2007 Arkansas State Indians
Recap:
For the first time since 2004, the Indians swam in uncharted waters,
finishing the season below the .500 mark. After a nice start that
included a moral victory in the opener with Texas, Arkansas State
slumped in the middle of the season, showing an inability to protect
QB Corey Leonard or get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With the
talented trio of Leonard, RB Reggie Arnold, and WR Levi Dejohnette
in Jonesboro, the Indians had too much skill position talent to
slump on offense, a byproduct of inconsistent blocking up front.
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Corey Leonard
Defensive Player of the Year: S Tyrell Johnson
Biggest Surprise: Scheduled as a Week 1 tune-up, the Indians
darn near picked off Texas in Austin on Sept. 1. Behind a plucky
defense and a fourth quarter rally, Arkansas State closed the gap to
21-13, and was within a converted onside kick from getting the ball
back in the final minute.
Biggest Disappointment: The pass defense. Sure, the Indians
only allowed 197 yards a game, but it’s the 21 touchdown passes that
were cause for concern. For a unit that boasted four senior
starters and a pair of All-Sun Belt first-teamers, it got burned too
often, yielding at least two scoring strikes in seven games.
Looking Ahead: While the defensive backfield gets gutted by
graduation, the offensive backfield is thrilled to get Leonard and
Arnold back for another season. DE Alex Carrington has the size and
quickness to give a lift in 2008 to the Indians’ sagging pass rush.
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2007 ASU Preview
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2006 ASU Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2006 Record:
5-7
Sept. 1 at
Texas L 21-13
Sept. 15 SMU
W 45-28
Sept. 22 at
Tennessee L 48-27
Sept.
27
Memphis W 35-31
Oct.
6 at
UL Monroe L 30-13
Oct.
13
UL Lafayette
W 52-21
Oct.
20 at
Middle Tenn. L 24-7
Oct.
27 Troy
L 27-0
Nov.
3
FIU
W 27-24
Nov.
10 at
Fla Atlantic L 34-31
Nov.
17
North Texas
W 31-27
Nov.
24 at
So Miss L 16-10 |
Nov. 24
Southern Miss 16 ... Arkansas State 10
Southern Miss got three Justin Estes field goals in the second
half and a one-yard Damion Fletcher scoring run in the second to get
by Arkansas State and get a bid to the Papajohns.com Bowl. Arkansas
State managed a 24-yard Josh Arauco field goal and a three-yard
Brandon Thompkins scoring run in the third, but got a fourth quarter
field goal blocked and stalled on a final drive deep in USM
territory.
Player of the game:
Southern Miss LB Gerald McRath made 17 tackles with a sack and two
tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey
Leonard, 9-23, 118 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 13-87. Receiving: Brandon
Thompkins, 3-37
Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 13-24,
123 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 27-133, 1 TD. Receiving: Torris
McGee, 3-22
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The running game was able to crank out
242 yards on a good Southern Miss defense, but Corey Leonard
struggled too much throwing the ball and failed to generate fourth
quarter points off two good drives. This was a good season against a
tough schedule, but not a great one with too many inconsistent
performances, but 5-7 isn't awful. Enough key parts return next year
to expect a winning season.
Nov. 15
Arkansas State 31 ... North Texas 27
Arkansas State QB Corey Leonard connected with Brandon
Thompkins on a 27-yard touchdown pass with two seconds to play for
the win. North Texas held a 27-17 lead late into the fourth helped
by two Jamario Thomas touchdown runs and a two-yard Micah Mosley
score, but ASU came back with touchdown runs from Preston Brown and
Reggie Arnold, and started the fourth quarter comeback with a
six-yard T.J. Jordan touchdown catch. The vaunted UNT passing game
was held to 160 yards.
Player of the game:
Arkansas State QB
Corey Leonard completed 25 of 50 passes for 305 yards and two
touchdowns with two interceptions and ran 11 times for 52 yards.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey
Leonard, 25-50, 305 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 11-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 9-108
North Texas - Passing: Giovanni Vizza, 22-30,
160 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Giovanni Vizza, 17-79. Receiving: Casey
Fitzgerald, 11-58
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Corey Leonard means everything to the ASU offense. The way he was
able to lead the comeback against North Texas showed just how much
he's worth to the team. Now the problem is how the Indians got down
in the first place. In the final home game of the year, this will be
a very nice way to go into the off-season if ASU loses to Southern
Miss next week. To have any chance of winning, the running game will
have to be stronger than it was next week.
