EAST DIVISION
1. East Carolina (9-3)
2. Southern Miss (8-4)
3. Memphis (6-6)
4. UAB (5-7)
5. Marshall (5-7)
6. UCF (5-7)
WEST DIVISION
1. Houston (8-4)
2. Tulsa (8-4)
3. UTEP (7-5)
4. Tulane (4-8)
5. Rice (4-8)
6. SMU (3-9)

 

TEAM THAT COULD SURPRISE
UTEP - 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. 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.
TEAM THAT COULD DISAPPOINT
RICE - 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. Rice could be in for a major let down after the 10-win season put up last year. If the Owls do not win the opener at UAB, they may not see another victory until the eighth game. The early schedule is brutal.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: QB Case Keenum - Houston
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Damion Fletcher - Southern Miss
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE C.J. Wilson - East Carolina
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Damaris Johnson - Tulsa
TOP NEWCOMER: LB Hendrick Leverette - Southern Miss
TOP BLOCKER: Sean Allen - East Carolina
TOP PASS RUSHER: C.J. Wilson - East Carolina

QB Case Keenum - Jr. - Houston
RB Damion Fletcher - Sr. - Southern Miss
RB Curtis Steele - Sr. - Memphis
WR DeAndre Brown - So. - Southern Miss
WR Tyron Carrier - So. - Houston
TE Cody Slate - Sr. - Marshall
OL Sean Allen - Sr. - East Carolina
OL Ryan Hebert - Sr. - Southern Miss
OL Terence Edge - Jr. - UAB
OL Mike Aguayo - Jr. - UTEP
OL Cameron Raschke - Jr. - UTEP
K   Ben Hartman - Sr. - East Carolina
KR Damaris Johnson - So. - Tulsa

DL C.J. Wilson - Sr. - East Carolina
DL Albert McClellan - Sr. - Marshall
DL Bruce Miller - Jr. - UCF
DL Anthony Gray - Jr. - Southern Miss
LB Nick Johnson - Sr. - East Carolina
LB Mario Harvey - Sr. - Marshall
LB Mike Bryan - Sr. - Tulsa
DB Van Eskridge - Sr. - East Carolina
DB James Lockett - Sr. - Tulsa
DB Eddie Hicks - Sr. - Southern Miss
DB Brandon Brinkley - Sr. - Houston
P   Ross Thevenot - Sr. - Tulane
PR Travis Simmons - Jr. - East Carolina

QUARTERBACKS
1. Case Keenum - Houston
2. Trevor Vittatoe - UTEP
3. Joseph Webb - UAB

RUNNING BACKS
Southern Miss (Damion Fletcher, Kendrick Hardy, Desmond Johnson)

RECEIVERS
Houston (Patrick Edwards, L.J. Castile, Tyron Carrier, James Cleveland, Kierrie Johnson, Chaz Rodriguez, Wesley Scourten)

OFFENSIVE LINE
Southern Miss (Cameron Zipp, Ryan Hebert, Micah Brown, Calvin Wilson, Kyle Burkhart)

DEFENSIVE LINE
East Carolina (C.J. Wilson, Jay Ross, Linval Joseph, Scotty Robinson)

LINEBACKERS
UCF (Lawrence Young, Chance Henderson, Cory Hogue, Jordan Richards)

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Southern Miss (C.J. Bailey, Andre Watson, Chico Hunter, Eddie Hicks)

TOP CONFERENCE GAMES TOP NON-CONFERENCE GAMES

1. Southern Miss at East Carolina (Nov. 28)
2. Houston at Tulsa (Nov. 7)
3. Southern Miss at Houston (Oct. 31)
4. East Carolina at Tulsa (Nov. 15 - Sunday)
5. Houston at UTEP (Oct. 3)

1. Virginia Tech at East Carolina (Nov. 5 - Thursday)
2. Texas Tech at Houston (Sept. 26)
3. Boise State at Tulsa (Oct. 14 - Wednesday)
4. East Carolina at West Virginia (Sept. 12)
5. Southern Miss at Kansas (Sept. 26)

TOP INCOMING RECRUITS
1. Roy Watts OL Corsicana, TX Houston
2. Kendrick Hardy RB Monticello, MS Southern Miss
3. Justin Jordan WR Brenham, TX Southern Miss
4. Shavodrick Beaver QB Wichita Falls, TX Tulsa
5. Ryan Clark DB Corsicana, TX SMU
6. Josh Robinson ATH Lauderhill, FL UCF
7. Ben Schoenberger OL Perkinston, MS Southern Miss
8. Kyrhi Thornton DT Chatham, VA Southern Miss
9. Jonathan Davis LB Tucker, GA UCF
10. Craig Crawford ATH Huntington, WV Marshall

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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