,000 yards twice (Texas Tech’s Graham
Harrell is the other), tossing for a career-best 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns. His 5,671 yards were over 1,400 more than the second place finisher and he has amassed 13,741 total yards in his Cougar career. His 12,905 passing yards are about 4,000 less than all-time leader Timmy Chang. Keenum has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 straight games.
Not many teams in America can boast they have back-to-back Freshmen of the Year in their backfield. The Cougars tout sophomore Charles Sims (2009 winner) and junior Bryce Beall (2008 winner) at running back, and both could be considered first-team running backs in Conference USA. Last season Sims burst on to the scene by rushing for 698 yards and nine touchdowns while hauling in 70 passes for 759 yards,
while Beall—once year removed for rushing for 1,247 yards and 13 scores—added 670 yards and seven touchdowns and had 32 catches for an additional 311 yards.
The Cougars became only the fourth team in NCAA history to have three wide receivers with over 1,000 yards receiving. Throw in Keenum’s 5,000- plus yard passing and UH was only the third team to have the 5,000-yard passer, 1,000, 1,000, 1,000-yard receiving quartet. C-USA Newcomer of the Year James Cleveland led the Cougars in receiving with 104 catches for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns; this, despite missing two games with injuries. He is joined in the four-receiver set by juniors Tyron Carrier (91 catches, 1,029 yards, seven touchdowns) and Patrick Edwards (85 catches, 1,021 yards, six touchdowns) as well as senior Kierrie Johnson (16 catches, 237 yards).
Defense - Brian Stewart assumes the role of Defensive Coordinator this year and plans to take advantage of the Houston speed and athleticism on defense to put non-stop pressure on opposing offenses with his new 3-4 scheme. Stewart has six returning starters to work with in 2010.
Sophomore Zeke Riser and junior David Hunter return to battle for their spots. With the change in schemes, Riser holds on to one defensive end spot while Hunter shifts outside to man the other end spot. Hunter finished the year ninth on the team in tackles with 57. Of those eight and a half were for loss and four sacks. He also contributed with four pass breakups as well as three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles, both of which were second on the team. Riser had 36 tackles, three and a half for loss, two and a half sacks and two fumble recoveries.
With 259 total tackles in two years as a starter, junior linebacker Marcus McGraw has developed into one of the premier defenders in C-USA. Inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2008, McGraw has started 27 straight games and should add to that streak in 2010. He will man one inside spot while redshirt
freshman George Bamfo is listed at the other. Bamfo should be a nice compliment to veteran in the middle.
Sophomore Phillip Steward is slotted in at one outside spot, and after a trial by fire a year ago he should be a top-line defender this year. Another sophomore, Kelvin King III, is listed as the starter opposite Steward,
making the move this spring from defensive end to linebacker.
Houston has two returning starters in the secondary, senior cornerback Jamal Robinson and junior free safety Nick Saenz. Saenz finished third on the team in tackles with 114 and should be the leader in the
secondary again this season. Robinson had 58 tackles, and a team-high five interceptions. He also added eight passes broken up and five tackles for loss. Heading into 2010, senior Loyce Means appears to have nailed down the other cornerback slot and his experience as a part-time starter over the past two seasons should help.
Recruiting - The Cougars bring in 26 recruits in 2010, highlighted by two quarterbacks and four linebackers. Terrance Broadway comes in from Louisiana as a rivals.com four-star player, as well as the fifth-best dual threat quarterback. In his senior year, he threw for 2,140 yards and 20 touchdowns. The other quarterback comes from Texas powerhouse Southlake Carroll. In 2009, David Piland threw for 2,668 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Efram Oliphant and Austin Wilson lead the four-man linebacker group. Each was a three-star recruit by rivals.com and had over 100 tackles as seniors. Oliphant finished his final season with 125 tackles, six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Wilson had 108 tackles (60 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
Schedule - Houston opens the year with four of its first five games at home. The first two are against in-state rivals Texas State and UTEP. The UTEPSMU and Memphis. That's followed by two home games against UCF and Tulsa before finishing with road games at Southern Miss and Texas Tech. In all, nine of Houston's 12 teams are in the state of Texas.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Football Previews: Georgia Tech
The 2009 season was one of firsts for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It marked their first-ever BCS appearance, first outright ACC title since 1990 and their first-ever win in Tallahassee against Florida State, amongst other feats. Despite losing some key pieces to the team, the Jackets will be looking to make it back to the lofty heights they did last season.
