Post by esc349 on Aug 24, 2007 8:13:08 GMT -5
www.thetimesnews.com/sports/elon_5139___article.html/platt_school.html
Friday, August 24, 2007
SoCon's top contenders loaded with experience
By Tommy Bowman
JOURNAL REPORTER
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Furman has finished just one game behind champion Appalachian State in the last two Southern Conference seasons.
The door to the top doesn’t exactly appear to be open, with Appalachian returning most of the players from a team that won its second straight Football Championship Subdivision title, but Furman has 17 starters back and hopes to give Appalachian another run.
Coach Bobby Lamb, whose Paladins finished 8-4 after making their seventh playoff appearance in eight years, expects a big season from quarterback Renaldo Gray, who will enter his senior season injury-free and 20 pounds lighter.
The workhorse of the team will again be senior Jerome Felton, a 246-pound fullback who scored 23 touchdowns on the way to All-SoCon honors last season.
“He’s big and agile, and the longer the game goes, the stronger he gets,” Lamb said.
Felton again will be complemented by tailback Cedric Gipson, who will start his senior season with 2,396 career yards.
Lamb said that his team needs to improve on defense, but it has a chance to do that with eight starters returning. Included in the group are nose guard Justin Brown and linebacker Andrew Jones, who ranked second in the league in tackles. Both were All-SoCon last season.
Wofford could also be a challenger. It returns 16 starters from a team that was 7-4 and won its last five games.
“I think we were a pretty good football team at the end of the year,” said Mike Ayers, Wofford’s veteran coach. “That can be a catalyst going into this season.”
Rushing again will be the staple of Wofford’s Wing-bone attack, which averaged 30 points a game and was second in the FCS with a 265-yard rushing average. Fullback Michael Hobbs and halfback Kevious Johnson will lead a deep group of backs.
The defense wasn’t too shabby last year either, allowing just 19 points a game, and Wofford again led the SoCon in turnover ratio.
The Citadel made strides last year, moving up to fourth place in the SoCon with a 4-3 league mark. Quarterback Duran Lawson is back for his senior season after passing for 2,138 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Senior Josh Lawson, an All-SoCon safety who led the Bulldogs in tackles, is the headliner on defense.
After posting its first winning season in eight years in 2005, Chattanooga slipped to 3-8 last season. The Mocs will look sharp with a new uniform design and will bank on the return of 10 starters on defense to offset the loss of offensive star Eldra Buckley.
Georgia Southern, once a powerhouse in the FCS, fell on hard times last season and at 3-8 endured its worst season since reinstating football in 1982.
Southern has a new coach in energetic and personable Chris Hatcher - its third coach in three seasons. Hatcher had a 76-12 record at nearby Division II powerhouse Valdosta State.
“If I was ever to leave Valdosta, this is the place I wanted to leave for,” said Hatcher, who will incorporate athletic Jayson Foster into his high-powered “Hatch Attack.”
Elon perhaps turned a corner last season with a 5-6 record and its most wins since 2000. The Phoenix opened with a surprise win at Coastal Carolina in Coach Pete Lembo’s first season with the team.
“Getting some wins under our belt that maybe some people didn’t think we would get certainly affirmed everything we were trying to do and helped in terms of believing in ourselves and raising expectations,” Lembo said. “We’re staying very humble but quietly becoming confident in what we’re doing.”
Taking a larger step might be more of a challenge this season - Lembo said that his team is even younger than last year’s - and the Phoenix will rely on a new quarterback to try to duplicate last year’s passing success (a SoCon-best 246 yards a game).
That job will fall to either redshirt freshman Donny Kirby or freshman recruit Scott Riddle. Top receiving targets will return in Terrell Hudgins and Michael Mayers, who ranked 1-2 in the SoCon and combined for 142 catches and 11 touchdowns.
Corey Weaver, a junior linebacker who was overshadowed by Chad Nkang, an NFL Draft pick, is Elon’s top returning defender. Punter Brandon Lane, who led the SoCon with a 42.4-yard average, and kicker Andrew Wilcox, who hit 12 of 18 field goals, both return.