Nov. 10
Florida Atlantic 34 ... Arkansas State 31
FAU rallied from down 11 in the fourth with a 56-yard
touchdown pass from Rusty Smith to Willie Rose, and then DiIvory
Edgecomb gave the Owls the lead for good on a six-yard scoring pass.
ASU got Reggie Arnold touchdowns from 15, two and four yards out and
a six-yard Corey Leonard run on the way to a 31-20 lead, but the
offense couldn't get back on the board late.
Player of the game:
Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith completed 22 of
42 passes for 268 yards for three touchdowns and two interception,
and ran 14 times for 52 yards.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey
Leonard, 19-33, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 14-58, 2 TD. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 7-37
Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty Smith, 22-42,
268 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Charles Pierre, 14-52. Receiving: DiIvory
Edgecomb, 5-49, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... ASU
got Corey Leonard back to handle the offense against Florida
Atlantic, and while the offense was balanced, there wasn't enough of
it. The Indians were able to take advantage of three turnovers and
make up for the inconsistent attack early, but when they needed a
big drive late, Leonard couldn't keep the chains moving. Even a
disappointing season, a 6-6 record is still possible with a winnable
game against North Texas next, and a battle with another
disappointment, Southern Miss, to close out the year.
Nov. 3
Arkansas State 27 ,.. Florida
International 24
Josh Arauco nailed a 32-yad field goal with two seconds to
play to give ASU the win after a wild fourth quarter. Reggie Arnold
ran for touchdowns from 16 and 31 yards with fewer than five minutes
to play, but FIU was able to tie up with a 29-yard Greg Ellingson
touchdown pass with 48 second left. Darren Toney returned the
ensuing kickoff 60 yards, and ASU was able to come up with the win.
FIU only gained 250 yards of total offense, but got a 80-yard Lionel
Singelton punt return for a touchdown. ASU stayed in the game with a
17-yard Darren Toney interception return for a score in the opening
minute of the second half.
Player of the game:
Arkansas State
RB Reggie Arnold ran 20 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and
caught a pass for ten yards.
Stat Leaders: FIU - Passing: Wayne Younger,
9-19, 110 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Wayne Younger, 16-53. Receiving: Greg
Ellingson, 2-35, 1 TD
Arkansas State - Passing: Travis Hewitt, 19-30,
174 yds
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 20-120, 2 TD. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 6-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The team might not
be playing well, but the rally to beat FIU might be just what it
needs to kickstart a big final month. Reggie Arnold continues to run
well when he gets a little bit of room, but Travis Hewitt, stepping
in for Corey Leonard, has to start pushing the ball deeper and come
up with more through the air. ASU got next to nothing going against
FIU outside of Arnold.
Oct. 27
Troy 27 .. Arkansas State 0
Troy's defense pitched a near-perfect game holding Arkansas
State to 237 yards and not allowing a third down conversion,
while the offense got two one-yard touchdown runs from Omar
Haugabook and two Greg Whibbs field goals. The defense put a
capper on the domination with a one-yard Boris Lee fumble
recovery for a score midway through the fourth. The two teams
combined for eight turnovers.
Player of
the game:
Troy QB Omar
Haugabook completed 14 of 23 passes for 156 yards and an
interception, and ran 18 times for 94 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Omar
Haugabook, 14-23, 156 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Omar Haguabook, 18-94, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jerrell Jernigan, 5-61
Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard,
10-24, 105 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Corey Leonard, 18-56. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 4-11
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For
the second straight week the offense has done absolutely
nothing. Basically, ASU proved against Middle Tennessee and Troy
that it's not one of the top tier Sun Belt teams, and while it's
good enough to beat the FIU's and North Texas's of the world,
both games coming up, the offense simply isn't working at a
higher level. It can't be all Corey Leonard all the time. To go
0 for 13 on third down conversions at this point in the year is
a big problem.
