Appalachian State Football Preview 2010 (Part 3 of 3)

This marks the final installment of the 2010 Appalachian State football preview, which takes a look at the 2010 defense, as well as the special teams, and offer a final analysis for the latest edition of the three-time national and 10-time Southern Conference title winners. Please check back tomorrow for a full preview of ASU's 2010 season and league opener at Chattanooga.

Defense:

Appalachian State had high hopes on the defensive side of the football heading into the 2010 season, and with 10 starters returning to the fold, it was hard to imagine that the Mountaineers wouldn't be one of the elite defensive units in the FCS and SoCon in 2009.

However, after starting out 0-2 and surrendering a season-high 522 yards in the second week of the campaign in a 40-35 setback to 16th-ranked McNeese State, there were plenty of questions to be asked of the ASU defense.

The Mountaineers wouldn't find their footing on the defensive side until challenged by the coaching staff in the week leading up to the game against archrival Georgia Southern in mid-October. With no one's starting position safe, the Mountaineers showed a renewed urgency against the Eagles, holding them to only 171 yards of total offense, including just 15 rushing yards, and yielding only one offensive touchdown en route to a lopsided, 52-16, win.

The ASU coaching staff hopes it won't take the seven returning defensive starters half the season to hit their stride in 2010. The Mountaineers finished a respectable fourth (318.4 YPG) in the SoCon in total defense last fall, while leading the league with 18 INTs. Three of the seven returnees (DE Jabari Fletcher, LB D.J. Smith, and DB Mark LeGree) will begin the season on the Buck Buchanan Watch list.

Defensive Line:

There is some concern surrounding the defensive line's interior for the Black and Gold, as defensive tackles Malcolm Bennett and Anthony Williams are gone, both reaching full eligibility with graduation. While the Mountaineers will lack the experience that Bennett and Williams provided last fall, the Apps may actually field a beefier tandem at defensive tackle in 2010. Gordy Witte and Bobby Bozzo are expected to be the two starters for the Black and Gold when the Mountaineers take the field against Chattanooga for the season opener on Sept. 4.

Witte, a 6'6", 290-pound junior from Salisbury, N.C., has patiently waited in the wings to get his opportunity at a starting job along the defensive interior, and will enter the season as the starting right defensive tackle position. Big and athletic, Witte is coming off a 2009 season that saw him contribute 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) last fall.

Like Witte, Bozzo has been a player that has flown under the radar during his Black and Gold career, waiting for his opportunity at a starting position behind talented Anthony Williams at left defensive tackle. The 6'3", 295-pound native of Waldwick, N.J., is a physically imposing presence on the defensive interior for the Black and Gold, and is coming off a 2009 season in which he contributed 34 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. Bozzo saw action in all 14 games for the Apps, including logging a couple of starts.

ASU also added to its depth at defensive tackle, bringing in a talented JUCO transfer in Chris Aiken, while Anthony Wilson put forth good performances in both the spring and fall camps, as he completed his transition from reserve offensive lineman to reserve defensive lineman.

Aiken, a 6'1", 310-pound native of Austin, TX., comes to Boone from Blinn College, where he recorded 27 tackles and a sack in eight games, helping lead Blinn to a National Junior College Athletic Association national title in 2009. His size in the middle of the ASU defense is something that ASU hasn't seen since the days of Jason Blalock (2000-03) and Ryan Watson (1998-01).

ASU should be in excellent position at defensive tackle, once Jabari Fletcher and Lanston Tanyi return to full health. Fletcher and Tanyi, who combined for 14 sacks last fall, are likely the top bookend tandem in the SoCon entering the 2010 campaign.

Fletcher brings experience and superior athleticism to the right defensive end post, as he enters his second season as the Mountaineers' full-time starter. Fletcher took over the starting job on the right side midway through the 2008 season and enters the campaign with 25 consecutive starts. The 6'3", 265-pound senior from Atlanta, GA., enters the campaign as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, after contributing 63 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and 11 QB hurries in 2009.