Western Carolina suffered through an injury-plagued 2006 season and failed to win a league game for the first time since joining the SoCon in 1977. Coach Kent Briggs said he feels a sense of urgency to turn things around.
“I do feel we’ve got to show progress,” said Briggs, who is entering his sixth season as the Catamounts’ coach. “I feel like we did that two years ago - people tend to forget we played for a share of a conference championship - and last year with the injuries and everything, it felt like we fell off the world. I feel like this year we’ve got to rebound and make progress.”
Injuries mounted in 2006, and the Catamounts were down to a fifth-team quarterback by season’s end. They averaged only 14.5 points. In one game, they lost four linemen to injury from a defense that allowed 383 yards a game, more than any other SoCon team.
A tough early-season schedule, with games at Alabama and Georgia in the first three weeks, also will be a challenge for Western.
Todd Spitzer, a senior who spent three seasons at Cincinnati, started three games at quarterback last season but might be in a battle with athletic sophomore Adam Hearns for the starting job.
The Catamounts lost 1,000-yard rusher Darius Fudge. Senior Mike Malone, a track star who ranked second in the nation in kick returns two years ago, and sophomore Willie Harper will most likely replace him. Eddie Cohen, a senior who has 75 career catches, returns at wide receiver.
Cornerback Carlton Bailey was injured much of last season but will enter his senior season as a key player on defense. John Martin, a 6-2, 315-pound tackle, will also be a key player for the Catamounts.
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Appalachian State
• Last year’s record: 14-1 (7-0 SoCon)
• Coach: Jerry Moore (154-68 in 18 seasons at ASU, 181-116-2 in 25 seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2006, won second straight FCS national title
• Strengths: Offensive skills positions, experienced secondary
• Weaknesses: Unproven defensive line, consistent punting
• Best returning players: OT Mario Acitelli, G Kerry Brown, LB Pierre Banks, QB Armanti Edwards, WR Dexter Jackson, S Corey Lynch, K Julian Rauch, RB Kevin Richardson, C Scott Suttle, DE Gary Tharrington, CB Jerome Touchstone, CB Justin Woazeah
• Best newcomers: DT Bobby Bozzo, TE Ben Jorden, WR Brian Quick, LB D.J. Smith, DE Tim Washington, DT Gordy Witte
• Key losses: DT Omarr Byrom, OT Matt Isenhour, WR William Mayfield, DE Marques Murrell, SS Jeremy Wiggins
• Key to the season: Staying relatively injury-free again
• Big games: at Michigan, Sept. 1; at Furman, Oct. 27
• They’ll beat... Lenoir-Rhyne, Northern Arizona, Wofford, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Georgia Southern, Furman, The Citadel, WCU, Chattanooga
• They’ll lose to... Michigan
- Tommy Bowman
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Chattanooga
• Last year’s record: 3-8 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Rodney Allison (14-31 in four seasons, all at Chattanooga)
• Last playoff appearance: 1984, lost to Arkansas State 37-10
• Strengths: Defense, particularly linemen
• Weaknesses: Inexperience on offense
• Best returning players: OT Sam Bentley, DT Neil Brown, LB Chris Johnson, QB Antonio Miller, DE Jeff Phillips, DE Jason Vincent
• Best newcomers: RB Bryan Fitzgerald, TE Chris Harr, LB Jaron Norfleet, QB Tony Pastore, QB Cody Romans, CB Kenny Scrivens
• Key losses: RB Eldra Buckley, WR Emmanuel Hassell, WR Michael Johnson, G Justin Matherson, DB Quintez Smith
• Key to the season: Finding a way to finish off opponents
• Big games: at Georgia Southern, Sept. 22; The Citadel, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Carson-Newman, Western Carolina
• They’ll lose to... Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, The Citadel, Furman, Elon, Western Kentucky, Wofford, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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The Citadel
• Last year’s record: 5-6 (4-3 SoCon)
• Coach: Kevin Higgins (9-13 in two seasons at The Citadel, 65-38-1 in nine seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 1992, defeated N.C. A&T 44-0, lost to Youngstown State 42-17
