August 2008 Archives

Game Day is finally here

It's amazing. What can happen during the off-season, all the hype that has been building for the game against the Longhorns, a non-conference game against a non-rival, a game that has taken a new level of interest from Longhorn fans?  It was suppose to be a home opener lacking of any form of excitement other then it's a season opener and a chance for the Longhorn players to hit somebody that isn't on their own roster.

Schnellenberger isn't into the doldrums of the ordinary; he made sure to stir the pot, and he has done just that,  by calling the Longhorn, soft and not physical.

Some might call him a bit crazy and out of touch with reality, the opposite is true, geniuses are usually misunderstood creatures and this is no different.  Through his hyperboles and witty comments, some might have difference of opinions about the witty part, but there is hidden meaning behind the madness that lurks on the surface.   When you peel the skin and look underneath you start to understand the follies.

Or do you?

One can never truly gauge the intent of the man, but you get a feeling in some way, it stops the players falling into a comfort zone after achieving some success, yet it also serves as a way to heighten the confidence level he has in his players.  It further reiterates, why the players have come to Florida Atlantic and the reason why they bought into the vision of their fearless leader.  He has instill the belief within his players that they are good enough to compete with the likes of Texas, reality says we are now quite there, but before you get the results you want, you do have to believe it and prepare like that time is here.  And this is the approach he has used from day one and the results speak for themselves.

These Owls just don't seem to follow common wisdom and seem to drum to their own beat.  Lead by a conductor that defies normality's and changes time signatures at his discretion.

So the expectations for this Owl team have not only risen, but has redefined the outlook that has already been building.  Leave it to the Wise Old Grand Owl to strip any level of comfort the player might have felt heading into the season, and challenges them to raise the bar even higher.  No time for complacency here. 

The quest for a new chapter start today as the Owls march into Austin with hopes of pulling out one of the biggest upsets in their young history, trying to ink yet another first.

There seems to be a mystery surrounding this team, hard to explain, especially when it features the league's most dominating rushing attack in senior quarterback Michael Desormeaux and tailback Michael Fenroy. 

Desormeaux was the Cajun's leading rusher with 1,141 yards rushing, seven touchdowns while he threw for more then 1,400 yards, 10 touchdowns.  While Fenroy pounded out his third straight 1,000 yard season, first player to do so in Belt history, including 1,021 yards rushing last season, despite sitting out one game and the majority of another.  This combo, forms one of the best in the league and with Desormeaux average of 251.6 yards per game, help rank the Cajun's seventh nationally in rushing.

Yet success has eluded this team ever since they shared the conference title back in 2005 with Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State.  It did mark a high note for a program that hadn't seen a wining record in ten years.  Success was short lived indeed and armed with new level of excitement, the Cajun hope to move above the .500 mark for the first since 2005.

The Cajuns do have something to feel good about, they return seventeen starters laced with talent and athleticism.

"Our offense has been pretty productive," Bustle said. "We just got to be able to throw the ball well enough and get some people outside and make some plays to keep people from sticking their nose in the running game all the time".

It's pretty evident that the Cajun are seeking to find a more balance attack for the offense to keep opposing defense honest and they will have to find a way to develop some of their receivers.  Derick Smith and Jason Chery combined for 42 percent of the receptions, mirroring the same percentage in touchdown.   And it looks like Lance Kelley is penciled in as their number three receiver.

The rest of the receivers are talented but young.  One of those freshmen is Ladarius Green, Owls fans should remember that name, there was a time during the recruiting process he almost became an Owl.  And he could find some playing time this season, he has shown his ability to catch the ball.  This is a unit that will need to find some consistency or the Cajun's will stay a one-headed monster, a rushing machine.

Even though the Cajuns looked banged up on the offensive line heading out of spring, they should return a solid group led by junior center Chris Fisher and junior tackle Kyle Pirtle.

The defense returns six starters and will need to show some improvement, if the Cajuns want to be serious contenders.

The defensive line need to replace all-conference Rodney Hardeway and Korey Raymond.  The experience will come form junior LaQuincy Williams and senior Seth Adams and will need to find a way to get it together if the Cajun's want to improve the run defense. 

The linebacking corps will provide the strength of the Cajun's defense, led by senior Antwyne Zanders, senior Brent Burkhalter and sophomore Grant Fleming who has shown to have made some progress since his freshman year and could develop to be a top linebacker in the Belt.