Opposing offensive fronts won't have the luxury of centering their focus upon Fletcher, as Tanyi returns as just as much of a threat to get to their quarterback, who they were recruited to protect. In fact, the 6'2", 250-pound native of Shelby, N.C., led the Mountaineers with 7.5 sacks last fall.

Comparable to former defensive end K.T. Stovall in terms of his athleticism and shear power, Tanyi added 11.0 TFLs, seven quarterback hurries, and 75 tackles to go with his team-leading sacks total. Tanyi enters the campaign still recovering from a severe knee injury, which occurred in practice in the lead up to ASU's semifinal clash with Montana and required offseason knee surgery.

With Tanyi and Fletcher both nursing injuries entering the season, expect reliable reserves John Rizor and converted tight end Jordan Gary to draw starts at the two defensive end spots for the Sept. 4 season opener at Chattanooga.

Rizor, a 6'2", 235-pound native of Fayetteville, N.C., has had as good of a spring and fall camp as any player on the defense for the Black and Gold. The sophomore's role is expected to dramatically increase in 2010, as he registered just three tackles and one sack in limited action as a reserve defensive end in 2009.

Like Tanyi, Gary saw his season come to an end as a result of a knee injury. Unlike Tanyi, it was playing tight end rather than defensive end. With ASU boasting so much depth at tight end, including returning All-American Ben Jorden and the always serviceable Brad Hardee, the coaching staff couldn't let Gary's size, speed, and quickness go to waste buried behind the two tight ends on the ASU depth chart. The 6'3", 235-pound junior native of Greenwood, S.C., has been locked in a tight battle with Fletcher throughout the spring and fall, with Fletcher missing the better part of both camps nursing an injury.

The defensive line will need to show that it can effectively answer questions sure to be aimed its way early on in the 2010 season, especially at defensive tackle, having lost two starters to graduation. The Apps appear to be as deep at defensive end as they have been since the mid-1990s.

Linebackers:

Despite losing middle linebacker Jacque Roman to graduation, Appalachian State returns talent and depth at linebacker this fall, beginning with senior outside linebacker and Buck Buchanan Award candidate D.J. Smith. Smith, a 6'1", 235-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., could put himself in some rare company this fall, as he looks to finish his career second on ASU's career tackles chart, behind only the great two-time Buck Buchanan Award winner Dexter Coakley.

Smith enters his senior season with 381 career tackles and has posted at least 120 tackles in each of the past three seasons for the Black and Gold. With another 120-tackle performance this season, Smith will become one of only two players in ASU football history to record 500 tackles in a career. For an outside linebacker, Smith runs extremely well and is an exceptionally physical player. He completed the 2009 season with 137 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 8 PBUs, five quarterback hurries, and two sacks.

Taking over for Jacque Roman at middle linebacker will be Jeremy Kimbrough. Kimborugh no doubt has some huge shoes to fill, but the 5'11", 235-pound sophomore has been an evident talent ever since he stepped on the ASU practice fields for the first time. Kimbrough did manage to log action as a reserve middle linebacker in all 14 games in his true freshman season, registering 19 tackles and forcing a fumble.

Another talented, athletic linebacker expected to make some noise for the Mountaineers is Brandon Grier. The 6'2", 225-pound sophomore from Charlotte saw all his action as a part of the Mountaineers' special teams unit as a true freshman last fall, but his strong performance in spring drills allowed him to unseat Justin Lloyd as the starter at strongside linebacker heading into fall drills. He has been able to maintain that status and will round out the starting trio at linebacker when the Mountaineers take the field at Chattanooga for their Sept. 4 season opener. In 12 games as a member of the special teams unit last fall, Grier registered 10 tackles.

Lloyd, who garnered SoCon All-Freshman team accolades in 2009, will be the option when the Mountaineers add an extra "star" linebacker. The 5'10", 205-pound native of Charlotte, is smaller and built more like a safety and can drop into coverage if asked to do so, as well as being able to come up and make plays against the run. He suffered a knee injury in what turned out to be the season finale against Montana, missing spring drills as a result of surgery. Lloyd completed the 2009 season by contributing 59 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, and a sack.