Offense - The Ramblin' Wreck has adapted to Paul Johnson's spread option offense by producing the highest rushing totals in school history the past two years. Half of that outstanding duo, quarterback Josh Nesbitt, returns after running back Jonathan Dwyer left for the NFL. In fact, their 295.4 rushing yards per game was the highest in the ACC and second-best in the nation. Their total offense (442 yd/g) and scoring offense (33.8 ppg) totals were both best in the ACC and 11th best in the nation.
Nesbitt returns for his senior season after rushing for 1,037 yards in 2009. His rushing total was the highest for a quarterback in Tech history and second highest in ACC history. His 2,069 career yards rushing make him the most prolific rushing quarterback in Tech history and ranks him second in ACC history. Despite only attempting 162 passes and completing 71, Nesbitt threw for 1,701 yards and 10 touchdowns. Combining his rushing and passing totals, Nebitt accounted for over 2,700 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Despite losing their leading rusher in Dwyer, the team does return some experienced backs in Anthony Allen and Marcus Wright, each of whom played in all 14 games last season. Allen returns from last year's spot at the A-back position after rushing for 618 yards and six touchdowns. Wright was Dwyer's main backup and rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Allen will look to combine with Nesbitt to become the second consecutive Jackets to each rush for over 1,000 yards after Dwyer and Nesbitt did it last year.
Unfortunately for Nesbitt, his favorite target in 2009, Demariyus Thomas, left for the NFL, leaving a very young wide receiver core for the upcoming season. Last year's second and third-leading receivers return, but they combined for only 14 catches and two touchdowns. The coaches feef that Stephen Hill has to be a star.
Defense - The defense got a major overhaul in the offseason, bringing in three new coaches, including defensive coordinator former Virginia head coach Al Groh. Groh brings in a new system however, as he favors the 3-4, so it will be interesting to see how the team reacts to the change.
The linebacker and defensive back units comes back as the strongest parts of the defense. The linebackers are led by Brad Jefferson and Steven Sylvester, who finished first and eighth in tackles, respectively. Jefferson racked up 95 tackles, including eight for loss and had two forced fumbles. Sylvester was in on 40 tackles, four for loss and three sacks.
The defensive backfield returns three of four starters from last year squad, including both cornerbacks. One of those corners, Jerrard Tarrant, was a pain for opposing receivers after coming up with 58 tackles, which was fourth on the team. He also added a tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a team-high six passes broken up. His partner across the field, Marcus Butler, wasn't far behind him in all of the stat categories either. Butler finished with 45 tackles, four and a half for loss, two interceptions and three passes broken up. Mario Edwards returns at one safety spot after starting the last five games of the year. He contributed to the cause with 36 tackles and two passes broken up.
The defensive line also returns three starters, including both tackles, Ben Anderson and Logan Walls, as well as end Anthony Egbuniwe. Walls led the returnees with 25 tackles, three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Egbuniwe was right behind him with 19 tackles, two and a half for loss, one and a half sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Anderson was in on 15 tackles, five for loss and two sacks.
Recruiting - The Yellow Jackets bring in 18 kids in this year's signing class, including 14 from Georgia. They bring in a bunch of studs of defensive studs, including two linebackers and a defensive back. Jeremiah Attaochu had a monster senior season where he had 118 tackles and 14 sacks. They stole Quayshawn Nealy out of Florida after he had 121 tackles (85 solo), 25 tackles for loss, two interceptions and five sacks. Corner Louis Young comes in after being ranked in the top 20 of cornerbacks nationally by both scout.com and rivals.com. One offensive player to keep an eye on is Tony Zenon, who finished his senior season with 2,264 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns.
Schedule - Georgia Tech starts the season with a home game against South Carolina State before going on the road for consecutive games at Kansas and North Carolina. Three of the next four games are as home as they host N.C. State, Virginia and Middle Tennessee State. They travel to Wake Forest between the N.C. State and Virginia games. The team's next five games will most likely be their toughest stretch as they travel to Clemson, Virginia Tech, host Miami and Duke, before finishing the season with their annual rivalry game against Georgia, this time in Athens.
Offense - The Ramblin' Wreck has adapted to Paul Johnson's spread option offense by producing the highest rushing totals in school history the past two years. Half of that outstanding duo, quarterback Josh Nesbitt, returns after running back Jonathan Dwyer left for the NFL. In fact, their 295.4 rushing yards per game was the highest in the ACC and second-best in the nation. Their total offense (442 yd/g) and scoring offense (33.8 ppg) totals were both best in the ACC and 11th best in the nation.
