Spring
Preview
2008
Conference USA Spring Football Previews
By
Richard Cirminiello
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2007 Conference USA Spring Analysis
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2008
Early Lookaheads -
Conference USA
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2008 Conference USA Insider Spring
Questions & Answers
East
East Carolina
Spring Practice
Begins: March 19 Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Back-to-back winning seasons and bowl
invitations have the Pirates approaching
their glory days when they were a
perennial mid-major powerhouse under
Steve Logan. It’s that success, capped
by a stunning upset of Boise State in
last December’s Hawaii Bowl, that has
East Carolina fans grateful that Skip
Holtz will be back on the sidelines in
Greenville. Even without do-it-all star
RB Chris Johnson, the program has enough
returning talent and an air of
confidence that this is the season it
breaks through with a division crown and
a spot in the Conference USA title game.
The big spring question is ...
Can Johnson be replaced? As good as he
was running the ball as a senior,
Johnson may be missed more as a kickoff
returner and a receiver out of the
backfield. The Pirates are actually
well-stocked in the backfield, returning
letterwinners Dominique Lindsay,
Jonathan Williams, Norman Whitley, and
Brandon Simmons this fall. The future
star is Williams, a 6-1, 210-pounder
that averaged almost seven yards a carry
in limited action as a true freshman
last year
The most important position to watch
is ... Cornerback. While the Pirates
are in good shape at safety, it’s a
different story at cornerback, where the
program lacks any true stoppers. East
Carolina returns four players with
starting experience, but that’s from a
unit that was 114th in pass
defense a year ago, so someone needs to
really step up his game in the spring
and summer. Hope can be found in Derek
Blacknall and Emanuel Davis, a couple of
redshirt freshmen with an opportunity to
make a quick ascent up the depth chart.
Spring attitude... Get over the
hump. The Pirates squandered a chance
to win the East Division late last year,
which will haunt them until they can
make amends in 2008. The return of both
primary quarterbacks, Rob Kass and
Patrick Pinkney, and one of the league’s
deepest defensive lines should signal no
worse than a third consecutive December
bowl game.
Marshall
Spring Practice
Begins: April 1 Game: April 26
The early spring buzz ...
After just 12 wins over the last three
years, there’s a noticeable sense of
urgency for the Herd and head coach Mark
Snyder to win right now. Snyder has
brought in new coordinators for each
side of the ball and an uncharacteristic
seven junior college transfers to help
ignite a program that started 0-7 a year
ago and hasn’t had a winning season
since 2003. A young program the last
couple of years, Marshall returns a ton
of regulars in 2008, including star DE
Albert McClellan, who missed all of last
season with torn knee ligaments.
The big spring question is ...
Who replaces Bernard Morris at
quarterback? New offensive coordinator
John Shannon performed magic at Toledo,
but will need more consistency behind
center to do the same thing in
Huntington. There’ll be a logjam and no
shortage of talent in the early going,
with Georgia Tech transfer Jonathan
Garner, redshirt freshmen Chris Smith
and Mark Cann, and last year’s backups,
Brian Anderson and Wesley Beardain,
jostling for position on the depth
chart.
The most important position to watch
is ... Middle linebacker. Starter
Josh Johnson left the program with a
year of eligibility remaining, and his
primary backup, Will Albin, was a senior
in 2007. One option for new defensive
coordinator Rick Minter will be to
permanently shift Maurice Kitchens
inside, a move he made often when
Johnson was out of the lineup last
season. Kitchens had 90 tackles and
four sacks as a junior, showing good
versatility when asked to play out of
position.
Spring attitude... It’s now or
never for Snyder and the Herd, which
finally have the depth and experience to
make a strong push for a winning season
in 2008. While McClellan’s return will
give an enormous lift to the defense,
the offense needs to develop a steady
quarterback that can deliver passes to
top pass-catchers, WR Darius Passmore
and TE Cody Slate.
Memphis
Spring Practice Begins: March 18
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Although it was nice getting back to the
postseason and winning seven games, head
coach Tommy West realizes that Memphis
isn’t going to contend for a league
championship until it toughens up on
defense. The unit has been brutal the
last two years, responding poorly to
coaching changes and forcing the offense
to air it out more than the staff would
like. West has changed coordinators
again, hiring former Miami assistant Tim
Walton, who was offered this job
following the 2006 campaign. He
inherits a defense that has potential up
front, but needs an overhaul in the back
seven.
The big spring question is ...
