Coming off four straight losing seasons the Toledo Rockets took a big step forward this year under second year coach Tim Beckman. In 2010 the Rockets 8-4 in the regular season and garnered itself it's first bowl invite since 2005. Toledo finished an impressive 7-1 in the MAC, with the lone loss being to the MAC West Champs Northern Illinois. Out of conference Toledo ran into a couple of brick walls in the form of Arizona and Boise State but they did collect a good out-of-conference win against Big ten foe Purdue. We caught up with the Toledo Blog Let's Go Rockets to get some of our questions answered about the Rockets 2010 season.
1. Toledo went from 5-7 in 2009 to 8-5 and in a bowl game in 2010. How satisfied are you with the season and what were the major reasons for the turnaround?
Before the season began, we predicted a solid 8-4 season with a possible bowl game for Toledo this year. Realistically, we envisioned losses to Arizona, Purdue, Boise, and a MAC loss along the way. Toledo dropped one to Wyoming after a great win at Purdue but other than those two games, we were close in our prediction. Returning to the post season is a big step in getting Toledo back where it needs to be to contend in the MAC every year. Getting 8 wins makes this a satisfying season for us but the goal of a MAC Championship and bowl victory are still pressing for next season.
Factors contributing to the turnaround at Toledo have been the improved facilities, embedding competition in everything (Beckman is keen on competing), great recruiting by Beckman and staff, and the renewed hardwork and dedication that the staff and players have put in this year. Next year should be even better!
2. What were your favorite moments of the season?
We have several favorite moments this season. Winning against Ohio, early in the season, helped the Rockets and their fans to realize this team could be pretty good, if not better than expected. Defeating Purdue was a big step in showing the team that we could compete with opponents, regardless of conference and gave the MAC a needed reputation bump. The whooping the Rockets laid on the Falcons is a favorite, because, well... BGSUcks.
3. Which players surprised you the most this season?
Although Eric Page earned multiple awards this season, we feel that the biggest surprise was the balance on offense. Eric Page could have received a lot more looks than he did, but the balance in the running game kept defenses guessing. While Morgan Williams appeared to be the back that would carry the load in the ground game this year, Adonis Thomas really stepped up as an effective and capable running threat. While battling injury, David Fluellen also played a key role in the running game.
4. Who are you most looking forward to watching play next year?
We are really looking forward to seeing what Eric Page can do in his Junior season as well as watching Thomas and Fluellen carry the load in the backfield. Fluellen has a chance to be a star. Toledo is fortunate to have a strong group of incoming players - freshmen, JUCOs, and transfers - who should make an impact right away and we’re anxious to see their positive impact on both sides of the ball.
5. What does Toledo need to do in the off-season to keep their momentum going forward and challenge for a MAC Championship?
Toledo absolutely cannot let up on the momentum they’ve built this season. Beckman has built a culture of competition at Toledo that has starters and non-starters alike vying for playing time every week. This keeps everyone pushing to be better and working hard every week and we’ve seen the dramatic results of this effort on the field. Beckman has another talented class of recruits headed to the program and the integration of their talents with an established system of play will be important in allowing the largest possible impact of these talents on the program. The Rockets have to continue to hone their offensives weapons to take pressure off Eric Page and allow for more varied looks on offense. Also, the Rockets have to clean up their special teams play to avoid giving up big plays and help the defense in field position. These are all realistic goals for the off-season that Toledo can use to strengthen the chances of playing for a MAC Championship in 2011.
Showing posts with label MAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MAC. Show all posts
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Steve Adazzio to Temple: Good Hire or Potential Bust?
From 2004 to 2006 Temple's combined record was 3-31. After 4-8 and 5-7 seasons in 2007 and 2008 Al Golden and his Owls posted a 9-4 record (7-1 in conference) and got a bowl invitation. In 2010 the Owls had similar success at 8-4 but did not receive a bowl invitation and their head coach accepted a job with the Miami Hurricanes. After bringing Temple from the unspeakable horrors of earlier this decade to a respectable 8 or 9 win team for consecutive seasons it was now time for the Temple Owls to find another Head Coach who could maintain the momentum that Al Golden had started. The Temple Owls made the decision to offer the Head Coaching position to embattled Florida Gators Offensive Coordinator Steve Adazzio. For those that follow college football in the south this was a very surprising choice as Adazzio has been getting killed by Florida Gators faithful for the better part of his stint as OC.
Adazzio has been a College Football coach since 1995. He served as OC to Gerry DiNardo at Indiana in 2004 (finished 101st in Total Offense, 76th in Points Per Game, 81st in Passing Yards Per Game and 62nd in Rushing Yards Per Game). After that season he joined Urban Meyer's staff and became Offensive Coordinator after Dan Mullen left to take the Mississippi State job. While at Florida Adazzio played a major role in keeping the Gators together while Urban Meyer dealt with his health problems last year and was named the 2010 National Recruiter of the Year.
In some ways Adazzio looks like he could be a very good fit for Temple. Adazzio has been recruiting the Northeast for the last 15 years and is a native of Connecticut so he knows that area. In my opinion, Adazzio will only be successful if he builds a quality staff around him and builds an infrastructure that allows for promotion from within (let's be honest Temple is not a job people ascend to it's a job they ascend from).
I talked to 4 different College Football Fanatics to get their views of the Steve Adazzio hire. I turned to two guys from our very own site and then I turned to guys who follow Temple and Florida football to get their opinions on this hire:
The Bull Gator from TheBullGator.com:
Adazzio has been a College Football coach since 1995. He served as OC to Gerry DiNardo at Indiana in 2004 (finished 101st in Total Offense, 76th in Points Per Game, 81st in Passing Yards Per Game and 62nd in Rushing Yards Per Game). After that season he joined Urban Meyer's staff and became Offensive Coordinator after Dan Mullen left to take the Mississippi State job. While at Florida Adazzio played a major role in keeping the Gators together while Urban Meyer dealt with his health problems last year and was named the 2010 National Recruiter of the Year.
In some ways Adazzio looks like he could be a very good fit for Temple. Adazzio has been recruiting the Northeast for the last 15 years and is a native of Connecticut so he knows that area. In my opinion, Adazzio will only be successful if he builds a quality staff around him and builds an infrastructure that allows for promotion from within (let's be honest Temple is not a job people ascend to it's a job they ascend from).
I talked to 4 different College Football Fanatics to get their views of the Steve Adazzio hire. I turned to two guys from our very own site and then I turned to guys who follow Temple and Florida football to get their opinions on this hire:
The Bull Gator from TheBullGator.com:
The first thing you’re probably going to hear from most Florida fans when it comes to Steve Addazio and the Temple job is “WHAT?!?” It’s an understandable reaction, but might actually be a wrong one. Addazio is always going to be in that Ron Zook gray area for Gator fans. Great recruiter who most players loved, but a coach who couldn’t get it done on the field. With the talent Florida had, how much the offense struggled was frustrating to say the least. And it wasn't just a little struggle here and there, it was a lot all of the time. So to see the man who didn’t do well as an offensive coordinator suddenly become a head coach…well…it’s odd to say the least.
But Addazio can do well as a head coach and he can probably do well at Temple. First of all, the pressure is off. The scrutiny he faced at Florida was immeasurable. At Temple he’ll be allowed to ease into the roll and will be given more time in a job where the expectations aren’t as high. He also won’t have to run the offense. He can be involved in it, but if he hires an offensive coordinator, he won’t have to run an offense that he might not have been comfortable with like he did at Florida. This is actually the type of job Addazio needs. He was a great offensive line coach and one that probably would have gotten a head coaching job sometime soon anyway. Then he was promoted to offensive coordinator and 2009 and 2010 happened. Although he didn’t perform well in the OC role, those two seasons shouldn’t be entirely put on his shoulders. I’m not sure how well he’ll do at Temple, but this might not be as bad of a hire as many thought early on. That said, as a Gator fan, I’m glad the offense is headed in a different direction in 2011.
He recruits the Northeast well and will probably be able to entice some less-renowned Florida kids to head up to Temple, so he'll probably maintain the on-field talent at the same level Al Golden had it. But it's really difficult to ignore the way he systematically destroyed the Florida offense over the past two years. At UF, he had elite talent and the best facilities and assistant coaches money can buy at his disposal, yet he colossally underachieved. He may be a great recruiter and a great position coach, but he clearly struggled with the additional responsibilities of being an offensive coordinator. So now he's getting more responsibility but with less talent, lesser assistants, and much worse facilities...I'm not optimistic about his chances for success. Granted, expectations at Temple aren't the same as those at Florida, so maybe he'll do well enough to meet them, but he's not the guy to take them to "the next level" (whatever that means at Temple).