Nesbitt returns for his senior season after rushing for 1,037 yards in 2009. His rushing total was the highest for a quarterback in Tech history and second highest in ACC history. His 2,069 career yards rushing make him the most prolific rushing quarterback in Tech history and ranks him second in ACC history. Despite only attempting 162 passes and completing 71, Nesbitt threw for 1,701 yards and 10 touchdowns. Combining his rushing and passing totals, Nebitt accounted for over 2,700 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Despite losing their leading rusher in Dwyer, the team does return some experienced backs in Anthony Allen and Marcus Wright, each of whom played in all 14 games last season. Allen returns from last year's spot at the A-back position after rushing for 618 yards and six touchdowns. Wright was Dwyer's main backup and rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Allen will look to combine with Nesbitt to become the second consecutive Jackets to each rush for over 1,000 yards after Dwyer and Nesbitt did it last year.
Unfortunately for Nesbitt, his favorite target in 2009, Demariyus Thomas, left for the NFL, leaving a very young wide receiver core for the upcoming season. Last year's second and third-leading receivers return, but they combined for only 14 catches and two touchdowns. The coaches feef that Stephen Hill has to be a star.
Defense - The defense got a major overhaul in the offseason, bringing in three new coaches, including defensive coordinator former Virginia head coach Al Groh. Groh brings in a new system however, as he favors the 3-4, so it will be interesting to see how the team reacts to the change.
The linebacker and defensive back units comes back as the strongest parts of the defense. The linebackers are led by Brad Jefferson and Steven Sylvester, who finished first and eighth in tackles, respectively. Jefferson racked up 95 tackles, including eight for loss and had two forced fumbles. Sylvester was in on 40 tackles, four for loss and three sacks.
The defensive backfield returns three of four starters from last year squad, including both cornerbacks. One of those corners, Jerrard Tarrant, was a pain for opposing receivers after coming up with 58 tackles, which was fourth on the team. He also added a tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a team-high six passes broken up. His partner across the field, Marcus Butler, wasn't far behind him in all of the stat categories either. Butler finished with 45 tackles, four and a half for loss, two interceptions and three passes broken up. Mario Edwards returns at one safety spot after starting the last five games of the year. He contributed to the cause with 36 tackles and two passes broken up.
The defensive line also returns three starters, including both tackles, Ben Anderson and Logan Walls, as well as end Anthony Egbuniwe. Walls led the returnees with 25 tackles, three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Egbuniwe was right behind him with 19 tackles, two and a half for loss, one and a half sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Anderson was in on 15 tackles, five for loss and two sacks.
Recruiting - The Yellow Jackets bring in 18 kids in this year's signing class, including 14 from Georgia. They bring in a bunch of studs of defensive studs, including two linebackers and a defensive back. Jeremiah Attaochu had a monster senior season where he had 118 tackles and 14 sacks. They stole Quayshawn Nealy out of Florida after he had 121 tackles (85 solo), 25 tackles for loss, two interceptions and five sacks. Corner Louis Young comes in after being ranked in the top 20 of cornerbacks nationally by both scout.com and rivals.com. One offensive player to keep an eye on is Tony Zenon, who finished his senior season with 2,264 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns.
Schedule - Georgia Tech starts the season with a home game against South Carolina State before going on the road for consecutive games at Kansas and North Carolina. Three of the next four games are as home as they host N.C. State, Virginia and Middle Tennessee State. They travel to Wake Forest between the N.C. State and Virginia games. The team's next five games will most likely be their toughest stretch as they travel to Clemson, Virginia Tech, host Miami and Duke, before finishing the season with their annual rivalry game against Georgia, this time in Athens.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Previews - Florida Atlantic
Everyone always wants to read about L.A.T. (Life After Tebow) or L.A.B.B. (Life After Bobby Bowden) so I thought I'd switch it up and give some love to one of the smaller schools in the state of Florida, Florida Atlantic. Despite finishing 5-7 last season, the Owls can look to build on winning three of their final four games. In fact, they were two two-point losses to Louisiana-Monroe and Wyoming from finishing 7-5 and qualifying for their third ever bowl.
Offense - There were some bright spots for last year's offense, as well as some not so bright spots. Games that saw the team score 35 (Arkansas State), 44 (North Texas) and 51 (Louisiana-Lafayette) were offset by games where they scored three (Nebraska) and 16 (South Carolina). Luckily for coach Howard Schellenberger, many key pieces return for the 2010 season.
