2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 Part Opponent Series - Part 9 (VT - Nov 9th)

Nov 9^th – VT

In Part 9 of the 12 part 2013 Miami Hurricanes Opponent series, we’re going to talk about a team that is a perennial contender in the ACC every year and has won it 4 times, and that’s the Virginia Tech Hokies, our opponent in Sun Life Stadium on November 9^th.

Here’s what you need to know about the Hokies:

They are led by the legendary Frank Beamer, who’s the dean of FBS coaches. This man has seen it all in his 27 years in Blacksburg. However, what’s different this time is that he needs to bounce back from a terrible season in 2012. They finished 7-6,  winning their final three games of the season. This wasn't your typical Hokie team and as a result, there were changes in the off season.

Let’s break down the Hokies:

Special Teams: This is the M.O. of Beamer. They have everyone back, which is great news for that unit. They have back a stud PK in Senior Cody Journell, who came off a monster year, in which he was 20-25 on FGs, and three of those won games for them. While he’s 81% in his career on FG attempts, his long is just 42 yards. 

At Punter, they have back Sophomore A.J. Hughes, who won that job in 2012, and will look to maintain it in 2013. He’s more of a coffin corner type of Punter, averaging 40.6 yards per punt and placing 22 of his 79 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Hughes’ backup is RS Freshman Hunter Windmuller, who the staff believes has a great future. 

On KR/PR, the likely returners, respectively, are Knowles and Jarrett. The former was 12^th in the nation in 2012 with  28.3 yards a return, while the latter was 9^th in the nation with 13.9 yards per return. Both had returns of at least 93 yards.  

If there was an issue that drove Beamer nuts, it was the Kick coverage. This is something Beamer prides himself on. This was something that let them down last season and it was addressed in the off season  They were just way toooo soft in their coverage, and they missed tackles. As a result, they were 94th in the country, allowing a TD and more than 23 yards an attempt. That’s not vintage Beamer Ball as we know it, but they’ve shown some strides there. With everyone back in Blacksburg, you’ll see a good year and some semblance of Beamer Ball in 2013.

Defensively:  You know what you’re getting from a Bud Foster Defense,  one that is aggressive and edgy. The 2013 version will be no different. They have back nine starters, five of those honorable mention All-ACC. Everything is there to have a another monster year here. The question mark here is will CB Antone Exum, who suffered a knee injury during the off season  be ready once the bell rings vs Alabama in Atlanta on August 31^st? If and when Exum comes back, he’ll have on the other side, another excellent CB in Senior Kyle Fuller. This is a third-year starter, who wasn’t as good in 2012, as he was in 2011, where he had 52 tackles, 2 INTs, and broke up 7 passes. As a result, he was named honorable mention All-ACC. You have to factor in that he was hurt most of last season. At 6’ and 193 lbs. this guy has all the tools to be a very good one on the next level. Foster will use him in multiple ways. Along with the cover skills, this guy hits like a safety, maybe even a LB, and has speed and the savvy to be a problem for opposing offenses, on blitzes. 

While Exum is out, look for Sophomore Donaldven Manning to fill the seat until Exum returns. He did play in 8 games in 2012, making four tackles and gradually getting used to the college game, which is a lot faster than H.S. ball. At 5’9”, and 174 lbs., he has added much-needed weight this offseason. He has the base cover skills to ultimately be a very good CB.  

At ROVER, they have Junior Kyshoen Jarrett back, especially now, with the retirement of backup Michael Cole due to a neck injury. In 2012, he was 2^nd on the team with 83 tackles, with 4.5 of those being for losses. Also he broke up 4 passes. Never mind the fact that he’s just 5’11”, 194 lbs. This guy has the swagger and nastiness of a much bigger safety, and he can hit with the best of them. This could be his breakout season this year.

At FS, they have back 6’, 189 lb., Junior Detrick Bonner, who played all 13 games in 2012. He finished fourth on their team in tackles with 60, with 3 of those being for losses, a pick and broke up 11 passes. He has outstanding speed, and his cover skills are very good. He’s like a third CB in their secondary.  

Hopefully, they’ll have a healthy Senior LB Tariq Edwards back and ready to go. Last year, was tough to watch if you’re a Hokie fan, because of the fact he had a leg injury last off season and never healed fully and therefore, was a non-factor there. However, now with him healthy and quickly amassing confidence, this defense will be a lot better. Edwards has to be man to help out the leader of that unit Jack Tyler. Tyler’s backup is 6’2” 230 lb. Junior Chase Willams. This is a guy that’s going to be vital in Foster’s Defense to give short breaks to Tyler. They are most excited about Sophomore Ronny Vandyke. At 6’3” and 211 lbs., he has the range to plays all over the field. They brought him along very slowly. He did start two games in 2012, and had 21 tackles. In 2013, he will be unleashed.

As for their D-Line, they have Senior DE James Gayle back. With a Foster coached Defense, you know they’re going to have very good and talented players there. The impact player here is Gayle. He’s already an excellent player on the surface. He’s the type of guy that can really give opposing OL Coaches and OCs nightmares having to find ways to stop him. He might be just 6’4”, 253 lbs., but he’s one of their best players on that team overall. He runs a sub-4.5 in the forty. He’s also a two-time Second Team All-ACC pick that got a lot of attention in 2012, and still had 43 tackles, 11 of those for losses. Not to mention he had five sacks and a team-best 27 quarterback pressures. 