Who takes over for Martin Hankins at
quarterback? Hankins was
underappreciated at Memphis, throwing 43
touchdowns the last two seasons, and
won’t be easily replaced. Since the
strength of this team is at wide
receiver, the staff needs to uncover the
best passer to distribute them the
ball. Senior Will Hudgens has, by far,
the most experience, and sophomore Matt
Malouf brings an interesting blend of
run and pass. The wild card, however,
is JUCO transfer Arkelon Hall, a former
Washington State signee and one of the
highest-rated prep quarterbacks of 2005.
The most important position to watch
is ... Running back. Ever since
DeAngelo Williams graduated, the running
game has been almost non-existent for
the Tigers. That must change in 2008,
especially with a new hurler barking out
signals. Joseph Doss had his moments,
but now that he’s gone, one of the
juniors, either Miguel Barnes or T.J.
Pitts, needs to run with the authority
of an every down back in order to take a
little heat off the passing game.
Spring attitude... Last year’s
unexpected turnaround was a big boost to
a program that had reached a
crossroads. The Tigers only lost 14
seniors from that team, returning enough
depth and experience to be right back in
the hunt for a mid-level postseason
game. Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton
head a receiving corps that brings back
last year’s top seven producers,
promising news for whichever quarterback
gets the nod in August.
Southern Miss
Spring Practice Begins: March 18
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Few schools in the nation will be
undergoing a bigger philosophical
overhaul than Southern Miss, which has
replaced the tortoise, Jeff Bower, with
the hare, Larry Fedora. Bower was a
pillar of consistency in Hattiesburg,
but Fedora brings a new energy and a 21st
century offensive attack that has
already caught the eye of top recruits,
such as WR DeAndre Brown, who spurned
most of the SEC to play for the Eagles.
The program’s 15 practices and spring
game will be the first opportunity to
see why Fedora gets labeled one of the
best offensive minds in the sport.
The big spring question is ... Is
there a quarterback capable of running
Fedora’s offense this soon? The coach’s
spread attack won’t abandon the run,
especially with RB Damion Fletcher on
the roster, but it will lean more
heavily on one-back formations and
no-huddle sets. Fedora plans to attack
relentlessly, but may have to do so with
unproven Martevious Young calling
signals. The graduations of Jeremy
Young and Stephen Reaves mean the
sophomore is the only quarterback on the
roster with any game experience.
The most important position to watch
is ... Defensive line. Until the
offense becomes prolific, Southern Miss
will still need lots of help from its
defense and running attack to win
games. The weakest link of the defense
figures to be the defensive line, which
loses all four starters, two of which
were names First Team All-Conference USA
in 2007. The pressure is on untested
underclassmen, such as ends Roshaad Byrd
and Deddrick Jones, and tackle Anthony
Gray, to soar past expectations.
Spring attitude... For the first
time in years, there’s a feeling of
rebirth surrounding the Southern Miss
program. How long that lasts will
depend on the play of Young and the rest
of the quarterbacks, who hold the key to
the Golden Eagles’ success. It’s too
much to expect any of the passers to be
Zac Robinson right out of the gate, so
USM is unlikely to be playing in the
Liberty Bowl this December.
UAB
Spring Practice Begins: March 19
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Now that the storm of last season has
passed, Neil Callaway can move on to the
next phase of his rebuilding process in
Birmingham. The Blazers were too young
and inexperienced to compete effectively
in 2007, winning just two games and
slipping as the season progressed. All
of that youth, however, is now a year
older, and Callaway padded his last
recruiting class with 11 junior college
players that should be able to
contribute right away. It may not show
up in the final standings, but UAB
figures to be in a better position to
hold its ground this year versus the
rest of the league.
The big spring question is ... Can
the Blazers develop a running game? Last
year’s team ranked last in the league on
the ground, a major concern for
Callaway, who’d like to develop a
presence between the tackles. Hope,
however, comes in the form of four
returning starters along the offensive
line and the availability of RB Aaron
Johns, an academic casualty a year ago
that’s working his way back to the
field. An Alabama transfer, he has far
more upside than any UAB back currently
on the roster.
The most important position to watch is
... Defensive line. The UAB defense
fell apart in the second half of last
season, largely because of a lack of a
pass rush. The Blazers had just five
sacks over the final six games, allowing
an average of 40 points and going 0-6.
It’s incumbent on the young kids, such
as ends Joe Happe and Bryant Turner, to
continue getting stronger while evolving
into more consistent edge rushers.