Oct. 20
Middle Tennessee 24 ... Arkansas State 7
Middle Tennessee came up with nine sacks and a 42-yard Rod
Issac fumble return for a score, while the offense chipped in with
Taron Henry touchdown catches from 17 and 52 yards out in the
surprisingly easy win. ASU got its only points on a six-yard Danny
McNeal catch, but never got the offense going thanks to the problems
up front. MT outgained ASU 384 yards to 138.
Player of the
game:
Middle Tennessee
QB Dwight Dasher completed 9 of 20 passes for 118 yards and a
touchdown with an interception, and ran 20 times for 96 yards
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey
Leonard, 9-19, 116 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 14-39. Receiving: Brandon
Thompkins, 3-69
Middle Tennessee - Passing: Dwight Dasher,
9-20, 118 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dwight Dasher, 20-96. Receiving: Taron Henry,
3-71
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Can ASU ever come up with a consistent
performance from one week to the next? After stinking it up against
a bad UL Monroe team, it bombed UL Lafayette, and then this week,
didn't bother to block the Middle Tennessee defensive front in the
ugly loss. If the offensive line couldn't handle the Blue Raiders,
it'll have a nightmare of a time against Troy next week. There won't
be many wins when Reggie Arnold is held to 39 yards.
Oct. 13
Arkansas State 52 ... UL Lafayette 21
Arkansas State cranked out 681 yards of total offense,
including 406 on the ground, but it was the passing of Corey Leonard
with five touchdown passes, highlighted by an 84-yard pass play to
David Johnson, that helped make the game a blowout. ULL kept it
tight in the first half, with Michael Desormeaux running for a
64-yard touchdown and hitting Jason Chery for a 64-yard scoring
pass, but Leonard connected with Levi Dejohnette for a six-yard
touchdown pass with 30 seconds to play to spark a run of 28
unanswered points. Reggie Arnold ran for 225 yards, and put the
icing on the cake with a 16-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Player of the
game:
Arkansas State
QB Corey Leonard completed 17 of 23 passes for 275 yards and five
touchdowns and ran 18 times for 84 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: UL Lafayette - Passing: Michael
Desormeaux, 6-15, 100 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Desormeaux, 9-74, 1 TD. Receiving:
Derrick Smith, 4-33
Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard, 17-23,
275 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 24-225, 1 TD. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 5-75, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now
there's the ASU offense everyone has been looking for. After
collapsing in the loss to UL Monroe, everything worked against UL
Lafayette with one of the best overall performances of the Sun Belt
season, highlighted by five Corey Leonard touchdown passes. Now it
all has to carry over for the next two weeks against Middle
Tennessee and Troy. Win those games, and all of a sudden, ASU will
be the lead dog in the Sun Belt title race.
Oct. 6
UL Monroe 30 ... Arkansas State 13
Arkansas State appeared to be on the way to an easy win,
scoring the first 13 points of the game with Chris Miller catching a
21-point touchdown pass, but ULM scored 30 unanswered points, helped
by two Kinsmon Lancaster touchdown passes to Darrell McNeal, three
Cole Wilson field goals, and a one-yard Calvin Dawson touchdown run.
ULM's Greg James picked off two passes, giving him seven on the
year.
Player of the game:
UL
Monroe RB Calvin Dawson ran 26 times for 114 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey
Leonard, 14-35, 206 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Corey Leonard, 11-90. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 6-82
UL Monroe - Passing: Kinsmon Lancaster, 15-22,
195 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Calvin Dawson, 26-114, 1 TD. Receiving: Darrell
McNeal, 5-72, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What
happened to the running game against UL Monroe? The Indian offensive
line struggled way too much against the average Warhawk front, but
when things started to slip away, the passing game was used far more
than it should've been. Reggie Arnold and Preston Brown were running
relatively well, and they should've been allowed to keep pounding
the ball. Corey Leonard struggled throwing it, ASU only converted
two of 13 third down chances, ball game.