The Owls bring back the most important player on the offense in quarterback Jeff Van Comp. Van Comp saw plenty of action last year, playing in 10 games. In those 10 games, he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,372 yards and 12 touchdowns and throwing only two interceptions. David Kooi will have to fight off three other quarterbacks on the roster to earn the backup spot. He is the only one who has seen any game time, however, as he appeared in three games.
The team also returns last year's starting running back in Alfred Morris. Morris led the team in rushing with 1,392 our of the team's 1,829 rushing yards and 11 of of 17 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Van Comp, his receiving unit will essentially be all new, as they lose their top six receivers from 2009. But luckily for the Owls, the three receivers from last year all saw playing time. The top returning wideout is senior Avery Holley. Holley caught 22 balls in 2009 for 224 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Darian Williams also returns after coming up with 14 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.
Defense - Like the offense, the defense had quite the uneven season and will have to improve their points per game average of nearly 34 points given up per game. The team did cause 17 turnovers last year though.
The defensive backfield returns as the strongest part of the 2010 defense. Safety Marcus Bartels was last year's leading tackler and he returns for his junior year. He finished last year with 112 tackles, an interception and three passes broken up. His safety-mate, Ed Alexander, also returns after finishing last year fourth in tackles with 66 and a team-high five pass breakups. Corner Tavious Polo had 47 tackles, four for loss and an interception. Brantely Harstad led the team with two interceptions from his free safety spot.
While the secondary might be the top defensive unit, the linebackers are not far behind. Senior Michael Lockley returns after finishing second on the team in tackles. The middle linebacker had 97 tackles, seven and a half for loss and two fumble recoveries. Malik Eugene also returns as a linebacker after being in on 34 tackles, four for loss and three fumble recoveries, a team-high. David Hinds backs up Lockley and put up 24 tackles, two for loss and a sack as a true freshman.
The front four returns three starters from the 2009 squad, led by end Kevin Cyrille. Cyrille finished last year with 40 tackles, a team-high 11.5 for loss and tied for the team lead in sacks with three. Dino Cox started 10 games on his way to 24 tackles, five for loss and three sacks. Daniel Joseph had 23 tackles, four and a half for loss.
Recruiting - The Owls bring in a small class, signing only 12 student-athletes. Of those 12, it is of seven offensive and five defensive players. Steven Curtis comes in as potentially the quarterback of the future (one of two QB signees) after a stellar career in South Carolina. He threw for 6,765 yards and 76 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,071 yards and 29 scores during his three-year career. Cortez Ash will continue the line of successful safeties. As a senior, he recorded 92 tackles, six sacks, two interceptions and eight blocked punts. Defensive tackle recruit Jerome McClain might challenge for playing time right away, as he comes to FAU after a senior year where he had 88 tackles, eight sacks, one interception and a touchdown.
Schedule - The Owls go on the road for their first two games, traveling to UAB and playing Michigan State in a neutral site game in Detroit. After the two road games, the team jumps right into conference play as it hosts North Texas. The team will then take a break from conference play to travel to Tampa and face the Bulls of South Florida. Unfortunately after the USF game, three of the next four games, all conference games, are on the road. Back-to-back road games at Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State are followed by a home game against FIU and a road game at Western Kentucky, followed by a home game against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Owls then go into Austin to face the University of Texas, before ending their season with a conference road game at Middle Tennessee and a season-ending home game against Troy.
Offense - There were some bright spots for last year's offense, as well as some not so bright spots. Games that saw the team score 35 (Arkansas State), 44 (North Texas) and 51 (Louisiana-Lafayette) were offset by games where they scored three (Nebraska) and 16 (South Carolina). Luckily for coach Howard Schellenberger, many key pieces return for the 2010 season.
The Owls bring back the most important player on the offense in quarterback Jeff Van Comp. Van Comp saw plenty of action last year, playing in 10 games. In those 10 games, he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,372 yards and 12 touchdowns and throwing only two interceptions. David Kooi will have to fight off three other quarterbacks on the roster to earn the backup spot. He is the only one who has seen any game time, however, as he appeared in three games.
The team also returns last year's starting running back in Alfred Morris. Morris led the team in rushing with 1,392 our of the team's 1,829 rushing yards and 11 of of 17 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Van Comp, his receiving unit will essentially be all new, as they lose their top six receivers from 2009. But luckily for the Owls, the three receivers from last year all saw playing time. The top returning wideout is senior Avery Holley. Holley caught 22 balls in 2009 for 224 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Darian Williams also returns after coming up with 14 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.
