SoCon Notebook: Week 3 Previews (Part 1)

SoCon Notebook: Week Three Previews (Part 1)

Furman (2-0, 1-0) at No. 25 University of Missouri (2-0, 0-0)

Furman will play its first of two FBS opponents on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Missouri Tigers for the first time in school history at Memorial Stadium. The Paladins have never faced a team from the Big 12 conference, and haven’t knocked off a team from the FBS ranks, since a 28-3 1999 victory at the University of North Carolina.

Missouri enters Saturday’s contest at Memorial Stadium with an 8-0 all-time record against FCS opponents. In fact, the closest game in those eight outings against FCS foes came back in the 1992, facing eventual FCS national champion Marshall, defeating the Thundering Herd, 44-21, in Mizzou’s only other game against a Southern Conference opponent.

Missouri enters Saturday’s contest coming off a 27-20, come-from-behind win over Bowling Green. The Tigers actually trailed 20-6 at one point late in the third quarter, and looked as if the opening-week optimism created by the 37-9 win over Illinois was about to be wiped out by the Falcons. However, the Tigers scored 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points to pull out the victory, which accounted for the second-largest comeback in the history of Missouri football.

The comeback by the Tigers in the contest was keyed by the running game and, in particular, junior running back Derrick Washington, who finished the night with 120 yards on a career-high 23 carries, averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry. Missouri’s point total in a victory was its lowest since a 27-24 win in 2005 against Iowa State.

Freshman signal-caller Blaine Gabbert was an unknown commodity coming into the the ‘09 season, with the graduation of one of the school’s all-time greats, Chase Daniel. But Gabbert has NFL size and an NFL arm to go with it. In his first start against Illinois, he showed the potential he has for leading the Tigers back to BCS contention, as he threw for 319 yards and three scores in the victory over the Illini. He came back to earth a little bit against Bowling Green, connecting on 20-of-33 throws for 172 yards and totaled just 44 yards in the first half.

Gabbert’s favorite target in the passing game is Jared Perry—another player that will find his name being called on Sunday afternoons very soon. Perry is one of the team’s main deep threats. He has hauled in 10 passes for 148 yards, and is tied for the team lead with two TD receptions.

Danario Alexander is actually the leading wide receiver for the Tigers entering Saturday’s contest with the Paladins, and the 6'5" receiver figures to give it to the Paladins with physical tools Saturday afternoon. Alexander has caught 17 passes for 188 yards so far this season.

Sophomore wide receiver Wes Kemp rounds out Gabbert’s main threats at the wide receiver position, having hauled in six passes for 115 yards, and is tied for the team lead with two TD receptions so far this season.

On the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers, Missouri comes into the contest with one of the best LBs in the nation in Sean Witherspoon, who is a leading candidate for the Nagurski Award, given to the best defensive player in Division I college football. Witherspoon is coming off a season in which he he recorded 155 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, seven PBUs, and three interceptions. Through two games this season, Witherspoon is again at the top of the tackles chart for the Tigers so, having recorded 23 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and a sack.

The Tigers returned just four starters on the defensive side of the ball from last season’s team and was supposed to be one of the team’s uncertainties heading into the campaign, but have played well in the two opening contests in ‘09, yielding an average of 322.5 YPG in the opening two contests versus Illinois and Bowling Green.

Just one starter returns along the defensive line for Mizzou in nose tackle Jaron Batson. So far this season, the senior has racked up four tackles and half-a-sack.

The starting bookends for Saturday’s game against the Paladins will be Jacquies Smith and Aldon Smith. Aldon Smith has been the top pass rusher for the Tigers this season, totaling 11 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, and two sacks. Jacquies Smith is also having a nice season for the Tigers, tallying nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The defensive backfield has been a source concern for the Tigers this season with only returning starter return from last season’s squad in cornerback Carl Gettis. The junior is the team’s second-leading tackler, having recorded 14 tackles, a pass break-up, and has a forced a fumble.

Free safety Kenji Jackson is also another significant part of the secondary for the Tigers, and he has 10 tackles so far this season in his first season as a starter.

Furman’s off to a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2006 season, which interestingly enough, was the last time the Paladins made the postseason. Senior quarterback Jordan Sorrells has been an effective leader so far early in the season for the Paladins. Sorrells has connected on 35-of-49 passes for 424 yards, four TDs, and two interceptions. He is completing 71.4 percent of his passes on the campaign.

