EAST
DIVISION
EAST CAROLINA
STRENGTHS:
Quarterback Patrick Pinkney
was granted a sixth year
of eligibility by the
NCAA. He rarely tosses
interceptions and his
return serves notice that
ECU is once again a team
to reckon with. A receiver
group that is loaded with
experience and depth will
only make him better.
Senior center Sean Allen
heads an offensive line
with four starters returning.
The defense will continue
to play the biggest role
as the entire starting
eleven is built with juniors
and seniors. Defensive
end C.J. Wilson and free
safety Van Eskridge may
be the best C-USA players
at their respective positions.
CONCERNS:
The running back situation
is still muddled and lacking
a game breaker. Plenty
of able bodies are available,
but running with the ball
has not evolved into being
an integral part of the
offense. Replacing now
Baltimore Raven Davon
Drew at tight end may
be the toughest replacement
project.
PROGNOSIS:
Depth and experience will
be the two main factors
that keep the Pirates
afloat at the top of the
conference standings.
This team is basically
blessed with the same
players that shocked Virginia
Tech and West Virginia
to open the 2008 season.
Coach Skip Holtz has a
very good football team.
But revenge is on the
minds of VT and WVU plus
North Carolina also dots
the non-conference schedule
making any appearances
in the Top 25 a long shot.
The defending champs are
still the team to beat
in C-USA.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 9-3
MARSHALL
STRENGTHS:
Eight starters and seven
of the top 10 tacklers
return on defense, starting
with 2006 C-USA Defensive
Player of the Year Albert
McClellan at end. The
entire front line remains
in tact and is the strong
point. The running game
will continue to flourish
with Darius Marshall in
the backfield. He finished
second in the conference
in all-purpose yards.
Cody Slate is one of the
better tight ends nationally
that nobody talks about.
He will be the focus point
of the passing game.
CONCERNS:
New coaching assistants
have to figure out the
quarterback quagmire.
Mark Cann had an inconsistent
freshman year and he only
got worse as the season
progressed. Brian Anderson
took over this spring
and both face competition
from JUCO transfers. With
Darius Passmore graduating
the receivers have little
experience. Despite possessing
two quality cornerbacks,
this secondary still gave
up more than 300 passing
yards six different times
last fall.
PROGNOSIS:
The Herd is still growing
and six victories is a
great possibility as long
as the defense continues
to make strides while
being loaded with game
tested bodies. Fifth year
head coach Mark Snyder
is starting to feel the
heat. Marshall should
be improved but is still
a far cry from the 1997-2002
glory years. If they don't
find a productive quarterback,
the results won't change
too much.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
MEMPHIS
STRENGTHS:
This could be one of the
more balanced offensive
attacks in the league
with senior stars at each
of the skill positions.
Curtis Steele is a 1,000-yard
rusher. The 6'8 possession
receiver Carlos Singleton
and partner Duke Calhoun
should finish as the school's
top two all-time pass
catchers. Arketon Hall
provides senior leadership
as the returning starter
at quarterback. The linebackers
return all three starters
led by team defensive
MVP Greg Jackson.
CONCERNS:
The offensive line has
to replace four starters,
which does not bode well
for one of the few C-USA
teams that places stress
on the running game. The
spring game did not provide
much hope for these blockers.
Many of the same guys
continue to man a secondary
that has a long way to
go in making this defense
respectable. The entire
defense will rely on upwards
of five different transfers
to keep the improvements
moving in the right direction.
PROGNOSIS:
Memphis has been to five
bowls in six seasons.
Entering the mix of qualified
veterans already on the
roster will be a huge
influx of transfers from
other BCS programs and
another handful of top
JUCO prospects, which
explains why head coach
Tommy West is excited
about his 2009 squad.
