Tag Archives: Conference USA

Preseason Week 1 in Conference USA’s West Division

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Houston – Two freshman linebackers have been looking good in practice.  Everett Daniels and Derrick Matthews have both provided great leverage and are physical players…With a pair of junior college cornerbacks in D.J. Hayden and Chevy Bennett, plus Texas A&M transfer Colton Valencia, there are plenty of new faces to provide competition for spots in the secondary…The offense has gotten off to a slow start but UH coaches say that was to be expected

Rice – Starting free safety Travis Bradshaw has suffered an undisclosed career-ending injury.  Bradshaw was second on the team with 76 tackles and had two interceptions last season.  Junior Xavier Webb will take Bradshaw’s spot…The Owls are looking to use their 10 returning defensive starters to improve from last year’s defense that only caused 14 turnovers (112th of 120 FBS teams), allowed 51 percent of their opponents third-down plays to be concerted (117th) and produced just 14 sacks…The defense plans to blitz more

SMU – Two defensive starting jobs are still wide open, according to defensive coordinator Tom Mason. At outside linebacker, the Mustangs are still looking at junior Victor Jones, senior Randy McKinnon, redshirt freshman Uchenna Nwabuike and junior transfer Cody Worthen…The left cornerback spot, replacing the graduated Sterling Moore, will likely go to sophomore Chris Parks, sophomore Kenneth Acker or junior Keith Robinson…Inside linebacker Cameron Rogers, expected to replace departed starter Pete Fleps, has missed practice this week with a strained knee. He is expected to return Saturday or Monday.

Tulane – Coach Bob Toldeo has been impressed with backup corner Alex Lauricella.  Lauricella had a deflection and interception on consecutive plays Friday…Defensive back Renaldo Thomas was taken to the hospital Wednesday after losing consciousness. It apparently is a recurring problem and forces him to lose eight or nine pounds a day…It looks like freshmen are going to get a chance to contribute at the linebacker position

Tulsa – Tulsa is looking like it will go with a committee of wide receivers this year.  Who rises up to the challenge is yet to be seen…6-foot-3, 270-pound true freshman tackle Derrick Luetjen has been impressive, as he has picked up the system well and looks to be a vital backup…Freshman Derek Patterson is listed at free safety in the media guide, but the coaches have moved him to quarterback for the time being…Junior Lowell Rose, a transfer from UCLA, is getting the first shot at the second cornerback spot but is getting pressed by Justin Skillens. Milton Howell and J.D. Ratliff also are fighting for playing time. One freshman is also intriguing Guy – Dwight Dobbins.

UTEP – In UTEP’s scrimmage Wednesday, 10 different receivers caught passes with no one finishing with more than two receptions. There may be no clear leader emerging as a preferred target…The defense, which will be heavy on pass rushers this year, caused six sacks in that scrimmage…Coach Mike Price is going to be the play-caller this year…Nick Lamaison, who enrolled early coming out of junior college in the spring, looks to lead the race to start at quarterback

Preseason Week 1 in Conference USA’s East Division

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East Carolina – Offensive lineman Drew Gentry is sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury.  Kenneth Freeman has been added to the squad to replace Gentry…Defensive back Desi Brown (shoulder) and offensive lineman Doug Polochak (shoulder), who was expected to start at left guard, have sat out three consecutive days of practice…Saturday’s scrimmage will help clear up lock jams at running back, wide receiver, linebacker and on both lines, where starting nods are on the line…

Marshall – The Herd is still looking for leading receiver Aaron Dobson to return from a hamstring injury that’s plagued him for most of spring practice and has held him out of fall practice so far. Dobson was the team’s leading receiver with 44 catches for 689 yards last year…Four quarterbacks, Eddie Sullivan A.J. Graham, Rakeem Cato and Blake Frohnapel, are fighting for the starting nod. It looks like Cato is the leader tho…

Memphis – The Tigers might be looking to freshmen to help them often this year.  Three rookie running backs, Joe Price, Carl Harris and Artaves Gibson, are all vying for time behind starter Jerrell Rhodes…Wake Forest transfer Skylar Jones, JC transfer Andy Summerlin, Will Gilchrist and true freshman Taylor Reed are fighting to be the starting quarterback.  Summerlin has the edge but none of the four is very experienced…OL Ronald Leary and WR Marcus Rucker were the only two returning players to have started every Tiger game in 2010…

Southern Miss – Tray Becton-martin, who was signed as a wide receiver in February, has made a nice transition to cornerback early in camp and the coaching staff is looking for him to be able to contribute right away…Coach Larry Fedora said he’s been impressed with some of the freshman wide receivers, offensive and defensive lineman…The team held their first scrimmage of the preseason and Kendrick Hardy led all rushers with 62 yards on seven carries including a long touchdown run of nearly 60 yards. Desmond Johnson added 52 yards on 10 carries…Austin Davis was 17-of-28 for 180 yards with two touchdowns

UAB – Freshmen Darrin Reaves and Bashr Coles are both pushing for a spot in the running back rotation…Shaquille Roberson is still waiting to be cleared academically by the NCAA…Tight end Kennard Backman, a true freshman, has looked really good and the Blazers feel may have a chance to playing a big role this year…

UCF – The Knights held their first scrimmage and had some players put up impressive stats.  On a day where the defense was out to shine, backup quarterback Blake Bortles put together a nice stat line, completing 14-of-21 passes for 173 yards, including one touchdown and interception each…Starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey was seven-of-12 for 88 yards…Six receivers caught three balls each…Latavius Murray led the running game with 69 yards on 13 carries…On defense, Deion Green has 1.5 sacks, while Barry Snider, Toby Jackson and Darius Nall had one each

>Football Previews: Houston

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>The Cougars finished the season at 10-4 and made their fifth straight appearance in a bowl contest in 2009. 