Defense - Like the offense, the defense had quite the uneven season and will have to improve their points per game average of nearly 34 points given up per game. The team did cause 17 turnovers last year though.
The defensive backfield returns as the strongest part of the 2010 defense. Safety Marcus Bartels was last year's leading tackler and he returns for his junior year. He finished last year with 112 tackles, an interception and three passes broken up. His safety-mate, Ed Alexander, also returns after finishing last year fourth in tackles with 66 and a team-high five pass breakups. Corner Tavious Polo had 47 tackles, four for loss and an interception. Brantely Harstad led the team with two interceptions from his free safety spot.
While the secondary might be the top defensive unit, the linebackers are not far behind. Senior Michael Lockley returns after finishing second on the team in tackles. The middle linebacker had 97 tackles, seven and a half for loss and two fumble recoveries. Malik Eugene also returns as a linebacker after being in on 34 tackles, four for loss and three fumble recoveries, a team-high. David Hinds backs up Lockley and put up 24 tackles, two for loss and a sack as a true freshman.
The front four returns three starters from the 2009 squad, led by end Kevin Cyrille. Cyrille finished last year with 40 tackles, a team-high 11.5 for loss and tied for the team lead in sacks with three. Dino Cox started 10 games on his way to 24 tackles, five for loss and three sacks. Daniel Joseph had 23 tackles, four and a half for loss.
Recruiting - The Owls bring in a small class, signing only 12 student-athletes. Of those 12, it is of seven offensive and five defensive players. Steven Curtis comes in as potentially the quarterback of the future (one of two QB signees) after a stellar career in South Carolina. He threw for 6,765 yards and 76 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,071 yards and 29 scores during his three-year career. Cortez Ash will continue the line of successful safeties. As a senior, he recorded 92 tackles, six sacks, two interceptions and eight blocked punts. Defensive tackle recruit Jerome McClain might challenge for playing time right away, as he comes to FAU after a senior year where he had 88 tackles, eight sacks, one interception and a touchdown.
Schedule - The Owls go on the road for their first two games, traveling to UAB and playing Michigan State in a neutral site game in Detroit. After the two road games, the team jumps right into conference play as it hosts North Texas. The team will then take a break from conference play to travel to Tampa and face the Bulls of South Florida. Unfortunately after the USF game, three of the next four games, all conference games, are on the road. Back-to-back road games at Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State are followed by a home game against FIU and a road game at Western Kentucky, followed by a home game against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Owls then go into Austin to face the University of Texas, before ending their season with a conference road game at Middle Tennessee and a season-ending home game against Troy.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Change in Previews
I won't be doing what I had mentioned in the first preview. Because of my sister's upcoming wedding I haven't had the opportunity to do the previews as I had wished, so instead from now on, I will be picking one or two teams from every remaining letter and doing a preview of those teams.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Football Preview: East Carolina
The Pirates are coming off of their fourth consecutive winning season, a feat that had not been achieved since the 1970's. People all across the country realized the success East Carolina has had, as coach Skip Holtz was named Head Coach at the University of South Florida. So in comes former Pirate Ruffin McNeill, who was actually on those successful Pirate teams in the '70's. McNeill comes back after coaching at Texas Tech.
Offense - The major key in the offense that McNeill brings from Texas Tech is quarterback play. Unfortunately for the Pirates, the quarterbacks they have returning have little or no experience. Only sophomore Josh Jordan has any experience but that is limited as he has seen action in only three games and thrown seven passes.
The team also loses two of the the three starting receivers from last year. But luckily for whoever the starting quarterback ends up being, Dwayne Harris returns for his senior season after putting up some monster numbers in 2009. He caught 83 passes for 978 yards and seven touchdowns. However after Harris, junior Joe Womack is the next leading receiver and he only caught 12 balls for 141 yards. Coming out of spring ball, nine of the 17 wide receivers are underclassmen, so youth will be served.
The Pirates lose last year's top rusher, Dominique Lindsay, but return second-leading rusher Brandon Jackson. Jackson, who played in only nine games last season, rushed for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Giavani Ruffin also returns after running for 308 yards and five touchdowns, while Harris ran for 149 yards and five touchdowns.
Defense - Last year, saying that the defense excelled at forcing turnovers would be an understatement, as they forced 28 turnovers. Unfortunately, the defense only returns two starters from last year's squad, both cornerbacks. One good thing, however, is that there will be plenty of experience, as outside of the two returning starters, 21 defensive lettermen return.