• Strengths: Return of key skills-position players
• Weaknesses: Must develop offensive line, young secondary
• Best returning players: DL Trevor Broughton, RB Tory Cooper, TE Taylor Cornett, QB Duran Lawson, S Josh Lawson, OL Chris McDowell, LB Terrance Reese, WR Andre Roberts, LB Andrew Rowell
• Best newcomers: WR Ricky Anderson, FS Mel Capers, WR Alex Carr, S Demetrius Jackson, LB Tyquan Mickens, OL Corey Pope
• Key losses: WR Rontreal Tyler, K Blake Vandiver, DL James Wilson
• Key to the season: Sustaining momentum from last season
• Big games: Wofford, Oct. 6; Furman, Oct. 13
• They’ll beat... Charleston Southern, Webber International, Chattanooga, Western Carolina, Elon, VMI
• They’ll lose to... Wisconsin, Wofford, Furman, Georgia Southern, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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Elon
• Last year’s record: 5-6 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Pete Lembo (5-6 in one season at Elon; 49-20 in seven seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: None in Division I
• Strengths: Improved talent, wide receivers
• Weaknesses: Inexperience, offensive line
• Best returning players: WR Terrell Hudgins, P Brandon Lane, WR Michael Mayers, LB Corey Weaver, K Andrew Wilcox
• Best newcomers: WR Lance Camp, OL Dave McClain, QB Scott Riddle, S Andreas Platt, DE Joey Hall
• Key losses: RB Reggie Hall, G Michael Moody, LB Chad Nkang, QB Wes Pope
• Key to the season: Development of young players
• Big game: at Western Carolina, Oct. 6
• They’ll beat... West Virginia Wesleyan, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Stony Brook
• They’ll lose to... South Florida, Appalachian, Western Carolina, Wofford, Furman, The Citadel
- Tommy Bowman
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Furman
• Last year’s record: 8-4 (6-1 SoCon)
• Coach: Bobby Lamb (43-19 in five seasons, all at Furman)
• Last playoff appearance: 2006, lost to Montana State 31-13
• Strengths: Linebackers, interior defensive linemen
• Weaknesses: Inexperience at free safety, must improve pass rush
• Best returning players: DL Wallace Artis, OL Joel Bell, OL Heath Cockburn, DL Justin Brown, FB Jerome Felton, TB Cedric Gipson, OL Reggie Goolsby, QB Renaldo Gray, CB Austin Holmes, LB Andrew Jones, LB Andrew Thacker, TE Chris Truss
• Best newcomers: TB Mike Brown, FB Cardinal Coleman, WR Adam Mims
• Key losses: FS Jeremy Blocker, DT Wesley Bray, OT John Kivett, DE Roy Ravenell, WR Justin Stepp
• Key to the season: Putting more pressure on opposing quarterbacks
• Big games: at Clemson, Sept. 15; Appalachian, Oct. 27
• They’ll beat... Presbyterian, Hofstra, Wofford, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel, Chattanooga, Elon, Georgia Southern, Western Carolina
• They’ll lose to... Clemson, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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Georgia Southern
• Last year’s record: 3-8 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Chris Hatcher (first season at Georgia Southern, 76-12 in seven seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2005, lost to Texas State 50-35
• Strengths: Experience on the offensive line
• Weaknesses: Unproven linebackers
• Best returning players: DE Larry Beard, FS Dedrick Bynum, QB Travis Clark, DT Branden Daniel, WR Jayson Foster, RB Lamar Lewis, OL Russell Orr
• Best newcomers: DB Henry Chubb, RB Mike Hamilton, LB Quentin Taylor
• Key losses: LB John Mohring, DL Charrod Taylor, OL Lance Wayne
• Key to the season: Sustaining potential early-season momentum
• Big game: at Appalachian State, Oct. 20
• They’ll beat... West Georgia, Coastal Carolina, Chattanooga, Western Carolina, South Dakota State, The Citadel
• They’ll lose to... Elon, Appalachian, Wofford, Furman, Colorado State
- Tommy Bowman
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Western Carolina
• Last year’s record: 2-9 (0-7 SoCon)
• Coach: Kent Briggs (21-33 in five seasons, all at Western Carolina)
• Last playoff appearance: 1983, defeated Colgate 24-23, Holy Cross 28-21 and Furman 14-7, lost to Southern Illinois 43-7 in I-AA championship game.
