2007 Houston
Cougars
Recap:
After rebounding admirably from the graduation of franchise QB
Kevin Kolb, the Cougars must do it again after the departure to
Baylor of head coach Art Briles, the architect of the program’s
recent revival. While Houston failed to repeat as Conference
USA champs, and lost a bowl game for the eighth straight time,
it did win eight games and tie Tulsa atop the Western Division
in somewhat of a transition season. When the Cougars were
having problems last year, the defense was often the culprit,
giving up an average of 42 points a game in their four regular
season losses.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Anthony Alridge
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Phillip Hunt
Biggest Surprise: QB Case Keenum. Faced with the
unenviable task of succeeding Kolb, the freshman did an
admirable job, flashing a live arm and good mobility, while
providing hope for the future. While sharing time with tag-team
partner Blake Joseph, Keenum tossed 14 touchdowns passes and
scrambled for nine more.
Biggest Disappointment: With the West up for grabs on
Nov. 10, Houston played its worst game of the Briles era,
getting blitzed by Tulsa, 56-7. Despite boasting two of the
league’s most explosive players, RB Anthony Alridge and WR
Donnie Avery, the Cougars were never able to break through
against a very suspect Hurricane defense.
Looking Ahead: Former Oklahoma offensive coordinator
Kevin Sumlin takes the reigns of the program, promising to build
on the success of the past few seasons. Although the new head
coach will have weapons on offense, replacing the speed and
big-play ability of Alridge and Avery will be next to
impossible.
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2007 Houston Preview
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2006 Houston Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2007 Results:
8-5
Sept. 1 at Oregon L 48-27
Sept. 15
at Tulane
W 34-10
Sept. 22 Colorado St W 35-24
Sept. 29
East Carolina L 37-35
Oct.
6 at Alabama L 30-24
Oct. 13
Rice
W 56-48
Oct.
20
at UAB
W 49-10
Oct.
27 at UTEP W 34-31
Nov. 4
SMU
W 38-28
Nov.
10 at Tulsa L 56-7
Nov. 17
Marshall
W 35-28
Nov. 24 Texas South.
W 59-6
Texas Bowl
Dec. 28 TCU L 20-13 |
Dec. 28
2007 Texas Bowl
TCU 20 ... Houston 13
TCU held a seemingly comfortable 20-10 lead with two minutes to
play, but Houston made it interesting with a 32-yard field goal,
and after forcing a quick three-and-out, took the ball from its
two and worked its way down to the TCU 19 with one second to
play. On the final shot, TCU's Chase Ortiz blew into the
backfield and hit Cougar QB Case Keenum to end it. The Horned
Frogs stuffed the Cougar running game allowing just 32 net yards
helped by five sacks, while the offense got short touchdown runs
from Andy Dalton and Justin Watts along with two Chris
Manfredini field goals. Houston started off the scoring with
Andre Kohn catching a 67-yard scoring pass, but never got back
into the end zone.
Offensive Player of the
Game:
TCU QB Andy Dalton completed 21 of 30 passes for 294 yards with an
interception, and ran 11 times for 17 yards and a score
Defensive Player of the Game:
Houston SS
Rocky Schwartz made 16 tackles and two tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton,
21-30, 249 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Watts, 12-46, 1 TD. Receiving:
Ervin Dickerson, 3-57
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 23-38, 335
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 15-29. Receiving: Donnie Avery,
10-120
Thoughts & Notes ...
TCU's defense never let Houston star RB Anthony Alridge get
going. The gameplan was all about getting bodies around him, and
it worked as he only gained 29 yards on 15 carries with 22
coming on one play. .... TCU's pass rush got consistent pressure
on Case Keenum, but it didn't seem to matter too much. Keenum
kept getting up to bomb away for more, keeping his cool time and
again. For the most part, the tackles did a decent job against
the Horned Frog pass rushing tandem of Chase Ortiz and Tommy
Blake, except for Ortiz's sack on the final play. ... TCU got
hit with 11 penalties to Houston's six. ... Houston had its
chance before the final play with two throws into the end zone,
but after Donnie Avery picked apart the TCU defense, he didn't
get an honest shot to make a play when the Cougars got close.