Emanuel Davis returns for his junior campaign after finishing fifth on the team with 69 tackles, while being in a three-way tie for second with two interceptions. He also had four tackles for loss and led the team with 12 broken up passes. Travis Simmons is the other returning corner and he finished with 52 tackles.
Ironically, a player with a similar name to his position, Dustin Lineback, returns to anchor the linebackers. He finished the year with 29 tackles. Matt Thompson had 20 tackles in seven games. Steve Spence had 15 tackles, two sacks and two and a half tackles for loss.
Josh Smith returns for his senior year on the line after being in on 26 tackles, four and a half for loss and four sacks. Michael Brooks finished right below him with 24 tackles, three and a half of which were for loss.
Recruiting - Despite having around a month to recruit, the Pirates coaching staff was able to bring in 18 signees to compile its 2010 class. With such great turnover on the defensive side of the ball, it's no shock that 10 of the 18 recruits come from that side. Maurice Falls comes in as a defensive end prospect who enrolled early. In his senior campaign, he came up with 118 tackles.
While in high school, Jacob Geary played end, tackle and linebacker on the defensive side of the ball, but comes to East Carolina to play linebacker. He had quite an impressive senior campaign, as he tallied 162 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles. Jeremy Grove also comes to ECU as a linebacker prospect and enrolled early after tackling 107 opponents, including 19 for loss. Lee Pegues was a four-year starter who had 90 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior.
Schedule - The Pirates jump right into conference play as they welcome both Tulsa and Memphis to Greeneville in the first two weeks of the season. The team will use those two games as warmups to their two hardest games of the year, when they face Virginia Tech and North Carolina in back-to-back weeks. The Pirates played both teams last season, losing to both, but keeping close with the Hokies. ECU completes its three-game road trip with a trip to Southern Miss, a team that gave the Pirates a fight last season. The team returns to three of its next four games at home, hosting N.C. State, Marshall and Navy, while traveling to UCF. ECU finishes the season with two of their last three games on the road, as they travel to UAB and Rice before hosting SMU to close the season.
Offense - The major key in the offense that McNeill brings from Texas Tech is quarterback play. Unfortunately for the Pirates, the quarterbacks they have returning have little or no experience. Only sophomore Josh Jordan has any experience but that is limited as he has seen action in only three games and thrown seven passes.
The team also loses two of the the three starting receivers from last year. But luckily for whoever the starting quarterback ends up being, Dwayne Harris returns for his senior season after putting up some monster numbers in 2009. He caught 83 passes for 978 yards and seven touchdowns. However after Harris, junior Joe Womack is the next leading receiver and he only caught 12 balls for 141 yards. Coming out of spring ball, nine of the 17 wide receivers are underclassmen, so youth will be served.
The Pirates lose last year's top rusher, Dominique Lindsay, but return second-leading rusher Brandon Jackson. Jackson, who played in only nine games last season, rushed for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Giavani Ruffin also returns after running for 308 yards and five touchdowns, while Harris ran for 149 yards and five touchdowns.
Defense - Last year, saying that the defense excelled at forcing turnovers would be an understatement, as they forced 28 turnovers. Unfortunately, the defense only returns two starters from last year's squad, both cornerbacks. One good thing, however, is that there will be plenty of experience, as outside of the two returning starters, 21 defensive lettermen return.
Emanuel Davis returns for his junior campaign after finishing fifth on the team with 69 tackles, while being in a three-way tie for second with two interceptions. He also had four tackles for loss and led the team with 12 broken up passes. Travis Simmons is the other returning corner and he finished with 52 tackles.
Ironically, a player with a similar name to his position, Dustin Lineback, returns to anchor the linebackers. He finished the year with 29 tackles. Matt Thompson had 20 tackles in seven games. Steve Spence had 15 tackles, two sacks and two and a half tackles for loss.
Josh Smith returns for his senior year on the line after being in on 26 tackles, four and a half for loss and four sacks. Michael Brooks finished right below him with 24 tackles, three and a half of which were for loss.
Recruiting - Despite having around a month to recruit, the Pirates coaching staff was able to bring in 18 signees to compile its 2010 class. With such great turnover on the defensive side of the ball, it's no shock that 10 of the 18 recruits come from that side. Maurice Falls comes in as a defensive end prospect who enrolled early. In his senior campaign, he came up with 118 tackles.
While in high school, Jacob Geary played end, tackle and linebacker on the defensive side of the ball, but comes to East Carolina to play linebacker. He had quite an impressive senior campaign, as he tallied 162 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles. Jeremy Grove also comes to ECU as a linebacker prospect and enrolled early after tackling 107 opponents, including 19 for loss. Lee Pegues was a four-year starter who had 90 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior.
