East
UAB
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UCF
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East
Carolina
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Marshall
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Memphis
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Southern
Miss
West
Houston
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Rice
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SMU
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Tulane
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Tulsa
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UTEP
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2008 CFN All-CUSA Team
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2008 CFN Preseason All-CUSA Team
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2007 Conference USA Lookback/Recaps
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2008 Conference USA Early Lookbacks &
Recaps
East
Carolina
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final
Record: 9-5
Why to get excited:
Both lines will be rock solid. Depth and
talent in the trenches has become a
trademark of a Skip Holtz team, and next
season will be no different. Bolstered
by all-league C Sean Allen, the
offensive line is welcoming back seven
players with starting experience. On
defense, the interior will be manned by
first team All-Conference DE C.J. Wilson
and tackles Jay Ross and Linval Joseph,
a pair of honorable mention selections.
Both of these units will make everyone
around them a little better.
Why to be grouchy: There an APB
out for offensive playmakers. Although
QB Patrick Pinkney was up-and-down, his
leadership will be sorely missed. The
Pirates need some young targets, like
Darryl Freeney, to rise up and offset
the graduation of TE Davon Drew and the
suspension of WR Jamar Bryant. Now that
the running game by committee didn’t
flourish, it’d be nice if the program
can settle on a single workhorse.
The number one thing to work on is:
Cutting down on turnovers. The staff
will spend the offseason working on the
fundamentals of holding on to the
football. East Carolina turned the ball
over 28 times, despite throwing just
nine interceptions all year. The culprit
was fumbling, which the Pirates did more
frequently than all but two programs in
the country.
Biggest offensive loss: QB
Patrick Pinkney
Biggest defensive loss: LB Pierre
Bell
Best returning offensive player:
C Sean Allen, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE C.J. Wilson, Sr.
Houston
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6
Final Record: 8-5
Why to get excited:
The offense is going to be unstoppable.
With QB Case Keenum and all of his
favorite weapons back, you might want to
rename these guys the Houston Rockets
because they’ll be downright
explosive. The same school that averaged
562 yards a game in the first year of a
new regime will surround Keenum with
1,000-yard rusher Bryce Beall and all
but one of the 15 players who caught a
pass in 2008. If the retooled line does
its job, 50 points a game will be the
target.
Why to be grouchy: The Cougars
will need every one of those points to
win certain games. Even after finishing
100th nationally in total
defense and yielding 413 yards a game,
Houston may not have bottomed out in
2008. Seven regulars from that group,
including sack artist Phillip Hunt and
all-star S Kenneth Fontenette, have run
out of eligibility. The result? Houston
will be involved in plenty of track
meets.
The number one thing to work on is:
Developing new edge rushers. While
Houston won’t stop many opponents on
downs next fall, it can still leave a
defensive footprint by hurrying the
quarterback and forcing mistakes. With
the graduations of Hunt and Tate Stewart
go 20 of last year’s 24 sacks, putting
pressure on the likes of Arkansas
transfer Tyrell Graham and freshman
Mohammed Usman to fill the void.
Biggest offensive loss: T
Sebastian Vollmer
Biggest defensive loss: DE
Phillip Hunt
Best returning offensive player:
QB Case Keenum, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Marcus McGraw, Soph.
Marshall
CFN Preseason Prediction: 7-5 Final
Record: 4-8
Why to get excited:
The defensive line has a chance to be
really good. All of the key parts are
back in Huntington, including DT Montel
Glasco, who missed 2008 and was approved
for a sixth year of eligibility. On the
outside, Michael Janac showed
late-season flashes of being a
pass-rushing force, and Albert McClellan
should be ready to rock in his second
season removed from major knee surgery.
If the Herd gets the McClellan that had
20 tackles for loss in 2006, the entire
defense will benefit from his presence.
Why to be grouchy:
There’s still no sign of the next big
thing at quarterback for the Herd. It’s
been a long six years since Byron
Leftwich graduated, a dry spell that
isn’t likely to end in 2009. Freshman
Mark Cann won the job in the summer, but
11 games and 13 picks, it remained
unsure if he was truly the quarterback
of the future. He’ll face competition to
hold on to that job when the team
reconvenes in the spring.
The number one thing to work on is:
The passing attack. This is Marshall,
right? It’s about time the school starts
acting like it. The Herd was 100th
nationally in passing efficiency,
looking especially inept on third down
and in the red zone. While the running
game is set with Darius Marshall,
Marshall needs more production through
the air in order to make the offense
click.