Set to likely draw action in the signal-caller’s role this afternoon is UCLA transfer Chris Forcier, who saw his first action at quarterback last Saturday’s win over Chattanooga. On his first play from scrimmage, Forcier gave a glimpse of what a true game-changer he can be. Forcier scampered 27 yards around right end to the UTC 22-yard line which would later set up a Furman field goal.

Furman’s running game has been buoyed by Tersoo Uhaa and freshman Jerodis Williams, who have maintained the Furman rushing attack while Mike Brown has been sidelined with an ankle injury. Uhaa has had a solid season so far, rushing for 182 yards and four TDs on 37 rushing attempts, averaging 4.9 YPC, including scoring on a season-long 34-yard run last Saturday. Williams has shown great potential of how special he could be in the very near future for the Paladins. He had a spectacular reception and run after the catch on a screen pass from Sorrells in last Saturday’s win over Chattanooga. So far this season, the true freshman has rushed for 81 yards on 14 attempts.

Furman’s strength on the offensive side of the football this season has clearly been the wide receiving corps led by Adam Mims, who has hauled in nine catches for 112 yards and a TD in the contest. He is averaging 12.4 YPC. so far this season.

Another of the top Paladin wideouts this season has been David Hendrix, who has caught five passes 99 yards, averaging 19.8 yards per reception this season. R.J. Webb is Furman’s veteran-most receiver and is the Paladins’ best combination wide receiver. Though he wasn’t much of a factor in the 38-20 win over Chattanooga last Saturday, with five receptions for 46 yards and a TD.

The Furman offensive line is anchored by a pair of experienced offensive guards, in Tyler Haynes and Heath Cockburn, who have combined to start 47-straight contests for the Paladins.

The biggest source of concern on the defensive side of the football so far this fall for the Paladins has been the defensive line, which has had to break in some youth early on this season with injuries to some key performers. One of the biggest stories entering Saturday’s contest will be the return of defensive end Kyle McKinney. McKinney is one of the most athletic performers on the Furman defense and he finished the ‘08 season with 24 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and a pass break-up.

At the other defensive ends, Shaun Van Rensburg and Josh Lynn have been able to hold down the other defensive end position, splitting action so far this fall. Van Rensburg has eight tackles on the season, five of which are tackles-for-loss, and half-a-sack. Lynn has been an impressive presence as a true freshman along the defensive line this fall. He has totaled four tackles in two games so far this season.

The defensive interior is solidified by Justin Brown at nose tackle and Bryan Poole at the other defensive tackle. Brown has proven to be one of the most-talented nose tackles in the SoCon and is off to a pretty solid start to the ‘09 season. The preseason All-SoCon selection has contributed seven tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss so far in the ‘09 season. Poole has been able to contribute three tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss this fall.

The Paladins are led by two of the most active linebackers in the SoCon in Chris Wiley and Kadarron Anderson, both of whom are making a strong bid to contend for post-season accolades. Anderson, a sophomore linebacker, leads the Paladins with 17 tackles so far this fall to go along with two tackles-for-loss, and a fumble recovery on the campaign.

Perhaps the strength of the Furman defense is its secondary led by junior rover safety Max Lerner, who intercepted Chattanooga’s pass from scrimmage last week and returned it 42 yards for a TD. In addition to that interception, Lerner has also amassed nine tackles and a couple of tackles-for-loss so far on the ‘09 season.

In addition to Lerner at safety, the Paladins have also gotten solid production from Nathan Wade and Julian Hicks. Wade is in his first season as a starter on the Furman defense at the free safety position, and has been productive this season, racking up 12 tackles and two pass break-ups. Hicks, a senior at the bandit safety position, is one of the most experienced players on the defensive side of the football and has been one of the units biggest producers over the past couple of seasons. So far this fall, Hicks has eight tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss.

The two starting cornerbacks for the Paladins will be Ryan Steed and Jordan Griffin. Both are young, but extremely fast and athletic. Steed has the potential to be the best that’s ever played at Furman, and he has had a strong showing so far this season, racking up nine tackles, a tackle-for-loss, two pass break-ups, and a fumble recovery.

Final Analysis and Prediction

Furman normally plays FBS opponents well and the Paladin coaching staff normally does some of its best coaching in games against big-time opponents. That being said, this might be a different story and could be an exception to that rule, as the Tigers look like they could be a dark horse to win the Big 12 North this season. Gabbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and is a future Heisman Trophy candidate and a one-day NFL lottery pick. The Paladins will probably be able to keep it close for a half, but Mizzou’s size and speed will take effect in the second half and lead the Tigers to a rather lopsided win.