Schedule - The Pirates jump right into conference play as they welcome both Tulsa and Memphis to Greeneville in the first two weeks of the season. The team will use those two games as warmups to their two hardest games of the year, when they face Virginia Tech and North Carolina in back-to-back weeks. The Pirates played both teams last season, losing to both, but keeping close with the Hokies. ECU completes its three-game road trip with a trip to Southern Miss, a team that gave the Pirates a fight last season. The team returns to three of its next four games at home, hosting N.C. State, Marshall and Navy, while traveling to UCF. ECU finishes the season with two of their last three games on the road, as they travel to UAB and Rice before hosting SMU to close the season.
College Football Preview: Duke
In just two years, Head Coach David Cutcliffe has turned Duke into a school that just looked forward to basketball season to one that can challenge for a bowl berth every year. The Blue Devils came one game short of a 6-6 season which would have qualified them for a bowl. And fans have a lot to look forward to this year, as the team returns 18 starters from last year's squad.
Offense - The offense returns nine of 11 starters from last years' squad, which combined for nearly 370 yards per game. Unfortunately, one of those starters who aren't coming back are Thaddeus Lewis, who threw for 3,330 of the team's 3,660 yards and 20 of 24 passing touchdowns last season.
The only quarterback returning with any type of game experience is redshirt sophomore Sean Renfree, who threw for the other 330 yards and four touchdowns. Sean Schroeder is coming off of a freshman season where he redshirted, while Brandon Connette comes straight from high school but enrolled early and participated in spring ball.
Luckily for the Blue Devils, they return the majority of their top rushers. Although their rushing stats may not have been the most impressive, the experience of all the players, including Desmond Scott, who led the team in rushing, will help the ease of the new quarterback. Scott led the team with 262 yards and scored one of the teams' six rushing touchdowns. Jay Hollingsworth and Patrick Kurunwune also return after seeing a lot of game action last year.
By far the strongest part of the offense will be the wide receivers. The team's top receiver, junior Donovan Varner returns after catching 65 balls for 1.047 yards and eight touchdowns. The other two starters, Connor Vernon and Austin Kelly, also return. Vernon had quite a breakout freshman year after grabbing 55 passes for 746 yards and three touchdowns. Kelly had 54 catches for 625 yards and four touchdowns.
Defense - The defense returns six starters from last year's team, including two starters from each the defensive backfield, linebacker and defensive line units.
The defensive backfield's two returning starters, Matt Daniels and Chris Rwabukamba, both finished in the top six of tacklers from last year. Daniels finished third on the team in tackles with 83 and had three tackles for loss, six passes broken up and three forced fumbles. Rwabukamba, on the other hand, was sixth on the team with 46 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and seven passes broken up. After starting eight games at cornerback, Lee Butler moves over to one safety spot opposite of Daniels. Butler had 39 tackles and an interception last season. Butler's interception makes him the only one coming back after intercepting a pass last year, as all of the others are no longer members of the team.
The linebackers bring back some nice pieces as well in starters Damian Thornton and Abraham Kromah. Thornton finished fourth on the team with 60 tackles and fifth on the team with six tackles for loss. This year, however, the senior slides over from the Will Linebacker position, where he started 11 games last season. Despite playing in only seven games, Kromah finished seventh on the team in tackles with 40 and also had two and a half tackles for loss. Adam Banks (no not the player from the Mighty Ducks movies) looks to take the other linebacker spot after coming up with 33 stops in 2009.
Defensive end Patrick Egboh and nose guard Charlie Hatcher return to their starting spots again this year. Hatcher had 39 tackles last season and seven tackles for loss, which was fourth on the team. Egboh pitched in with 34 tackles and three tackles for loss, as well as a sack and two passes broken up.
Recruiting - This year's class consists of 19 student-athletes, including many who look to fill in holes on the roster. The Blue Devils brought in two quarterbacks, although Brandon Connette starts with more experience after enrolling early and playing in the spring. As a senior Connette threw for 1,961 yards and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for 462 yards and 12 more touchdowns. As a senior, Josh Snead rushed for 1,932 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Linebacker recruit Kelby Brown comes to Durham after a very impressive senior year. In his last year as a high schooler, he logged 105 tackles, five sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Dezmond Johnson, a defensive line prospect, is coming off of a season where he posted 71 tackles, 18 sacks and three fumble recoveries.