Nov. 24
Houston 59 ... Texas Southern 6
Houston scored on its first seven possessions on the way to a
47-0 halftime lead kicked off with a 52-yard Anthony Alridge
touchdown run on the third play from the game and punctuated by
a 35-yard Alridge dash midway through the second quarter. The
Cougars got up 59-0 before TSU finally got on the board in the
fourth quarter on a 49-yard William Osborne touchdown catch.
Houston outgained TSU 664 yards to 179.
Player of the game:
Houston RB Anthony Alridge ran 11 times for 157 yards and two
touchdowns and caught two passes for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: Texas Southern - Passing:
Cornelius Harmon, 6-16, 72 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeff Bell, 6-27. Receiving: Michael
Anderson, 3-17
Houston - Passing: Blake Joseph, 11-14, 169
yds
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 11-157, 2 TD. Receiving:
Donnie Avery, 6-143, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Nothing like a nice light scrimmage against a Texas Southern to
close out a season. While this might not have been the
Conference USA championship campaign of last year, winning eight
games and going off to the Texas Bowl is still a nice
accomplishment. The program missed Kevin Kolb, but as the win
this week showed, it'll miss Anthony Alridge and Donnie Avery
even more next year.
Nov. 17
Houston 35 ... Marshall 28
Anthony Alridge scored on a three-yard run and took a pass 26
yards for a score, and Case Keenum ran for a touchdown and threw
two touchdown passes including a 62-yard play to Mark Hafner for
a touchdown to stay two steps ahead of the Herd. Marshall made
it close late on a one-yard Kelvin Turner run, but the onside
kick failed and the Cougars were able to run out the clock. The
Herd got touchdown runs from Darius Marshall and Chubb Small,
and a 32-yard scoring grab from Emmanuel Spann.
Player of the game:
Houston RB Anthony Alridge ran 25 times for 103
yards and a touchdown, and caught five passes for 44 yards and a
score
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Bernard
Morris, 20-32, 260 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 12-66, 1 TD. Receiving:
E.J. Wynn, 6-66
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 24-32, 298
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 25-103, 1 TD. Receiving:
Mark Hafner, 6-128, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Cougars got back on track after the laying an egg against Tulsa,
but the defense struggled a bit too much with a lousy Marshall
offense. Now that they've got the second seed in the West and
are assured a decent bowl slot, it's time to flex a little
muscle and blow away Texas Southern. As long as Case Keenum is
efficient and doesn't make mistakes, there shouldn't be any
problems.
Nov. 10
Tulsa 56 ... Houston 7
Tulsa got out to a 35-0 halftime lead on four of Paul Smith's
five touchdown passes, with strikes from 53 and 32 yards out to
Brennan Marion, and a one-yard Smith run. The Golden Hurricane
kept on rolling with a 56-0 lead late into the fourth with
touchdown runs from Tarrion Adams and Jamad Williams in the
second half before Houston finally got on the board with a
five-yard Terrance Ganaway run with 2:25 to play. The Cougars
turned the ball over five times and were outgained 515 yards to
324. Tulsa's Chris Chamberlain made 20 tackles.
Player of the game:
Tulsa QB Paul Smith completed 15 of 28 passes for 313 yards and
five touchdowns, and he ran seven times for 32 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case
Keenum, 12-15, 81 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Terrance Ganaway, 8-39, 1 TD. Receiving:
Mark Hafner, 6-47
Tulsa - Passing: Paul Smith, 15-28, 313 yds,
5 TD
Rushing: Jamad Williams, 16-56, 1 TD. Receiving:
Charles Clay, 5-97, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
There's still a chance to pull out
the West title with a win over Marshall and a Tulsa loss to
Rice, but it might take a little while to get over the thumping
from the Golden Hurricane. The Cougars didn't show up, getting
torched from the word go, committing 12 penalties and turning it
over five times. For the second straight week the secondary got
lit up, but unlike the win over SMU, the offense didn't have an
answer. As bad as this might have been, with two more wins, a
bowl game will be assured, and there's still a shot at a nine
win season.