Spring attitude... The Blazers
understand that their rebuilding
blueprint won’t happen overnight, so
this spring is about creating momentum
and a positive atmosphere, while weaving
some of the JUCO transfers into the
two-deep. With QB Sam Hunt out of
eligibility, Joseph Webb has a chance to
lock down the starting job and emerge
into one of the team leaders.
UCF
Spring Practice Begins: March 19
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Yeah, star RB Kevin Smith’s decision to
leave early for the NFL pulled the rug
out from under the Knights, but in the
big picture, it doesn’t change where the
program is headed. Although the
backfield will need to be retooled, the
facilities are still top-notch, the
coaching staff is terrific, and the
campus location bodes well for
recruiting for the foreseeable future.
In other words, UCF remains one of the
favorites to repeat as Conference USA
champ after winning 10 games and
solidifying its foundation a year ago.
The big spring question is ... Can
this defense carry the offense in the
early stages of the season? It might
have to, considering the departures of
Smith, QB Kyle Israel, and the team’s
two best offensive linemen. The defense
returns nine starters, 10 if you count
LB Jordan Richards, who was slated to
start before suffering a season-ending
injury. The Knights have done a nice
job recruiting defensive speed in recent
years, and got a huge break when
all-league corner Joe Burnett passed on
the NFL to return for his senior season.
The most important position to watch
is ... Quarterback. How well
Phillip Smith is able to replace Kevin
Smith in the running game will depend
plenty on the play of the new
quarterback. The Knights must get more
from a passing game that was last in the
league and 105th nationally a
season ago. The battle will focus on
sophomore Joe Weatherford, brother of
Florida State’s Drew Weatherford, and
junior Michael Greco, a 220-pound dual
threat that conjures up images of a poor
man’s Tim Tebow.
Spring attitude... Maintain. In
recent years, UCF has been wildly
unpredictable; a trend the school hopes
to end in 2008. If the Knights can find
answers in the backfield and continue
the defensive momentum they had at the
end of last season, there’s no reason
they won’t be right back in the thick of
the Conference USA hunt later this year.
West
Houston
Spring Practice Begins: March 8
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
Although Art Briles is at Baylor, and
the dynamic duo of RB Anthony Alridge
and WR Donnie Avery are preparing for
the NFL, the Cougars remain a team with
an explosive offensive personality. New
head coach Kevin Sumlin was previously
the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
His first offensive coordinator, Dana
Holgorsen, plans to remake the Houston
attack in the image of the one he just
left at Texas Tech, spreading the field
and airing it out. And with both of
last year’s starting quarterbacks, Case
Keenum and Blake Joseph, returning, the
Cougar offense may not slip as much as
conventional wisdom is suggesting.
The big spring question is ...
Will Sumlin embrace the two-quarterback
system the way Briles did in 2007? While
each quarterback is now experienced and
offers a different set of strengths, the
new staff is more likely to anoint one
player, and build the offense around
him. Although Joseph has the stronger
arm, Keenum is more accurate on the
intermediate routes and moves well
outside the pocket, making him a real
nice fit for Holgorsen’s spread offense.
The most important position to watch
is ... Wide receiver. Not only is
Avery out of eligibility, but so is
Jeron Harvey, last year’s second-leading
receiver. If the offense is going to
click, Keenum and Joseph will need
reliable sets of hands, putting pressure
on last season’s backups, such as L.J.
Castile, Tim Monroe, and Chris Gilbert,
to step up and seize starting jobs. The
Cougars have recruited well at the
position in recent years, which should
start to bear fruit in 2008.
Spring attitude... In two years,
the Cougars have lost franchise QB Kevin
Kolb and architect Briles, but they’re
still planning on maintaining the
success of the past couple of seasons.
In a wide open West Division, the
offense will birth new stats hounds in
the passing game, and the defense has
enough talent up front to make a
seamless switch to a 4-3 base alignment.
Rice
Spring Practice Begins: March 10
Game: March 29
The early spring buzz ...
While the return of QB Chase Clement and
receivers Jarett Dillard, Toren Dixon,
and James Casey mean the Owls will again
fly high on offense, they need more to
compete in Conference USA. More from
the defense, more from the running game,
and a whole lot more from the special
teams. Rice never found its footing
last year, sinking back to reality after
being the league’s feel-good story of
2006. Head coach David Bailiff is back
for his second season in Houston,
determined to make the Owls more than a
one-dimensional outfit that relies
exclusively on Clement’s ability to make
plays with his arm and feet.