Biggest offensive loss: WR
Darius Passmore
Biggest defensive loss: S C.J.
Spillman
Best returning offensive player:
RB Darius Marshall, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Albert McClellan, Sr.
Memphis
CFN Preseason Prediction: 5-7 Final
Record: 6-7
Why to get excited:
QB Arkelon Hall is ready to explode in
his second year removed from junior
college. He’s got the right combination
of arm strength and quick feet to be a
star in this league, especially since
he’s surrounded by a nice supporting
cast. Curtis Steele emerged as one of
Conference USA’s premier backs in his
debut, and Carlos Singleton and Duke
Calhoun give the Tigers a head start on
a very dangerous corps of wide
receivers.
Why to be grouchy:
There’s a lot of work to be done on both
lines. On offense, three new starters
must be cultivated, including a couple
to supplant first team all-league T
Brandon Pearce and rock steady C Philip
Beliles. Over on the other side of the
ball, three more regulars are gone,
topped by another first team
all-leaguer, Clinton McDonald.
The number one thing to work on is:
More big plays from the defense. Over
the course of 13 games, the Tigers
created only 18 turnovers and had just
23 sacks, poor production compared to
the rest of the league. The loss of
McDonald, who applied constant pressure
from the inside will make everyone’s job
a little harder next fall.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Brandon Pearce
Biggest defensive loss: DT
Clinton McDonald
Best returning offensive player:
RB Curtis Steele, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Greg Jackson, Sr.
Rice
CFN Preseason Prediction: 3-9 Final
Record: 10-3
Why to get excited:
In the modern era of Rice football, the
program has never been on more solid
footing. Coming off a 10-win season and
two bowl games in the last three years
have allowed head coach David Bailiff to
ramp up his ability to attract a higher
caliber of athlete to Houston. For all
of those kids on the roster, witnessing
the school’s first bowl victory in over
half a century will pay dividends over
the next few seasons.
Why to be grouchy:
Like it or not, it’s rebuilding time at
Rice. Yeah, the talent is better than a
few years ago, but there’s no way to
replace QB Chase Clement, WR Jarett
Dillard, and TE James Casey, who became
the equivalent of conquering heroes for
Owl football. Clement, in particular, is
irreplaceable after accounting for an
amazing 118 touchdowns over the past
three seasons.
The number one thing to work on is:
Red zone defense. Without the offense to
bail it out at every turn, the D has to
make some progress after allowing 452
yards and 33 points a game. The Owls
were especially generous with their
backs against the end zone, giving up 37
touchdowns in the 47 times opponents
drove into the red area.
Biggest offensive loss:
QB Chase Clement
Biggest defensive loss: LB Brian
Raines
Best returning offensive player:
WR Toren Dixon, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
S Andrew Sendejo, Sr.
SMU
CFN Preseason Prediction: 3-9 Final
Record: 1-11
Why to get excited:
Now that June Jones’ system and
philosophies have been fully installed,
the Mustangs can begin the next phase of
the rebuilding plan. Sure, last year was
ugly, but beneath the 1-11 record was a
young team that got better as the season
progressed and better acquainted with
the expectations of the new staff. Plus,
all of the main parts of the
run-and-shoot, from QB Bo Levi Mitchell
to receivers Emmanuel Sanders and
Aldrick Robinson, are back in the fold.
Why to be grouchy:
The defense is overmatched in the West
Division of Conference USA. While using
so many wide-eyed kids was a factor,
it’s never easy to justify yielding 38
points a game or finishing last in the
country in pass efficiency defense. No,
June Jones didn’t build his empire on
air-tight defenses, but this unit needs
to make some progress for the program,
as a whole, to improve.
The number one thing to work on is:
Generating more defensive pressure.
After seeing the Mustangs give up 33
touchdown passes while picking off just
eight, it’s clear they don’t have the
defensive backs to shut people down. It
would help, however, if they got more
support from a defense that had just 18
sacks all year. DE Youri Yenga did his
part, but now he needs some help, or
else SMU will once again be putty in
quarterbacks’ hands.
Biggest offensive loss:
G Sean Lobo
Biggest defensive loss: NG Serge
Elizee
Best returning offensive player:
WR Emmanuel Sanders, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Youri Yenga, Jr.