I hope Temple enjoyed the brief run of (relative) success that Al Golden brought them, because the odds of it continuing under Addazzio are pretty damn remote. Maybe that's an unfair assumption since (to my knowledge) he's never been a head coach, but it's hard to have much confidence in a coach who underperformed so dramatically as an offensive coordinator with talent on par with what he had at Florida (like, say, Tim Tebow - only one of the best college players ever). Maybe he'll hire some brilliant minds to be coordinators and he'll be able to sit back and direct things ably from a managerial position... but probably not. Welcome back to irrelevance, Temple.
Initially, negative. Having met the guy, positive. I heard Tom Bradley came across, to be kind, as drab in the interview session and this guy was an absolute dynamo. Does dynamo translate into on-field results? We'll see, but it can't hurt recruiting. My only reservation is that he's never been a game-day head coach. If Villanova gives this team even a close game next year, he probably never will be one. That's how early we'll find out.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Temple Owls: 2010 Exit Survey
At the beginning of the year we searched high and far to find informative bloggers, beat writers and fans to answer some questions for us and give us some insight into their teams for our Pre-Season Previews. Now the season is coming to a close and Bowl Season is upon us. We will re-visit our Friends of Blog as their teams finish up the year to find out how they feel about the season and take a quick peak into what is in store for their team in the 2011/2012 College Football Season. In of first installment of these "Exit Surveys" we partner up with Mike Gibson of Temple Football Forever. To go back in time and read our Pre-Season Preview with Mike you can click here. Despite finishing with a record of 8-4 Temple was left on the outside looking in when the bowls were selected. Oh yeah, did I mention that they also lost their coach to Miami (Fl)? Temple football is definitely at a cross roads and it will be interesting to see which path they take. Here is what Mike had to say about the 2010 Temple season as well as a glimpse into the future.
How disappointing was it for Temple to go 8-4, beat a team that's playing in a BCS bowl and not get invited to a bowl?
Disappointing, but not unexpected. The Owls lost their final two games badly and their only competition for the final available bowl was Ohio and Ohio won the head-to-head. It does point out that the NCAA is corrupt as the BCS schools pushed through the rule change that allowed 6-6 teams to be invited above at-large teams with a winning record. There's no way a 6-6 team should have been invited above Temple.
Temple has a huge task of finding a replacement for Miami bound Al Golden. Who would you like to see take the helm for the Owls?
Steelers' offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. He posted two 6-5 seasons at Temple with no facilities and playing a schedule that regularly included West Virginia, Pitt, Penn State, BYU, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Alabama, etc., etc.
What was your favorite moment of the season?
Beating UConn by two touchdowns, avenging the two prior meetings when the Owls were screwed by refs in 23-22 and 12-6 (OT) losses. Bernard Pierce played like a Heisman Trophy winner that day and Adrian Robinson played like the MAC defensive player of the year.
For those of us who didn't get a chance to watch Temple play this year, who are some of the guys who stepped up and who will be the major players next season?
Bernard Pierce and Adrian Robinson.
What area does your team need to improve on the most this off-season?
Game-day coaching. Al Golden led the nation in brain farts, but he's Miami's problem now.
How disappointing was it for Temple to go 8-4, beat a team that's playing in a BCS bowl and not get invited to a bowl?
Disappointing, but not unexpected. The Owls lost their final two games badly and their only competition for the final available bowl was Ohio and Ohio won the head-to-head. It does point out that the NCAA is corrupt as the BCS schools pushed through the rule change that allowed 6-6 teams to be invited above at-large teams with a winning record. There's no way a 6-6 team should have been invited above Temple.
Temple has a huge task of finding a replacement for Miami bound Al Golden. Who would you like to see take the helm for the Owls?
Steelers' offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. He posted two 6-5 seasons at Temple with no facilities and playing a schedule that regularly included West Virginia, Pitt, Penn State, BYU, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Alabama, etc., etc.
What was your favorite moment of the season?
Beating UConn by two touchdowns, avenging the two prior meetings when the Owls were screwed by refs in 23-22 and 12-6 (OT) losses. Bernard Pierce played like a Heisman Trophy winner that day and Adrian Robinson played like the MAC defensive player of the year.
For those of us who didn't get a chance to watch Temple play this year, who are some of the guys who stepped up and who will be the major players next season?
Bernard Pierce and Adrian Robinson.
What area does your team need to improve on the most this off-season?
Game-day coaching. Al Golden led the nation in brain farts, but he's Miami's problem now.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Central Michigan Chippewas
2009 Record: 12-2 (8-0 in MAC)
2009 Bowl: GMAC Bowl (Beat Troy 44-41)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #23
Head Coach: Dan Enos (First Year at Central Michigan)
Non-Conference Schedule: Hampton (9/2), at Northwestern (9/25), at Virginia Tech (10/9), at Navy (11/13)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 33.9 points per game (1st in MAC, 13th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 168 (3rd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 255 (5th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 423 (2nd in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 18.9 points per game (1st in MAC, 17th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 122 (2nd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 221 (9th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 344 (4th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.36 per game (3rd in MAC)
Penalties: 50 yards per game (7th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 5
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Ryan Radcliff, Soph (10 of 21 for 115 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT)
Rushing: RB Carl Volny, Sr (82 carries for 390 yds, 3 TD, 5.8 ypc, 27 ypg)
Receiving: WR Kito Poblah, Sr (53 rec, 681 yds, 4 TD, 3.8 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Nick Bellore, Sr (132)
Sacks: DT Sean Murnane, Sr (3.5); NG John Williams, Jr (3.5)
Interceptions: LB Nick Bellore, Sr (2); FS Dannie Bolden, Jr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Sporting News: #73
Athlon Sports: #95
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #3
Phil Steele: #5
Central Michigan has gone 32-7 in the last 5 years in MAC competition and has been a dominant force in the conference. Head Coach Butch Jones has exited after 3 years (he was 20-3 in the MAC) to take the Cincinnati job. Also gone is NFL Draft Pick QB Dan LeFevour. LeFevour left Central Michigan with the most TDs in NCAA FBS history with 149. LeFevour also holds the MAC records for career completions, attempts, passing yards, passing TDs, and total offensive yards. To say he leaves big shoes to fill who be a huge understatement. Central Michigan will be breaking in a new QB and a new coach this year. We reached out to Kyle Warber, who covers the Chippewas for MLive and Scout.com, to find out what to expect from the 2010 Central Michigan Chippewas.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The major strength of the 2010 Central Michigan Chippewas is the defense. While CMU lost a great defensive end and a couple great defensive backs to graduation, they return everybody else and some of the underclassman like safety Jahleel Addea look to be better than the players they are replacing.
The major weakness is our untested QB Ryan Radcliff, who could turn out to be an excellent player but given his prior outings -- two pick sixes -- he leaves something to be desired. We also lack athleticism at the wide receiver position with the departure of wide receiver Antonio Brown to the NFL.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
The Temple Owls might have been the best team in the MAC last year, but they flopped against Ohio, and never got to face CMU in the MAC Championship Game. CMU plays Temple at Philadelphia in their second game of the year. Most people -- myself included -- feel this will be a preview of who is going to win the championship in December. Temple is definitely the early favorites but Central Michigan could change that with a solid showing in their first game against Hampton on September 2nd.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
It's pick your poison for Central Michigan. The only break we get is getting to play our biggest rival Western Michigan at home. After that we will play pre-season favorite Northern Illinois in De Kalb, IL and rising power Toledo at their place as well. These are road venues that Central Michigan rarely wins and will certainly be a challenge for a rebuilding Chippewas team.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Sophomore Jahleel Addea is a 5-10 heat seeking missile who Central Michigan was able to land despite offers from Iowa State and West Virginia. He played sparingly last year due to our loaded secondary, but he is shaping to be one of the best safeties Central Michigan has ever had. I am so high on him that I wouldn't be surprised if he makes first team defense in the MAC and potentially the defensive player of the year.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Our good defense (haha)? In all honesty, the best player on our offense might be either of our two running backs. Junior Paris Cotton is game tested -- he tied our game with a great TD catch against Michigan State last year -- and he could have a break out season in our new power running game. And then there is Tim Phillips. Nobody has more more hype on our offense going into 2010 than the 5-foot-5 Phillips who could never get past his injuries in 2009, and is looking for redemption in 2010.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Linebacker Nick Bellore is the captain of the defense and probably the most respected player on the team. He is just a hard worker in the mold of all those great Chicago Bear's linebackers like Brian Urlacher, who bring a lunch pail to work and create absolute havoc when it's game time..