The big spring question is ... Is
there any hope for the defense? Last
year’s unit returns virtually intact,
but that was a group which yielded at
least 34 points in 10 of the last 11
games, and allowed a ridiculous 37
touchdown passes. Some progress must be
made on this side of the ball if the
Owls have any hope of improving on last
year’s three wins. Building blocks can
be found in junior S Andrew Sendejo,
sophomore DE Scott Solomon, and an
undersized, yet productive, set of
linebackers.
The most important position to watch
is ... The defensive line. It all
starts up front for a Rice defense that
isn’t all that bad at the second and
third levels. Up front, however, the
Owls have problems stopping opposing
running games and generating pressure
without selling out. Last year’s front
four accounted for just seven sacks, and
moves on without starting tackles George
Chukwu and Jonathan Cary, making depth
on the inside a touchy subject.
Spring attitude... After playing its
best football of the season in November,
Rice is hoping to build on last year’s
2-2 finish. With the passing game in
capable hands, the Owl staff will spend
the next six months trying to revamp
every other area of the program in an
effort to make the school more
competitive on Saturdays.
SMU
Spring Practice Begins: March 3
Game: April 5
The early spring buzz ...
The firing of Phil Bennett and eventual
hiring of June Jones on the Hilltop
creates a change of culture for Mustang
players. Not only will they be adapting
to new playbooks and terminology on both
sides of the ball, but they’ll also have
to get used to more media attention.
With Jones comes the high-powered Run
and Shoot attack and an increase in
attention at a school that hasn’t
produced this many football headlines
since getting hit with the NCAA death
penalty two decades ago. SMU needs a
system, or a blueprint, of how to
rebuild a program, which is exactly what
Jones is capable of delivering.
The big spring question is ...
How long before SMU looks like Hawaii?
The bigger question will be at
quarterback, where Justin Willis, who
has the talent and potential to blow up
in the new offense, has been suspended
indefinitely from the team for the
dreaded “violation of team rules.”
Willis doesn’t have a howitzer, but then
again, that hasn’t been a prerequisite
for success for Jones’ pupils. The
junior understands the game well, has a
good pocket presence, and throws a
catchable ball, which would be
ingredients for a solid season in year
one under Jones … if he’s back on the
team. For now, the Mustangs have to go
forward with Zach Rhodes, Logan Turner,
Michael Morse and Daniel Miller until
true freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell, who was
going to Hawaii until Jones changed
jobs, and Braden Smith get to school.
The most important position to watch
is ... Wide receiver. In this
offense, you need capable receivers.
Lots of them. Junior Emmanuel Sanders
is a real nice start, but the Mustangs
need quantity to go along with quality.
Expect Jones to remain open to all
possibilities in his first year,
including playing true freshmen and
converting certain running backs and
defensive backs that show a propensity
for catching passes.
Spring attitude... There’s a rare
air of excitement surrounding the SMU
program that’s directly related to the
arrival of Jones. He brings a positive
attitude, a history of success, and a
fancy offense to a school that’s been
pining for years for good news. While
the defense will remain a liability, the
offense will eventually get to a point
where it keeps the Mustangs competitive
in league games that were blowouts a
year ago. In lieu of a miracle, SMU
will win a few more games than it did in
2007.
Tulane
Spring Practice Begins: March 26
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ...
With 2,000-yard rusher Matt Forte off to
the NFL, second-year head coach Bob
Toledo needs to concoct ways to keep his
players and fans thinking positive this
spring. It won’t be easy. Forte was
the franchise, the quarterback situation
is unsettled, and defensive coordinator
Thom Kaumeyer left in January after
doing a nice job in 2007. Toledo
wouldn’t mind opening the passing game
this fall, but Anthony Scelfo, Scott
Elliott, and Kevin Moore did little to
instill confidence last season,
combining for just 10 touchdown passes
and 12 interceptions. Maybe 2007
recruit Joe Kemp can push for the job in
April, now that’ll he’s removing his
redshirt.
The big spring question is ...
Who carries the load on the ground? Not
only is Forte out of eligibility, but so
are two of his primary backups, Ade Tuyo
and Ray Boudreaux. Junior Andre
Anderson will compete with sophomores
Andre Agers and J.T. McDonald for the
right to run behind the underrated guard
tandem of seniors Troy Kropog and
Michael Parenton. Even sophomore FB
Jordan Stephany could get a chance for
touches if no one seizes the job before
the start of the season.