Nov. 4
Houston 38 ... SMU 28
Houston cranked out 554 yards of total offense, mostly thanks
to the running game, overcoming an early 14-7 deficit to go on a
24-point second quarter run to take control of the game, at
least for a half. Anthony Alridge ran for a two-yard score, and
36-yard touchdown, and three a 24-yard touchdown pass to Chaz
Rodriguez, but the Cougars had to hold on as Justin Willis, who
started off the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run, threw
three touchdown passes including a 51-yarder and a 21-yarder to
Zack Sledge in the third quarter to pull within three. Donnie
Avery put it a away for the Cougars on a seven-yard scoring grab
early in the fourth.
Player of
the game:
Houston RB Anthony Alridge ran 31 times for 154 yards and two
touchdown and threw a pass for a 24-yard score.
Stat Leaders: SMU - Passing: Justin Willis,
19-32, 351 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Willis, 16-51, 1 TD. Receiving:
Emmanuel Sanders, 5-76
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 19-27, 264
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 31-154, 2 TD. Receiving:
Donnie Avery, 10-116, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The defense had way to many problems
against Justin Willis and the SMU passing game, allowing a
certain blowout to get way too close in the second half. But
when needed, the defense came through, but more importantly, the
offense kept the chains moving connecting on 12 of 19 third down
chances and hanging on to the ball for 21:01 in the second half.
Now bowl eligible and almost certain to at least get a 13th
game, the offense has to get ready for a shootout against Tulsa
to win the West.
Oct. 27
Houston 34 ... UTEP 31
Houston cranked up 520 yards of total offense, but needed a
one-yard Terance Ganaway touchdown run to finally pull ahead in
the fourth quarter and two defensive stops to finally get the
win. UTEP took a 17-7 first half lead on a nine-yard Jamar Hunt
touchdown catch and a 34-yard Joe West scoring grab, but the
Cougars bounced back with two T.J. Lawrence field goals and a
20-yard Case Keenum touchdown run. Keenum gave Houston the lead
in the fourth quarter on a five-yard pass to Perry McDaniel, but
UTEP would fight back with Trevor Vittatoe's third touchdown
pass of the game on a 35-yard throw to Jeff Moturi. That would
be it for the Miner offense. UTEP started off the scoring with a
57-yard Jose Martinez field goal.
Player of
the game:
Houston RB
Anthony Alridge ran 27 times for 204 yards, and caught six
passes for 43 yards
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case
Keenum, 13-20, 116 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 27-204. Receiving:
Anthony Alridge, 6-43
UTEP - Passing: Trevor Vittatoe, 8-23, 134
yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Marcus Thomas, 28-178. Receiving: Jeff
Moturi, 4-94, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
offense is humming on all cylinders, getting 540 yards against
UAB and 520 against UTEP in the last two weeks. This is looking
like a Conference USA favorite, but the defense has to do a
better job of slowing down the pass if it's going to get by
Tulsa in a few weeks and clinch the West. With C-USA
lightweights SMU and Marshall to deal with, the West is over
after beating the Miners.
Oct. 20
Houston 49 ... UAB 10
Houston rolled for 540 yards of total offense as it overcame a
3-0 deficit to crank out 28 straight first half points on short
touchdown runs from Anthony Alridge, Case Keenum and Terrance
Ganaway before the Blazers got into the end zone on a four-yard
Frantrell Forrest catch. The Cougar defense came up with four
interceptions, while the offense cranked out 33 first downs and held
on to the ball for 39:28.
Player of the
game:
Houston RB
Anthony Alridge ran 17 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and
caught four passes for 24 yards
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Blake Joseph,
10-17, 105 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 17-111, 2 TD. Receiving:
Mark Hafner, 5-66, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Sam Hunt, 12-34, 198 yds, 1 TD,
4 INT
Rushing: Brandon Thornton, 3-16. Receiving: Frantrell
Forrest, 5-96, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Cougars picked a great time to come up with its best game of the
year, rolling over UAB without a problem. The defense forced
turnovers, Anthony Alridge and the running game did whatever it
wanted to, and it was an easy road win going into the showdown
against UTEP. As long as the offense is this effective, this is the
favorite to repeat as C-USA champions. The O is coming into its own.