• Strengths: Depth at running back, experience at wide receiver
• Weaknesses: Young players on offensive and defensive lines, challenge of adjusting to new no-huddle offense
• Best returning players: CB Carlton Bailey, DL Jeff Bradley, S Angelo Brown, WR Eddie Cohen, WR Michael Hines, RB Mike Malone, DL John Martin, LB Kadeem Morgan
• Best newcomers: OL Ryan Cooper, QB Zack Jaynes, RB Quan Warley, RB Josh Wright
• Key losses: S Mitchell Dukes, RB Darius Fudge, LB Shelton Gaffney, CB Bruce Lee, P Tim Mayse
• Key to the season: Surviving a tough early-season schedule
• Big game: at Georgia Southern, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Presbyterian, Elon
• They’ll lose to... Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, The Citadel, Wofford, Appalachian, Furman
- Tommy Bowman
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Wofford
• Last year’s record: 7-4 (5-2 SoCon)
• Coach: Mike Ayers (123-89-1 in 19 seasons at Wofford, 134-110-2 in 22 seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2003, defeated N.C. A&T 31-10 and Western Kentucky 34-17, lost to Delaware 24-9
• Strengths: Offensive backfield, experienced linebackers
• Weaknesses: Unproven kicker, questions on defensive front
• Best returning players: QB Josh Collier, FS Brian Ford, DE James Gonsoulin, FB Michael Hobbs, HB Kevious Johnson, OL Corey McKenna, DB Dan Tavani, P Chris Tommie, OL Derek Wooten
• Best newcomers: HB Sean Lees, FB Arsenio Parks, DL John Starr
• Key losses: G Marty Bauer, CB Brandon Berry, LB Justin Franklin, K Nick Robinson
• Key to the season: Back-to-back games at Appalachian and Furman
• Big games: Appalachian, Sept. 22; at Furman, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Georgetown, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Gardner-Webb, Elon, Western Carolina, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga
• They’ll lose to... N.C. State, Appalachian, Furman
- Tommy Bowman
Friday, August 24, 2007
SoCon's top contenders loaded with experience
By Tommy Bowman
JOURNAL REPORTER
Give your opinion on this story
>> a d v e r t i s e m e n t <<
>> w e b t o o l s <<
Print Story | Email Story | News Tip?
Furman has finished just one game behind champion Appalachian State in the last two Southern Conference seasons.
The door to the top doesn’t exactly appear to be open, with Appalachian returning most of the players from a team that won its second straight Football Championship Subdivision title, but Furman has 17 starters back and hopes to give Appalachian another run.
Coach Bobby Lamb, whose Paladins finished 8-4 after making their seventh playoff appearance in eight years, expects a big season from quarterback Renaldo Gray, who will enter his senior season injury-free and 20 pounds lighter.
The workhorse of the team will again be senior Jerome Felton, a 246-pound fullback who scored 23 touchdowns on the way to All-SoCon honors last season.
“He’s big and agile, and the longer the game goes, the stronger he gets,” Lamb said.
Felton again will be complemented by tailback Cedric Gipson, who will start his senior season with 2,396 career yards.
Lamb said that his team needs to improve on defense, but it has a chance to do that with eight starters returning. Included in the group are nose guard Justin Brown and linebacker Andrew Jones, who ranked second in the league in tackles. Both were All-SoCon last season.
Wofford could also be a challenger. It returns 16 starters from a team that was 7-4 and won its last five games.
“I think we were a pretty good football team at the end of the year,” said Mike Ayers, Wofford’s veteran coach. “That can be a catalyst going into this season.”
Rushing again will be the staple of Wofford’s Wing-bone attack, which averaged 30 points a game and was second in the FCS with a 265-yard rushing average. Fullback Michael Hobbs and halfback Kevious Johnson will lead a deep group of backs.
The defense wasn’t too shabby last year either, allowing just 19 points a game, and Wofford again led the SoCon in turnover ratio.
The Citadel made strides last year, moving up to fourth place in the SoCon with a 4-3 league mark. Quarterback Duran Lawson is back for his senior season after passing for 2,138 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Senior Josh Lawson, an All-SoCon safety who led the Bulldogs in tackles, is the headliner on defense.