Offensively:  If they are going to get back to the VT of old, the offense must step up and produce. They were just pitiful as they ranked 81st nationally in both total and scoring offense. And as the season wound down, they got only worse, averaging 19 points over the final six games. A change was made on this side of the ball, as Bryan Stinespring got the boot and in came, Scot Loeffler, whose main job is to rebuild the confidence of Senior QB Logan Thomas. While Thomas wasn't the only problem there, he was the focus of the Tech fan-base on why the O was just awful.  With Loeffler watching Thomas’ every move, he needs to step it up and be that confident leader, not only for his team, but his future on the next level. However, this will be no easy task. Look what has to be done with the O here:

• ·         There’s a new coach (Loeffler)
• ·         A new offense and very little talent with which to connect.
• ·         Uncertainty in the backfield, which has been a staple of Beamer teams through the years,
• ·         Last year’s top two receivers are gone.
• ·         Thomas is going to have to step up and be the man in 2013

The RB job is open and a battle to watch here. They are going to commit more to running the ball, and in the past, a Beamer staple. In 2012, though, they averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Who will be the man to step up here? Think about this: None of their backs rushed for more than 500 yards in 2012, and you add the fact that no starter has been named as of yet. The leaders to win that job are Sophomore J.C. Coleman and Freshman Trey Edmunds, who had a very close battle in the spring, however, no one stood out here. Another option they could look to is Michael Holmes, however, only if a spring suspension doesn't carry over to the fall, we’ll see. The one guy that has to be that guy and they really hope it turns out to be 6’, 183 lb. 5^th year Senior Tony Gregory. If remains healthy for an entire season,  look out. He did carry the ball 64 times for 311 yards and 1 TD.  

Their FB, who’s a staple of Beamer offenses, will be Riley Beiro. At 5’9”, and 229 lbs., he only played the first four games of last season, but a shoulder injury ended his season. He’s more of a threat as an H-Back, than he is running.

The WR core took a big hit due to graduation. As a result, Thomas’ mechanics isn’t going to be the only problem he deals with in 2013. Though having Senior D.J. Coles back is huge here. At 6’4” and 238 lbs., he’s as good as anyone when healthy, which wasn't the case in 2012, as he missed the entire season with a knee injury. He reminds them of Marcus Davis, who was one of the three WRs who’s gone to graduation. Coles, like Davis, is a big and strong target who can fly with the best of them when healthy. In 2011, he had 36 receptions for  480 yards and 3 TDs. 

On the other side, they have Sophomore Demitri Knowles back. He’s a much smaller and faster version of Coles, but at 6’1” and 177 lbs., he’s still developing. However, their staff think he has the speed and the after burners, to be a deep threat. The area he needs work on is the more short to intermediate routes in order for him  to become a reliable target with sure hands. 

At TE, they have back Junior Ryan Malleck back, who started seven games in 2012 for them. At 6’4” 248 lbs., he’s a better pass catcher than he is a blocker. He caught 17 passes for 174 yards last year. He makes very good adjustments to the balls in the air, and the expectations for him in 2013 will be greater now that he’s recovered fully from last year’s neck stinger. He will be the go-to guy here for Thomas.

After Coles, Knowles, and Malleck, the rest of the core is very young and will evolve as the season goes on. Coles’ backup is 6’1”, 189 lb., RS Freshman Joshua Stanford. He has big play capabilities, but a injury last season, stripped him of a chance to be an immediate impact player. If he can this new offense on the go, there’s some big plays to be made there for him. Knowles’ backup is 6’, 184 lb., Sophomore Kevin Asante. Like Stanford, he also could not stay healthy all season, only making 2 catches for 18 yards in 10 games.  

They really want have one go-to guy there, but only if he steps up and wins the job in Fall Camp. If VT offense is going to rebound in 2013, its going to be up to the OL to step up and produce. It starts with Tackle bookends here. They will have a couple of new starters on the flanks, with Freshmen Jonathan McLaughlin and Laurence Gibson the likely starters on both the left and right side, respectively. The Center and both Guard spots have experience returning, which is the strength of this unit. At RG, they have back Senior Andrew Miller, who started the first seven games of 2012 at Center before breaking his ankle and missing the rest of the 2012 season. However, by the end of spring, they moved him over to RG. The 6’4”, 293 lb. RG, who is also a former wrestler, benefits from having his toughness and the use of his hands. 

With Miller moving over to RG, that opens the door for 6’3”, 303 lb. Junior Caleb Farris to move over to the Center position. Farris actually filled in for Miller in 2012, starting the last five games after Miller got hurt. New OL Coach Jeff Grimes likes his blocker’s versatility, also giving him occasional reps at left guard. 

However, the starter at LG will be 6’5”, 301 lb. Junior Brent Benedict, who transferred from UGa. This guy is a stud and he started 6 games in 2012, adjusting to a new system. He has the maturity, is hard-working and very powerful at  the point of contact. He comes off a huge off season in the weight room. 

Also back for them is 6’3”, 291 lb. Junior Matt Arkema, who started 2 games at left guard in 2012, but currently is  Farris’ backup at Center. Let’s not forget that there’s experience in 6’2” 291 lb. G David Wang, who was a 10-game starter in 2012. If healthy, this guy is an animal with a mean streak, but injuries, including a foot injury in April have kept him out of the lineup.

In closing, they’ll have a better year than they did in 2012, but after they get spanked by Alabama in Atlanta. The standard in Blacksburg is to get to Charlotte and win the ACC Title. They are good, but do avoid FSU and Clemson this year. The big game for them is on Nov. 9, when they come down to Sun Life to face us. 

My prediction for the Hokies in 2013 is 10-2.

In Part 10 of the series, we’ll talk about the Duke Blue Devils. 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent Series - Part 8 (@FSU - Nov 2nd)

Nov 2nd - @FSU 

In Part 8 of the 12 Part 2013 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Series, I will preview a team that some think is a darkhorse to win the whole thing and that’s the Florida State Seminoles, our opponent in Tallahassee on Nov 2nd.

Here’s what you need to know about FSU: They are led by Jimbo Fisher, who enters his 4th season as the boss in Tallahassee. They come off their first ACC title in 8 years, beating GT 21-15. He comes off a 12-win campaign and has 10 starters back from 2012. (6 starters on offense, and 4 on defense). Say what you will about FSU, but their defense was very very good in 2012. They were sixth in the nation in PPG allowed (14.7 points per game), while their offense averaged almost 40 PPG (39.3 to be exact), 206 yards rushing and 265 yards passing. They have two tough road games, at Clemson (Oct 19th, likely for the ACC Atlantic) and Florida (Nov 30th). When you look at the job Jimbo has done up there, I have to admit, he’s done a hellva job, especially in recruiting. They don’t get VT or Carolina on the other side this year.