Oct. 13
Houston 56 ... Rice 48
Houston rolled up 748 yards of total offense and got a
record-setting day from Donnie Avery, who caught 13 passes for 346
yards and scores from 77 and 67 yards out as part of a wild 28-point
first quarter. Anthony Alridge added a seven-yard touchdown run, but
he'd make his biggest impact in the second half with scoring runs
from eight, 33 and 50 yards out to overcome a Rice midgame 26-point
run. The Cougars turned it over five times, and the Owls took
advantage with short scoring drives from five, 14, and 31 yards out
to take a 40-28 lead, and then Houston's offense caught fire.
Player of the
game:
Houston WR
Donnie Avery caught 13 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns, and
RB Anthony Alridge ran 24 times for 205 yards and four scores.
Stat Leaders: Rice - Passing: Chase Clement,
24-44, 355 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chase Clement, 11-36. Receiving: Jarett
Dillard, 7-133, 1 TD
Houston - Passing: Blake Joseph, 11-18, 318 yds,
3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 24-205, 4 TD. Receiving: Donnie
Avery, 13-346, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Talk
about explosion, Anthony Alridge continues to make a case for
All-America honors with yet another breathtaking performance, but it
was Donnie Avery who stole the show against Rice with the big plays
early to set the tone for the game. Unfortunately, turnovers and
defensive problems coming up with a first half stop made it closer
than it should've been but the Cougars got the win, and now have to
go on the road to deal with UAB and UTEP. Expect more fireworks.
Oct. 6
Alabama 30 ... Houston 24
Alabama appeared to be cruising to an easy win after getting
out a 23-0 first quarter lead on two 23-yard John Parker Wilson
touchdown passes and a one-yard Wilson run, but then things got
interesting. Houston's Donnie Avery took a pass 68 yards for a
touchdown just before halftime, but the Tide seemed to have things
well in hand after a Glen Coffee four-yard touchdown run made it
30-10 going into the fourth. A Case Keenum two-yard touchdown run
and a 30-yard Anthony Alridge score pulled the Cougars to within
six, and they had the ball with a chance to win the game late. On
fourth and goal deep in Tide territory, Simeon Castille picked off a
pass in the end zone to save the Homecoming win.
Player
of the game:
Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 30 times for 121 yards and a touchdown
and caught six passes for 30 yards
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case Keenum,
11-17, 132 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 17-100. Receiving: Anthony
Alridge, 7-94, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 15-27,
157 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 30-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Glen
Coffee, 6-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For
the second straight week, Houston lost late when it had chances to
win. The 2-3 record could easily be 4-1, but that's what happens
when it takes a while to get going. This is a big-play team that can
explode from anywhere on the field, and was able to work its way
into the game against Alabama, but it's going to have to learn how
to play a full sixty minutes against the better teams. You can't
spot 23 to the Tide in the first quarter and expect to win.
Sept. 29
East Carolina 37 ... Houston 35
Down two, Houston had two late chances to win, but T.J.
Lawrence missed a 37-yard field goal with just under two minutes to
play, and missed from 38 with three seconds left. ECU got a huge day
from Chris Johnson, who ran for a 14-yard touchdown in the second
quarter and a 43-yard dash in the third. Houston stayed in it with
the home run, starting off the scoring with a 33-yard Donnie Avery
touchdown catch, his first of two touchdown grabs, and answering a
late ECU field goal with a 100-yard Donnie Avery kickoff return for
a score. ECU's C.J. Wilson came up with 2.5 sacks, and Quentin
Cotton made 14 tackles and recovered a fumble.
Player of the game:
East Carolina RB
Chris Johnson ran 24 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and
caught four passes for 24 yards
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Rob Kass,
6-12, 110 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Johnson, 24-147, 2 TD. Receiving: Chris
Johnson, 4-24
Houston - Passing: Blake Joseph, 24-29, 250 yds,
2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 21-89, 1 TD. Receiving: Donnie Avery,
9-189, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Houston will have to quickly get past the heartbreaking loss to East
Carolina, or the Alabama game won't be pretty. There was tremendous
explosion, Donnie Avery and Anthony Alridge did what they do, but
the defense couldn't handle the ECU running game, and the kicking
game had issues with two late misses and a block. On the plus side,
Blake Joseph stepped in for Case Keenum and was fantastic,
completing 24 of his 29 passes.
Sept. 22
Houston 35 ... Colorado State 24
In a tale of two halves, Colorado State got up 17-3 on two
Caleb Hanie touchdown passes and a 40-yard Jason Smith field goal.