After posting its first winning season in eight years in 2005, Chattanooga slipped to 3-8 last season. The Mocs will look sharp with a new uniform design and will bank on the return of 10 starters on defense to offset the loss of offensive star Eldra Buckley.
Georgia Southern, once a powerhouse in the FCS, fell on hard times last season and at 3-8 endured its worst season since reinstating football in 1982.
Southern has a new coach in energetic and personable Chris Hatcher - its third coach in three seasons. Hatcher had a 76-12 record at nearby Division II powerhouse Valdosta State.
“If I was ever to leave Valdosta, this is the place I wanted to leave for,” said Hatcher, who will incorporate athletic Jayson Foster into his high-powered “Hatch Attack.”
Elon perhaps turned a corner last season with a 5-6 record and its most wins since 2000. The Phoenix opened with a surprise win at Coastal Carolina in Coach Pete Lembo’s first season with the team.
“Getting some wins under our belt that maybe some people didn’t think we would get certainly affirmed everything we were trying to do and helped in terms of believing in ourselves and raising expectations,” Lembo said. “We’re staying very humble but quietly becoming confident in what we’re doing.”
Taking a larger step might be more of a challenge this season - Lembo said that his team is even younger than last year’s - and the Phoenix will rely on a new quarterback to try to duplicate last year’s passing success (a SoCon-best 246 yards a game).
That job will fall to either redshirt freshman Donny Kirby or freshman recruit Scott Riddle. Top receiving targets will return in Terrell Hudgins and Michael Mayers, who ranked 1-2 in the SoCon and combined for 142 catches and 11 touchdowns.
Corey Weaver, a junior linebacker who was overshadowed by Chad Nkang, an NFL Draft pick, is Elon’s top returning defender. Punter Brandon Lane, who led the SoCon with a 42.4-yard average, and kicker Andrew Wilcox, who hit 12 of 18 field goals, both return.
Western Carolina suffered through an injury-plagued 2006 season and failed to win a league game for the first time since joining the SoCon in 1977. Coach Kent Briggs said he feels a sense of urgency to turn things around.
“I do feel we’ve got to show progress,” said Briggs, who is entering his sixth season as the Catamounts’ coach. “I feel like we did that two years ago - people tend to forget we played for a share of a conference championship - and last year with the injuries and everything, it felt like we fell off the world. I feel like this year we’ve got to rebound and make progress.”
Injuries mounted in 2006, and the Catamounts were down to a fifth-team quarterback by season’s end. They averaged only 14.5 points. In one game, they lost four linemen to injury from a defense that allowed 383 yards a game, more than any other SoCon team.
A tough early-season schedule, with games at Alabama and Georgia in the first three weeks, also will be a challenge for Western.
Todd Spitzer, a senior who spent three seasons at Cincinnati, started three games at quarterback last season but might be in a battle with athletic sophomore Adam Hearns for the starting job.
The Catamounts lost 1,000-yard rusher Darius Fudge. Senior Mike Malone, a track star who ranked second in the nation in kick returns two years ago, and sophomore Willie Harper will most likely replace him. Eddie Cohen, a senior who has 75 career catches, returns at wide receiver.
Cornerback Carlton Bailey was injured much of last season but will enter his senior season as a key player on defense. John Martin, a 6-2, 315-pound tackle, will also be a key player for the Catamounts.