Justin Wray, Cougar Norris, and Karl Anderson are three young players expected to fill in behind the starting three, while Michael Frazier will serve as an understudy behind Lloyd at the "star" linebacker position. Wray, a 6'1", 230-pound sophomore from Covington, GA., earned playing time in his true freshman season as a reserve defensive back. After adding 25 pounds, Wray is now exclusively a linebacker and went through spring and fall drills behind Grier at strongside linebacker. He recorded his only tackle of the 2009 campaign in a 52-16 rout of Georgia Southern.

Norris has been an impressive addition to the Mountaineers' linebacking corps after originally walking on last fall. The 5'11", 215-pound sophomore from Naples, FL., competed in all 14 games as a member of the kickoff return unit, recording the only two tackles of his career as a reserve linebacker against North Carolina Central. Norris' work ethic and dedication to being a "team player" has allowed him to ascend up the depth chart quickly, personifying the image that ASU originally built its success upon, which is molding walk-ons into regular contributors.

Like Norris, Anderson also looks to follow in the footsteps of many of his predecessors that have played for the Black and Gold, as he too joined the program as a walk-on. The 5'10", 195-pound freshman from Pilot Point, TX., is listed as the top reserve behind Kimbrough at middle linebacker. He garnered all-state recognition by the Associated Press and the Texas Sports Writers Association as a senior prep at Pilot Point High School. During that senior campaign, Anderson racked up 195 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception return for a score in 2008.

Maybe the most-prized recruit on the defensive side of the football in the 2009 class, Frazier should see a significant role increase this fall, serving as a reserve at both safety and "star" entering the 2010 season. The 6'0", 200-pound native of Conway, S.C., logged action in all 14 contests in 2009, starting three of those contests. He started games against Georgia Southern, Furman, and Chattanooga, and finished his true freshman campaign with 31 tackles, with a large majority of his stops coming as a result of big hits on special teams.

Overall, the Black and Gold have one of the most-talented linebacking corps' in the SoCon entering the 2010 season. Though lacking the experience it had in some areas last fall, in particular at middle linebacker, this unit has more athleticism than any unit within the two-deep in recent memory. In ASU's recent five-year run of success, the only corps of linebackers that even rivals this unit in terms of athleticism is the 2008 unit, which featured the likes of Roman, Pierre Banks, and Smith.

Secondary:

Since Jerry Moore arrived to take the reins of the Appalachian State football program in 1989, the Mountaineers have fielded some of the best defensive backs in the history of the Southern Conference. Players like Mark Mayo, Matt Stevens (1992-95), Corey Hall (1997-2000), Corey Lynch (2003-07), and now Mark LeGree have left an indelible mark on both the program and the SoCon over those 21 seasons. The Mountaineers have been a little inexperienced in places in the secondary the past couple of seasons, but this season they'll have the most experience they have had since ASU's last national title winning season of 2007.

Led by LeGree at strong safety, the Mountaineers have led the league in interceptions the past two seasons, picking off a league-standard 18 passes last fall. The 6'0", 200-pound senior enters the season as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, finishing as a finalist for the award as a sophomore in 2008. LeGree enters his senior campaign, having already been cited twice in has career as an All-American, and in just two seasons as a starter, has established himself as one of the best ball-hawking safeties in school history.

In fact, many wondered how ASU would adjust to losing Lynch, considered by many to be the best safety in school history, and LeGree was the player groomed to replace him. In two seasons, LeGree has done his best to help maintain the level play that Lynch brought to the field each Saturday, and has picked off 17 passes in his first two seasons as a starter at safety, including picking off a single-season school record 10 in 2008.

Like last season, LeGree also begins the 2010 campaign as the only FCS player on the official watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the top Division I (FBS or FCS) defensive player in the nation. Though his interception totals weren't as pronounced as they were in 2008. LeGree had a more productive season in terms of tackles, contributing 70 stops in 2009. In addition to his tackles total, LeGree also posted seven INTs, six PBUs, and a couple of TFLs last fall.