And then Case Keenum took over for Houston, as he threw a 30-yard
touchdown pass to L.J. Castille to open the second half, and a
27-yarder to Perry McDaniel late in the third quarter. A second
Smith field goal broke a 24-24 tie, but Keenum put it away with two
short touchdown runs in the final 6:18. CSU was held to just 115
rushing yards.
Player of the game:
Houston QB Case Keenum threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns on
18-of-22 passing, and ran 12 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Caleb
Hanie, 16-26, 227 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Kyle Bell, 23-73. Receiving: Luke Roberts,
6-113, 1 TD
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 18-22, 197 yds,
2 TDs
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 15-62. Receiving: Donnie Avery,
7-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Houston's star back, Anthony Alridge was held in check by Colorado
State, but the Cougar defense did its part by stuffing Ram star Kyle
Bell for 73 yards on 23 carries. The real find was the play of Case
Keenum, who was deadly accurate in place of Blake Joseph. Based on
this week, Keenum deserves more playing time with his dual-threat
capabilities coming through when the ground game was stuck. That
Houston can put up 35 points without Alridge being a major factor
shows how strong the team is playing.
Sept. 15
Houston 34 ... Tulane 10
Houston had few problems blowing past Tulane, getting out to a
24-0 halftime lead on two Blake Joseph touchdown passes and a
four-yard Anthony Alridge touchdown run. Alridge made it a laugher
early in the third, taking a pass 49 yards for a touchdown and a
31-0 lead before the Green Wave finally got on the board with a
28-yard field goal. Houston kept Tulane out of the end zone until
the final minute when Chris Dunn caught a six-yard touchdown pass.
Player of the
game:
Houston RB
Anthony Alridge ran for 87 and a touchdown on 18 carries, and caught
two passes for 49 yards and another score..
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case Keenum,
13-21, 185 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 18-87, 1 TD. Receiving:
Donnie Avery, 7-103
Tulane - Passing: Scott Elliott, 9-23, 116 yds,
2 INTs
Rushing: Matt Forte, 17-85. Receiving: Casey Robottom,
4-115
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With
near perfect offensive balance and a little explosion mixed in from
Anthony Alridge, Houston had few problems with Tulane. The Cougars
are still good enough to blow past the mediocre Conference USA
teams, and against the Green Wave, the defense did its job,
especially against the run. There were a few too many mistakes, with
three turnovers, and the quarterback situation remains unsettled,
but considering the team had two weeks off, it played great out of
the gate. It'll have to do the same against a balanced and tough
Colorado State team this week.
Sept. 1
Oregon 48 ... Houston 27
Dennis Dixon had a huge day for the Ducks with 141 rushing
yards, highlighted by an 80-yard scoring dash to put the game away
late in the third quarter, and threw two touchdown passes. Houston
hung around for most of the game, helped by two huge plays from
Anthony Alridge with a 60-yard touchdown run and an 86-yard
touchdown catch, but Dixon would prove to be too much, with his two
scoring passes coming within a minute of each other in the third
quarter as part of a wild sequence. Dixon connected with Brian
Paysinger for a 24-yard score, and then converted a blocked punt
into a six-yard scoring pass to to Jaison Williams, and then on the
next play from scrimmage, Alridge scored on his 86-yarder.
Player of the
game ...
Oregon QB Dennis
Dixon went 9-of-15 for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 15
times for 141 yards and a score..
Stat Leaders: Houston- Passing: Case Keenum,
14-27, 179 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 22-205, 1 TD Receiving:
Donnie Avery, 6-66
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 9-15, 134 yds,
2 TDs
Rushing: Dennis Dixon, 15-141, 1 TD Receiving: Brian
Paysinger, 4-63, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Yeah, the run defense had problems with Dennis Dixon and Oregon, but
the Cougar offense had a bolt of lightning of its own in Anthony
Alridge, who looked every bit the part of Conference USA's most
dangerous player. He needs to have the ball in his hands 25 times a
game, and as long as there's a little help around him, he'll win a
few games by himself. The passing attack might not have been great,
but several receivers were involved. The penalties have to stop. 11
are too many.