What player needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Sophomore QB Ryan Radcliff has more pressure on him than any other player on the team. Right now things are shaping up to be like that recent Bears Super Bowl team or CMU; that Bears team who got to the promise land thanks to their defense and just asked wild man QB Rex Grossman to limit his turnovers and score at least two touchdowns. There is no doubt in my mind that the members of the defense are just begging Radcliff to just manage the offense and get a couple scores so they can do the rest.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Deon Butler is a 6-foot-4 wide receiver who would have been headed to Michigan State or Michigan if he played football as a junior. In his first season catching touchdown passes for Inkster High School (Inkster, Mich.) he was a dominant force who led his team to the D-II Championship Game. I expect him to start as a true freshman for the Chippewas.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We took one JUCO defensive back from Grand Rapids Community College named Anthony Hollis who is expected to come in and contribute right away. He also reported an offer from Illinois and the CMU coaches are very confident in his talents.
Who is your pick to win the MAC this year (excluding Central Michigan)?
Temple has everything going for it, and it would be a major upset if they didn't win the title in 2010.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
The expectations for this team are very high. If we lose to our rival Western Michigan or fail to compete for another title you will hear fans calling for our new coach Dan Enos to be fired. After three championships in four years can you blame them? I am predicting a 7-5 campaign in 2010 with losses to Temple, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Toledo, and Northern Illinois.
Follow the MAC action this year by reading Kyle's stuff at MLive and Scout.com. Follow him on twitter @FireUpChips.
Previous MAC Previews
Ball State Cardinals
Bowling Green Falcons
Buffalo Bulls
Temple Owls
Toledo Rockets
Next Up: Colorado State Rams
2010 Previews
ACC- Boston College Eagles, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MWC- UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
SEC- Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: GMAC Bowl (Beat Troy 44-41)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #23
Head Coach: Dan Enos (First Year at Central Michigan)
Non-Conference Schedule: Hampton (9/2), at Northwestern (9/25), at Virginia Tech (10/9), at Navy (11/13)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 33.9 points per game (1st in MAC, 13th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 168 (3rd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 255 (5th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 423 (2nd in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 18.9 points per game (1st in MAC, 17th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 122 (2nd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 221 (9th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 344 (4th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.36 per game (3rd in MAC)
Penalties: 50 yards per game (7th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 5
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Ryan Radcliff, Soph (10 of 21 for 115 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT)
Rushing: RB Carl Volny, Sr (82 carries for 390 yds, 3 TD, 5.8 ypc, 27 ypg)
Receiving: WR Kito Poblah, Sr (53 rec, 681 yds, 4 TD, 3.8 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Nick Bellore, Sr (132)
Sacks: DT Sean Murnane, Sr (3.5); NG John Williams, Jr (3.5)
Interceptions: LB Nick Bellore, Sr (2); FS Dannie Bolden, Jr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Sporting News: #73
Athlon Sports: #95
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #3
Phil Steele: #5
Central Michigan has gone 32-7 in the last 5 years in MAC competition and has been a dominant force in the conference. Head Coach Butch Jones has exited after 3 years (he was 20-3 in the MAC) to take the Cincinnati job. Also gone is NFL Draft Pick QB Dan LeFevour. LeFevour left Central Michigan with the most TDs in NCAA FBS history with 149. LeFevour also holds the MAC records for career completions, attempts, passing yards, passing TDs, and total offensive yards. To say he leaves big shoes to fill who be a huge understatement. Central Michigan will be breaking in a new QB and a new coach this year. We reached out to Kyle Warber, who covers the Chippewas for MLive and Scout.com, to find out what to expect from the 2010 Central Michigan Chippewas.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The major strength of the 2010 Central Michigan Chippewas is the defense. While CMU lost a great defensive end and a couple great defensive backs to graduation, they return everybody else and some of the underclassman like safety Jahleel Addea look to be better than the players they are replacing.
The major weakness is our untested QB Ryan Radcliff, who could turn out to be an excellent player but given his prior outings -- two pick sixes -- he leaves something to be desired. We also lack athleticism at the wide receiver position with the departure of wide receiver Antonio Brown to the NFL.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
The Temple Owls might have been the best team in the MAC last year, but they flopped against Ohio, and never got to face CMU in the MAC Championship Game. CMU plays Temple at Philadelphia in their second game of the year. Most people -- myself included -- feel this will be a preview of who is going to win the championship in December. Temple is definitely the early favorites but Central Michigan could change that with a solid showing in their first game against Hampton on September 2nd.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
It's pick your poison for Central Michigan. The only break we get is getting to play our biggest rival Western Michigan at home. After that we will play pre-season favorite Northern Illinois in De Kalb, IL and rising power Toledo at their place as well. These are road venues that Central Michigan rarely wins and will certainly be a challenge for a rebuilding Chippewas team.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Sophomore Jahleel Addea is a 5-10 heat seeking missile who Central Michigan was able to land despite offers from Iowa State and West Virginia. He played sparingly last year due to our loaded secondary, but he is shaping to be one of the best safeties Central Michigan has ever had. I am so high on him that I wouldn't be surprised if he makes first team defense in the MAC and potentially the defensive player of the year.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Our good defense (haha)? In all honesty, the best player on our offense might be either of our two running backs. Junior Paris Cotton is game tested -- he tied our game with a great TD catch against Michigan State last year -- and he could have a break out season in our new power running game. And then there is Tim Phillips. Nobody has more more hype on our offense going into 2010 than the 5-foot-5 Phillips who could never get past his injuries in 2009, and is looking for redemption in 2010.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Linebacker Nick Bellore is the captain of the defense and probably the most respected player on the team. He is just a hard worker in the mold of all those great Chicago Bear's linebackers like Brian Urlacher, who bring a lunch pail to work and create absolute havoc when it's game time..
What player needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Sophomore QB Ryan Radcliff has more pressure on him than any other player on the team. Right now things are shaping up to be like that recent Bears Super Bowl team or CMU; that Bears team who got to the promise land thanks to their defense and just asked wild man QB Rex Grossman to limit his turnovers and score at least two touchdowns. There is no doubt in my mind that the members of the defense are just begging Radcliff to just manage the offense and get a couple scores so they can do the rest.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Deon Butler is a 6-foot-4 wide receiver who would have been headed to Michigan State or Michigan if he played football as a junior. In his first season catching touchdown passes for Inkster High School (Inkster, Mich.) he was a dominant force who led his team to the D-II Championship Game. I expect him to start as a true freshman for the Chippewas.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We took one JUCO defensive back from Grand Rapids Community College named Anthony Hollis who is expected to come in and contribute right away. He also reported an offer from Illinois and the CMU coaches are very confident in his talents.
Who is your pick to win the MAC this year (excluding Central Michigan)?
Temple has everything going for it, and it would be a major upset if they didn't win the title in 2010.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
The expectations for this team are very high. If we lose to our rival Western Michigan or fail to compete for another title you will hear fans calling for our new coach Dan Enos to be fired. After three championships in four years can you blame them? I am predicting a 7-5 campaign in 2010 with losses to Temple, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Toledo, and Northern Illinois.
Follow the MAC action this year by reading Kyle's stuff at MLive and Scout.com. Follow him on twitter @FireUpChips.