Sept. 27
Arkansas State 35 ... Memphis 31
Down 31-6, Arkansas State stormed back in the second half with
29 unanswered points, kicked off by an 89-yard Kevin Jones punt
return for a score. and followed up by three Corey Leonard touchdown
passes. The final score, on a one-yard throw to Preston Brown, came
midway through the fourth quarter, and then ASU held on with the
final Memphis drive stalling at midfield. The Tigers got an 80-yard
touchdown pass from Dave Thomas to Steven Black, and an 88-yard
fumble return for a touchdown from 300-pound defensive tackle
Freddie Barnett, but they couldn't get on the board in the second
half.
Player of the game:
Arkansas State QB Corey Leonard completed 16 of
37 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and ran 22 times for
74 yards.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin
Hankins, 10-21, 119 yds
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 17-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Maurice
Jones, 3-71
Arkansas State
- Passing: Corey Leonard, 16-37, 255 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Corey Leonard, 22-74. Receiving: Levi Dejohnette,
7-99, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... ASU
is the last team you'd think could come back from a 31-6 deficit,
but with big plays from the defense and special teams, and a
phenomenal final 20 minutes from QB Corey Leonard, it came up with
the win over Memphis that should do wonders with the Sun Belt season
starting up next week. The Indians didn't get their running game
working like they'd like to; they simply found a way to win.
Sept. 22
Tennessee 48... Arkansas State 27
Erik Ainge threw four touchdown passes, and for a career high
334 yards, as Tennessee's passing game overcame the ground attack of
ASU. Ainge connected with Lucas Taylor for scores from 17 and 24
yards out, and he found Chris Brown and LaMarucus Coker for scores.
ASU was able to stay alive with a 54-yard interception return for a
touchdown, and two Josh Arauco field goals, but Ainge proved to be
too sharp. His 24-yard scoring pass to Taylor early in the fourth
quarter finally gave the Vols some breathing room.
Player of the game:
Tennessee QB Erik Ainge completed 27 of 39 passes
for 334 yards and four touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge,
27-39, 334 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: LaMarcus Coker, 15-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Lucas
Taylor, 7-104, 2 TD
Arkansas State
- Passing: Corey Leonard, 18-35, 199 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 16-130, 1 TD. Receiving: Kevin
Jones, 5-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Indians might have lost to Tennessee, but the offense went
toe-to-toe with the mighty SEC team and came up with 377 yards of
total offense. Corey Leonard was under constant pressure, but he
threw well, while Reggie Arnold averaged 8.1 yards per carry with
130 yards and a score. Even in the loss, this should be a confidence
builder; the team knows it can play. Once again, Tyrell Johnson and
Khayyam Burns showed why they have to be considered among the
nation's better safety tandems, combining for 16 tackles with
Johnson breaking up three passes and picking off a pass for a score.
Sept.
15
Arkansas State 45 ... SMU 28
Arkansas State exploded for 21 first quarter points on two
Corey Leonard touchdown runs and a Reggie Arnold score from one yard
out. SMU bounced back with two Justin Willis touchdown passes in the
second quarter, but spent the rest of the game trying to play
catchup. Leonard connected with Chris Miller for a six-yard
touchdown on the first drive of the second half, but SMU kept it
close with a Willis ten-yard scoring pass to Emmanuel Sanders. Then
ASU was able to overcome its mistakes and put it away with a
17-point run helped by a third Leonard rushing touchdown and a
12-yard catch from David Johnson.
Player of the
game:
Arkansas State
QB Corey Leonard completed 22 of 34 passes for 266 yards and two
touchdowns with an interception and ran 20 times for 52 yards and
three scores
Stat Leaders: SMU - Passing: Justin Willis,
21-40, 251 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Justin Willis, 14-88 yds. Receiving: Emmanuel
Sanders, 8-100, 1 TD
Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard, 22-34,
266 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 19-156, 1 TD. Receiving: Levi
Dejohnette, 6-77
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Where did the offensive balance come
from? Against SMU, the Indian attack wasn't just about the running
game thanks to an efficient day from Corey Leonard. ASU was able to
control the ball and the clock in the second half, hanging on to the
ball for close to 20 minutes thanks to a nice mix of Reggie Arnold
on the ground and Leonard's passing. SMU wasn't able to do a thing
to counter. The 13 penalties were way too many, and the secondary
didn't tighten up in the red zone, but with 516 yards of total
offense, ASU was more than able to gloss over any problems.