Missouri 45, Furman 17

 

Chattanooga (1-1, 0-1) at Presbyterian (0-2, 0-0

Chattanooga comes into Saturday’s game coming down off a bit of the cloud that it started the season on after a 38-20 Southern Conference-opening loss to the Furman Paladins last Saturday.

This will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the Mocs and the Blue Hose, with UTC holding a narrow 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. It will mark the first meeting between the Mocs and the Blue Hose since the 1962 season. Presbyterian will be playing its third of four-straight games against a team from the Southern Conference. The Blue Hose opened their season at Bailey Memorial Stadium, dropping a 41-7 game to No. 10 Elon last Saturday. It will mark a game between two first-year head coaches, in UTC’s Russ Huesman and PC’s Harold Nichols.

The Mocs fell behind the eight-ball early last Saturday, getting behind by two scores early in the contest. It will mark the first road game of the season for the Mocs and the first under Huesman.

The Mocs are led on offense by University of Tennessee transfer B.J. Coleman at quarterback. So far this season, Coleman has connected on 40-0f-65 passes for 483 yards, three TDs, and an interception. He has a strong arm and also is one of the most-accurate passers in recent memory for the Mocs.

Coleman’s favorite target so far this season has been Blue Cooper, who enters Saturday afternoon’s contest, having put together back-to-back 100-yard receiving efforts. In fact, Cooper ranks second in the SoCon in receiving this season, hauling in 21 passes 236 yards and a TD, averaging 11.2 YPC on the campaign.

Cooper is joined Clint Woods at the receiver position, and is another veteran. Cooper has brought in seven passes for 51 yards so far this season. Slot receiver Chris Pitchford is a reliable third option and is one of the biggest deep threats in Chattanooga’s offensive arsenal, but has yet to really get going this season with only two receptions for 29 yards.

The running game responsibilities have been handled by true freshman Chris Awuah and senior Bryan Fitzgerald so far this season for the Mocs. Awuah’s speed and vision has been a welcomed addition to the offense this season for UTC, and he has helped make a splash as a true freshman running back for the Mocs this season.

Awuah has rushed the ball 21 times for 97 yards and two TDs so far this season. He also showed that he could be dangerous as a receiver coming out of the backfield, catching a 52-yard TD pass on a wheel route last week against the Paladins. As a receiving threat this season, Awuah had five receptions for 71 yards and a TD.

Fitzgerald is the leading ball-carrier and he is continuing to recover from a knee injury that ended his ‘08 season before it ever got started. Fitzgerald saw his first action of the ‘09 season last Saturday and led the Mocs in rushing with 23 rushes for 69 yards in the loss to the Paladins.

The Mocs have four returning starters returning along the offensive line, which is anchored by the return center Justin Gaylon, who has started 14 consecutive games, and right guard T.J. Hurless, who has also started 14 straight in the Blue and Gold. They have helped lead a UTC offense that has averaged 246.5 YPG so far this season.

Chattanooga has a much quicker defense this season than it has in season’s past. The Mocs have an active defensive line, led by Jason Norfleet and Josh Beard at the bookend positions.

Norfleet had a career-high nine tackles in the opener against Glenville State. So far this season, he has racked up nine tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Beard is a new starter along the defensive line this season, and in two games so far this season, Beard has contributed 11 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery.

Set to man the two defensive tackle positions for the Mocs in the opener are B.J. Taylor and Nick Craig. Taylor started all 12 games for the Mocs last season and is off to a strong start this season along the defensive interior, having recorded four tackles so far in ‘09.

Craig, one of the new starters along the defensive line entering the ‘09 season, played in eight games a year ago, recording 17 tackles in ‘08. So far this season, Craig has totaled three tackles.

The strength of the defense coming into the season, it could be argued, is the linebacking unit, which is anchored by the unquestioned leader of their defense, Joseph Thornton.

Thornton has already totaled 24 tackles on the ‘09 season to lead the team. He has also contributed 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a couple of pass break-ups. He teams with Ryan Consiglio and Steven Smigelsky in the Mocs linebacking unit this fall.

Consiglio opened the season in fine fashion, finishing the opener against Glenville State with seven tackles. So far in ‘09, Consiglio has racked up 13 tackles and a couple of tackles-for-loss.

Smigelsky, a senior linebacker for the Mocs, has gotten his final season donning the Blue and Gold off to a nice start, ranking second on the team in tackles with 17 stops, including a tackle-for-loss.