Previous MAC Previews
Ball State Cardinals
Bowling Green Falcons
Buffalo Bulls
Temple Owls
Toledo Rockets
Next Up: Colorado State Rams
2010 Previews
ACC- Boston College Eagles, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MWC- UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
SEC- Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Toledo Rockets
2009 Record: 5-7 (3-5 in MAC)
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Tim Beckman (5-7 at Toledo)
Non-Conference Schedule: Arizona (9/3), at Purdue (9/25), at Wyoming (10/2), at Boise State (10/9)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 29.7 points per game (2nd in MAC, 108th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 159 (5th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 278 (2nd in MAC, 19th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 437 (1st in MAC, 13th in Nation)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 37.7 points per game (12th in MAC, 116th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 166 (8th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 241 (last in MAC, 95th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 407 (11th in MAC, 95th in Nation)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.83 per game (12th in MAC, 111th in Nation)
Penalties: 70 yards per game (2 in MAC, 113th in Nation)
Returning Starters
Offense: 6
Defense: 6
Kicker/Punter: 1
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
WR Eric Page (First Team; also made Second Team as KR)
LB Archie Donald (Second Team)
TE Danny Noble (Fourth Team)
C Kevin Kowalski (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Austin Dantin, Soph (78 of 118 for 957 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT, 136 ypg)
Rushing: RB Morgan Williams, Jr (74 carries for 444 yds, 2 TD, 6.0 ypc, 44 ypg)
Receiving: WR Eric Page, Soph (82 rec, 1159 yds, 7 TD, 6.8 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Archie Donald, Sr (116)
Sacks: DT Alex Johnson, Sr (3); FS Jermaine Robinson, Soph (3)
Interceptions: DE Doug Westbrook, Sr (3)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: Not Ranked in Top 100
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #92
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #3 (tied with Ball State)
Toledo had one of the better offenses in the MAC last year. Unfortunately, only a few teams (in the Nation) gave up the amount of points that Toledo did last year. In addition to giving up a ton of points, Toledo also ranked in the bottom ten of the Nation in Turnover Margin and Penalty yards. It's hard to win football games when you are shooting yourself in the foot, even if you out gain your opponents (like Toledo did on average last year). It's hard to win when you are giving up 58 points to Western Michigan. After dropping games to Purdue and Ohio State out of conference they rebounded to win 3 of 4 but then dropped 4 of their last 5 to finish 5-7 and a disappointing 3-5 in the MAC. The Rockets play a tough out of conference schedule this year with Arizona, Purdue, Boise State and Wyoming. This will be the second year for Head Coach Tim Beckman. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in year two and if he can make a change for the good in terms of turnover margin and penalties. The Toledo Blog Let's Go Rockets answered some questions for us about Toledo and how they might fare in the MAC this year. One of the things I have learned from them over the past 48 hours is that they really don't like Bowling Green.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
One of our biggest strengths will be our offense. Last season, QB injury kept Toledo's offense from really catching fire but solid play by receivers Stephen Williams and Eric Page and good rushing by DaJuane Collins held things together. Williams and Collins have since graduated but Eric Page (Freshman All-American) returns for his sophomore season and will anchor a strong receiving corps. Morgan Williams is expected to move to the starting RB spot and we should see numbers similar to Collins' out of the backs. Another strength to this team is our recruiting class and their ability to challenge for all spots on the field. With the addition of several young and talented freshmen, this team should be able to offset weaknesses that were exposed and exploited in recent years. Our biggest weakness will still be our defense. While Toledo had a high powered offense last year, the defense was not up to par. We expect them to be much improved after having spent one year in the new system under coach Beckman, but they still have a lot to prove.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
The biggest test for this year's team is our OC schedule. Right out of the gate, we face an Arizona team that is coming off a hard loss to Nebraska in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, after beating USC and Arizona State down the stretch of their regular season to finish 8-4. After two weeks of MAC competition (against Ohio and WMU) UT faces three consecutive weeks of OC opponents - @ Purdue, Wyoming, and @ Boise St.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Boise State is the team who has the greatest chance of making things ugly against the Rockets. We face several strong opponents this year, and while no team can be overlooked, Boise has the weapons in place to really punish a team for their mistakes. We saw what Boise was capable of in 2009 and we expect 2010 to be no different.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
We're big believers in Adonis Thomas. He showed that he is a really talented RB against Miami last season and he could emerge this season as a go-to back. Expect to see more carries for him as Morgan Williams moves to the starting position (filling the spot of Collins) and Thomas assumes the second back role.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
The best offensive player on the team is Eric Page. 2010 is his sophomore season so other teams are going to be chasing this guy around the field for the next couple years. Good luck to them -- Page is explosive and capable of making the athletic catch for big yards.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
It's nearly impossible to pick one name for our best defensive player. (LB) Archie Donald and (DE) Douglas Westbrook seem to always have their names called for tackles and have a real knack for finding the ball. Both will make a big impact on an improved defense. Also, keep in mind that (CB) Desmond Marrow will return to the field in the fall after sitting out with injuries and should help solidify the defensive secondary.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
We need the QBs to step up and solidify the offense. With so many weapons returning on offense, we need a QB who can take control of the game and distribute the ball around to the receivers and backs to make the offense click. Injuries last season made the QB spot a question week-to-week and it would be great to settle in with one QB so the offense can gel around him. Austin Dantin (So.) is slated to take the most snaps under center in the fall, with David Pasquale (So.) and Alex Pettee (Sr.) backing him up.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We're betting that James Green will make an impact as a freshman. As a flanker (WR-Z) we expect to see him creating space between himself and the defenders which should allow him a lot of opportunities to catch the ball. Teams keying on Eric Page and his athletic ability will quickly find out that Green is just as capable and dangerous.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We expect (FS) Ross Madison to make an immediate impact on defense. Ross was a football/track athlete in High school (setting school records in the 40-yard dash and vertical jump and was a state qualifier in the 200 meters and in the 4x100 relay) Ross played safety last year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA and is slated to contribute at free safety for the Rockets.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Guessing a team's final record is difficult, at best. It's particularly difficult to guess a team's performance against OC opponents that you do not face every year, but if we had to nail it down and take a stab at Toledo's 2010 record.... we see the Rockets going 7-5 this season. The defense should be improved and if we see stability from the QB position, the offense should mesh and provide the momentum we need to reach 7 wins (or better).
In just our second year under Coach Beckman, the team is still adapting to Beckman's schemes and coaching style. Players are still trying to understand their roles in the offense/defense and getting familiar with the style of ball that Beckman and his staff are trying to bring to the Glass Bowl.
To be successful, in our eyes, the Rockets need to finish better than last year's 5-7 and have a better showing in the MAC. There were games last season that we could have and should have won --- and we didn't. We need to clean up those loose ends and finish business when it's in our control. There's no reason Toledo should not be competitive in the MAC West and challenge the leaders from both divisions.
Make sure you visit Let's Go Rockets this season to follow Toledo and their progress in the MAC. You can also follow them on Twitter @LetsGoRockets
Next Up: Maryland Terrapins
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Tim Beckman (5-7 at Toledo)
Non-Conference Schedule: Arizona (9/3), at Purdue (9/25), at Wyoming (10/2), at Boise State (10/9)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 29.7 points per game (2nd in MAC, 108th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 159 (5th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 278 (2nd in MAC, 19th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 437 (1st in MAC, 13th in Nation)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 37.7 points per game (12th in MAC, 116th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 166 (8th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 241 (last in MAC, 95th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 407 (11th in MAC, 95th in Nation)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.83 per game (12th in MAC, 111th in Nation)
Penalties: 70 yards per game (2 in MAC, 113th in Nation)
Returning Starters
Offense: 6
Defense: 6
Kicker/Punter: 1
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
WR Eric Page (First Team; also made Second Team as KR)
LB Archie Donald (Second Team)
TE Danny Noble (Fourth Team)
C Kevin Kowalski (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Austin Dantin, Soph (78 of 118 for 957 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT, 136 ypg)
Rushing: RB Morgan Williams, Jr (74 carries for 444 yds, 2 TD, 6.0 ypc, 44 ypg)
Receiving: WR Eric Page, Soph (82 rec, 1159 yds, 7 TD, 6.8 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Archie Donald, Sr (116)
Sacks: DT Alex Johnson, Sr (3); FS Jermaine Robinson, Soph (3)
Interceptions: DE Doug Westbrook, Sr (3)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: Not Ranked in Top 100
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #92
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #3 (tied with Ball State)
Toledo had one of the better offenses in the MAC last year. Unfortunately, only a few teams (in the Nation) gave up the amount of points that Toledo did last year. In addition to giving up a ton of points, Toledo also ranked in the bottom ten of the Nation in Turnover Margin and Penalty yards. It's hard to win football games when you are shooting yourself in the foot, even if you out gain your opponents (like Toledo did on average last year). It's hard to win when you are giving up 58 points to Western Michigan. After dropping games to Purdue and Ohio State out of conference they rebounded to win 3 of 4 but then dropped 4 of their last 5 to finish 5-7 and a disappointing 3-5 in the MAC. The Rockets play a tough out of conference schedule this year with Arizona, Purdue, Boise State and Wyoming. This will be the second year for Head Coach Tim Beckman. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in year two and if he can make a change for the good in terms of turnover margin and penalties. The Toledo Blog Let's Go Rockets answered some questions for us about Toledo and how they might fare in the MAC this year. One of the things I have learned from them over the past 48 hours is that they really don't like Bowling Green.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