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Appalachian State
• Last year’s record: 14-1 (7-0 SoCon)
• Coach: Jerry Moore (154-68 in 18 seasons at ASU, 181-116-2 in 25 seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2006, won second straight FCS national title
• Strengths: Offensive skills positions, experienced secondary
• Weaknesses: Unproven defensive line, consistent punting
• Best returning players: OT Mario Acitelli, G Kerry Brown, LB Pierre Banks, QB Armanti Edwards, WR Dexter Jackson, S Corey Lynch, K Julian Rauch, RB Kevin Richardson, C Scott Suttle, DE Gary Tharrington, CB Jerome Touchstone, CB Justin Woazeah
• Best newcomers: DT Bobby Bozzo, TE Ben Jorden, WR Brian Quick, LB D.J. Smith, DE Tim Washington, DT Gordy Witte
• Key losses: DT Omarr Byrom, OT Matt Isenhour, WR William Mayfield, DE Marques Murrell, SS Jeremy Wiggins
• Key to the season: Staying relatively injury-free again
• Big games: at Michigan, Sept. 1; at Furman, Oct. 27
• They’ll beat... Lenoir-Rhyne, Northern Arizona, Wofford, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Georgia Southern, Furman, The Citadel, WCU, Chattanooga
• They’ll lose to... Michigan
- Tommy Bowman
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Chattanooga
• Last year’s record: 3-8 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Rodney Allison (14-31 in four seasons, all at Chattanooga)
• Last playoff appearance: 1984, lost to Arkansas State 37-10
• Strengths: Defense, particularly linemen
• Weaknesses: Inexperience on offense
• Best returning players: OT Sam Bentley, DT Neil Brown, LB Chris Johnson, QB Antonio Miller, DE Jeff Phillips, DE Jason Vincent
• Best newcomers: RB Bryan Fitzgerald, TE Chris Harr, LB Jaron Norfleet, QB Tony Pastore, QB Cody Romans, CB Kenny Scrivens
• Key losses: RB Eldra Buckley, WR Emmanuel Hassell, WR Michael Johnson, G Justin Matherson, DB Quintez Smith
• Key to the season: Finding a way to finish off opponents
• Big games: at Georgia Southern, Sept. 22; The Citadel, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Carson-Newman, Western Carolina
• They’ll lose to... Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, The Citadel, Furman, Elon, Western Kentucky, Wofford, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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The Citadel
• Last year’s record: 5-6 (4-3 SoCon)
• Coach: Kevin Higgins (9-13 in two seasons at The Citadel, 65-38-1 in nine seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 1992, defeated N.C. A&T 44-0, lost to Youngstown State 42-17
• Strengths: Return of key skills-position players
• Weaknesses: Must develop offensive line, young secondary
• Best returning players: DL Trevor Broughton, RB Tory Cooper, TE Taylor Cornett, QB Duran Lawson, S Josh Lawson, OL Chris McDowell, LB Terrance Reese, WR Andre Roberts, LB Andrew Rowell
• Best newcomers: WR Ricky Anderson, FS Mel Capers, WR Alex Carr, S Demetrius Jackson, LB Tyquan Mickens, OL Corey Pope
• Key losses: WR Rontreal Tyler, K Blake Vandiver, DL James Wilson
• Key to the season: Sustaining momentum from last season
• Big games: Wofford, Oct. 6; Furman, Oct. 13
• They’ll beat... Charleston Southern, Webber International, Chattanooga, Western Carolina, Elon, VMI
• They’ll lose to... Wisconsin, Wofford, Furman, Georgia Southern, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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Elon
• Last year’s record: 5-6 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Pete Lembo (5-6 in one season at Elon; 49-20 in seven seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: None in Division I
• Strengths: Improved talent, wide receivers
• Weaknesses: Inexperience, offensive line
• Best returning players: WR Terrell Hudgins, P Brandon Lane, WR Michael Mayers, LB Corey Weaver, K Andrew Wilcox
• Best newcomers: WR Lance Camp, OL Dave McClain, QB Scott Riddle, S Andreas Platt, DE Joey Hall
• Key losses: RB Reggie Hall, G Michael Moody, LB Chad Nkang, QB Wes Pope
• Key to the season: Development of young players
• Big game: at Western Carolina, Oct. 6
• They’ll beat... West Virginia Wesleyan, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Stony Brook
• They’ll lose to... South Florida, Appalachian, Western Carolina, Wofford, Furman, The Citadel