Sept. 1
Texas 21 ... Arkansas State 13
Texas was outgained 397 yards to 340, but the defense made it
an easier win than it might appear, holding ASU to two Josh Arauco
field goals until the final minute of the game when Reggie Arnold
ran for a two-yard score. The Longhorns scored on their opening
drive on a 35-yard catch from Limas Sweed, and got a second Colt
McCoy touchdown pass late in the first quarter on a 16-yard play to
Antwan Cobb. Jamaal Charles added a ten-yard scoring run late in the
third quarter.
Player of
the game ... Texas RB Jamaal Charles ran 27 times for 112
yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing:
Corey Leonard, 23-36, 259 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 11-68, 1 TD Receiving:
Levi Dejohnette, 6-92
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 22-33, 223 yds,
2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamaal Charles, 27-112, 1 TD Receiving:
Nate Jones, 9-72
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Either
Texas was going through the motions, or Arkansas State served notice
that it'll be a major player in the Sun Belt race. The running game
did a good job to keep things moving, and Corey Leonard was decent
throwing it, but there simply weren't any big scoring drives until
it was too late. Tyrell Johnson was the best defensive back in the
game, making 14 stops with an interception and a tackle for loss.
Sept. 1 – at Texas
Offense: This might be the best offense yet under head coach Mack
Brown, with one bump in the road: the line. The starting five will be
fine, but there's absolutely no depth at tackle. While that's the
concern, the skill players will be fantastic with a deep, talented
receiving corps that welcomes back the top four targets, Jamaal Charles
and a speedy backfield, and Colt McCoy to lead the show. Now a seasoned
veteran, McCoy will run more than last year while making more plays on
the move. Expect plenty of scoring, plenty of explosiveness, and a top
five finish in total offense ... as long as the line holds up.
Defense: Duane Akina goes from co-defensive coordinator to the
head man in charge, and there will be changes. Last year's defense was
all about stopping the run, and the talented secondary got torched. This
year's D will focus on doing everything, with an eye towards being more
aggressive and generating more pressure. The strength is at tackle and
in the linebacking corps, with NFL caliber talent that should keep the
Longhorns among the nation's leaders against the run. The ends will be
fine, in time, and they'll get to pin their ears back and go to the
quarterback. All the pressure should help out a secondary in transition,
with only one starter returning from a group that loses Thorpe Award
winner Aaron Ross and All-American Michael Griffin.
Sept. 8 - Memphis
Offense: The offense had its moments, but it was
consistently mediocre and not nearly explosive enough. The ground game
struggled behind a bad offensive line, and now the hope fill be for
Joseph Doss to get more room behind a more experienced front five. The
passing attack should shine, led by veteran quarterback Martin Hankins
and the usual array of tall, athletic Tiger receivers. Duke Calhoun is a
rising star touchdown maker, while Earnest Williams is a solid target to
keep the chains moving.
Defense: A disaster last year, especially against the pass and at
getting into the backfield, the defense is undergoing an almost complete
overhaul with several newcomers taking over for established veterans.
The 4-3 needs to start making more big plays behind the line, and the
hope will be for a steady rotation of players to keep everyone fresh and
be more productive. The key will be the play of corners LaKeitharun Ford
and Michael Grandberry, who need to beef up a secondary that allowed 231
yards per game and finished 116th in the nation in pass efficiency
defense.
Sept. 15 - 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.
Sept. 22 – at Tennessee
Offense: The return of David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator
made a night-and-day difference in the passing game. Now he needs to get
the running game to do more, and there needs to be even more from QB
Erik Ainge after a nice bounceback year. The receiving corps loses the
top three targets and the line loses the two best players, so it'll be
up to the trio of Arian Foster, LaMarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty to
carry the running game and the offense. Ainge has to make everyone
around him better until new producers at receiver emerge.
Defense: Is there a defense in America that's produced less with
so much promise and potential? The Vols have a who's who of top high
school prospects that haven't quite panned out, and now that has to
change to have any hope of winning the SEC East. Jerod Mayo will move
from the outside to the middle and Jonathan Hefney returns at free
safety to give the Vols two All-America caliber defenders to build
around. Now there needs to be more of a pass rush after coming up with
an inexcusable 17 sacks, and the new starting tackles have to quickly
emerge. The secondary has to replace three starters, but should be fine
in time, while the linebacking corps, if healthy, will be among the
SEC's best.