One of our biggest strengths will be our offense. Last season, QB injury kept Toledo's offense from really catching fire but solid play by receivers Stephen Williams and Eric Page and good rushing by DaJuane Collins held things together. Williams and Collins have since graduated but Eric Page (Freshman All-American) returns for his sophomore season and will anchor a strong receiving corps. Morgan Williams is expected to move to the starting RB spot and we should see numbers similar to Collins' out of the backs. Another strength to this team is our recruiting class and their ability to challenge for all spots on the field. With the addition of several young and talented freshmen, this team should be able to offset weaknesses that were exposed and exploited in recent years. Our biggest weakness will still be our defense. While Toledo had a high powered offense last year, the defense was not up to par. We expect them to be much improved after having spent one year in the new system under coach Beckman, but they still have a lot to prove.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
The biggest test for this year's team is our OC schedule. Right out of the gate, we face an Arizona team that is coming off a hard loss to Nebraska in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, after beating USC and Arizona State down the stretch of their regular season to finish 8-4. After two weeks of MAC competition (against Ohio and WMU) UT faces three consecutive weeks of OC opponents - @ Purdue, Wyoming, and @ Boise St.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Boise State is the team who has the greatest chance of making things ugly against the Rockets. We face several strong opponents this year, and while no team can be overlooked, Boise has the weapons in place to really punish a team for their mistakes. We saw what Boise was capable of in 2009 and we expect 2010 to be no different.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
We're big believers in Adonis Thomas. He showed that he is a really talented RB against Miami last season and he could emerge this season as a go-to back. Expect to see more carries for him as Morgan Williams moves to the starting position (filling the spot of Collins) and Thomas assumes the second back role.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
The best offensive player on the team is Eric Page. 2010 is his sophomore season so other teams are going to be chasing this guy around the field for the next couple years. Good luck to them -- Page is explosive and capable of making the athletic catch for big yards.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
It's nearly impossible to pick one name for our best defensive player. (LB) Archie Donald and (DE) Douglas Westbrook seem to always have their names called for tackles and have a real knack for finding the ball. Both will make a big impact on an improved defense. Also, keep in mind that (CB) Desmond Marrow will return to the field in the fall after sitting out with injuries and should help solidify the defensive secondary.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
We need the QBs to step up and solidify the offense. With so many weapons returning on offense, we need a QB who can take control of the game and distribute the ball around to the receivers and backs to make the offense click. Injuries last season made the QB spot a question week-to-week and it would be great to settle in with one QB so the offense can gel around him. Austin Dantin (So.) is slated to take the most snaps under center in the fall, with David Pasquale (So.) and Alex Pettee (Sr.) backing him up.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We're betting that James Green will make an impact as a freshman. As a flanker (WR-Z) we expect to see him creating space between himself and the defenders which should allow him a lot of opportunities to catch the ball. Teams keying on Eric Page and his athletic ability will quickly find out that Green is just as capable and dangerous.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
We expect (FS) Ross Madison to make an immediate impact on defense. Ross was a football/track athlete in High school (setting school records in the 40-yard dash and vertical jump and was a state qualifier in the 200 meters and in the 4x100 relay) Ross played safety last year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA and is slated to contribute at free safety for the Rockets.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Guessing a team's final record is difficult, at best. It's particularly difficult to guess a team's performance against OC opponents that you do not face every year, but if we had to nail it down and take a stab at Toledo's 2010 record.... we see the Rockets going 7-5 this season. The defense should be improved and if we see stability from the QB position, the offense should mesh and provide the momentum we need to reach 7 wins (or better).
In just our second year under Coach Beckman, the team is still adapting to Beckman's schemes and coaching style. Players are still trying to understand their roles in the offense/defense and getting familiar with the style of ball that Beckman and his staff are trying to bring to the Glass Bowl.
To be successful, in our eyes, the Rockets need to finish better than last year's 5-7 and have a better showing in the MAC. There were games last season that we could have and should have won --- and we didn't. We need to clean up those loose ends and finish business when it's in our control. There's no reason Toledo should not be competitive in the MAC West and challenge the leaders from both divisions.
Make sure you visit Let's Go Rockets this season to follow Toledo and their progress in the MAC. You can also follow them on Twitter @LetsGoRockets
Next Up: Maryland Terrapins
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Ball State Cardinals
62009 Record: 2-10 (2-6 in MAC)
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Stan Parrish (2-11 at Ball State, 59-52-3 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: Southeast Missouri State (9/2), Liberty (9/11), at Purdue (9/18), at Iowa (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 19.2 points per game (11th in MAC, 108th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 159 (6th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 134 (last in MAC, 115th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 293 (12th in MAC, 114th in Nation)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 28.2 points per game (9th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 152 (6th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 234 (11th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 386 (9th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.58 per game (10th in MAC)
Penalties: 42 yards per game (2nd in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 11
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 2
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
DE Robert Eddins (First Team)
RB MiQuale Lewis (Second Team)
K Ian McGarvey (Second Team)
TE Madaris Grant (Third Team)
OG Michael Switzer (Third Team)
LB Davyd Jones (Third Team)
P Scott Kovanda (Third Team)
WR Briggs Orsbon (Fourth Team)
LB Travis Freeman (Fourth Team)
CB/KR Charlie Todd (Fourth Team)
SS Sean Baker (Fourth Team)
KR Eric Williams (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Kelly Page, Soph (109 of 207 for 1019 yds, 7 TD, 9 INT, 127 ypg)
Rushing: RB MiQuale Lewis, Sr (181 carries for 871 yds, 5 TD, 4.8 ypc, 72 ypg)
Receiving: WR Briggs Orsbon, Jr (51 rec, 461 yds, 1 TD, 4.3 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Davyd Jones, Sr (100)
Sacks: DE Robert Eddins, Sr (7)
Interceptions: SS Sean Baker, Jr (4)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: Not Ranked in Top 100
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #108
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #5
Phil Steele: #3 (tied with Toledo)
Ball State had a rough time in 2009 as they started the season by losing 7 consecutive games including a loss to New Hampshire. In their first 11 games their only win came against winless Eastern Michigan by 2 points. They finished the season with a 22-17 win over Western Michigan. Ball State struggled offensively last year ranking near the bottom of the Nation in scoring, passing yardage and total yardage. The good news is that they are tied for having the most returning starters in the MAC and if the cards fall right they could be a contender in the MAC West. We reached out to Over The Pylon to learn more about Ball State football.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The strengths of BSU is the experience gained last year. Coming into 09 we were a team littered with freshmen with no game experience. Now, we're mostly sophomores with game experience and return 18 starters. Last year was the perfect storm of suckitude but this year should be considerably different. The strengths are the running game if the o line can open up holes. The o line was dreadful last year and I would be lying if I said that wasn't a concern again now.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
Depends on what you mean by test. The first true toss up is at Central Michigan on Oct. 2. The first two we play are FCS schools. The next two are road Big 10 contests. CMU gives us a chance to prove our worth against a MAC foe. Win and we could rise up to contend for the MAC West. A loss and it could be another long year.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Buffalo if for no other reason than the amount of crow I will have to eat should we lose. I have talked so much crap about the Bulls since the epic failure against them in the MAC title game a couple years back that it's put up or shut up time. Selfish? Sure.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Briggs Orsbon, WR. Quale Lewis, Sean Baker, Robert Eddins, and Kelly Page are all talented but they get attention. Orsbon, for the most part, doesn't. Throw it in his general direction and he's coming down with it, same with Dan Ifft.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Quale Lewis, hands down, assuming he has any sort of hole to run through. As the o-line goes, so goes Quale, and last year had nothing to do with a sudden drop in his talent level.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Robert Eddins. Eddins has come into his own since the switch to the 4-3, and if he creates pressure up front it takes pressure off our linebackers and allows the secondary to make plays. That's got to happen this year or the defense will once again fail to meet expectations.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Offensive line and linebackers... all of them. If they both exceed what are expected then it's going to be a good year. Failure by either and we'll struggle to reach .500
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
QB Keith Wenning who many feel will compete for the starting job. Personally, I think that never happens but we shall see. With 18 starters back, there isn't a lot of holes to fill anywhere.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
SS Artis Chambers, transfer from Michigan.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Call me optimistic but I will go with 8-4, which should be enough to go Bowling. Huge turnaround from 2-10. Successful to me will be not getting blown out be either Iowa or Purdue and winning the close games, which we struggled with last season.
Visit Over The Pylon for all of your Ball State needs (as well as Kentucky). You can also follow them on twitter @overthepylon.