The Mocs secondary has plenty of athletes, and is anchored by junior cornerback Buster Skrine and sophomore free safety J.D. Dothard. Skrine recorded his fourth-career interception in the opener against Glenville State. He has four tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception.

J.D. Dothard is another impressive performer for the Mocs and came into the ‘09 season as one of the most-improved players on the defensive side of the football. He is a physical presence and a tenacious hitter. Dothard has managed to contribute 12 tackles and a tackle-for-loss so far in ‘09.

Chris Lewis-Harris rounds out the returning starters in the secondary for the Mocs. Lewis-Harris has two tackles and a pass break-up this season.

After gaining 432 yards in the season-opening loss to Furman, the Blue Hose were only able to muster a little better than 100 yards in last Saturday’s 41-7 loss to the 10th-ranked Phoenix.

The Blue Hose are led by sophomore signal-caller Brandon Miley, who comes into Saturday afternoon’s contest, having connected on 26-of-52 passes for 288 yards, two TDs, and an interception. Expected to also see action against the Mocs is junior signal-caller Tim Webb, who has connected on 11-of-22 passes for 93 yards and a couple of TDs.

The running game has been led by Trendon Dendy so far this season. Dendy, who transferred to PC from Mars Hill, has been the catalyst in the running game so far this season. Dendy has rushed the ball 30 times for 99 yards.

Another important factor in the PC running game this fall has been Landon Byrd. Byrd has rushed for 60 yards on nine rushing attempts so far this season.

The offensive line is anchored by left tackle Nic Lanzo and center Jared Tavernier. Both players are two-year starters and are two stalwarts on the offensive side of the ball that enable this offense to click, especially as pass-blockers.

The leading receiving options for the Blue Hose going into Saturday’s matchup with the Mocs are Patrick McKoy and Bruce Smith. So far, McKoy has played like one of the premier wide receivers in the Big South Conference, having hauled in nine passes for 121 yards, averaging an impressive 13.4 yards-per-catch. Bruce Smith is more of a possession receiver and has caught six passes for 38 yards in ‘09.

The Blue Hose have found the treading a little tough on the defensive side of the ball early on in the ‘09 season, yielding 43 PPG and a total of 554.5 YPG, however, that was against two of the best offenses in the SoCon.

The linebacking corps lost an All-American from last year’s unit, in Antwan Thomas, but seemed to have pulled together nicely to form a cohesive unit this season. Red-shirt freshman linebacker Stephen Thomas has been the leader of the unit thus far this season, chipping in with 12 tackles, half-a-tackle-for-loss and quarterback hurry. He teams with J.R. Thomason and Derek Brown. Thomason has nine tackles this season and Brown has totaled seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack.

The secondary has a couple of veteran holdovers that have potential to have big-time seasons, in Bo Tribble and Torrel Funderburk. Funderburk comes into Saturday’sgame ranking third on the team in tackles with 12 tackles and an interception. Tribble has all-conference talent and also has posted 12 stops on the ‘09 season. Boundary cornerback Justin Bethel leads the team in tackles so far in ‘09, having racked up 15 tackles and a pass break-up.

 

Final Analysis and Prediction

Chattanooga hasn’t beaten a Division I opponent since defeating Western Carolina way back on Oct. 13, 2007, however, if the Mocs want to show their improvement and that they can be a serious competitor in a league play, Saturday’s game with the Blue Hose offers a good opportunity for Chattanooga to shed that gorilla of its back.

The Blue Hose, also in the same position in terms of showing improvement and getting coach Harold Nichols his first victory as a head coach. It’s a matchup that offers the Mocs an opportunity to get their first road victory in nearly two years, since getting a 45-38 win at Georgia Southern on Sept. 22, 2007. Look for B.J. Coleman and Blue Cooper to have big afternoon’s as they help the Mocs escape Clinton with a tight win.

Chattanooga 34, Presbyterian 27

 

No.14 Wofford (1-1, 0-0) at Wisconsin (2-0, 0-0)

Wofford will be meeting its first Big Ten opponent on the gridiron when the Terriers head to Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers will be facing their second SoCon opponent in the history of the program, having faced The Citadel.

Wofford has already faced an FBS opponent this season, dropping a 41-7 decision to South Florida in the season opener, but the Terriers managed to rebound by getting a 42-14 win at home against Charleston Southern last Saturday.

Wisconsin has opened the season with two victories, getting a thrilling 34-31 double-overtime win over Fresno State last Saturday. The Terriers were dealt a serious blow this past week when it was learned that leading rusher Eric Breitenstein would be out for 4-6 weeks with a PCL tear.