The secondary took a big hit due to graduation and return some experience with junior Deon Wallace, senior Derrick Smith and the only starter junior Gerren Blount.

The defense is playing with more passion and attitude that seem to have been lacking last season.  Will this renewed enthusiasm from the defense be enough to allow the Cajuns to remain competitive in 2008? Arm with this new attitude, creating turnovers is also become a theme that is being reinforce during preseason.

And with the offense trying to find a more balance attack, the question will be, can they make better decision offensively, they will need to find consistency and do a better job of protecting the ball.  Going away from their strength, may not be the way to get these things done.

The one label that seemed to have attached itself to this team is youth and not by design.  It has been a far different ride for the Blue Raider fans or head coach Rick Stockstill, ever could have envisioned would happen after the winning a share of the Sun-Belt Conference Title in 2006.  And it has been anything but pleasant.  

Their offensive linemen have been playing their own version of musical chairs, coming at a high price; it's costing them the services of linemen's.  Down to eight able bodies on scholarship that are available up front, continues a thread that started last season.

So you guest it, the Blue Raider will struggle on offense and will be lead by two very capable quarterbacks who might be sharing the duties under center during the course of the season. 

Things should have been different for the Blue Raiders and what appeared to be a promising season could turn into a very long season for Blue Raider fans.

The train ride derailed not long after reaching the destination and is now left playing with a group of young players, two-thirds of which are freshman or sophomores (49 to be exact), 69 of the scholarship players from a field of 73 on the roster, should be healthy to play by the start of the season, so they hope.  This team resembles a FCS team and not a FBS, where the limit is 85 scholarships.

There are a few bright spots on offense and we can start by looking at the quarterbacks.

They return two very capable quarterbacks in sophomore Dwight Dasher and senior Joe Craddock and both will be leaned on heavily to keep them from sinking to the cellar of the Sun-Belt conference. 

The backfield does hold some comfort, with an outstanding runner in junior Desmond Gee and speedy junior tailback Phillip Tanner.  The only draw back for this duo is their toughness, both are not considered every down backs and Tanner will have to stay healthy to give these Blue Raiders hope on offense.

The receiving corps will feature senior Patrick Honeycutt and Michael Cannon, the rest of the unit is young and will need to find a way to help bring balance to a unit that lack experience and depth.  Desmond Gee can also provide some help here and is a proven playmaker as a receiver.

The defense on the other hand should be a strength for the Blue Raiders and will rely on junior Chris McCoy and senior Wes Hofacker to fill the void, left by all-conference and sixth round pick of the Dallas Cowboys Erik Walden and Tavares Jones.

The strength of this unit is in the secondary, led by junior Alex Suber, Senior Ted Riley, Rod Isaac, junior college transfer Marcus Udell (a former Alabama signee), and sophomore Jeremy Kellem.

The defense will need to carry this team for the most part and could find itself running out of steam as the season progresses. 

Youth has been served and will plague the Blue Raiders from making this a successful season, the banged up offensive line won't allow for the receiving corps to develop in a way to bring stability and balance on offense and the defense will find itself exhausted by season end.  Staying healthy is key to salvaging this season.

Cristobal has said all the right things so far, trying to move the Golden Panther forward, giving this team new focus and direction.  The program will be sporting a new logo, uniforms, and mascot to start the season, helping distant themselves from any resembles of the Strock ERA.

Last years struggle where to be expected with a team that featured a group of players made up primarily of freshman & sophomores. 

The season ended on a high note for the Golden Panthers, ending a 23-game losing streak by defeating North Texas 38-19 in the final college game in the Orange Bowl, the Golden Panthers are hoping to build on that momentum.  "We finally have that breakthrough", Cristobal said.  "You know what it truly does, it validates a lot of what was done to get to that point. It helps players understand why you have done certain things".

So what can we expect from FIU this season?

The easy answer is that they will improve.  Here is a team that has finish in the cellar of the Sun-Belt conference the past two year, looking for a way off the bottom with a renewed optimism heading into 2008.

This is a team that has plenty of talent and has shown improvements, raising the expectations for 2008, as the building process continues, which started with a solid recruiting class. 