The most important position to watch
is ... Quarterback. There’s no
longer any guarantee that the Green Wave
will be able to run the ball, putting a
ton pressure on one of the quarterbacks
to emerge as a passing threat. Scelfo
got more reps than anyone else last
year, but also threw more picks than
touchdowns, and was 14th in
the 12-team Conference USA in passing
efficiency. Elliott was no better in
spot duty, and Moore is green. The
receiving corps, led by Jeremy Williams
and Brian King, has upside if it has a
reliable battery mate to deliver the
ball.
Spring attitude... Even though
Toledo is about to embark on his second
season in New Orleans, Tulane is still
firmly in rebuilding mode. With no star
power on either side of the ball and
question marks in the backfield, the
Green Wave will struggle to surpass last
year’s four wins, especially with LSU
and Alabama on the non-conference
schedule.
Tulsa
Spring Practice Begins: March 11
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ...
With or without record-setting QB Paul
Smith, the Hurricane plans to keep the
good times rolling in 2008. Whether
Steve Kragthorpe or Todd Graham is on
the sidelines, it’s become clear that
Tulsa is a place where you can win
consistently and attract high quality
depth and talent. Of course, it didn’t
hurt having Gus Malzahn on staff, the
mad scientist behind a hurry-up,
no-huddle offense that cranked out 41
points and a nation’s-high 544 yards a
game in 2007. Even without its
triggerman, there’s enough supporting
talent, including last year’s top six
pass-catchers and four starting linemen,
to be just as efficient in year two of
the new regime.
The big spring question is ... Is
David Johnson the successor to Smith at
quarterback? The senior is the most
logical choice to lead the offense,
having backed up Smith and spent a
season in the system. However, Johnson
is no lock to win the job, and will get
pushed hard by sophomore Clark Harrell
and Jacob Bower, one of this year’s
highest-rated JUCO quarterbacks.
Whoever wins the job will be positioned
for a huge season, so the competition
figures to be intense from March to
August.
The most important position to watch
is ... Linebacker. After allowing
more than 40 points five times in 2007,
the Hurricane has to get much better on
defense if it plans to win a league
championship. The top priority will be
to rebuild a set of linebackers that
loses all three starters, Nelson
Coleman, Chris Chamberlain, and Alain
Karatepeyan, each of whom had more than
100 tackles a year ago. Holdovers Mike
Bryan and Tanner Antle, and junior
college transfer Kaipo Sarkissian will
get every opportunity to fill the voids
on the Tulsa defense this fall.
Spring attitude... Take the next
step by winning a Conference USA
championship. While the offense isn’t
going to skip a beat, Tulsa needs to
stiffen on defense, no small request
considering how much is being lost at
linebacker. A star will be born as soon
as Graham and Malzahn decide on their
next starter under center.
UTEP
Spring Practice Begins: March 9
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ...
If the Miners are going to reverse the
trend of back-to-back losing seasons,
they’ll have to find some answers on
defense and learn how to finish a
season. UTEP was gutted for at least 45
points six different times in 2007,
finishing the year in tatters for the
third straight season. Mike Price shook
up his staff and signed some quick fixes
out of the junior college ranks, but
there’s no easy solution for a unit that
was routinely abused last year. New
defensive coordinator Osia Lewis will
bring from New Mexico a 3-3-5 set that
uses three hybrid safeties and attacks
from different spots on the field.
The big spring question is ... Is
Price entering must-win territory this
season? The program appreciates its
head coach, but a third losing season
in-a-row would surely make things
uncomfortable around El Paso. Price
quickly raised expectations with
back-to-back eight-win seasons, but
wasn’t able to keep the momentum going
in 2006 and 2007. The Miners’ problems
in close games and inability to win late
in the year have become scathing
indictments of a coaching staff that
needs to answer the call in 2008.
The most important position to watch
is ... Cornerback. As if finishing
117th nationally in pass
defense isn’t troubling enough, the
Miners must face the prospect of
replacing their best defensive player,
First Team All-Conference USA corner
Quintin Demps. The defensive backs got
no help from the pass rush last year,
but in case that doesn’t change, Lewis
would be well-advised to beef up on
players that can cover some of the
league’s better receivers.
Spring attitude... The offense
will move the ball. The defense won’t
stop a team from the FBS. Why should
anyone expect this season to be
different than the last two? The Trevor
Vittatoe-to-Jeff Moturi connection will
be electric and the running game will be
fine even without Marcus Thomas, but
until the Miners prove they can make a
stop late in the game, they’re west
Texas’ version of Rice.