Since Wisconsin head coach Brett Bielema joined the staff as a defensive coordinator in 2004, the Badgers have compiled a 32-3 record at Camp Randall Stadium. Last season, the Badgers nearly dropped a game to an FCS opponent, when the Cal Poly Mustangs  came in and dropped a close 36-35 overtime decision to the Badgers in a thriller. That win allowed the Badgers to go to a bowl game in what was considered a rebuilding season by many. The Badgers are 26-6 all time versus FCS teams and this will mark the fourth straight season the Badgers will face a team from the sub-classification, holding a 3-0 mark in the previous three games against FCS teams.

The Badgers have 11 returning starters and have been led on the offensive side of the football this season by junior quarterback Scott Tolzein, who started his first career game in the season opener against Northern Illinois.

Freshman Curt Phillips, who saw limited action against Northern Illinois, could also see action in the signal-caller’s role Saturday afternoon. Tolzein has connected on 32-of-48 passes so far this season for 482 yards, two TDs, and two interceptions. Phillips has seen limited action after suffering an injury early in the season opener against Northern Illinois, but has completed 3-of-5 passes for 24 yards on the season so far.

In his first career start, quarterback Scott Tolzien completed 15-of-20 passes for 257 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for a QB rating of 179.44. His 257 passing yards were the most for a Badger QB in his starting debut in school history.

Tolzien followed that up with a 225-yard, one TD performance on 17-of-28 passing vs. Fresno State.

The running game will be led by John Clay and Zach Brown, which is a talented two-headed monster at the running back position for the Badgers. Clay currently leads the Badgers in rushing with 186 yards and three TDs on 36 attempts, averaging 5.2 YPC. Brown has chipped in with 91 yards and a score on 23 carries so far in ‘09.

Clay had a career-high 143 rushing yards vs. Fresno State (the fourth 100-yard rushing game of his career). He ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing (93.0 yards per game) and was one of four players in the country to earn a "Game Ball" from SportingNews.com this week.

One of the strengths of the Wisconsin football program has always been the offensive line, and that’s no different this season for the run-oriented Badgers. Six of Wisconsin’s eight TDs on the season have come on the ground this season. Junior left tackle Gabe Carimi and junior left guard Jake Bscherer anchor the offensive front that has helped the Badgers average 423.5 YPG of total offense on the ’09 season, including averaging 170 yards on the ground.

The top receiver in the Badgers offensive attack is tight end Graham Garett, who’s one of the top, if not the top, tight end in the nation. So far this season, Garrett has caught nine balls for 131 yards.

Two other options that have proven to be golden for the Badgers as receiving options this season have been Nick Toon and Isaac Anderson.

Anderson is the primary deep threat, possessing tremendous speed and averaging a team-best 24.3 yards-per-reception so far this season. In two games this season, Anderson has caught seven passes for 170 yards and a TD. Toon, who also possesses tremendous speed and good hands, has hauled in nine passes for 121 yards and a TD.

The Wisconsin defense has been pretty effective this season, holding its first two opponents to just 371.0 YPG, and the unit does its best job against the run, limiting opponents to just 139.5 YPG in the opening two ballgames this fall.

Leading the defensive line for the Badgers is senior bookend O’Brien Schoefield. Schoefield has been one of the catalysts on the defensive side of the football so far in ‘09, and has amassed 18 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks this season.

Schoefield teams with sophomore defensive end J.J. Watt, who has also put up some respectable numbers in the ‘09 season, contributing eight tackles, half-a-sack ,and two pass break-ups.

The linebacking unit for the Badgers is led by senior weak-side linebacker Jaevery McFadden, who is one of the more athletic and most active players on the defensive side of the football for the Badgers.

In two games this season, McFadden has 18 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack. Culmer St. Jean, who starts at middle linebacker for the Badgers, is also a vital contributor to the Wisconsin cause on defense, having racked up 10 tackles so far in ‘09.

The secondary might be the strength of the ‘09 edition of the Wisconsin defense. Leading the unit is a talented tandem of safeties, in Jay Valai and Chris Maragos. Valai was an All-Big Ten performer in ‘08 and the junior is off to another fast start in ‘09. In two games this fall, he has nine tackles, while his safety teammate Maragos has had a season worthy of praise thus far, producing 15 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a sack and an interception.