Let’s break down the Noles:

Offensively: EJ Manual, who led them to an Orange Bowl Classic win over Northern Illinois, has graduated and was the 9th overall pick to the Buffalo Bills. They had a very intense QB battle this spring, and most likely RS freshman Jameis Winston wins that job, though Jimbo hasn’t confirmed that yet. To show how good Winston was this spring, Clint Trickett, who was the leader going into the spring said he was going to leave and transfer just four days after their Spring game. Now, Winston, who was the #1 rated QB in the nation coming out of Alabama, will have to hold off a challenge from Sophomore Jacob Coker and RS freshman Sean Maguire. They do have two Junior RBs back with a lot of experience. Devonta Freeman, who finished with 660 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2012, and James Wilder Jr., who had 635 yards and 11 touchdowns. At WR, this core is deep depthwise and very talented to boot. They are led by Junior Rashad Greene. He has great breakaway speed and was their leader in catches and yards in 2012 with 57 catches for 741 yards. Also back are Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin, who both caught at least 27 passes. Their OL, is very good and very sound, with four starters back, and even the new starter, Bobby Hart, has a lot of experience. The down side with the OL, they are not very deep, so the key here is to stay healthy all year, because if anyone gets hurt, this could be a big issue in Tallahassee.

Defensively: This area took a beating to Graduation/Defections. All-American DE Bjoern Werner, left a year early to enter the League (drafted 20th overall by the Indianapolis Colts) and DC Mark Stoops bolted for Lexington to be the New HC at Kentucky. Replacing Stoops as DC is Jeremy Pruitt, who was Alabama’s defensive backs coach for the last two years under Saban. What Pruitt brings to the table is strong recruiting in the Deep South region, however, he has limited coaching experience. Their D-Line line needs some work here, however, when you look at their back seven, it is very talented and very good too. That doesn’t mean Junior DT Timmy Jernigan should not be taken lightly. He’s still a force to dealt with here because he uses his strength and quickness to be a major disruptive force on the interior of their line. In the secondary, you have Senior CB Lamarcus Joyner, who’s an excellent athlete, who can also shutdown one side of the field. Think of a young Ronde Barber here, when you think of Joyner. Like Barber was used with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for all those years, look for him to be used in blitz packages this season.

Special Teams: Their staff is very high on RS freshman placekicker Roberto Aguayo. They believe he could be even better than departing All-American Dustin Hopkins (Drafted in the 6th Round by the Buffalo Bills), and that’s saying something when you consider how clutch he was. At the Punter spot, they have Cason Beatty back after a pretty good freshman season of 2012. An issue here is that their return game needs much work, when you consider the fact, they had a case of fumblitis last year.

In closing, this hasn’t been an offseason to remember for Jimbo. They lost, not only a lot of starters from the 2012 team, but also 6 of the 9 assistants bolted elsewhere, from a CANES perspective, the biggest one being James Coley. Yet still, this is still a very good team to be dealt with. If they have have Winston be the 2nd coming of Johnny Football and their O-Line stays healthy, and their D, which should be very good again in 2013, winning 10 games shouldn’t be a problem for them. If they won 10 games again this season, it would be the third time in Fisher’s first four years, and that’s saying something about the success they’ve had up there. Barring a catastrophic injury or two, the ACC Atlantic is pretty much theirs to lose. The game that decides that is October 19th at Clemson. There are three tough games on their schedule, and two of them are on the road. The aforementioned game @Clemson (October 19th), CANES (November 2nd) and @Florida (November 30th). Those three games will tell us a lot about FSU. My prediction for the 2013 Florida State Seminoles is 11-1 (Only Loss to Miami).

In Part 9 of the series, I will talk a team that is a perennial contender every year, and that’s the Virginia Tech Hokies.

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 7 (Wake Forest - Oct 26th)

Oct 26^th – Wake Forest

In Part 7 of the 12 part 2013 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Series, I’m going to preview the 2013 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who come to Sun Life Stadium on Oct 26^th.

Here’s what you need to know about the Demon Deacons:

They are coached by Jim Grobe (Virginia '75), who’s entering his 12^th season in Winston-Salem. His record is 73-74, and he’s the first coach in more than 50 years of Wake Football, to have a career mark this close to .500. You have to go back to Peahead Walker, who went 77-55-6 from 1937-50, to have a someone close to or above .500 in their tenures. Before coming to Wake, he spent six years (1995-2000) at Ohio, going .500 there (33-33-1). Nothing to write home about on the surface, however, you have to consider the circumstances here. Before Grobe’s arrival in Athens, Ohio, the Bobcats won a total of nine games, in six years before he came. After a 1^st season of 2-8-1 in 1995, he never again slipped below five wins in the rest of his term there, and that includes an 8-3 record in 1997 and a 7-4 mark in his final season (2000).

The job he’s done at Wake, is nothing short of remarkable. They have finished over .500 five times in his tenure there, and that includes an ACC title in 2006 and at least eight wins in each season from 2006-2008. In 2006, the pundits picked the Deacons to finish last in the conference in the preseason media poll. All the Deacons did was make an FBS-best seven-game improvement over its 4-7 season in 2005. By going 11-3 in ’06, it marked the program's first season with double-digit wins, in their history and just its second ACC championship (only other one being 1970, but didn’t go to a bowl game that season), earning the Demon Deacons a BCS trip to the Orange Bowl, which was their first major bowl game in their history..

If you’re a Wake Forest fan, and I’m sure, there are those that are fans that are reading and watching this video that follow the Demon Deacons, will remember from that magical 2006 season, other than winning the ACC title, was the fact, they demolished FSU 30-0 in Tallahassee. That win was their first road win in the series since 1959. As a result, he was named both the ACC and national coach of the year. Grobe would show that the Deacons weren’t just a one hit wonder, as they would follow that up with a 9-4 finish the next year (2007), giving that program, when you combine that with an eight win season in 2008, that’s 28 victories in a three-year stretch from 2006-2008. To put the job he’s done in Winston-Salem in perspective, the next most successful three-year period was a 19-win stretch from 1944-46. 