Retooling the offensive
line will be the biggest
key. The talent is here
to keep the bowling invitations
alive but not enough to
win a C-USA title for
the first time in 13 years.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 6-6
SOUTHERN MISS
STRENGTHS:
The Golden Eagles return
four starters on the offensive
line, a running back in
Damion Fletcher that has
posted 1,000 yards of
rushing in each of the
previous three years and
a quarterback in Austin
Davis that shattered the
school's freshmen passing
records last fall. There
is great depth at receiver
too. DeAndre Brown was
the top freshman receiver
in the country last fall
(1,117 yards receiving)
and was widely considered
the nation's top high
school wide out prior
to his arrival on campus.
All four starters are
back in the secondary
led by free safety Eddie
Hicks while three starters
return up front from one
of the league's better
run defenses.
CONCERNS:
The top two tacklers are
history in linebackers
Gerald McRath and Tokumbo
Abanikanda. Tight end
Shawn Nelson was also
a big part of this offense
over the years. His services
will be sorely missed.
The special teams will
be breaking in both a
new punter and kicker.
PROGNOSIS:
If anyone is going to
unseat East Carolina atop
the C-USA mountain, Southern
Miss may be that team.
Head coach Larry Fedora
enters his second season
in Hattiesburg after successful
stints calling the offense
for Oklahoma State and
Florida. Everyone appears
to quickly be on the same
page as this group established
a USM single-season record
with 5,636 yards of total
offense. Fletcher and
Brown are worthy of C-USA
MVP honors. The defense
will be no slouch either.
Look out for this team.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 8-4
UAB
STRENGTHS: The
Blazers are all about
blazing offense. Three
of the league's top playmakers
reside in Birmingham.
Dual-threat QB Joe Webb,
who set a C-USA rushing
record for quarterbacks
with 1,021 yards last
year can also throw the
ball. RB Rashaud Slaughter
is also a prime receiving
threat and leader Frantrell
Forrest was one of nine
receivers to record at
least 10 receptions so
depth is good. This could
also be one of the better
offensive lines led by
hard-nosed center Jake
Seitz.
CONCERNS:
UAB losses its top three
tacklers from a defense
that ranked near the bottom
of the conference. There
is a lack of numbers at
linebacker and safety
while the pass rush has
not been productive. Three
starters in the secondary
need replaced as does
All-C-USA punter/kicker
Swayze Waters.
PROGNOSIS:
UAB has a night and day
scenario. The Blazers
will be all about offense
but very short on the
defense. Led by QB Joe
Webb and a deep set of
skill players, the Blazers
will be capable of scoring
points with anyone on
the schedule. A defense
that ranked 108th nationally
against the pass is rebuilding
the secondary and pass
rush...a bad combination.
Some of the scoring might
get out of hand when UAB
tees off.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
UCF
STRENGTHS:
The receiving unit, including
the tight ends, is very
deep. The top three pass
catchers from 2008 will
be back which bodes well
for an offense looking
to install a spread look
under first year offensive
coordinator Charlie Taaffe.
The front seven on defense
will be the highlight
of the season as they
return every starter from
a unit that led C-USA
in run defense last fall.
Linemen Torrell Troup
and Bruce Miller were
All-Conference selections.
The linebackers are not
far behind.
CONCERNS:
The secondary has to replace
all four starters including
All-C-USA First Team selections
Sha'Reff Rashad and Joe
Burnett. Granted 10 starters
return on offense, but
this was literally the
nation's worst while ranking
119th nationally last
fall in total offense.
The quarterback situation
is miles behind as Rob
Calabrese got thrown into
the fire last fall in
a freshman nightmare.
The options behind him
have not panned out either.
This entire offense, outside
of receiver, has issues
all across the board.
PROGNOSIS:
UCF has a new coach calling
plays in Charlie Taaffe
and it can't get any worse.