The offense should be an improved group this season and their success will depend on the play of their quarterback and offensive line.  FIU will have to make a decision on their quarterback as they head into the season opener at Kansas.  Junior QB Paul McCall seems to have the slight edge considering he has done well with the new offensive scheme during spring practices, while Senior QB Wayne Younger was rehabbing a broken right collarbone, an injury he suffered in a game against Florida Atlantic.

While the battle for quarterback ensues, the receiving corps looks to have solidified themselves with junior Jeremy Dickens, sophomore Marquis Rolle, sophomore Greg Ellingson (their top receiver last year), converted safety Alonzo Phillips and with newcomers Junior Mertile and T.Y. Hilton both are hoping to make an immediate impact not only with their hands, but their speed.

The backfield appears to be solid with senior RB A'mod Ned and freshman RB Julian Rheams looking to also make an impact for the Golden Panthers.

The biggest question mark heading into the season will be the play of the offensive line which will have a huge impact determining how this offense improves. Expect another of year struggles and inconsistent play, but overall they will have better production from this unit. 

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Defensively, FIU should be much improved as a unit, where several newcomers out of Booker-T Washington vying for some playing time.  On the defensive line Kambriel Willis and Jonathan Jackson have both shown their speed and power, a welcomed sight for the defensive front hoping to improve on a pass rush. 

And how much are they going to rely on the influx of youth coming in, there are player part of the latest recruiting class that could push for playing time in 2008.  This is part of the problem a team faces when they are re-building a program, just how much do you lean on the inexperience youth to help bridge the talent gap and Cristobal want players to come in and compete for positions right away

Arm with a new level of optimism, FIU should find their way out of the cellar, just how far they climb with depend on key players staying healthy.  If the injury bug hits, I not sure they have the depth just yet to sustain any major injuries to key players, so how high they climb will be a reflection of this.

Besides the new look the the Golden Panthers will be playing in their new 18,000 seat stadium and will welcome the South Florida Bulls to open the new digs for their home opener on Sept. 20^th .  With all the expectations and optimism building for 2008, coupled with playing in their new stadium, Golden Panther fans now have something to feel good about their program heading into the season opener at Kansas.

Besides the fact that it was a hot day yesterday, the offense behind Rusty Smith was smoking, scoring on all first three possessions, before the defense knew what hit them, making it look far too easy.

Everyone seemed perplex, not suffering from heat exhaustion just yet anyway, but if you talked to anyone that was at Fan Fest, it was expected that the defense would dominate and take control of the first scrimmage.  I expected it and should know better considering these are the Owls, they never behavior like everyone expect them to. 

Bare with me on this report, I lost two pens during the festivities and was left with one that was a bit temperamental; I can barely read my scribbles, which is usually hard enough to read anyway.

While Rusty and the offense was clicking in high gear, other player got plenty of action and VanCamp made a nice showing for himself.  There where many new comers that got plenty of reps as well making the best of their opportunity.

Avery Holley is looking to get back within the mix on the depth chart with some great catches, but it will be a difficult task competing with receivers that have the height advantage.  It's nice to see some height for once on the outside and should make for some nice targets, hopefully we can make it an advantage for us, especially with the accuracy of Rusty's arm.

Alfred Morris continues to show why he has earned a place on the depth chart, this is a player I enjoy watching and looking for him to becoming a big contributor in the near future.

Charles Pierre seems to continue to improve, solidifying his position as the number one back.  Hard to explain, but it appears that be is running with much more purpose and determination out there, there seems to be less hesitation.

David Muniz is another player that benefited with some extra duties yesterday, doing a good job showing that he will be fighting Morris every step of the way for that back-up spot at full back.

Darian Williams,  WR a freshman also getting into the mix by making some nice catches, good size and already showing the ability to getting open.

Offensively, the Owls are looking very solid, now and for the very near future.  There is so much talent on this side of the ball and it looks like we have some solid recruits at the QB position in Wilbert & Kooi.

Should there be any concerns with the defense, well there are still some question marks that will need to be answered as we get closer to the start of the season, and leadership appears to one of those.  It was clear who the leaders on defense where last year and now a few will have to emerge to give the defense the back-bone they need. 

When the Arkansas State player last wore their uniforms, their mascot was the Indians, and with the beginning of Pre-Season camp, will take on a new identity, as the Red Wolves.   And this marks a new beginning in many areas for these Red Wolves, four starters on the offensive line and all four starters in the secondary will have to be replaced. 