As for the here and now, he will have new coaches on his staff this year for the 2^nd straight season. He lost two coaches with Tim Duffie going to Oklahoma State in March and WR coach Lonnie Galloway off to Morgantown to assume the same position at WVU back in January. The critics will tell you that these departures believe that Grobe's can’t find good coaching talent. They move OLB coach Derrick Jackson over to the secondary to fill Duffie’s role. They bring in two new hires in  Warren Belin, who takes over Jackson’s old role with the linebackers, and WR coach Taylor Stubblefield. When you look at Belin’s resume, he spent the last two seasons in the same role in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers after being in Athens, GA for a year (2010) and eight years in Nashville with Vanderbilt (2002-2009).

Let’s break down Wake Forest in three categories:

Offensively: You’re going to see them go to more of a run-first type of offense. To emphasize this point, take a look at their last two teams: They threw the ball an average of 442 times; now, look back to their 2005 and 2006 teams. Those two teams combined for 580 pass attempts. The reason they’re going to go back to more of a run-first offense is because of their personnel and Grobe to use it to his advantage. They can’t go head-to-head speed wise with us, FSU, Clemson because they’ll lose that battle every time. Also, by emphasizing the run more, it takes the heat off Senior QB Tanner Price and their OL.

Price is going to have to more as a running QB this year, but not too much more. He’s not a QB that teams have to deal with running wise. When you look at the certain sets and packages Grobe will throw at opponents, the plan is to throw them off-base a bit. Price’s strength is passing, though in 2012, his numbers dropped off dramatically, after a very good 2011 campaign. The question here Is there a balance that can work for them here? What they lack in depth, they make up for it in performance. In 2012, Price averaged only 5.6 yards per attempt, which was one of the worst totals in the FBS. This coming off a 2011 season where he averaged 7.1 yards per pass. Simply put, it’s possible here where he throws the ball only 325 times, instead of 425 times, and makes the offense better because he's doing more with less throwing and getting the backs more yards on the ground.  At worst, he’s a three-year starting quarterback in a league, which is big on QB play.

As for the OL, they were at best: Inconsistent. As their play here was at the heart of their problems offensively in 2012. Let’s go more in depth here about why their O was inconsistent:

1.    Price was harried, hurried and harassed

2.    The backs, such as: Senior Josh Harris (608 yards) and Sophomore Deandre Martin (484 yards) found it very tough to run inside between the tackles and when they went outside, there wasn’t much there either.

Simple solution here: Fix the line, and you fix the offense.

Harris and Martin are going to see the ball a lot more this season, with Grobe focusing more on the running game. One of those backs is going to get the ball over 200 times. After Harris and Martin, the experience there drops off dramatically. How will they use four freshmen back there?. Two of those freshmen are RS (Joshua Wilhite and Dominique Gibson). The former being one the coaches like very much, and the latter, is a converted safety. The other two (John Armstrong and Dezmond Wortham), are in the mix as well. With Wake going back to their roots with the running game, having five backs, doesn’t hurt here.

The passing game is still going to be there, but not as much as in years past. When they do throw, the one that’s had a nice career there is Senior Michael Campanaro (79 receptions for 763 yards) All he’s done in his career was steadily improve each year. As a freshman, he only made 10 catches, however, in the last two years; he’s caught 73 passes each season. The question here is: Where did the passing game in 2012? While Campanaro was consistently his effective self, they don’t have to home-run threat nor the intermediate threat to take the pressure off the running game. They do have Junior Orville Reynolds coming back. Reynolds is a speedier, running back-size receiver with the burst to be the big-play threat there. They have bigger receivers back size wise in Junior Brandon Terry (15 for 290), Sophomore Sherman Ragland III (23 for 247), and Junior Matt James They need to have a player like Reynolds step up and be that other threat to make opposing DCs, have to respect him and not focus too much on Campanaro and their running game. However, that’s not going to be easy as their WR corps being in the bottom half of the ACC. Not Good.

The weakest link here is their O-Line, and has been the case for years now. However, with them going back to more of a run-first offense, it’ll take the heat off them a bit because they’ll be doing less, and won't be asked to match up athletically with the ACC's speedy defensive linemen. This unit will benefit the most from Grobe's turn-back-the-clock offensive shift. They have another boost with the fact that their staff decided not to unilaterally redshirt every freshman: They signed four linemen in February, and it's entirely possible that the entire group works into the two-deep if given the opportunity. We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.

Defensively: Their D will be good enough to give teams like us, Clemson, and FSU, and those three teams right there, will tell how Wake’s season goes. If they want to take that next step, they have to be more detail oriented on this side of the ball. They have to do a better job on 3^rd downs, and have more of a pass rush. They do have a lot of experience coming back, which has produced in the past and they have All-ACC talent here, but they need to really get it together before their opener vs Presbyterian on August 29^th. There's reason for optimism.

They run a 3-4 defense and the leader of that D-Line is Senior nose tackle Nikita Whitlock (51 tackles, 5.5 for loss), a two-time All-ACC selection. He’s only 6’ and 250 lbs, but don't let the size – or lack thereof – fool you. He use his leverage and technique to make opposing O-Linemen shake their heads. Here’s they have a lot of experience; with Whitlock being joined by two Senior DEs Kristopher Redding (30 tackles, 3.5 for loss) and Zach Thompson (52 tackles, 5.5 for loss), and depth wise: have Sophomores Tylor Harris (22 tackles, 4.5 for loss) and Desmond Floyd, as well as half-dozen true and redshirt freshmen. This is going to be a front 3 to be dealt with.

An area where production must be better in 2013 is at LB, especially with more of a pass rush. They finished 2012 just inside the top 60 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss. Its going to be up to Junior Zachary Allen (42 tackles) to step up and be the leader of this core. Questions here are:

·         Who will help Wake replace Joey Ehrmann (Graduation) as their hybrid end-outside linebacker?

·         Can Allen deliver?