Oct. 6 – at UL Monroe
Offense: The best offense in the Sun Belt gets 11 starters back
led by RB Calvin Dawson working behind a terrific line with several
all-star candidates. QB Kinsmon Lancaster has a year of starting
experience under his belt, and he has all his top targets to get the
ball to including LaGregory Sapp and tight end Zeek Zacharie. While the
attack will spread it out and allow Lancaster to use his mobility and
big-time arm to find the right receiver, it'll be Dawson who carries the
workload when things get tight.
Defense: The same problems ULM had last year appear to be the
same issues going into this year with a questionable run defense and no
proven pass rush, but the strength, the secondary, will be the same even
without Kevin Payne and Chaz Williams. The 4-2-5 did its job against
mediocre offenses, but got ripped apart by any offense with a pulse.
Unless the line is better, the Warhawks will be pounded on by everyone
in the Sun Belt.
Oct. 13 - UL Lafayette
Offense: The nation's seventh best rushing team two years ago,
and 11th best last year, ULL will run more than ever with the return of
two-time 1,000-yard back Tyrell Fenroy, speedy Deon Wallace, and running
quarterback Michael Desormeaux. The receivers aren't used much, but
they're experienced enough to make plays when they get the chance. The
offensive line isn't deep, but the starting five will end up fine. The
team will hope for around 2,500 rushing yards, and around 60% completion
percentage throwing it.
Defense: New defensive coordinator Kevin Fouqueir won't change
too much from one of the Sun Belt's better defenses. Five starters
return, along with a few others with starting experience, to form a
solid run defense that needs to be tighter against the pass. The
secondary will give up completions, but it's not going to get beaten too
often. The front seven should be great with a nice blend of talents and
depth to form a good rotation almost everywhere. If ULL doesn't lead the
league in run defense, it'll finish second.
Oct. 20 – at Middle Tennessee
Offense: The offense was strange last year finishing sixth in the
league in total yards but first in scoring. In other words, the O took
advantage of almost every opportunity despite not being all that good
scoring on 33 of 36 chances in the red zone. Even without long-time
starting quarterback Clint Marks, the passing game can't help but better
whether it's Joe Craddock, or one of three other options under center.
The receiving corps is experienced, but unless Bobby Williams plays up
to his talent, it won't be much better. The running game will be the
strength with DeMarco McNair and speedsters Desmond Gee and Phillip
Tanner running behind a massive line.
Defense: This should be one of the Sun Belt's best defenses in
time, but only if the back seven can fill all the holes. The front four
will be regulars in the backfield with three all-conference caliber ends
in Erik Walden, Sean Mosley and Tavares Jones along with nose tackle
Trevor Jenkins. The linebackers are a big problem needing to replace all
three starters, but they aren't the problem the cornerbacks are. Bradley
Robinson is an all-star, but there's no depth and a concern at the
second spot. Damon Nickson will carry things for a while at safety.
Oct. 27 - Troy
Offense: Spread it out with four wide receivers, let Sun Belt
Player of the Year Omar Haugabook throw to the open guy, hope it all
works. This isn't an explosive attack, and it won't be for a while with
a mixed bag of talents on the front line trying to fit the puzzle. The
running backs are fine with the return of Sean Dawkins helping out Kenny
Cattouse, and Gary Banks and Mykeal Terry lead an inexperienced
receiving corps that'll be fine. But it's all up to Haugabook. He's the
difference between a second straight Sun Belt title and a losing season.
Defense: Troy won the Sun Belt title despite a mediocre year from
the defense. Now the D will be positively dominant with the best
secondary and a defensive line that's either the best, or a close second
behind Middle Tennessee's. Generating pressure won't be a problem with
phenomenal pass rushers from every spot, while the secondary will use
five and six defensive backs at times just to get all its talent on the
field. The linebacking corps is the weakness of the defense by default
considering how good the line and secondary will be, but it'll still be
fantastic with Boris Lee and Marcus Richardson each deserving all-star
consideration.