ASU do return six starters on offense, three of which are on the All-SBC Preseason Team, and five on the defensive side, with two making the All-SBC Preseason Team.

They do return All-SBC Preseason Team OL Matt Mandich on a line that will need his leadership to bring some balance to a line that needs to be re-built.  The other starters on offense need no introduction; they are the anchor of the team, that will be called upon to literally carry the team once again.  Roberts hopes to change the heavily dependence of the duo consisting of QB Corey Leonard, finalist for the Davey O'Bren Award and RB Reggie Arnold, selection on the All-SBC Preseason Team.  What head coach Robert wants may not be easily attained especially with an offensive line that needs work and a backfield that lacks depth & experience.  The combination of QB Corey Leonard & RB Reggie Arnold do form a formidable pair, with the dual threat of Leonard, who can run and throw and Arnold who is on pace to become ASU's all-time rushing leader.

To help fill the void on the offensive line, ASU has brought in two junior college transfers, in Kiano Prater and Derek Newton to help solidify a line that does have some experience even in the absence of four starters. 

Leonard will have some help in the form of the an other ASU player selected to the All-SBC Preseason Team in TE David Johnson who has proven to be a solid contributor along with junior Brandon Thompkins, 41 passes & 503 yards in 2007.  The receiving unit will need to find some consistency, something that was lacking at times last season, if they want to lift some of the responsibilities off the shoulders of Leonard.  Another receiver to watch, will be junior Jariel Norman, with limited experience, yet big things are expected of him.  To help easy the lack of depth, this unit will be joined by two junior college transfers in Jahbari McLennan, who is becoming a favorite target for Leonard and Taylor Clements. The TE position seems to have the most depth and will probably figure to be part of the offensive schemes this season.

RB Arnold will try for a third consecutive 1,000 yard season, rushed for 1,076 as a freshman and 1,060 last years, totaling 13 careers TD's, including a career best of nine last seasons.  Arnold has been riddled with some injuries the past two seasons and with a supporting cast that needs to develop experience and depth quickly, his health will be a big determine factor on how ASU fair this season, he has citied some lofty goals: 1,500 yards rushing and 20 TD.  This is a position that lack considerable depth, a big difference from a year ago, will feature a freshman in RB Derek Lawson holding on to the number two position, where Lawson had three others ahead of him on the depth chart last season will now be called on to produce this season.  RB Lawson does have some impressive numbers from his high school days, a record-breaking 3,090 yards season.   

Much of the Red Wolves success will fall squarely on the shoulders and health of the duo, Leonard and Arnold.  Both will be counted on to lead the Red Wolves offensive attack, again.  The hope will hinge on players with limited or no experience to provide support.

Moving to the other side of the ball, the defense lost all the starters in the secondary and return two players that are also on the All-SBC Preseason Team, they are junior DL Alex Carrington and senior LB Ben Owens.  While there is some experience back there, they will have big shoes to fill, three of the starters from last years unit are in an NFL camps this year.  Even with an experience defensive line being the bright spot for the defense, there is should be enough experience within the linebackers corp that this unit should find enough cohesiveness to be effect, yet it will need to grow up rather quickly, the secondary will be young and experience might come at a high price.

There are just too many questions to be answered to expect this team to compete for the conference title, yet there is enough talent on the team for them to make some noise and possibly ruin someone season.  Inconsistent play will unfortunately be their downfall and keep them from making any stride distinguishing them from the middle of the pack.

The players have mentioned that this has been, THE hardest camp so far and Howard has confirmed he has raised the intensity level of his workouts up a notch, Could this have taken a toll on the team with the amount of injuries that seem to be piling up, hard to question the coach though, he has done it his way for too long to stop now. 

Break them down before you build them up.  It does send a message to his players that you must work harder to not only stay on top but to also elevate your game and it doesn't allow the players to become complacent after a nice little run of success last season.

There is no question the expectations are higher for this season and with comments like these by Howard: "My defense will get to a point where they will be mean, nasty and ornery bastards and that's what you need for Texas. Texas will move the ball with tit-for-tat, screens and options, but we'll make them pay a price whenever they catch one of those dinky passes. We'll put three hats on them and make them not want to get up, that's the way to beat Texas." highlighting the needs from a defense that must improve their performance at the line.  Fair warning have been given and you get the sense that a precedence has taken place to elevate the play of the front four, which will define the Owls success on defense this season.