Next Up: Toledo Rockets
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Stan Parrish (2-11 at Ball State, 59-52-3 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: Southeast Missouri State (9/2), Liberty (9/11), at Purdue (9/18), at Iowa (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 19.2 points per game (11th in MAC, 108th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 159 (6th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 134 (last in MAC, 115th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 293 (12th in MAC, 114th in Nation)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 28.2 points per game (9th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 152 (6th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 234 (11th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 386 (9th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.58 per game (10th in MAC)
Penalties: 42 yards per game (2nd in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 11
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 2
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
DE Robert Eddins (First Team)
RB MiQuale Lewis (Second Team)
K Ian McGarvey (Second Team)
TE Madaris Grant (Third Team)
OG Michael Switzer (Third Team)
LB Davyd Jones (Third Team)
P Scott Kovanda (Third Team)
WR Briggs Orsbon (Fourth Team)
LB Travis Freeman (Fourth Team)
CB/KR Charlie Todd (Fourth Team)
SS Sean Baker (Fourth Team)
KR Eric Williams (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Kelly Page, Soph (109 of 207 for 1019 yds, 7 TD, 9 INT, 127 ypg)
Rushing: RB MiQuale Lewis, Sr (181 carries for 871 yds, 5 TD, 4.8 ypc, 72 ypg)
Receiving: WR Briggs Orsbon, Jr (51 rec, 461 yds, 1 TD, 4.3 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Davyd Jones, Sr (100)
Sacks: DE Robert Eddins, Sr (7)
Interceptions: SS Sean Baker, Jr (4)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: Not Ranked in Top 100
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #108
2010 Pre-Season MAC West Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #5
Phil Steele: #3 (tied with Toledo)
Ball State had a rough time in 2009 as they started the season by losing 7 consecutive games including a loss to New Hampshire. In their first 11 games their only win came against winless Eastern Michigan by 2 points. They finished the season with a 22-17 win over Western Michigan. Ball State struggled offensively last year ranking near the bottom of the Nation in scoring, passing yardage and total yardage. The good news is that they are tied for having the most returning starters in the MAC and if the cards fall right they could be a contender in the MAC West. We reached out to Over The Pylon to learn more about Ball State football.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The strengths of BSU is the experience gained last year. Coming into 09 we were a team littered with freshmen with no game experience. Now, we're mostly sophomores with game experience and return 18 starters. Last year was the perfect storm of suckitude but this year should be considerably different. The strengths are the running game if the o line can open up holes. The o line was dreadful last year and I would be lying if I said that wasn't a concern again now.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
Depends on what you mean by test. The first true toss up is at Central Michigan on Oct. 2. The first two we play are FCS schools. The next two are road Big 10 contests. CMU gives us a chance to prove our worth against a MAC foe. Win and we could rise up to contend for the MAC West. A loss and it could be another long year.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Buffalo if for no other reason than the amount of crow I will have to eat should we lose. I have talked so much crap about the Bulls since the epic failure against them in the MAC title game a couple years back that it's put up or shut up time. Selfish? Sure.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Briggs Orsbon, WR. Quale Lewis, Sean Baker, Robert Eddins, and Kelly Page are all talented but they get attention. Orsbon, for the most part, doesn't. Throw it in his general direction and he's coming down with it, same with Dan Ifft.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Quale Lewis, hands down, assuming he has any sort of hole to run through. As the o-line goes, so goes Quale, and last year had nothing to do with a sudden drop in his talent level.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Robert Eddins. Eddins has come into his own since the switch to the 4-3, and if he creates pressure up front it takes pressure off our linebackers and allows the secondary to make plays. That's got to happen this year or the defense will once again fail to meet expectations.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Offensive line and linebackers... all of them. If they both exceed what are expected then it's going to be a good year. Failure by either and we'll struggle to reach .500
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
QB Keith Wenning who many feel will compete for the starting job. Personally, I think that never happens but we shall see. With 18 starters back, there isn't a lot of holes to fill anywhere.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
SS Artis Chambers, transfer from Michigan.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Call me optimistic but I will go with 8-4, which should be enough to go Bowling. Huge turnaround from 2-10. Successful to me will be not getting blown out be either Iowa or Purdue and winning the close games, which we struggled with last season.
Visit Over The Pylon for all of your Ball State needs (as well as Kentucky). You can also follow them on twitter @overthepylon.
Next Up: Toledo Rockets
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
Monday, June 7, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Bowling Green Falcons
2009 Record: 7-6 (6-2 in MAC)
2009 Bowl: Humanitarian Bowl (lost to Idaho 43-42)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: N/A
Head Coach: Dave Clawson (7-6 in one year at Bowling Green, 65-55 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: at Troy (9/4),at Tulsa, Marshall (9/18), at Michigan (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 28.5 points per game (5th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 86 (12th in MAC, 114th in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 316 (1st in MAC, 6th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 402 (4th in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 27.5 points per game (7th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 194 (12th in MAC, 103rd in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 204 (5th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 398 (10th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: 0.31 per game (4th in MAC)
Penalties: 49 yards per game (6th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 4
Defense: 4
Kicker/Punter: 1
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
C Ben Bojicic (Third Team)
RB Willie Geter (Fourth Team)
DT Kevin Alvarado (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Aaron Pankratz, Soph (5 of 13 for 52 yds)
Rushing: RB Willie Geter, Sr (176 carries for 705 yds, 9 TD, 4.0 ypc, 54 ypg)
Receiving: WR Adrian Hodges, Jr (46 rec, 417 yds, 2 TD, 3.5 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Alex Wujciak, Sr (131)
Sacks: DB Keith Morgan, Jr (268)
Interceptions: DB Adrien Spencer, Soph (1); DB Keith Morgan, Jr (1)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: #66
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #111
2010 Pre-Season MAC East Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #6
Phil Steele: #5 (tied with Miami, Oh and Akron)
Former Richmond Head Coach and Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Dave Clawson took over the regins for the Falcons last year. They went 1-4 in their first 5 games dropping games to Missouri, Boise State, Ohio and Marshall. The Falcons then finished the year winning 6 of 7 games before dropping their bowl game. Clawson lost a lot of key players from last years team so it will be interesting to see how he regroups in his second year. We got the Falcon Blog to help us find out what is in store for Bowling Green in 2010.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The Falcons are a very young team this year. Most of the offensive playmakers graduated and the defense also lost its strongest players, particularly at safety. The defensive line returns players who got a lot of snaps and would look to be a strong point, and I think we are strong at LB. While Freddie Barnes is gone, there is a lot of depth at WR.
The biggest issue facing the Falcons this year is obviously at QB. Tyler Sheehan took every meaningful snap last year. There are four players competing for the job, including a sophomore, two redshirt freshmen and a true freshmen. The ability of these QBs to be productive will be a key test.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
I believe the first major test will be Troy, the opening game of the season. Troy is a good program that BG managed to beat last year, but this game will be in Alabama, and with a young team opening the season on the road, it will be a very difficult test.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
The cop out answer is Michigan at the Big House, but in terms of games that matter, I worry about the game at Temple. We haven't played them in a few years. They have a very proficient running game, and we have a very un-proficent running defense in recent years. I think this will be a very tough challenge.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
LB Eugene "Champ" Fells probably does not get enough notice. Also, on the D-line, Angelo Magnone is a very solid player who has seen a lot of snaps who is below the radar.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
I'm going to say RB Willie Geter. He has never posted big numbers, partly because I don't think we have run blocked very effectively. If the running game comes around, and it will need to, he has the opportunity to have a good season.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Champ Fells. See above.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
There are really three answers here, but I think of them more as positions.
First, the running game needs to step up. That will be seen as Willie Geter, but involves his blockers and other RBs (John Pettigrew, notably) too.
Second, the D-line needs to step up. They carry the experience on the defense, and we have really suffered up front in recent years. If the defense is going to keep us in games, it will have to start with them.
Third, the QB position needs to develop by the MAC season and find someone who can manage our offense.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Kamer Jordan is a JUCO WR who I believe can be very productive in our offense. Shaun Joplin (WR) also has huge playmaking upside.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
This one is a little tougher. I'm going to say D-lineman Jarius Campbell or D-back Jerry Gates, a true freshmen who could see time in our backfield, which returns only one starter.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
I haven't sat down and evaluated each game on the schedule, but on paper, as the season starts, .500 would be a successful season for this group.
Thanks to the Falcon Blog for providing us with some insight on Bowling Green. You can follow them on twitter @orangeandbrown.