The top cover-corner for the Badgers is Niles Brinkley, who is another extremely gifted athlete on the defensive side of the ball for the Badgers. The junior cornerback has made seven tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, as well as picking off one pass early in ‘09.

Wofford made a statement last week in getting a 42-14 win over Charleston Southern in the home opener, after opening the season on the road with a 41-7 loss to South Florida in Tampa, FL.

The tough news was the injury to running back Eric Breitenstein, who is the team’s leading rusher with 187 yards and three TDs on 28 carries, averaging 6.7 YPC. He’s expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a PCL tear.

After the graduation of Ben Widmyer, the Wofford offense has been orchestrated by sophomore signal-caller Mitch Allen, who continues to a sense of comfort running the  ‘spread-bone’ attack.

As a passer, Allen has completed 7-of-18 passes for 95 yards with one TD. He now leads the team in rushing after Breitenstein went down with an injury, having rushed for 147 yards and a TD on 26 attempts so far this season, averaging an impressive 5.7 YPC.

Stev Davitte, the speedy No. 2 quarterback, has seen action in each of the opening two contests and will likely see some time Saturday afternoon against the Badgers. Davitte has rushed for 51 yards on seven attempts, while completing 3-of-4 passes for 14 yards.

Sophomore fullback Arsenio Parks will assume the starting role with the injury to Breitenstein. The 5'10', 223-pound power running back is one of the stars of the future for the Terriers and is extremely good in short-yardage situations. Parks has rushed the ball 11 times for 43 yards in two games this season.

Look for junior halfback Mike Rucker to be the go-to-back now that Breitenstein has gone down. Rucker possesses some of the best speed on the team and is dangerous both as a runner as well as catching the football out of the backfield. Rucker’s speed is also a threat on special teams as the Terriers’ kick returner. So far in ‘09, Rucker has just eight carries for 113 yards and two TDs, averaging an amazing 14.1 YPC.

Extra production will also be required of the Terriers other diminutive halfback, Sean Lees, who might be the fastest player on the team. Lees has only three carries for 19 yards so far this season, but more production is almost a given now with Breitenstein’s injury.

Like Wisconsin, Wofford has traditionally imposed its physical prowess along the offensive line over the years, and that hasn’t changed a bit this season. The O-Line, which returned just two starters from last year’s unit.

The leaders of this unit are a trio of juniors, in left guard Pat Illig, center Trey Johnson, and right guard Ben Wilmoth. This trio has helped the Terriers average 340 yards of total offense in two games this season, including 285.5 YPG on the ground.

The aerial attack was probably the unit hit hardest by graduation from a year ago, with the loss of the school’s all-time leading receiver, Andy Strickland. This season, though the Terriers haven’t gone to the air as often as of yet, the leader and the player that has been able to stretch defenses with his speed is sophomore Devin Reed. In two games in ‘09, Reed has three receptions for 36 yards and a TD.

Despite massive losses to graduation on the defense, the Terriers appear to be well on their way to returning to being one of the top units in the SoCon quicker than expected. Leading the defensive line, which returned just one of three starters entering the season and might be one of the more underrated units in the SoCon, is nose tackle Eric Eberhardt. Eberhardt has four tackles and a fumble recovery this season, and will team with bookends Ameet Pall and Alex Goultry in Saturday’s matchup with the Badgers.

The linebacking corps is probably the strongest component of the Wofford defense this season. Leading the talented, athletic unit this season has been inside linebacker Mike Niam. Niam leads the defense in tackles in two contests this fall, having registered 22 tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a sack and has forced a couple of fumbles.

Both Ricco Braxton and SeQuan Stanley have been pleasant surprises in their first season’s as starters at outside linebacker and inside linebacker, respectively. Braxton is an extremely athletic presence for the Terriers and has nine tackles, while co-leading the team with two sacks this season. Stanley, who shares the team lead in sacks with Braxton, isn’t too far behind on the tackles ledger either, with eight stops on the campaign.

The secondary is the Terriers' deepest unit on defense, led by the safety tandem of strong safety Tommy Irvin and free safety Mychael Johnson. Irvin is one of the ringleaders of the defense and he has seven tackles and an interception so far in ‘09. Johnson has adjusted well since making the transition from cornerback to safety during the off-season. Johnson has racked up seven tackles so far this season. He also serves as Wofford’s punt returner with his tremendous, game-breaking speed.

The two cornerback positions are held down by sophomores Kendall Bratcher and Preston Roseboro. Roseboro will be making his first start of the season after returning from injury, while Bratcher has five tackles and a pass break-up on the season.