If he (Allen) can’t, then look for them to have to turn to a RS Freshman like Kevis Jones, who was very good in spring drills. They have Senior Mike Olson (78 tackles) coming back, but he will move over to the weak side, which opens the door at MLB for sophomore Brandon Chubb to step up and produce. The leader of this group and you can make an argument here for the defense as a whole is Senior Justin Jackson (81 tackles, 4.0 sacks). This guy who mans the strong side and perhaps the team's top pure edge rusher has a motor that never stops. This entire group can run, hit and cover.

The secondary has to improve off of a disappointing 2012 season: They failed to seize on the opportunity to build off of a pretty good 2011 campaign, by allowing more than an additional yard per attempt and nearly 40 additional yards per game. As with the rest of the D, their decline against the pass can be tied to injuries in their Defensive backfield; If they stay healthy, this unit will be better and their performance will be much stronger. No more of this being the case than at CB, where junior Merrill Noel (33 tackles) only started 8 games last year after having a very strong Freshman year; when he healthy and confident, he’s as good as any cornerback in the ACC. Joining him at CB is junior Kevin Johnson (58 tackles, 3.5 for loss), who started all 12-games last season, but look for their staff to give more looks to Sophomores Allen Ramsey and James Ward, especially if the latter gets loses out on a starting role at SS. That's the lone position up for debate: They have A.J. Marshall back at the FS spot, but they need to find a replacement for Chibuikem Okoro (Graduation).

Special teams: Actually Sophomore Chad Hedlund, will make their production here better, because last year’s kicker, Jimmy Newman, was just horrendous. They also bring back Sophomore punter Alexander Kinal, who’s a reigning all-ACC pick, and they get back most of their personnel who contributed in the return game in 2012, if that's a good thing. The return game isn’t the issue here, the biggest issue is their coverage. They allowed four touchdown returns last year. Hidden yards allowed killed them.

In Closing, overall, this team brings experience back and they should produce here. However, when you look at their schedule, they have to go to Clemson and come down to Sun Life to play us. They do host FSU on Nov 9^th and after a BYE week, host Duke in the ACC finale, before closing the 2013 season at Vanderbilt the next week.  They’re not a strong team, but Grobe gets the most out what he has. At the end of the day, I’m going to go with 8-4 for the Demon Deacons in 2013.

In part 8 of the series, I’m going to talk about a team that is a dark horse to maybe win the whole thing and that’s Florida State. 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 6 (@UNC - Oct 17th {Thursday Night})

Oct 17^th - @North Carolina (Thursday Night)

Well, we are halfway home in this opponent series. In Part 6, I’ll preview the 2013 North Carolina Tar Heels, whom we visit up in Chapel Hill on Oct 17^th, a Thursday Night game at 7:30 on ESPN.

Here’s what you need to know about the Tar Heels:

They are coached by Larry Fedora (Austin College '85), who enters his 2^nd season with the Tar Heels. He led them to an 8-4 season and won the Coastal, but they were ineligible for the ACC Championship game due to probation. He was hired in January of last year after four years at Southern Missi, where he went 34-19 in his tenure there. That includes a 12-2 finish and Conference USA championship in his final season in Hattiesburg. In Fedora's last two seasons with the Golden Eagles, they made unbelievable strides on Offense, Defense and, the most important of all, in the win column. Think about this, his first team in Carolina, seemed more poised and were more comfortable in his offense than he had in his final two years in Hattiesburg. Simply put, the Tar Heels are already ahead of schedule.

To put Fedora’s success in perspective, in 2010, his Golden Eagles team won eight games for the first time since 2006. His first two years there were nothing to write home about. However, in 2008, after a 2-6 start, they won their final 5 games to finish 7-6. That year, the offense came alive, and they broke a then school record for points with 398. The next year, they would score 428 points. IN 2010, they scored 479 points, and in Fedora’s final year, they scored 512 points.

That’s the main reason North Carolina brought Fedora in. When you look at the resume of this man, He was Mike Gundy’s OC at Oklahoma State from 2005-07, and they got better offensively each year he was there. The offense in Stillwater, struggled in 2005, finishing 96th nationally in scoring, the Cowboys finished in the top 10 in rushing yards and the top 20 in total offense in each of the following two seasons. The following year, they were one of two teams (Boise being the other) to average 200 yards per game both Rushing and Passing. Before his stint in Stillwater, he spent time in Gainesville on Ron Zook’s staff, with the final year (2004) being the OC and at Middle Tennessee State from 1999-2001 as offensive coordinator. His other FBS assistant experience were at Air Force (1997-98) and Baylor (1990-1996). Carolina was sending a message, they were going to compete for ACC titles and be a national power in Football again.

Let’s break down the North Carolina Tar Heels:

Offensively:  They lost their biggest weapon Giovani Bernard, who decided to forgo his final 2 years of eligibility and enter the NFL (Drafted in 2^nd Round by the Cincinnati Bengals). They do have nice pieces coming back, but having to fill Bernard’s shoes isn’t going to be easy. Its up to both Senior A.J. Blue (433 yards, 5.28 yards per carry) and Sophomore Romar Morris (386 yards, 5.59 yards per carry). They did ok in 2012 when given the chance to produce. If they want to have a solid starter, most likely it’ll be Blue that they lean on here. He did have a 100-yard game, when Bernard was out vs. Wake Forest. However, don’t be surprised if Fedora decides to go with a back by committee approach here between Blue, Morris, sophomore Travis Riley and true freshman T.J. Logan. Two big issues they need to get addressed:

·         UNC loses a star, in Gio Bernard and you don’t replace with just anyone.

·         They have to replace three starters on the O-Line (which I’ll talk about next)

How far their running game drops off, and there will be a drop off this year, will hinge on how quickly everyone steps up and produces in their new roles?

I want to get more in depth about the O-Line: In 2012, they had three Seniors there and they allowed the 9^th fewest sacks in the country with 11. However, in 2013, they must replace three starters there:

·         Jonathan Cooper at left guard (1^st Round pick by the Arizona Cardinals) – who was one of the best O-Lineman in the country

·         Travis Bond (7^th Round pick by the Minnesota Vikings) and Brennan Williams (3^rd Round pick by the Houston Texans) from the right side.