Joining LeGree at safety this fall will be Dominique McDuffie. The 6'2", 200-pound sophomore from Chattanooga, Tenn., is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the Southern Conference, and is also one of the best natural athletes on the defensive side of the ball for the Black and Gold. McDuffie is one of the more opportunistic players in the ASU secondary, and that personality trait came in handy in ASU's 20-13 FCS first-round playoff win over South Carolina State.

With SC State lining up for a potential game-winning field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter, it was McDuffie that pounced on the loose football and he returned it 50 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning score. McDuffie, who transitioned from cornerback to "nickel" safety midway through the 2009 season, saw his freshman season cut short after he suffered a knee injury in the fourth week of the 2008 season. McDuffie finished the 2009 campaign with 36 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, an INT, and that fumble return for a score in the first-round playoff win over SC State.

Ed Gainey was one of the more maligned players in the ASU secondary after he struggled in his true freshman season as a starter in 2008, but he really started to come into his own in the middle of the 2009 season, and was rewarded for his strong play, earning second-team All-SoCon honors. The 5'11", 190-pound junior from Winston-Salem has now developed into ASU's best cover-corner and with the graduation of Cortez Gilbert, Gainey is now looked upon as the leader at cornerback in the secondary. Gainey was second on the team in interceptions, as he picked off four passes last fall, while also contributing 61 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, and a team-high 10 PBUs last fall.

With the departure of Gilbert at left cornerback, Troy Sanders will asked to fill the only vacancy in the Mountaineer secondary heading into the 2010 campaign. Sanders, a 6'0", 190-pound sophomore Chester, S.C., served behind Gilbert in his freshman season last fall. After winning the starting job in the spring, Sanders will now be asked to step up and maintain that same success that Gilbert was able to carry on in his first start as a Mountaineer, which was the national championship game against Delaware three years ago.

Though the pressure won't be the same for Sanders, it will be a test, as he will be looked upon as the lone weakness in this secondary by opponents, due to his lack of game experience. Sanders did garner playing time in all 14 games for the Black and Gold in 2009, mostly on special teams, recording 11 tackles and a PBU.

ASU's talent in the defensive backfield isn't just limited to its starting quartet either, as the Mountaineers boast plenty of young talent in apprentice roles that should see some significant playing time in 2010. Branden Olsen, Demetrius McCray, and Ingram Bell will also see plenty of action in reserve roles for the Mountaineers in 2010.

Special Teams:

Jason Vitaris, a second-team All-SoCon selection, who garnered second team All-SoCon accolades after connecting on a school-record 19-of-28 field goals should continue the strong lineage the Mountaineers have enjoyed at place-kicker over the past few seasons. Vitaris also connected on 58-of-58 PATs and lead the Black and Gold in scoring with 115 points in 2009.

Sam Martin, who averaged 40.0 yards-per-punt last fall, will handle the punting and kickoff duties (63.1 yards-per-kickoff in 2009). Martin showed excellent placement on his punts, and had six punts travel in excess of 50 yards, while having 17 fair-caught and 19 land inside the 20.

Cadet is expected to be the primary punt and kick returner this fall. As a punt return threat in 2009, Cadet returned 24 punts for 134 yards (5.6 yards-per-return).

Final Analysis:

Since ASU won its inaugural national title in 2005, the expectations have been nothing less than bringing home the hardware in each following campaign. Five SoCon titles and three national titles later, the Mountaineers again embark upon the roller-coaster of excitement that gets followers of the Black and Gold giddy about the prospects of placing another crowning achievement in a cupboard full of accomplishments. However, it might be hard to pronounce the Mountaineers as a definitive national title favorite entering the 2010 season without Armanti Edwards standing behind center and taking snaps.

Ironically, the 19 starters that return might actually be more talented than any of the teams that Edwards was a part of, which again makes the Mountaineers one of the elite teams in the FCS in 2010.

Who knows, this season could play out like the 2006 season did for ASU, as the Mountaineers had to replace Richie Williams at QB, which was an unthinkable task heading into the season. But then ASU found Edwards and the rest is history. One thing is for sure, ASU has an excellent chance to make it a fourth national title and league-tying sixth-consecutive SoCon title in 2010.