The experience factor
will hopefully come into
play to help boost this
shattered group. Whether
or not these quarterbacks
are capable of throwing
the ball remains to be
seen. The defensive front
seven is good enough to
keep the Knight's heads
above water with several
candidates worthy of All-Conference
status, but it won't be
near enough to get this
team into the East Division
race.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
WEST
DIVISION
HOUSTON
STRENGTHS:
Offense, and plenty of
it. This high-octane paced
system rolled up at least
400 yards in every game
a year ago. It returns
a 5,000-yard passer in
Case Kennum (The 2008
C-USA Offensive Player
of the Year), a 1,000-yard
rusher in Bryce Beall
and a 1,000-yard receiver
in Tyron Carrier. A boatload
of starters are back at
receiver in addition to
Carrier which includes
Patrick Edwards, who would
have managed 1,000 yards
receiving too had it not
been for an injury late
in the year.
CONCERNS:
Defense, and plenty of
it. Only four starters
are back and now coaches
will try to overhaul a
defense that allowed 413
yards per game last fall.
The entire line will get
built from the ground
up, a difficult chore
after losing the only
bright spot of 2008 in
sack master Philip Hunt.
The secondary will also
be breaking in three new
starters. Junior college
transfers will be relied
on heavily. Offensively
two new tackles will be
providing the protection
for Keenum.
PROGNOSIS:
The Cougars are the West
Division favorites but
won't be making as much
noise on the national
level unless they can
survive a demanding non-conference
schedule that includes
Oklahoma State, Texas
Tech and Mississippi State.
This will likely be the
nation's No. 1 ranked
offense (it finished No.
2 last season) but the
talent and experience
on defense has been poor.
QB Case Keenum will have
to outscore his opponents
and he likely will more
times than not.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 8-4
RICE
STRENGTHS: At
least the defense is experienced
as nine starters and all
their backups will return.
Free safety Andrew Sendego,
Rice's career leader with
254 tackles is the backbone.
Coaches are hoping for
big improvements with
the defensive line. Senior
receiver Toren Dixon should
have his totals explode
now that he is the big
man on campus offensively.
CONCERNS:
There are a lot of concerns.
A first year offensive
coordinator in Ed Zaunbrecher
will have to operate with
out C-USA MVP Chase Clement
at quarterback and two
1,000-yard receivers in
Jarett Dillard and James
Casey. A proven running
back does not appear available
at this time. This defense
was among the worst in
the country last fall.
They better step up in
a big way as the offense
gets retooled.
PROGNOSIS:
The Owls got away with
bad defense last year
thanks to an extremely
potent offense. They won't
have that luxury this
time as the offense has
to replace almost every
major cog. The defense
is bringing back a ton
of experience but unless
the efforts on this side
of the ball doubles production,
Rice could be in for a
major let down after the
10 win season put up last
year. If Rice does not
win the opener at UAB,
they may not see another
victory until the eighth
game. The early schedule
is brutal.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 4-8
SMU
STRENGTHS:
With all four starters
returning at receiver,
this June Jones spread
"Pistol" offense
should continue to evolve.
Emmanuel Sanders (already
SMU's career touchdown
record holder) and Aldrick
Robinson form one of the
best receiving tandems
in the conference. Bo
Levi Mitchell is starting
to pick up this system
behind center. An abundance
of linebacker-type athletes
forced a move to the 3-4
defensive alignment.
CONCERNS:
SMU has to learn how to
run with the ball to avoid
being one-dimensional.
They were dead last nationally
(119th) in rushing last
year and no clear-cut
answer seems to be in
place at running back.
The Mustangs were also
near the bottom of the
turnover margin stats.
Mitchell's 23 interceptions
did not help the stats.
The big problem is the
defensive line. There
appears to be no relief
in the near future for
this ailing defense.
PROGNOSIS:
If June Jones really knew
how bad the situation
was going to be in terms
of SMU defensive personnel,
he might have stayed on
the islands. The Mustangs
have to replace four senior
starters and build dependable
depth across the front
seven or they will continue
to hemorrhage points.