Next Up: Ball State Cardinals
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: Humanitarian Bowl (lost to Idaho 43-42)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: N/A
Head Coach: Dave Clawson (7-6 in one year at Bowling Green, 65-55 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: at Troy (9/4),at Tulsa, Marshall (9/18), at Michigan (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 28.5 points per game (5th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 86 (12th in MAC, 114th in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 316 (1st in MAC, 6th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 402 (4th in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 27.5 points per game (7th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 194 (12th in MAC, 103rd in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 204 (5th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 398 (10th in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: 0.31 per game (4th in MAC)
Penalties: 49 yards per game (6th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 4
Defense: 4
Kicker/Punter: 1
Phil Steele All-MAC Pre-Season
C Ben Bojicic (Third Team)
RB Willie Geter (Fourth Team)
DT Kevin Alvarado (Fourth Team)
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Aaron Pankratz, Soph (5 of 13 for 52 yds)
Rushing: RB Willie Geter, Sr (176 carries for 705 yds, 9 TD, 4.0 ypc, 54 ypg)
Receiving: WR Adrian Hodges, Jr (46 rec, 417 yds, 2 TD, 3.5 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Alex Wujciak, Sr (131)
Sacks: DB Keith Morgan, Jr (268)
Interceptions: DB Adrien Spencer, Soph (1); DB Keith Morgan, Jr (1)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: #66
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #111
2010 Pre-Season MAC East Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #6
Phil Steele: #5 (tied with Miami, Oh and Akron)
Former Richmond Head Coach and Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Dave Clawson took over the regins for the Falcons last year. They went 1-4 in their first 5 games dropping games to Missouri, Boise State, Ohio and Marshall. The Falcons then finished the year winning 6 of 7 games before dropping their bowl game. Clawson lost a lot of key players from last years team so it will be interesting to see how he regroups in his second year. We got the Falcon Blog to help us find out what is in store for Bowling Green in 2010.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The Falcons are a very young team this year. Most of the offensive playmakers graduated and the defense also lost its strongest players, particularly at safety. The defensive line returns players who got a lot of snaps and would look to be a strong point, and I think we are strong at LB. While Freddie Barnes is gone, there is a lot of depth at WR.
The biggest issue facing the Falcons this year is obviously at QB. Tyler Sheehan took every meaningful snap last year. There are four players competing for the job, including a sophomore, two redshirt freshmen and a true freshmen. The ability of these QBs to be productive will be a key test.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
I believe the first major test will be Troy, the opening game of the season. Troy is a good program that BG managed to beat last year, but this game will be in Alabama, and with a young team opening the season on the road, it will be a very difficult test.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
The cop out answer is Michigan at the Big House, but in terms of games that matter, I worry about the game at Temple. We haven't played them in a few years. They have a very proficient running game, and we have a very un-proficent running defense in recent years. I think this will be a very tough challenge.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
LB Eugene "Champ" Fells probably does not get enough notice. Also, on the D-line, Angelo Magnone is a very solid player who has seen a lot of snaps who is below the radar.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
I'm going to say RB Willie Geter. He has never posted big numbers, partly because I don't think we have run blocked very effectively. If the running game comes around, and it will need to, he has the opportunity to have a good season.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Champ Fells. See above.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
There are really three answers here, but I think of them more as positions.
First, the running game needs to step up. That will be seen as Willie Geter, but involves his blockers and other RBs (John Pettigrew, notably) too.
Second, the D-line needs to step up. They carry the experience on the defense, and we have really suffered up front in recent years. If the defense is going to keep us in games, it will have to start with them.
Third, the QB position needs to develop by the MAC season and find someone who can manage our offense.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Kamer Jordan is a JUCO WR who I believe can be very productive in our offense. Shaun Joplin (WR) also has huge playmaking upside.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
This one is a little tougher. I'm going to say D-lineman Jarius Campbell or D-back Jerry Gates, a true freshmen who could see time in our backfield, which returns only one starter.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
I haven't sat down and evaluated each game on the schedule, but on paper, as the season starts, .500 would be a successful season for this group.
Thanks to the Falcon Blog for providing us with some insight on Bowling Green. You can follow them on twitter @orangeandbrown.
Next Up: Ball State Cardinals
2010 Previews
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Buffalo Bulls, Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Buffalo Bulls
2009 Record: 5-7 (3-5 in MAC)
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Jeff Quinn (1st year at Buffalo, 1-1 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: Rhode Island (9/2), at Baylor (9/11), UCF (9/18), at UConn (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 24.1 points per game (8th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 163 (4th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 241 (6th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 404 (3rd in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 23.8 points per game (6th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 131 (4th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 210 (7th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 342 (3rd in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.58 per game (10th in MAC)
Penalties: 54 yards per game (10th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 5
Defense: 9
Kicker/Punter: 2
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Jerry Davis, Soph (8 of 15 for 145 yds, 1 TD)
Rushing: RB Ike Nduka, Sr (96 carries for 598 yds, 6 TD, 6.2 ypc, 74 ypg)
Rushing: RB Brandon Thermilus, Sr (124 carries for 560 yds, 4 TD, 4.5 ypc, 50 ypg)
Receiving: WR Terrell Jackson, Jr (25 rec, 250 yds, 2.3 rec/game)
Tackles: DB Davonte Shannon, Sr (97)
Sacks: DL Steven Means, Soph; LB Justin Winters, Jr (5)
Interceptions: DB Davonte Shannon, Sr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: #95
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #102
2010 Pre-Season MAC Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #4 in MAC East
About a month after Jeff Quinn took over the reigns of the Buffalo Bulls, starting QB Zach Maynard left the program. Buffalo is coming off of a 5-7 year. Will they be able to right the ship this year or will this be a longer rebuilding process? We turned to the Buffalo blog Bull Run to get their take on the 2010 Buffalo Bulls.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
I am looking forward to seeing if Colby Way can make an immediate impact. There were rumors UB was going to try and go 3-4 this season but as evidenced by the spring game the Bulls still lack the personnel to make that move. Way is a good sized and fast linebacker who may fit the role of 'Elephant Back' during a transition.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
My gut say 5-7, I would consider anything north of that to be a success.
Next Up: New Mexico State Aggies
2010 Previews
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
2009 Bowl: N/A
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Jeff Quinn (1st year at Buffalo, 1-1 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: Rhode Island (9/2), at Baylor (9/11), UCF (9/18), at UConn (9/25)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 24.1 points per game (8th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 163 (4th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 241 (6th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 404 (3rd in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 23.8 points per game (6th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 131 (4th in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 210 (7th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 342 (3rd in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.58 per game (10th in MAC)
Penalties: 54 yards per game (10th in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 5
Defense: 9
Kicker/Punter: 2
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Jerry Davis, Soph (8 of 15 for 145 yds, 1 TD)
Rushing: RB Ike Nduka, Sr (96 carries for 598 yds, 6 TD, 6.2 ypc, 74 ypg)
Rushing: RB Brandon Thermilus, Sr (124 carries for 560 yds, 4 TD, 4.5 ypc, 50 ypg)
Receiving: WR Terrell Jackson, Jr (25 rec, 250 yds, 2.3 rec/game)
Tackles: DB Davonte Shannon, Sr (97)
Sacks: DL Steven Means, Soph; LB Justin Winters, Jr (5)
Interceptions: DB Davonte Shannon, Sr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sporting News: #95
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Athlon Sports: #102
2010 Pre-Season MAC Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #4 in MAC East
About a month after Jeff Quinn took over the reigns of the Buffalo Bulls, starting QB Zach Maynard left the program. Buffalo is coming off of a 5-7 year. Will they be able to right the ship this year or will this be a longer rebuilding process? We turned to the Buffalo blog Bull Run to get their take on the 2010 Buffalo Bulls.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The biggest strength is the defensive backfield, it's a veteran unit that is as good as any in the conference and better than most. Davonte Shannon leads six returning backs and linebackers. Last season Shannon was at or near the topin most defensive categories and the team will need him to perform at that level, or better, this season if they want to compete.
The Biggest weakness is offensive inexperience, especially among the skill positions. The talent is there but there are only a hand full of snaps behind whoever wins the quarterback battle and the bulk of our receptions and yards (80%) are gone with the departure of Roosevelt, Hamlin, and Rack.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
Baylor is going to be a big test for the team, road game against a Big 12 team that is on the upswing. They bring an absolute beast at QB (Robert Griffin) and a respectable defense. At this point in the season UB will have just one game under its belt and that's against FCS member Rhode Island.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Its going to be either Temple or Northern Illinois. The two teams are each the favorites to win their division this season and UB draws them both. Neither is exactly the best team we are going to play this year (UConn fits that role) but because they are conference games they mean that much more.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Josh Thomas does not get nearly the press that he should, Thomas is as good as any corner in the conference. He is experienced and a hard hitter. His physical approach to the game did not fit ideally under last years softer scheme but this season he should thrive with the new staff.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Right now I would have to say Offensive lineman Peter Bittner is the best offensive player we have. In addition to the experience and skill a solid leader.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Davonte Shannon already held that role and that was before the team cut over to a more physical approach to covering receivers.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Whoever emerges as our starting quarterback (Dennison/Davis) and at least two of UB's receivers (Lee, Rivers, or Jackson) need to grow up, and quick, if UB is going to be competitive this season.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
If he wins the job Dennison will easily be the biggest single factor in UB having any offensive success this season, and he is a red shirt freshman.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
My gut say 5-7, I would consider anything north of that to be a success.