Sept. 1 – at Oregon
Offense: As usual, Oregon gobbled up a ton of yards in 2006,
but lacked efficiency most of the year and imploded under the weight
of its turnovers in the second half of the season. So when
offensive coordinator Gary Crowton left for LSU, Mike Bellotti
turned to New Hampshire’s Chip Kelly to get the offense back on
course. A spread offense guru, Kelly will have a few new bells and
whistles in his toolbox, including greater use of the no-huddle and
increased reliance on superstar back Jonathan Stewart. The key for
the offense, and probably the entire team, will be the development
of senior quarterback Dennis Dixon, who became the poster boy for
the Ducks’ collapse late last year. He’ll get adequate protection
from Max Unger and the boys up front, but needs more consistency
from a receiving corps that misplayed too many balls in 2006.
Defense: Defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti isn’t shy about
bringing pressure with his wave of good athletes, and now has a
couple of quality corners to marginalize the risk of selling out.
Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond, Freshman All-Americans in 2006,
join standout rover Patrick Chung to give the Ducks their feistiest
secondary in years. The front seven, however, is far less stable.
After finishing ninth in the Pac-10 in run defense, Oregon needs to
shore up the middle of its defense and develop an end or two that
can consistently create pressure. Redshirt freshman Brandon Bair is
one possibility that has the staff cautiously excited about the
defensive end spot. In a league filled with strong-armed hurlers,
that promising secondary will pay the price if opposing passers are
given too much time to throw.
Sept. 15 – at Tulane
Offense: New head coach Bob Toledo would like to get vertical
get the passing game moving, but it's not going to happen at the
expense of the ground attack. With a good back in Matt Forte to work
with, the Green Wave will try to run the ball to create some
semblance of balance, but the offensive line might not be in place
to do it. Scott Elliott is the odds-on favorite to win the starting
quarterback job in a four-man race, and he has some decent young
receivers to work with.
Defense: Tulane hasn't played consistent defense in a few
years, and it needs to count on experience, especially up front, to
change things around. Eight starters return led by senior tackles
Frank Morton and Avery Williams. The secondary needs to be far
better after allowing over 250 passing yards a game, but that could
be a bit of an issue with two new starting corners being broken in.
The new coaching staff will use a variety of formations and schemes
to try to get more production, and while the overall defense should
be better, there will still be times when it'll get bombed on.
Sept. 22 - Colorado State
Offense: There's no reason for the Ram offense to be
far, far better. Nine starters are back, led by the return of power
back Kyle Bell from a knee injury to save a ground game that was
among the worst in America. Caleb Hanie is a veteran passer with one
of the Mountain West's best receiving corps at his disposal. It all
comes down to a line that gets the interior back, but has to find
consistent tackles who can protect Hanie. Keeping Bell healthy is
also vital. There was no rushing production two years ago when he
wasn't on, and there was nothing happening last year with him on the
sidelines.
Defense: A veteran defense returns with everyone back except the
two outside linebackers. With all the experience, there has to be
more pressure in the backfield and more big plays against the pass
after coming up with just 27 sacks and seven interceptions. There
aren't any superstars, but there are several very good players who
know what they're doing. Undersized tackle Blake Smith might move to
end to provide the pass rusher the team desperately needs, and the
secondary should benefit.
Sept. 29 - East Carolina
Offense: Skip Holtz likes to spread the field out and turn
his quarterback loose, but with the battery of James Pinkney and
Aundrae Allison gone, the Pirates will put more emphasis on the
ground game. That means extra carries this year for versatile
senior Chris Johnson and his young understudies, Dominique Lindsay
and Norman Whitley. While strong-armed sophomore Rob Kass will
replace Pinkney behind center, an adequate replacement for Allison
will be much tougher to find. Look for the quarterback to utilize a
group of tight ends that has the potential to be as good as any in
Conference USA. For ECU to improve on last season’s weak offensive
output, the veteran line needs to give Kass an extra second or two
in the pocket and create more daylight for the backs.
Defense: If the Pirate defensive line doesn’t outright
dominate at times this season, heads will roll at the end of the
year. There’s way too much talent and depth on this unit for it not
to make a quantum leap from 2006. Junior end Marcus Hands, in
particular, has the size and quickness to be special after
underachieving last fall. Penetration up front figures to help a
secondary that’s easily the weak link of this defense. Three
starters, including both corners, need to be replaced from a group
that was one of the underrated team strengths for the past two
seasons.