Schedule - The development of the young players will be tested early as thus year's schedule us a bit stronger than last years. After starting the season with a home game against Elon and a road game at Wake Forest, defending champion Alabama comes to Durham to pay the Blue Devils a visit. The team ends the month with a home game against Army. October brings a visit from Miami, while trips to Maryland, Virginia Tech and Navy are also on the docket. The Miami and VA Tech games are back to back. Duke ends the season with three of its last four games at home. Virginia, Boston College visit Durham, while the Devils go to Georgia Tech. The rivalry game with North Carolina ends the season, with the Tar Heels coming to Duke.
Offense - The offense returns nine of 11 starters from last years' squad, which combined for nearly 370 yards per game. Unfortunately, one of those starters who aren't coming back are Thaddeus Lewis, who threw for 3,330 of the team's 3,660 yards and 20 of 24 passing touchdowns last season.
The only quarterback returning with any type of game experience is redshirt sophomore Sean Renfree, who threw for the other 330 yards and four touchdowns. Sean Schroeder is coming off of a freshman season where he redshirted, while Brandon Connette comes straight from high school but enrolled early and participated in spring ball.
Luckily for the Blue Devils, they return the majority of their top rushers. Although their rushing stats may not have been the most impressive, the experience of all the players, including Desmond Scott, who led the team in rushing, will help the ease of the new quarterback. Scott led the team with 262 yards and scored one of the teams' six rushing touchdowns. Jay Hollingsworth and Patrick Kurunwune also return after seeing a lot of game action last year.
By far the strongest part of the offense will be the wide receivers. The team's top receiver, junior Donovan Varner returns after catching 65 balls for 1.047 yards and eight touchdowns. The other two starters, Connor Vernon and Austin Kelly, also return. Vernon had quite a breakout freshman year after grabbing 55 passes for 746 yards and three touchdowns. Kelly had 54 catches for 625 yards and four touchdowns.
Defense - The defense returns six starters from last year's team, including two starters from each the defensive backfield, linebacker and defensive line units.
The defensive backfield's two returning starters, Matt Daniels and Chris Rwabukamba, both finished in the top six of tacklers from last year. Daniels finished third on the team in tackles with 83 and had three tackles for loss, six passes broken up and three forced fumbles. Rwabukamba, on the other hand, was sixth on the team with 46 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and seven passes broken up. After starting eight games at cornerback, Lee Butler moves over to one safety spot opposite of Daniels. Butler had 39 tackles and an interception last season. Butler's interception makes him the only one coming back after intercepting a pass last year, as all of the others are no longer members of the team.
The linebackers bring back some nice pieces as well in starters Damian Thornton and Abraham Kromah. Thornton finished fourth on the team with 60 tackles and fifth on the team with six tackles for loss. This year, however, the senior slides over from the Will Linebacker position, where he started 11 games last season. Despite playing in only seven games, Kromah finished seventh on the team in tackles with 40 and also had two and a half tackles for loss. Adam Banks (no not the player from the Mighty Ducks movies) looks to take the other linebacker spot after coming up with 33 stops in 2009.
Defensive end Patrick Egboh and nose guard Charlie Hatcher return to their starting spots again this year. Hatcher had 39 tackles last season and seven tackles for loss, which was fourth on the team. Egboh pitched in with 34 tackles and three tackles for loss, as well as a sack and two passes broken up.
Recruiting - This year's class consists of 19 student-athletes, including many who look to fill in holes on the roster. The Blue Devils brought in two quarterbacks, although Brandon Connette starts with more experience after enrolling early and playing in the spring. As a senior Connette threw for 1,961 yards and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for 462 yards and 12 more touchdowns. As a senior, Josh Snead rushed for 1,932 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Linebacker recruit Kelby Brown comes to Durham after a very impressive senior year. In his last year as a high schooler, he logged 105 tackles, five sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Dezmond Johnson, a defensive line prospect, is coming off of a season where he posted 71 tackles, 18 sacks and three fumble recoveries.
Schedule - The development of the young players will be tested early as thus year's schedule us a bit stronger than last years. After starting the season with a home game against Elon and a road game at Wake Forest, defending champion Alabama comes to Durham to pay the Blue Devils a visit. The team ends the month with a home game against Army. October brings a visit from Miami, while trips to Maryland, Virginia Tech and Navy are also on the docket. The Miami and VA Tech games are back to back. Duke ends the season with three of its last four games at home. Virginia, Boston College visit Durham, while the Devils go to Georgia Tech. The rivalry game with North Carolina ends the season, with the Tar Heels coming to Duke.
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