   Offense – As the nation’s No. 1 team in total offense (563.4 ypg.), passing offense (433.7 ypg.) and scoring offense (42.2 ppg.) in 2009, the Cougars return nine starters from this record-breaking squad, including senior quarterback Case Keenum, who finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was a finalist for several other national honors.

   Keenum, enters his senior season as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and is on the cusp of setting every Houston, Conference USA and NCAA total offense and passing marks. In 2009, Keenum became only the second quarterback in NCAA history to throw for at least 5,000 yards twice (Texas Tech’s Graham
Harrell is the other), tossing for a career-best 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns. His 5,671 yards were over 1,400 more than the second place finisher and he has amassed 13,741 total yards in his Cougar career.  His 12,905 passing yards are about 4,000 less than all-time leader Timmy Chang. Keenum has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 straight games. 

   Not many teams in America can boast they have back-to-back Freshmen of the Year in their backfield.  The Cougars tout sophomore Charles Sims (2009 winner) and junior Bryce Beall (2008 winner) at running back, and both could be considered first-team running backs in Conference USA. Last season Sims burst on to the scene by rushing for 698 yards and nine touchdowns while hauling in 70 passes for 759 yards,
while Beall—once year removed for rushing for 1,247 yards and 13 scores—added 670 yards and seven touchdowns and had 32 catches for an additional 311 yards.

   The Cougars became only the fourth team in NCAA history to have three wide receivers with over 1,000 yards receiving. Throw in Keenum’s 5,000- plus yard passing and UH was only the third team to have the 5,000-yard passer, 1,000, 1,000, 1,000-yard receiving quartet. C-USA Newcomer of the Year James Cleveland led the Cougars in receiving with 104 catches for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns; this, despite missing two games with injuries. He is joined in the four-receiver set by juniors Tyron Carrier (91 catches, 1,029 yards, seven touchdowns) and Patrick Edwards (85 catches, 1,021 yards, six touchdowns) as well as senior Kierrie Johnson (16 catches, 237 yards).

   Defense – Brian Stewart assumes the role of Defensive Coordinator this year and plans to take advantage of the Houston speed and athleticism on defense to put non-stop pressure on opposing offenses with his new 3-4 scheme. Stewart has six returning starters to work with in 2010.

   Sophomore Zeke Riser and junior David Hunter return to battle for their spots. With the change in schemes, Riser holds on to one defensive end spot while Hunter shifts outside to man the other end spot.  Hunter finished the year ninth on the team in tackles with 57.  Of those eight and a half were for loss and four sacks.  He also contributed with four pass breakups as well as three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles, both of which were second on the team.  Riser had 36 tackles, three and a half for loss, two and a half sacks and two fumble recoveries.

   With 259 total tackles in two years as a starter, junior linebacker Marcus McGraw has developed into one of the premier defenders in C-USA. Inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2008, McGraw has started 27 straight games and should add to that streak in 2010. He will man one inside spot while redshirt
freshman George Bamfo is listed at the other. Bamfo should be a nice compliment to veteran in the middle.
Sophomore Phillip Steward is slotted in at one outside spot, and after a trial by fire a year ago he should be a top-line defender this year. Another sophomore, Kelvin King III, is listed as the starter opposite Steward,
making the move this spring from defensive end to linebacker.

   Houston has two returning starters in the secondary, senior cornerback Jamal Robinson and junior free safety Nick Saenz.  Saenz finished third on the team in tackles with 114 and should be the leader in the
secondary again this season. Robinson had 58 tackles, and a team-high five interceptions.  He also added eight passes broken up and five tackles for loss.  Heading into 2010, senior Loyce Means appears to have nailed down the other cornerback slot and his experience as a part-time starter over the past two seasons should help.

   Recruiting – The Cougars bring in 26 recruits in 2010, highlighted by two quarterbacks and four linebackers.  Terrance Broadway comes in from Louisiana as a rivals.com four-star player, as well as the fifth-best dual threat quarterback.  In his senior year, he threw for 2,140 yards and 20 touchdowns.  The other quarterback comes from Texas powerhouse Southlake Carroll.  In 2009, David Piland threw for 2,668 yards and 20 touchdowns.

   Efram Oliphant and Austin Wilson lead the four-man linebacker group.  Each was a three-star recruit by rivals.com and had over 100 tackles as seniors.  Oliphant finished his final season with 125 tackles, six sacks and 11 tackles for loss.  Wilson had 108 tackles (60 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.

   Schedule – Houston opens the year with four of its first five games at home.  The first two are against in-state rivals Texas State and UTEP.  The UTEPSMU and Memphis.  That’s followed by two home games against UCF and Tulsa before finishing with road games at Southern Miss and Texas Tech.  In all, nine of Houston’s 12 teams are in the state of Texas.