The run-and-shot offensive
attack will continue to
get better and will continue
to keep SMU from getting
blown out against overmatched
opponents. This bunch
is better than the 1-11
effort of a year ago,
but not by much based
on how bad this defense
shapes up on paper.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 3-9
TULANE
STRENGTHS:
When healthy, senior running
back Andre Anderson will
be one of the C-USA top
rushers. He was fourth
nationally a year ago
averaging 142 yards a
game before being lost
with a shoulder fracture
in the seventh game. Receiver
Jeremy Williams is the
second-best playmaker
on this team. The defensive
line appears to be the
strength of the team built
with veterans. Getting
tackle Reggie Scott back
for a sixth-year will
be a bonus. Punter Ross
Thevenot is one of the
nation's best; the Green
Wave will need him.
CONCERNS:
At times last year Tulane
had an all-freshman backfield.
Kevin Moore is a returning
starter at quarterback
who threw more interceptions
than touchdowns and was
beaten out this spring
by inexperienced Joe Kemp.
Depth is not much of an
option at many spots especially
on the offensive line
and at linebacker. When
you are 112th in scoring
offense and 106th in scoring
defense, improvements
have to come from everywhere.
PROGNOSIS:
Injuries to the two best
offensive players sent
the Green Wave into a
downward spiral where
they dropped their last
eight games, giving up
41 or more points in six
of them. Trying to rebuild
the defense is an ongoing
battle at Tulane, which
is breaking in its third
defensive coordinator
in three seasons under
head coach Bob Toledo.
If the star players can
stay healthy this time
Tulane will not repeat
the same horrid results.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 4-8
TULSA
STRENGTHS:
Tulsa is blessed with
an incredible core of
receivers. Damaris Johnson
(team leading receiver)
and Trae Johnson (set
school freshman records
in 2007) will help an
offense that has been
the best in the country
in each of the past two
seasons rolling. Johnson
is also a school record
holder returning kickoffs.
Versatile Charles Clay
returns at running back.
He has 1,488 career receiving
yards on his resume. All
three starting linebackers
return led by team leading
tackler Mike Bryan.
CONCERNS:
A replacement for record
setting quarterback David
Johnson has not been found
yet. Three different candidates
will continue to battle
it out deep into August
camp. The offense also
will have a new coach
calling players in first
year coordinator Herb
Hand. Three starters need
replaced on the offensive
line and the pass defense
needs to get better if
Tulsa is to beat some
of these highflying C-USA
offenses.
PROGNOSIS:
Tulsa will be
breaking in a new quarterback
for the second straight
year. His has been no
problem for a team that
runs a prolific no-huddle
spread offense…the
same one responsible for
scoring a school record
661 points last fall.
They have produced double-digit
wins the past two years
so one would have to figure
there should be no problem
repeating the same result
with a new signal caller.
Oklahoma and Boise State
on the schedule make the
task a little too overwhelming.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 8-4
UTEP
STRENGTHS:
The Miners can throw the
ball with anyone. The
returning key components
from last year's 14th
ranked national passing
attack - quarterback Trevor
Vittatoe, star receivers
Jeff Moturi and Kris Adams
and four returning starters
on the offensive line
- suggest more of the
same. Vittatoe threw a
school record 33 touchdowns
and all of his same receivers
will be lining up again
in El Paso.
CONCERNS:
Much like most C-USA teams,
defense is not one of
UTEP's strong points.
Injuries ravaged this
group last year and the
new 3-3-5 scheme under
second year coordinator
Osia Lewis has not caught
on (11th in the conference
last fall). This defense
has room for concern across
the board and is not so
well stocked in the depth
department. The rushing
attack is lagging with
a committee approach missing
an every down performer.
PROGNOSIS:
The pressure is on the
defense to step up from
awful to somewhere in
the just-below-average
range. If it can do that,
UTEP can be as dangerous
as any offensive juggernaut
in the league. Trevor
Vittatoe takes no back
seat to any C-USA quarterback
and he has a great receiving
corps. The passing numbers
are set to explode. Head
coach Mike Price just
missed the .500 mark and
a possible bowl invite
in 2008. With just a little
more defense he will get
there.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 7-5
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