They do get back Senior left tackle James Hurst, who’s easily an all First Team ACC player, and Junior center Russell Bodine, who’s become more of the vocal leader on that line. To fill those huge shoes of the three Seniors they lost to Graduation/NFL Draft, they’ll look to Landon Turner, a sophomore, at RG, like they did in the final four games of last season because Williams got hurt, and RS Freshman Caleb Peterson, who will have to huge task of filling Cooper’s huge shoes at LG, barring any developments during fall camp. At RT, it’ll be up to Junior Nick Appel to step up. When you have an All-ACC First team player like Hurst next to you on the line, Peterson should be able to make the quick transition to a starting job and shine. When you add a leader like Bodine, that should make the interior of the O-Line very good.  If there’s a down side, and there is a down side here, it’s the fact that Peterson is raw. You have to realize that the right side of their line goes from extremely inexperienced to, at best, a minor concern. However, the other side of the coin there, is that the right side could be a major problem for an Offense looking to continue the momentum that last season had success on the ground. Also, while Carolina add four recruits in time for fall camp, which includes a JUCO transfer, they are lacking depth here and anyone goes down, it could be big trouble in Chapel Hill.

As for the passing game, that’s unchanged for the most part. They did lose only a nice possession receiver in Erik Highsmith (Signed as UFA by Minnesota Vikings), Overall, you can see they’re liking  in Fedora's system and they believe in it. They have experience back running his offense in Senior Bryn Renner, who’s entering his third season as the Heels' starter. He comes in as one of the best QB’s in the country. In 2012, Renner was outstanding, sans the midseason doldrums of ACC play,  and comes into his senior year, with a chance to break every major passing record in school history, which says a lot. He already has the top two single-season touchdown records, and had a career-high 28 in 2012, and also, set a new school record for total offense with 3,394 yards. He also is the most efficient QB in ACC history (154.59). This was evident in the Louisville game when he went head to head with Teddy Bridgewater in September, and he only got better as the season went on. In November, he was a monster. In 2013, this guy could be maybe a Top 5 QB in the country.

Look at the weapons Renner has back. They have Sophomore Quinshad Davis (61 receptions for 770 yards) and Junior tight end Eric Ebron (40 for 625) as their main weapons, with the latter (Ebron) being a borderline All-American candidate after a strong first season as their full-time starter at TE. As for Davis, he’s their leader of their WR core. After him, you have Junior Sean Tapley (26 for 351), Sophomore Kendrick Singleton, Sophomore T.J. Thorpe and Juniors Nic Platt and Roy Smith. What the other WRs lack in proven production after Davis and Tapley, they make up for it in being comfortable in Fedora’s Offense, and there’s only one Senior there. This is going to be a very dangerous core to deal with in 2013. They don’t have the possession WR, so it’ll be up to incoming freshmen, Jordan Fieulleteau and Johnathan Howard, to step up and fill the role Highsmith had in 2012, and be that guy to be that true downfield threat to make opposing DC’s have to respect the slot guy more and not focus on just Davis and Ebron.

Defensively: As great as UNC's offense, the same cannot be said for their defense. In 2012, especially toward the end of the season, they were just horrendous. This area needs plenty of work to build the confidence back up in them. Their strongest area is the secondary, which has all four primary starters back. Their front seven, has to replace:

·         A starting tackle

·         A  stub at MLB

·         Two hybrids

o   An end-linebacker

o   Linebacker-safety.

On one side of the coin, they have to replace some major talent and production off here. On the other side of the coin, these same starters couldn't do anything to halt the 2^nd half skid. However, you don’t replace guys like Sylvester Williams (1^st Round pick {28^th Overall} by the Denver Broncos) and Kevin Reddick (Signed as UFA by the New Orleans Saints) with just anyone. At the same time, they are more familiar with DC Dan Disch's unorthodox system.

They do have coming back on the D-Line, Senior DE Kareem Martin (40 tackles, 15.5 for loss) and senior DT Tim Jackson, with the latter moving over to fill Williams' huge shoes on the inside. With Jackson moving over, this opens a spot at the nose for Junior Shawn Underwood, who was Jackson’s understudy. The question that has to be asked here:

Can Jackson, Underwood and juniors Ethan Farmer and Devonte Brown even come close to duplicating the sort of disruptive presence Williams brought to their defense in 2012? A bigger issue is the lack of size inside: Think about this, they only have one returning lineman over 300 pounds  and that’s Underwood, however, incoming freshman Greg Webb, will be the other. Even if this defense is built on speed, they have to really stand tall at the point of attack and not get pushed around by bigger and more athletic O-Lines. If there’s any good news, its that Martin is good enough to have the Front 4 get on his back, but he’s going to need the others on that line to step up and produce.

As for the LB core, its up to Sophomore Shakeel Rashad (18 tackles, 3.5 for loss) to fill the shoes left by Dion Guy (Graduation) as UNC's hybrid end-linebacker. This is a role that he’ll do very well at because if his speed, agility and overall athleticism. Usually, you would have a converted LB in this role, but they see something in him that makes them believe he can be a full-time starter because he has enough speed to harass skill players off the edge, though he is a bit on the light side  Add to the fact that Junior Tommy Heffernan (73 tackles, 8.5 for loss) is back as the Weak side LB, and they can devote this fall camp to locating a replacement for Reddick in the middle. Something they’ll look at here is to move either Heffernan or Travis Hughes there. That way, that would allow them to have their two most experienced LBs on the field; another option their staff is considering, though less likely this scenario happens, is to give the job to one of two RS Freshmen, (Nathan Staub and Dan Mastromatteo). As it is now, they seem inclined to start either Hughes or Heffernan on the weak side, with the reserve still playing a big role, and have inexperience replace one of the best linebackers in the ACC in Reddick. There will be a dropoff there without question.

Their secondary, as stated earlier, has everyone back, and this could be one of the better units in the ACC. Injuries were an issue back in the Spring. However, their starting four should remain the same:

·         Senior Jabari Price (76 tackles) and junior Tim Price (48 tackles, 4 interceptions) at CB.