With so many injuries so far, will this be a watered down version of Fan Fest.  As fan start to filter in and fill the stands today, most will be expecting to see their favorites, instead will get a chance to see the future something you might expect from a Spring game.  The only exception is that you will get a glimpse of a few players that will have a chance to play this year as they gain valuable experience during today's scrimmage.

Fans should be, at least I am, excited seeing some of the young studs waiting in the wing at their chance to showcase their talents, a few might have an immediate impact.  Here are a few that I will be looking forward to seeing today: #31 RB Alfred Morris, #2 RB Avionne Rolle, #14 QB Graham Wilbert, #15 QB David Kooi, #35 CB Curtis Cross, #8 RB Xavier Stinson and recently converted QB to TE Alex Fick.

I know that the scrimmage game today comes after a three a day session on Friday, so I am hoping for the players to have enough in the tank to give the fans a spirited scrimmage today.

With the start of the season right around the corner, I will be breaking down the Sun-Belt conference starting with the Red Wolves of Arkansas State, this coming Sunday.

Today will headline the first day the players will be in full pads which turns the heat-up a notch and with the injury to DB Tavious Polo a battle for that position will also intensify.

Polo had the hot start last season, leading the NCAA in interception (with 7) for a while, his production dropped off as the season progress, the concern is not in the numbers of pass he intercepted, but his play as a whole and if you take away the interception it was an average performance.  He is one player that can lest afford an injury right now, the kid needs the work or we could end up with another one-hit wonder (anyone remember Skinner and the promise he held).  Polo does possess the skills and talent to become a good one, it needs to be developed, so hopefully the competition that is gearing up at the corner position will push him to elevate his game.

There are a few players battling for his position, Hill and McIntosh both with experience or could this set-up a situation that another freshman makes splash for this position, a highly regarded kid from Belle Glades , first player from that area for the Owls, CB Curtis Cross.  If Polo thought he had good closing speed, I would bet Cross to be faster.

This is one battle that I will be keeping my eye on as practice moves us closer to the season opener at Texas.

This is the time of the year I look forward to every year; I will be at practice today getting my first look at the players.  Even with work taking away from the time I get to spent preparing material for the web-site and the site development which I have unfortunately fallen a couple months behind of where I would have like to be, this time of year is what this is all about.

Nothing beats the thundering sound of pads and seeing players grinding it out.  This is where I have developed a great amount of respect for the players, especially the one busting their tails trying to make the squad and where I fell in love with this game.  It makes watching the games even more satisfying, knowing just how hard these players work to give us fans moments of enjoyments, especially in victories.

With elevated expectations by both fans & national press, there seems to be a similar themes developing around the Oxley center, reminiscent of '03 heading into the season opener against Hawaii.  The theme back then was to beat Hawaii and concurrently, a theme that focuses on the possibilities of an upset of Texas emanates from a group that returns many veterans.  It gives me indications that the players themselves have place higher expectations on themselves, pushing harder then ever to reach the very heights their wise leader have been preaching, the players now believe and their successes have only reinforce what has been catechize from the beginning.

As the players report to camp today, the Owls will step into a role they are not accustom being in, the favorites to repeat as conference champion.  At this juncture last year, they where picked by the coaches to finish 7^th, even then the players felt they should be among the favorites, set out to prove everyone wrong. 

The road wasn't easy, but stood at the top of the hill after the dust settled, earning a trip to their first Bowl game and victory against the Tigers of Memphis.  The Owls seem to peak at the right time last year, never looking back after that dreadful loss to the Warhawk's, in a rain soaked triple overtime mayhem.

So what can we expect from these Owls as we head into camp?

The major difference heading into camp this year, the quarterback position is solid.  There is no talk as to who might be ready to take over the helms and lead the troops.  Even last year as we headed into the season, there were some concerns on the offensive side of the ball.  Rusty did show during spring & fall practices the amount of growth he made in the off-season as a player and leader, on and off the field.  Even with that renewed enthusiasm, a shadow still hung over his shoulders with some concerns with his delivery motion and how he would fair under battle conditions, after his earlier struggles.

After the home opener win against conference rival, the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee, most of those concerns where left on that field that day and new heroes where born on that day.  That first game was a preview of what the Owls were capable of and the rest is history.

Rusty had developed into a solid player and leader for a team that needed both, timing was perfect.