 

Final Analysis and Prediction:

With the recent trend of FCS teams giving FBS teams all they can handle, there’s no doubt that Wisconsin is taking this game very seriously. That is especially true with the Badgers having had a close call against Cal Poly last season in a game the Badgers should have lost, and a game against The Citadel two years ago. There’s no doubt the Badgers will be breaking out film of the Cal Poly game from a year ago, which ran an offense very similar to the one Wofford will bring to Camp Randall Stadium Saturday afternoon, to break down the mistakes that the Badgers made in that game and correct them.

With the type of offense that Wofford runs, it’s akin to the a team that shoots the three-pointer well in college basketball in that it is a great equalizer, and for what the Terriers lack in speed and athleticism against FBS foes, they make up for with execution. However, without Breitenstein, and lacking the ability to really test the Badgers defense in the down-the-field passing game as Cal Poly did, this will be one of the rare cases in which a Wofford team gets dominated by an FBS team.

Wisconsin 31, Wofford 10

 

The Citadel (0-1, 0-0) at Princeton (0-0, 0-0)

The Citadel travels to Princeton, N.J., to face the Tigers after take a much-needed week off after a 40-6 opening-week loss to nationally-ranked ACC member University of North Carolina.

The Bulldogs took on the Tigers last season, with The Citadel posting an impressive second-half performance to get a 37-24, come-from-behind victory at Johnson-Hagood Stadium. That meeting was the only other meeting between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, and marks just the second meeting all-time between the SoCon and the Ivy League, as Marshall met Brown back in the mid '90s.

Princeton is coming of an ‘08 season in which the Tigers finished with a 4-6 overall record, and return 12 starters from last season’s squad for the ‘09 season. Six starters return on each side of the ball for the Tigers entering Saturday afternoon’s matchup with the Bulldogs.

On offense, the Tigers will have a new quarterback with the graduation of Brian Anderson. Sophomore quarterback Tony Wornham will start at the quarterback position for the Tigers on Saturday, becoming the first sophomore to start for the Tigers, since 2001. Wornham saw very limited action last season as the third-string quarterback, completing 2-of-9 passes for seven yards last season.

Wornham will have to hope that senior running back and Ivy League rushing champion Jordan Culbreath will alleviate some of those first-game jitters. Culbreath was one of the nation’s top running backs last season, completing season with 1,206 yards and 10 TDs on 213 attempts, averaging an impressive 5.7 YPC.

In the loss to the Bulldogs last season, Culbreath rushed for 74 yards and a TD on 17 carries. Culbreath could also be an effective receiver out of the backfield for Wornham on Saturday afternoon, coming off a season in which he caught 21 passes for 131 yards and a score.

The Tigers also return four senior starters along the offensive line, which is anchored by right tackle J.P. Makrai, who has started 26 games, dating back to his freshman campaign, and left tackle Mark Paski, who is a senior that has started every game of his Princeton career. These two performers helped the Princeton offense average 327 YPG and 18.3 PPG last season.

The Tigers lost their top two wide receivers from a year ago with the graduation of Will Thanheiser and Adam Berry, but do manage to return a pretty good receiving option in Trey Peacock at the ‘X’-wide receiver position where he managed to haul in 15 passes for 178 yards and a TD last season, averaging 11.9 YPC. Peacock has 21-career receptions coming into Saturday’s season opener for the Tigers.

Princeton always seems to field one of the most-physical defenses in the Ivy League, year-in and year-out. Six starters return for the ‘09 season, led by three strong components. Set to anchor the defensive line for the Tigers will be Joel Karacozoff, who’s the lone returning starter along the defensive line for the Tigers, at one of the bookend posted 30 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles-for-loss in ‘08.

 

Karacozoff will be joined up front along the defensive line by a couple of talented young players, in Mike Catapano at the other defensive end and Matt Boyer at nose tackle. Catapano was a player that saw very limited action at linebacker last season as a true freshman, but has made the transition to the defensive line to improve the pass-rush with his tremendous athleticism. Boyer was a reserve at the nose tackle position last fall, completing the season with 17 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, and a sack.

The linebacking corps, which returns three of four starters from a year ago, including two Ivy League selections, will be anchored by those two all-league honorees, in inside linebackers Steve Cody and Stephen Britton. Cody led the Tigers defense last fall, racking up 85 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and a pass break-up. Britton was the team’s second-leading tackler a year ago, chipping in with 81 tackles, a team-leading four sacks and 5.5 tackles-for-loss. Brad Stetler, the lone non-returning starter at LB, actually tied Britton for the team-lead in sacks with four, and will start at strong-side linebacker for the Tigers.