Oct. 6 – at Alabama
Offense: Major Applewhite takes over as offensive coordinator
and will play around with several different formations and ideas,
while trying to stick with Nick Saban's run-first philosophy. He'll
incorporate a little bit of spread and four-wide sets. There's one
problem; Bama might not have the backs to run well on a consistent
basis. The strength is in the passing game with the great 1-2
receiving tandem of D.J. Hall and Keith Brown working with rising
passer John Parker Wilson. The line welcomes back five starters led
by soon to be All-Everything tackle Andre Smith.
Defense: Former Florida State defensive coordinator Kevin
Steele came in and switched things up to a 3-4 in an attempt to
jump-start a woeful pass rush by getting more production from the
outside linebackers, led by a hybrid position of defensive lineman
and linebacker, manned by Keith Saunders. Wallace Gilberry and Bobby
Greenwood look the part of top ends, and now they have to start
producing. The biggest problem is tackle, where former backup center
Brian Motley, who looked great this spring, has to be an anchor for
everything to work right. The back eight should be excellent, led by
all-star corner Simeon Castille.
Oct. 13 - Rice
Offense: Todd Graham and his staff are gone, but the spread
attack is alive and well at Rice, good news for an offense that
returns its starting quarterback and All-American wide receiver.
Although Chase Clement to Jarett Dillard will be a familiar phrase
this fall, the Owls are also developing a bunch of good-looking,
young pass-catchers that are ready to contribute. The quest for
offensive balance, however, won’t be so easy now that
underappreciated running back Quinton Smith has exhausted his
eligibility. Last year was a painful transition for the offensive
line, but with four starters back and a full year in the system,
there are no excuses for not being much better in pass
protection.
Defense: In an attempt to bolster a run defense that allowed
more than 300 yards to five straight opponents in 2006, Rice is
shifting from the 3-3-5 to the 4-2-5. The move puts another big
body in the box, but also puts an enormous burden on a line that
lost three of last year’s best linemen to graduation. The new
scheme encourages constant pressure from a back seven that boasts
the young athletes, such as junior linebacker Brian Raines and
sophomore safety Andrew Sendejo, to create havoc for opposing
quarterbacks. Lost in last year’s statistically awful season was
the fact that the opportunistic Owls paced Conference USA in
turnovers and sacks.
Oct. 20 – at UAB
Offense: From the staff and the system to the personnel, the
offense will be getting a complete facelift in 2007. Nothing will
look the same which isn’t such a bad thing considering how poorly
the unit executed last season. New coordinator Kim Helton is
installing a pro-style attack that sprinkles in some no-huddle and
option calls, but realizes he’ll have to tailor the first-year
playbook to the talent he inherits. All eyes in August will be on
the continuing quarterback battle between senior Sam Hunt and
sophomore Joseph Webb, a potential savior once he gets up to speed.
Whether or not the offense climbs out of the Conference USA cellar
will depend heavily on the maturation of a rebuilt line that’s
replacing four senior starters.
Defense: While the back seven of the defense figures to be a
strength in 2007, you might not know it unless the defensive line
can effectively replace three key starters from last year. Senior
end Brandon Jeffries will be productive, but after him, UAB is
feverishly searching for answers to prevent opposing passers from
having all day to throw. Junior college transfer Antonio Forbes is
being counted on to deliver right out of the gate at tackle. The
linebackers have a budding star in junior Joe Henderson and senior
free safety Will Dunbar is one of just a handful of Blazer defenders
with all-league potential.
Oct. 27 – at UTEP
Offense: The offense continued to be one-sided finishing
fifth in the nation in passing and 116th in rushing, and now things
will make a shift back the other way, although not necessarily for
the positive. A battle for the quarterback job will continue until
the fall, but the running game should be set with Marcus Thomas
ready to break out as on of Conference USA's best backs. However, he
needs room to move behind a line that has to be night-and-day better
than last year when it struggled to pound away.