Nov. 3 - FIU
Offense New offensive coordinator James Coley has a lot of work
to do with an offense that finished dead last in America in scoring
averaging fewer than ten points per game and 116th in the nation in
yards averaging 233 per outing. Eight starters return, including the
entire offensive line, and there's good potential in the backfield with
the 1-2 rushing punch of Julian Reams and A'mod Ned, but the passing
game needs work with Paul McCall likely to take over at quarterback and
no experience at receiver to rely on.
Defense: The defense did what it could with no help from the
offense, and now seven starters return with a shot to be among the
league's best. The secondary gets all four starters back, led by Lionell
Singleton at corner. The line is big and good with a pair of strong
300-pounders (Roland Clarke and Jonas Murrell) inside. Now for the
problem: the great linebacking corps loses all three starters. The top
four tacklers are gone, along with the top pass rushers. Keyonvis Bouie,
Alexander Bostic, and Antwan Barnes were stars who won't be easily
replaced.
Nov. 10 – at Florida Atlantic
Offense: Things should be more consistent now that the
quarterback situation is settled (at least to start the year) with Rusty
Smith the full-time starter and Sean Clayton the backup. The running
backs are experienced and quick, and Frantz Simeon leads a decent
receiving corps, but it's all up to the line which was decent in pass
protection last season but awful in the running game. It's a small front
five by design, and that's a major issue for a ground game that averaged
just 110 yards per game and an offense that struggled to amass 300 yards
and 15 points per outing.
Defense: The defense should be tremendous is all the starters
play as expected. The back seven will be among the best in the Sun Belt
with all three starters returning to the linebacking corps, two All-Sun
Belt caliber safeties in Kris Bartels and Taheem Acevedo, and a
shut-down corner in Corey Small. The defensive front gets three starters
back led by top pass rusher Josh Pinnick and star tackle Jervonte
Jackson. Even so, the run defense will be average, while the pass
defense will be great.
Nov. 17 - North Texas
Offense:
The offense hasn't moved the ball in two years
finishing 117th in the nation last season in yards and 115th in scoring.
The look of the attack will change dramatically as new head coach Todd
Dodge will incorporate his spread attack in an attempt to get something
going. The backfield is solid with RB Jamario Thomas leading the way and
a slew of veteran, yet mediocre quarterbacks returning. The receiving
corps will need a while to jell with all the talent in the incoming
freshman class, while the line will be a major problem early on.
Defense: The defense improved dramatically after making a drastic
move to the 3-4. Now it'll go back to a traditional 4-3 and hope the
overall experience and depth will pay off with more big plays after
forcing just 14 turnovers. The linebackers will be solid with the return
of Maurice Holman, Brandon Monroe and Derek Mendoza, while Aaron
Weathers anchors a secondary that should be better in time. Generating a
pass rush from the front four is a must, but Jeremiah Chapman will be a
good end to work around.
Nov. 24 – at
Southern Miss
Offense: While it’s become fashionable for programs across the
country to switch to some fancy derivative of the spread offense,
Southern Miss is content to pound the ball on the ground, control the
clock and let its defense win games. Sure, the Eagles prefer balance,
but in Hattiesburg, the run continues to set up the pass. Last year’s
league-leading rusher, sophomore Damion Fletcher, is back for an encore,
and this time, he brought friends. Southern Miss is deep in the
backfield, which will take pressure off versatile, yet erratic, senior
quarterback Jeremy Young. His favorite target will again be tight end
Shawn Nelson, a future pro with All-America potential. For a change,
there are restless moments about an offensive line that’s replacing
three starters, two of which were First Team All-Conference USA in 2006.
Defense: The “Nasty Bunch” defense that’s become the trademark of
Southern Miss football under Jeff Bower should be one of the nation’s
top ranked units in 2007. It’s fast and experienced, and if Bower gets
his way, about to become as physical as his vintage teams of the late
1990s. The Eagles return nine starters, including the entire front
seven and five players that earned all-Conference USA recognition in
2006. Good luck moving the ball on this veteran group. If there’s a
weak link on defense it’s in the secondary, where two new starting
corners will be broken in. One way to help rookies Eddie Willingham and
Michael McGee will be to get more pressure on the quarterback than last
year, when USM was No. 81 in the country in sacks.