·         Senior Tre Boston (86 tackles, 4 interceptions) at FS

·         Either sophomores Sam Smiley or Darien Rankin (48 tackles, 3 interceptions) at strong safety.

When you look at their safeties, this group is loaded with talent. The hybrid spot, one shared by Gene Robinson and Pete Mangum last year, will be held by Junior Brandon Ellerbe, who’s a former safety that moved to the position following last season's scheme change. Ellerbe's coverage experience is key because their hybrid acts more like a fifth defensive back than a third linebacker.

Special teams: Losing Casey Barth (Graduation) is huge and filling his shoes is going to be a very tough act. The one they will turn to here to fill the huge shoes left behind by Barth is Junior Thomas Moore, who made two of his three attempts in limited duty a year ago.

However, they do get Junior Tommy Hibbard back at Punter. Some would say he’s the best punter in the ACC, though Duke's Will Monday will have something to say about that. They do get Tapley back on Kick returns, which gives them very nice field-position asset, however, when you lose a Home Run threat like Bernard, there’s going to be big drop there.  

In closing, looking at Carolina’s schedule, right off the bat, they have to go to Columbia for a meeting with Mr. Clowney and Co. on a Thursday Night. After that, they have MTSU in their home opener, and after a BYE week, go to Atlanta to play GT, before going back home for East Carolina the following week. They’re back on the road the following week to Blacksburg to play VT. After the second BYE week, we come to town for a Thursday Night game and nine days later, they host BC. After the Eagles game, they go back on the road to Raleigh to play NC State, before coming back home the following week to host UVa. After the Cavaliers leave Chapel Hill, they make the trip North to ACC newcomer Pittsburgh, to close the road portion of their schedule. They close with Old Dominion and Duke at home.

I have to tell you this team has the chance to win 10 games this year. Will they do it? Probably not. I’m going with 9-3 for North Carolina in 2013.

In Part 7 of the series, I will talk about the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 5 (GT - Oct 5th ACC Opener)

Oct 5^th – GT (ACC Opener)

In Part 5 of the 12 part 2013 Miami Hurricanes opponent series, I’m going to talk about our opponent in the ACC opener, and that’s the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who come to Sun Life Stadium on October 5^th.

Here’s what you need to know about the Yellow Jackets: They are coached by Paul Johnson, who is entering his 6^th season in Atlanta. This was the hot team when he came in from Navy, but my, have things changed. In 2009, they won the ACC title beating Clemson in Tampa to do so. With a Johnson coached team, you know what you’re going to see, which is the Triple Option. His teams have led the nation or have been near the top in total yards (especially rushing, not so much passing) and total points.

Here’s what Johnson said after winning the 2009 ACC title: "When we took the job, this is the reason we took it — to have a chance to compete and go to BCS bowl games.” He was on a roll at that point and when you look at the resume of this man, you see why he had the confidence he had at that time. He won two Division I-AA (now FCS) national championships at Georgia Southern. Then he led the Naval Academy to five straight bowl games. And once he arrived in Atlanta, he had early success to everyone’s amazement.

Now, though, fast forward to 2013, they are not as consistent as they were early on. They come into this season off a 7-7 season, and the third straight year with at least five losses. Yes, there has been bowl games in that stretch, but when you go to the Sun and the Independence Bowls, instead of the BCS bowls like the Orange and the Sugar, the disgruntling gets a little louder.

GT by the numbers in 2012:
Rushing Offense: 311.21 (4th in nation, 1st in conference)
Passing Offense: 129.86 (115, 12)
Total Offense: 441.07 (35, 4)
Scoring Offense: 33.57 (34, 4)
Rushing Defense: 144.21 (41, 5)
Pass Defense: 229.79 (58, 5)
Total Defense: 374.00 (43, 5)
Scoring Defense: 28.29 (65, 7)
Turnover Margin: 0.29 (45, 4)
Sacks: 2.00 (59, 8)
Sacks Allowed: 1.00 (13, 2)

That right there tells you that this is purely a running team. Defensively, this is a middle of the road team.

What does 2013 hold for the Yellow Jackets? Lets break them down:

Defensively – They have eight starters back here, which includes Jeremiah Attaochu, who makes the move over to the D-Line from LB, more specifically DE. This is off a 2012 season where he had 10 sacks while at LB. You have to realize the move is coming from a change in philosophy. 2012 Defensive coordinator, and former Virginia head coach, Al Groh was canned in mid-season after their  D allowed 40-plus points for the third straight game. When he was at GT, Groh used the 3-4. On Jan. 9^th, Johnson hired former Duke HC Ted Roof to be the new DC in Atlanta. Roof, is an alumnus of GT, playing LB there. For five years, he was Duke’s head coach and he’s been an assistant in many places, including a stop in Happy Valley in 2012. What we’ll see from Roof is a 4-3 defense. The LBs he’ll have at his disposal returning as starters all made more than 40 tackles last season, including 84 (4.5 for loss) from sophomore Jabari Hunt-Days, a reigning Freshman All-American.  They did lose to Graduation: DE Izaan Cross (Signed as UFA by Buffalo), DT T.J. Barnes, CB Rod Sweeting (Signed as UFA by New Orleans).

Offensively – They will have to fill the shoes of Tevin Washington (Graduation), who was a two-year starter and the ACC’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. The man that will likely be the guy to run Johnson’s offense is Vad Lee, a redshirt sophomore who appeared in all 12 games in 2012. Lee was a four-star recruit from Durham (NC) Hillside H.S. He had 96 carries for 544 yards, including 59 yards and two scores in the 56-20 rout of the Virginia Cavaliers on Sept. 15. In the shootout win vs Carolina (68-50) on Nov. 10, he threw for 169 yards and ran for another 112 yards. Backing up Lee, is Justin Thomas, a redshirt freshman from Prattville, AL  and another four-star prospect. To help Lee in Johnson’s offense, the RBs that are back for them are David Sims, a RS Senior (135 carries for 612 yards, and 4 TDs and 2 receptions for 8 yards receiving in 2012), and junior B.J. Bostic.(34 carries for 212 yards rushing and 7 receptions for 139 yards receiving in 2012). They also have Four offensive line starters coming back for them. The Yellow Jackets averaged over 311 rushing yards a game last season. Look for that again in 2013. Gone to Graduation or other circumstances besides Washington: RB Orwin Smith (Signed as UFA by Tampa Bay), OG Omoregie Uzzi, WR Jeff Greene (Transferred to Ohio State and sitting out this season).