Defense: The Miners melted down over the second
half of last season and needs to be far more productive with nine
starters returning. Don't expect miracles, but unlike previous
years, the D should be better as the season goes on. The defense was
miserable last season despite getting a consistent pass rush from
the front seven. Now the whole line needs to find replacements while
the linebacking corps has to hope for Jeremy Jones to be healthy
after a knee injury. The secondary should be a strength after a
rough year with safeties Quintin Demps and Braxton Amy potential
all-stars, while Josh Ferguson is a solid corner.
Nov. 4 - SMU
Offense: In sophomore Justin Willis, SMU has a
legitimate franchise quarterback with the physical tools to move an
offense and the intangibles to lead a program to victories and
eventually bowl games. He’ll be growing alongside classmate
Emmanuel Sanders, who ignited a mediocre receiving corps last year
with 46 catches and nine touchdown receptions. Junior back DeMyron
Martin is eyeing the kind of rebound year that’ll refocus his career
while giving more balance to the offense. He’ll have the luxury of
running behind a seasoned line that returns four starters. If, as
expected, the Mustangs are playing in shootouts this year, they’ve
now got the offensive weapons to keep pace.
Defense: The Mustangs will spend the better part of the year
trying to replace three starters from the 2006 defensive line,
including standouts Justin Rogers and Adrian Haywood. If they can
solve that complex riddle, look out. The back seven, led by Butkus
Award candidate Reggie Carrington, is very fast and very capable of
spurring an improvement from last year’s middling results. The more
likely scenario has the line struggling to create a consistent push
and the secondary getting burned by opposing hurlers with way too
much time to find their targets.
Nov. 10 – at Tulsa
Offense: Can Gus Malzahn’s hurry-up, no-huddle offense really
work at this level … take two. All the buzz about Malzahn’s fancy
playbook fizzled in Fayetteville last year, but unlike at Arkansas,
Tulsa coach Tood Graham is on board and prepared to see all of the
offense’s bell and whistles. The system aims to control the tempo,
physically and mentally wear out opponents, and sort of run a
two-minute offense for four quarters. Senior quarterback Paul Smith
is liable to go berserk running this offense, but a makeshift
offensive line and a whole new set of receivers will be two major
stumbling blocks. When the Hurricane runs the ball, it’ll turn to
senior Courtney Tennial and junior Tarrion Adams, arguably the best
running duo in Conference USA.
Defense: Head coach Todd Graham brings the 3-3-5 and a very
aggressive style back to Tulsa, where he led the defense from
2003-2005. The fact that he coached and recruited many of this
year’s players should make for a smoother-than-expected transition.
Graham will showcase a swarming unit that brings turnovers back to
Tulsa. In his final season as the defensive coordinator, the
Hurricane had 36 takeaways. Without him last year? 14. The
strength is at linebacker, which features three senior starters and
Nelson Coleman, one of the nation’s best middle linebackers you’ve
never seen play. With so much over pursuing going on in 2007, a
retooled secondary could give up as many big plays this year as it
has in the last two combined.
Nov. 17 - Marshall
Offense:
Not since Byron Leftwich graduated has Marshall been Marshall on
offense. That should begin to change this fall provided erratic
senior quarterback Bernard Morris can make the most of a receiving
corps that’s brimming with young game-breakers. All-conference back
Ahmad Bradshaw, a 1,500-yard rusher in 2006, left early for the NFL,
leaving Chubb Small to shoulder the load. If he can’t handle the
promotion, look for one of three blue-chip freshmen to rise up and
accept an expanded role. While the offensive line has pending
issues at tackle, Doug Legursky is a beast at center that could
parlay big efforts early versus Miami and West Virginia into
post-season awards.
Defense: Disgusted with the play of last year’s defense, head
coach Mark Snyder changed course, hiring veteran Steve Dunlap as the
coordinator. While last year’s team sat back, and often paid for
the conservative approach, the 2007 edition will attack wherever and
whenever it makes sense. The chief attacker will be junior end
Albert McClellan, a sack machine that’ll be in the mix for just
about every individual award given to defensive players. At
linebacker, junior Josh Johnson is good enough to consider early
entry into the 2008 NFL Draft once the season concludes. Dunlap’s
biggest concerns in his first season on the job surround a
pedestrian group of tackles and a beatable secondary that allowed
way too many long gainers last season.
Nov. 24 – Texas Southern