- Tommy Bowman
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Furman
• Last year’s record: 8-4 (6-1 SoCon)
• Coach: Bobby Lamb (43-19 in five seasons, all at Furman)
• Last playoff appearance: 2006, lost to Montana State 31-13
• Strengths: Linebackers, interior defensive linemen
• Weaknesses: Inexperience at free safety, must improve pass rush
• Best returning players: DL Wallace Artis, OL Joel Bell, OL Heath Cockburn, DL Justin Brown, FB Jerome Felton, TB Cedric Gipson, OL Reggie Goolsby, QB Renaldo Gray, CB Austin Holmes, LB Andrew Jones, LB Andrew Thacker, TE Chris Truss
• Best newcomers: TB Mike Brown, FB Cardinal Coleman, WR Adam Mims
• Key losses: FS Jeremy Blocker, DT Wesley Bray, OT John Kivett, DE Roy Ravenell, WR Justin Stepp
• Key to the season: Putting more pressure on opposing quarterbacks
• Big games: at Clemson, Sept. 15; Appalachian, Oct. 27
• They’ll beat... Presbyterian, Hofstra, Wofford, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel, Chattanooga, Elon, Georgia Southern, Western Carolina
• They’ll lose to... Clemson, Appalachian
- Tommy Bowman
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Georgia Southern
• Last year’s record: 3-8 (2-5 SoCon)
• Coach: Chris Hatcher (first season at Georgia Southern, 76-12 in seven seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2005, lost to Texas State 50-35
• Strengths: Experience on the offensive line
• Weaknesses: Unproven linebackers
• Best returning players: DE Larry Beard, FS Dedrick Bynum, QB Travis Clark, DT Branden Daniel, WR Jayson Foster, RB Lamar Lewis, OL Russell Orr
• Best newcomers: DB Henry Chubb, RB Mike Hamilton, LB Quentin Taylor
• Key losses: LB John Mohring, DL Charrod Taylor, OL Lance Wayne
• Key to the season: Sustaining potential early-season momentum
• Big game: at Appalachian State, Oct. 20
• They’ll beat... West Georgia, Coastal Carolina, Chattanooga, Western Carolina, South Dakota State, The Citadel
• They’ll lose to... Elon, Appalachian, Wofford, Furman, Colorado State
- Tommy Bowman
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Western Carolina
• Last year’s record: 2-9 (0-7 SoCon)
• Coach: Kent Briggs (21-33 in five seasons, all at Western Carolina)
• Last playoff appearance: 1983, defeated Colgate 24-23, Holy Cross 28-21 and Furman 14-7, lost to Southern Illinois 43-7 in I-AA championship game.
• Strengths: Depth at running back, experience at wide receiver
• Weaknesses: Young players on offensive and defensive lines, challenge of adjusting to new no-huddle offense
• Best returning players: CB Carlton Bailey, DL Jeff Bradley, S Angelo Brown, WR Eddie Cohen, WR Michael Hines, RB Mike Malone, DL John Martin, LB Kadeem Morgan
• Best newcomers: OL Ryan Cooper, QB Zack Jaynes, RB Quan Warley, RB Josh Wright
• Key losses: S Mitchell Dukes, RB Darius Fudge, LB Shelton Gaffney, CB Bruce Lee, P Tim Mayse
• Key to the season: Surviving a tough early-season schedule
• Big game: at Georgia Southern, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Presbyterian, Elon
• They’ll lose to... Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, The Citadel, Wofford, Appalachian, Furman
- Tommy Bowman
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Wofford
• Last year’s record: 7-4 (5-2 SoCon)
• Coach: Mike Ayers (123-89-1 in 19 seasons at Wofford, 134-110-2 in 22 seasons overall)
• Last playoff appearance: 2003, defeated N.C. A&T 31-10 and Western Kentucky 34-17, lost to Delaware 24-9
• Strengths: Offensive backfield, experienced linebackers
• Weaknesses: Unproven kicker, questions on defensive front
• Best returning players: QB Josh Collier, FS Brian Ford, DE James Gonsoulin, FB Michael Hobbs, HB Kevious Johnson, OL Corey McKenna, DB Dan Tavani, P Chris Tommie, OL Derek Wooten
• Best newcomers: HB Sean Lees, FB Arsenio Parks, DL John Starr
• Key losses: G Marty Bauer, CB Brandon Berry, LB Justin Franklin, K Nick Robinson
• Key to the season: Back-to-back games at Appalachian and Furman
• Big games: Appalachian, Sept. 22; at Furman, Sept. 29
• They’ll beat... Georgetown, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Gardner-Webb, Elon, Western Carolina, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga
• They’ll lose to... N.C. State, Appalachian, Furman
- Tommy Bowman