Southern Miss
CFN Preseason Prediction: 8-4 Final
Record: 7-6
Why to get excited:
Now that the offense has had a year to
digest Larry Fedora’s playbook, it’s
ready to take flight. The best is yet to
come for QB Austin Davis, who came along
steadily as a freshman, throwing 23
touchdown passes and rushing for 508
yards and nine more scores. He caught a
break when Damion Fletcher, the league’s
best back, opted to return to
Hattiesburg for his senior year. Now all
the Eagles need is for precocious WR
DeAndre Brown to rehab his broken leg in
time for the opener.
Why to be grouchy:
LB Gerald McRath leaves behind a giant
hole in the middle of the D. The defense
really turned things around down the
stretch last year, but maintaining that
momentum got a lot tougher after McRath
declared early for the NFL Draft. He’s a
sideline-to-sideline terror, who notched
more than 100 stops in each of the last
three seasons.
The number one thing to work on is: Special teams. Had the special teams been more
proficient in 2008, that 7-6 record
could have easily been 9-4. The Golden
Eagles were in the bottom half of the
league in the return game, were awful at
covering punts, and connected on just
10-of-19 field goals during the reason
season. The only way is up for whoever
succeeds P/PK Britt Barefoot.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Ryan McKee
Biggest defensive loss: LB Gerald
McRath
Best returning offensive player:
RB Damion Fletcher, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DT Anthony Gray, Jr.
Tulane
CFN Preseason Prediction: 5-7
Final Record: 2-10
Why to get excited:
RB Andre Anderson and WR Jeremy Williams
will be returning from injuries after
missing the final five and seven games,
respectively. The Green Wave was never
the same after losing its two best
playmakers, averaging just 13 points a
game in the second half. Before getting
hurt, Anderson was doing a pretty fair
impression of Matt Forte, running for
728 yards in his four previous games. In
Williams’ five games, he’d caught 27
passes for 437 yards and five scores.
Why to be grouchy:
Five years after J.P. Losman left New
Orleans, Tulane is still hunting for
stability at quarterback. Nine different
players took a stab at throwing a pass
in 2008, but none of them wowed head
coach Bob Toledo. While Kevin Moore
looks the part at 6-5 and 230 pounds, he
regressed as the season wound down,
throwing only three touchdown passes and
nine picks in the final seven games.
The number one thing to work on is:
Run defense. Was this really the same
team that held its first four opponents,
including Alabama, under 100 yards on
the ground? The Green Wave was shredded
the rest of the way, allowing a
mind-boggling 868 rushing yards in the
final two games, and ending the year 113th
nationally at stopping the run.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Troy Kropog
Biggest defensive loss: DE Reggie
Scott
Best returning offensive player:
RB Andre Anderson, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Logan Kelley, Sr.
Tulsa
CFN Preseason Prediction: 8-4 Final
Record: 11-3
Why to get excited:
After 21 wins and more than 1,200 points
over the last two seasons, Todd Graham
has created a plug-and-play offense
that’s virtually immune to being
crippled by the loss of a single player.
Take last year, for instance. The
Hurricane couldn’t possibly replace
record-setting QB Paul Smith, right?
Uh-uh. Career backup David Johnson
promptly took over, throwing for 46
touchdown passes on the nation’s second
highest-scoring attack. That bodes well
for Jacob Bower, or whoever succeeds
Johnson.
Why to be grouchy: The defense keeps getting in the way of a Conference USA championship.
While the offense continues doing its
thing, the D has been unable to hold up
its end, especially late in the year.
After starting 8-0, the Hurricane
yielded 100 points in back-to-back
losses to Arkansas and Houston to end
the dream season. For the year, Tulsa
was 74th in the country in
total defense.
The number one thing to work on is:
Somehow tighten up the pass defense.
This is where things got particularly
out of control for the defense. The
Hurricane had a nearly 4:1 ratio of
touchdowns allowed to interceptions,
which was among the worst in America. In
the low point of the year for the
secondary, Houston’s Case Keenum
surgically carved up Tulsa for six
scoring strikes without turning the ball
over.
Biggest offensive loss:
QB David Johnson
Biggest defensive loss: DE Moton
Hopkins
Best returning offensive player:
WR Damaris Johnson, Soph.
Best returning defensive player:
S James Lockett, Sr.