Next Up: New Mexico State Aggies
2010 Previews
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
Conference USA- Houston Cougars, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Temple Owls
Mountain West- Utah Utes
Pac-10- Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Temple Owls
2009 Record: 9-4 (7-1- 2nd in MAC East Division)
2009 Bowl: EagleBank Bowl (lost to UCLA 30 to 21)
Final 2009 BCS Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Al Golden (19-30 at Temple)
Non-Conference Schedule: Villanova (9/4), UConn (9/18), at Penn State (9/25), at Army (10/2)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 29.5 points per game (3rd in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 187 (2nd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 146 (12th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 333 (8th in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 22.3 points per game (4th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 107 (1st in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 226 (10th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 334 (2nd in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.31 per game (4th in MAC)
Penalties: 40 yards per game (1st in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 9
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Vaughn Charlton, Sr (107 of 213 for 1390 yds, 10 TD, 11 INT)- Charlton is switching positions to TE
Passing: QB Chester Stewart, Jr (26 of 65 for 514 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT)
Rushing: RB Bernard Pierce, Soph (1361 yds, 5.77 ypc, 113 ypg, 16 TD)
Receiving: WR Michael Campbell, Sr (27 Rec for 419 yds, 3 TD); RB Joe Jones, Jr (28 Rec for 387 yds, 1 TD)
Tackles: DB Jaiquawn Jarrett, Sr (76)
Sacks: DL Adrian Robinson Jr, Jr (12)
Interceptions: DB Jaiquawn Jarrett, Sr and Marquise Liverpool, Sr (3)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Last year Al Golden guided the Temple Owls to a 9-4 record. This was their best record since they went 10-2 in 1979. The 2010 schedule poses some significant tests in the first 4 weeks with defending MAC Champion Central Michigan, UConn and Penn State. Can Temple weather the early storm and make a run for the MAC Championship? We caught up with Mike from Temple Football Forever for a preview of the 2010 season.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
Weakness is no proven Division IA quarterback, although Chris Coyer turned down a scholarship offer from Ohio State to go to Temple and took a redshirt year. Many believe that Coyer is the real deal and will eventually win the job, if not by the opener than not too long into the season. Even with no proven D1A quarterback, the team is much better at that position than it was last season because Mike Gerardi, a first-team all-state quarterback in New Jersey as a senior, has really blossomed in the system and sometimes starter Chester Stewart has improved as well. Strength is the defense and Heisman Trophy contender Bernard Pierce (RB). Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio is one of the best at what he does in the nation and he returns six first-team All-MAC defenders and nine starters.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
UConn or Penn State, for obvious reasons. Villanova is the opener and they are the defending 1AA champs, but they haven't seen the real Pierce, who played only six snaps against them last season. They will this year.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Penn State and UConn for obvious reasons. Temple was ill-equipped to hang with UConn the last two outings, but the Owls found a way, losing a disputed 27-22 game and 12-6 in OT. Temple is much farther along in the process of building a program now than it was then.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Delano Green, punt returner, and Brandon McManus, placekicker. Simply the two best at what they do in the MAC, but nobody talks about them probably because they've been taken for granted.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Pierce. Duh. He combines world-class speed (was the Pennsylvania 100-meter dash champion as a senior in high school) with terrific open-field moves and outstanding strength inside the tackles. His numbers as a freshman were superior to Adrian Peterson, for instance.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Rod Streater, 6-4, 189-pound JUCO wide receiver. New Jersey state high jump champion who uses that unique ability both over the middle and in the end zone. Wowed them in the spring.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
2009 Bowl: EagleBank Bowl (lost to UCLA 30 to 21)
Final 2009 BCS Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Al Golden (19-30 at Temple)
Non-Conference Schedule: Villanova (9/4), UConn (9/18), at Penn State (9/25), at Army (10/2)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 29.5 points per game (3rd in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 187 (2nd in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 146 (12th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 333 (8th in MAC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 22.3 points per game (4th in MAC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 107 (1st in MAC)
Passing Yards/Game: 226 (10th in MAC)
Total Yards/Game: 334 (2nd in MAC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.31 per game (4th in MAC)
Penalties: 40 yards per game (1st in MAC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 9
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Vaughn Charlton, Sr (107 of 213 for 1390 yds, 10 TD, 11 INT)- Charlton is switching positions to TE
Passing: QB Chester Stewart, Jr (26 of 65 for 514 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT)
Rushing: RB Bernard Pierce, Soph (1361 yds, 5.77 ypc, 113 ypg, 16 TD)
Receiving: WR Michael Campbell, Sr (27 Rec for 419 yds, 3 TD); RB Joe Jones, Jr (28 Rec for 387 yds, 1 TD)
Tackles: DB Jaiquawn Jarrett, Sr (76)
Sacks: DL Adrian Robinson Jr, Jr (12)
Interceptions: DB Jaiquawn Jarrett, Sr and Marquise Liverpool, Sr (3)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Lindy's: Not Ranked
Mark Schlabach: Not Ranked
Rivals: Not Ranked
Scout: Not Ranked
Sports Illustrated: Not Ranked
Last year Al Golden guided the Temple Owls to a 9-4 record. This was their best record since they went 10-2 in 1979. The 2010 schedule poses some significant tests in the first 4 weeks with defending MAC Champion Central Michigan, UConn and Penn State. Can Temple weather the early storm and make a run for the MAC Championship? We caught up with Mike from Temple Football Forever for a preview of the 2010 season.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
Weakness is no proven Division IA quarterback, although Chris Coyer turned down a scholarship offer from Ohio State to go to Temple and took a redshirt year. Many believe that Coyer is the real deal and will eventually win the job, if not by the opener than not too long into the season. Even with no proven D1A quarterback, the team is much better at that position than it was last season because Mike Gerardi, a first-team all-state quarterback in New Jersey as a senior, has really blossomed in the system and sometimes starter Chester Stewart has improved as well. Strength is the defense and Heisman Trophy contender Bernard Pierce (RB). Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio is one of the best at what he does in the nation and he returns six first-team All-MAC defenders and nine starters.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?
UConn or Penn State, for obvious reasons. Villanova is the opener and they are the defending 1AA champs, but they haven't seen the real Pierce, who played only six snaps against them last season. They will this year.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Penn State and UConn for obvious reasons. Temple was ill-equipped to hang with UConn the last two outings, but the Owls found a way, losing a disputed 27-22 game and 12-6 in OT. Temple is much farther along in the process of building a program now than it was then.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
Delano Green, punt returner, and Brandon McManus, placekicker. Simply the two best at what they do in the MAC, but nobody talks about them probably because they've been taken for granted.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
Pierce. Duh. He combines world-class speed (was the Pennsylvania 100-meter dash champion as a senior in high school) with terrific open-field moves and outstanding strength inside the tackles. His numbers as a freshman were superior to Adrian Peterson, for instance.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Adrian Robinson, defensive end. MVP of the Big 33 game three years ago in which the best from Pennsylvania beat the best from Ohio. Extremely unusual for a defensive player to get that honor, but it was deserved. MAC leader in sacks (12) and most valuable defensive player in the league as named by opposing coaches.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Chris Coyer (QB).
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
Chris Coyer (QB).
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Rod Streater, 6-4, 189-pound JUCO wide receiver. New Jersey state high jump champion who uses that unique ability both over the middle and in the end zone. Wowed them in the spring.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
Aaron Hush, 6-4, 240-pound defensive end. At Piscataway (N.J.) High, was one of the state's top sackmasters as a senior. Honed his skills at Fork Union Military (Va.) last year. Could make an immediate impact opposite Robinson.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
10-2. This team is much better than last year, so should do better than the 9-3 regular-season record they posted last year. I will go with the chalk and give them losses to Penn State and UConn, though I would not bet either one of those teams against this one.
Next Up: Houston Cougars
2010 Previews
Big East- Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia
Next Up: Houston Cougars
2010 Previews
Big East- Pittsburgh Panthers, West Virginia
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