The secondary will be anchored by talented senior cornerback Cart Kelly, who has 90 tackles and two interceptions so far in his career. Another player that figures to be a significant part of this Princeton secondary in ‘09 is senior strong safety Wilson Cates, who’s coming off an ‘08 season in which he registered 67 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, three pass break-ups and an interception.

The Citadel certainly had their offensive problems in their season-opening loss at North Carolina. Quarterback Bart Blanchard had a tough evening in Chapel Hill, connecting on 21-of-37 passes for 117 yards, but threw three interceptions.

Last season in the 37-24 win over the Tigers, Blanchard was able to connect on 12-of-21 throws for 151 yards, with two TDs and an interception. He helped orchestrate a Citadel offense that finished the game against Princeton with 307 yards of total offense in the ’08 home-opening win for the Bulldogs.

While Culbreath is the playmaker to watch on the offensive side of the football for the Tigers, Citadel senior wide receiver Andre Roberts, who comes into this matchup as the SoCon’s eighth all-time leading wide receiver. In the opener against North Carolina, Roberts was limited in his overall production, as the Tar Heels limited the All-American receiver to 10 receptions for 30 yards. Roberts has 2,981 yards receiving in his Citadel career. Last season, he set a school record with 95 receptions for 1,334 yards and 14 TD catches. He’s also No.8 in SoCon history in all-time punt return yards (943).

The running game should return to some sort of normalcy this weekend, with the return of Terrell Dallas, who returns to the lineup after suffering an ACL tear in the last game of the ‘08 season against the University of Florida and will start at tailback on Saturday afternoon against the Tigers. Dallas was Asheton Jordan’s understudy at running back last season, gaining 209 yards and scoring four TDs on 75 rushing attempts last fall.

The Bulldogs offensive line returned four starters, led by a couple of fifth-year seniors, in offensive tackle Daniel DeHaven and center Tommy Suggs. Both Suggs and DeHaven are legitimate All-SoCon candidates and are vital components of the Bulldogs offense.

Eight starters return on the defensive side of the football, most of which were a part of the top unit in the SoCon a couple of years ago. The strength of the Bulldogs’ defense is definitely the defensive line, where two all-league candidates return, in nose tackle Terrence Reese and defensive end DeWitt Jones.

Reese is coming off an ‘08 season in which he produced 49 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack. In the opener against the Tar Heels, Reese had two tackles. DeWitt Jones garnered All-SoCon honors last season, after completing the campaign with 66 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks. In the opener against the Tar Heels, Jones had four tackles, a sack and a tackle-for-loss.

The linebacking unit returned just one starter from a year ago. The lone returning starter at linebacker for the Bulldogs is Jordan Gilmore, who led the Bulldogs with 93 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks last season. Tolu Akindele is a tremendous athlete and saw limited action last season, recording 20 tackles and a sack. Akindele had a tackle in the opener against North Carolina. Jeremy Buncum is another young linebacker, and the sophomore led the Bulldogs in tackles in the season opener against the Tar Heels with six tackles.

The secondary is the youngest unit on the Bulldogs defense, but as it showed in the opener, The Citadel has some play-makers in the defensive backfield. Red-shirt freshman bandit safety Joseph Boateng had two interceptions in his first collegiate game to garner SoCon Defensive Player of the Week accolades in Week One. Boateng also tied for the team-lead with six tackles in the opener.

Two other vital components of the secondary for the Bulldogs are boundary cornerback Cortez Allen and senior field corner Ryan Jones, who is one of the veteran leaders of the defense. Allen is coming off an ‘08 season in which he had 39 tackles, five pass break-ups and two tackles-for-loss.

Allen got his ‘09 season off to a good start, recording four tackles and had a pass break-up. While Jones only had two tackles in the opener, he is coming off an impressive ‘08 season, recording 37 tackles, three pass break-ups and one tackle-for-loss.

 

Final Analysis and Prediction:

This game was a tale of two halves a year ago, with Princeton simply dominating the first half of last year’s contest, as the Tigers took a 17-7 lead to the locker room, but the Bulldogs usurped momentum in the second half and scored 31 unanswered points to assume control of the contest. This season, the Bulldogs and Tigers have many of the same players returning from last season’s squads and should produce another solid contest. The only difference is this time the game is on the road at Princeton, and that makes all the difference in another barn-burner.

 

Princeton 34, The Citadel 31