UAB
CFN Preseason Prediction: 2-10 Final
Record: 4-8
Why to get excited:
Progress, finally. It’s taken a few
years of hard work and lean times, but
the Blazers have started peaking around
the corner. Gains were evident in a 3-2
finish that included a near upset of the
eventual league champ, East Carolina. QB
Joe Webb emerged as the second coming of
Darrell Hackney, sparking the offense
with 1,000 yards on the ground and 10
touchdown passes. He’ll be the
centerpiece of an offense that doesn’t
lose a single player from the two-deep.
Why to be grouchy:
The back seven is in need of a facelift.
The Blazers’ three best defensive
players, LB Joe Henderson, CB Kevin
Sanders, and S Will Dunbar, have run out
of eligibility. That’s troubling news
for a UAB defense that ranked 106th
nationally a year ago and yielded at
least 45 points on four different
occasions.
The number one thing to work on is:
Preventing the big play. Only three
teams in America, SMU, North Texas, and
Iowa State, gave up more yards per pass
attempt than the Blazers. With Sanders,
Dunbar, and Matt Taylor no longer in
Birmingham, containing some of the
league’s better passers becomes the
responsibility of unproven kids, like
Chase Daniel, Terrell Springs, and
Marquis Coleman.
Biggest offensive loss:
P/PK Swayze Waters
Biggest defensive loss: LB Joe
Henderson
Best returning offensive player:
QB Joe Webb, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Bryant Turner, Jr.
UCF
CFN Preseason Prediction: 7-5 Final
Record: 4-8
Why to get excited:
The defensive line will challenge as the
best unit in Conference USA. All but one
member of last year’s rotation will be
back in Orlando next fall. Second team
all-leaguers, Bruce Miller and Torrell
Troup, will man the outside and inside,
respectively. Miller has a non-stop
motor, parlaying all of that energy into
a league-best 17 tackles for loss in
2008. Troup is a 6-3, 320-pound
immovable object, who played an integral
role in the conference’s top-ranked run
D. They’ll get plenty of help from DE
Jarvis Geathers and DT Travis Timmons.
Why to be grouchy:
There’s no evidence that last year’s
feeble offense will be much better. The
Knights pulled up the rear in total
offense, averaging a mere 229 yards and
16 points a game. At quarterback, George
O’Leary tried Rob Calabrese, Michael
Greco, and Joe Weatherford, none of whom
completed more than 50% of his passes.
There’s hope that true freshman RB Brynn
Harvey can become an every-down back and
receivers Kamar Aiken and A.J. Guyton
can bounce back from injury-riddled
years.
The number one thing to work on is:
The offense. This is where O’Leary is
going to earn his paycheck in 2009…or
lose it. UCF did absolutely nothing
right when it had the ball, bumbling on
third down, failing to get a push up
front, and reaching the red zone just 27
times all season. For tangible gains to
happen, this will have to be a total
team effort, including improved blocking
and better execution from the skill
players.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Patrick Brown
Biggest defensive loss: CB Joe
Burnett
Best returning offensive player:
WR Kamar Aiken, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Bruce Miller, Jr.
UTEP
CFN Preseason Prediction: 5-7
Final Record: 5-7
Why to get excited:
This could be Mike Price’s most exciting
offense since he landed in El Paso. All
but two regulars return to a group that
hung up 33 points and 406 yards a game.
The headliner is QB Trevor Vittatoe, who
has tossed 58 touchdown passes and only
16 interceptions in his first two years
of action. He’ll get plenty of help from
receivers Kris Adams, Jeff Moturi, and
James Thomas, and a veteran front wall
that brings back four starters.
Why to be grouchy:
The defense continues to be the Miners’
Achilles’ heel. Whether it was through
the air or on the ground, UTEP had few
answers for opposing offenses, ranking
104th or lower in both
categories. In their seven losses, the
Miners gave up just under 50 points a
game. Now matter what the offense does
in 2009, if the defense continues to
play this poorly, there won’t be enough
points to make that much-needed return
to the postseason.
The number one thing to work on is:
Pass defense. The Miner secondary didn’t
discriminate last fall—everyone had
their way with it through the air. No
program in America gave up more
touchdown passes, and on third downs,
the opposition faced little resistance.
UTEP will continue to be sub par on
defense. However, it has to do a better
job of getting the ball back to the
high-powered offense, either on downs or
turnovers.
Biggest offensive loss:
C Robby Felix
Biggest defensive loss: LB Adam
Vincent
Best returning offensive player:
QB Trevor Vittatoe, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
S Braxton Amy, Jr.
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2008 Conference USA Early Lookbacks &
Recaps
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