Special Teams – They do return Junior Jamal Golden as both the Punt/Kick Returner. The PK will be Senior David Scully, and the P will be Senior Sean Poole.

In closing, when I look at GT’s schedule, there are winnable games there. Elon in the opener is a no-brainer right there. After that, they go to Duke after the BYE week on Sept 14^th, and then have Carolina and VT at home in a five day stretch. They could either be 2-2 or 1-3 after the first month of the season. Then comes a trip down to Sun Life nine days later, which will be a loss for them, so we’re looking potentially at 1-4 or 2-3 for Tech before heading out West the following week to play BYU in Provo, before going back to Atlanta to host Syracuse the next week. Then they have a trip to Charlottesville before coming back home to host Pitt. After the second BYE week, comes a trip to Clemson to close the ACC portion of the schedule. They close with Alabama A & M and their bitter rival UGa at home.

I’m going to honest here, I’m looking realistically at best case, 7-5 for GT in 2013.

In Part 6 of the series, I will preview the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 4 (@USF - Sept 28th)

Sept 28 - @USF

In Part 4 of the 12 part 2013 CANE opponent series, we’re going to talk a team that that made a big splash in recruiting this offseason and that’s the South Florida Bulls, whom we play up in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium on Sept 28^th for our first road game of the season.

Here’s what you need to know about the Bulls: Like with the previous opponent, they have a new Head Coach. Unlike Earnest Wilson III, Willie Taggart, comes in with big expectations in the Bay area. Taggart became the 3^rd Head Coach in their history. He comes over from Western Kentucky (his alma mater), to come back home to the Tampa Bay area and build the Bulls into a national power and have them take that next step, He didn't keep any of Skip Holtz's assistants. When Taggart came in, he cleaned house from top to bottom. He brought many of his staff from WKU down to Tampa with him,  Here’s a list of coaches brought with him down to Tampa from WKU:

·         OC and OL coach Walt Wells

·         Special teams coordinator Stu Holt

·         DL coach Eric Mathies

·         QB coach Nick Sheridan

·         LB coach Raymond Woodie.

Those names won’t jump out at you right away, but the one thing Taggart values is loyalty and with the Woodie hire, who knows every coach in South Florida, Taggart wants USF to be a bigger presence in the Tri-County area (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach), and in the ’13 class, since he took over, has 4 commits from the Tri-County area (3 from Miami-Dade and 1 from Broward). When you add to the fact that he hired former NFL assistant Chuck Bresnahan as his DC and had a coup when took Ron Cooper away from LSU, and is very familiar with the Bay area, having being a former Bucs assistant, as the Secondary coach, and you have a staff that’s committed to taking that next step into a national power and a force to be reckoned with. The Bulls have never had a 10 win season in their history. You give him 2-3 years, and they’ll be winning 10+ games on a consistent basis.

Last year, they were 3-9 and just 1-6 in the former Big East (now American Athletic).

Let’s break down the 2013 Bulls.

Offensively: There will be a change in philosophy in Temple Terrace. You won’t see the QB get a majority of the rushes. While we’ll still see some running from the QB, you’re going to see more a power running game from them. On the surface, you’d think senior Marcus Shaw (248 yards in 2012) would have a big lead on the competition due to the fact no one else has done anything of note in the offense.  However, the thing you have to consider is that Shaw is not the back that can go 25-30 carries a game. That opens the door for returnees like Sophomore Willie Davis and Junior Michael Pierre, and also newcomers like Darius Tice and Sta'fon McCray. Taggart will give Shaw every opportunity to be that go to back. However, the main competition will be for the reserve position(s). The QB competition will be fierce, and it was the case back in the spring when Senior Bobby Eveld and Sophomore Matt Floyd were battling for the job. No one stood out there and this fall practice will be one to watch to see who ends up winning the job in Tampa.

Neither one seems to be the one for the long haul. Floyd is a nice dual-threat quarterback, however, with him more of a running QB than a passing one, you have to ask yourself would he give them the balance Taggart wants from his QBs, which is some mobility, but not sacrificing the passing game too much. On the other hand, Eveld has much more experience at the position, but did not produce at a high level the last two years when he was B.J. Daniels' backup. After the Spring, it seemed that his pro-style tendencies would have him be the guy to run the offense Taggart and Wells wants. Now, Floyd could be the change-of-pace option in certain packages, but its likely Eveld is going to ultimately win the job. A wild-card to consider is Penn State transfer Steven Bench (transferred from Penn State to USF in late May.

If Eveld struggles early, keep an eye on Bench because of what he brings to the table which is his own skill set, and its huge to boot, and the experience learned under Bill O'Brien in Happy Valley. It’ll be his job to lose. Another name to watch in the coming years, incoming freshman Mike White, who was hand-picked by Taggart in his first recruiting class. Having that endorsement is huge, however he’s going to need a full season to properly know the offense, and put on some much-needed weight before ascending the depth chart.

On to the receivers: This group was nothing to write home about here. They did lose Victor Marc to graduation, and Terrance Mitchell to a violation of their team rules. The latter wasn’t a big deal for the offense, since he was going to be moved to the other side of the ball anyway. The receivers that do come back in 2013 are led by Junior Andre Davis (46 receptions for 534 yards in 2012), who just might become the first USF receiver to crack the 750-yard mark and that would be saying something. The likely starter alongside Davis is junior Deonte Welch (18 receptions for 183 yards in 2012). After that, you have Senior Derrick Hopkins (19 receptions for 278 yards in 2012) and sophomore D'Vario Montgomery. They would get a huge shot in the arm when former Florida transfer Chris Dunkley comes aboard. He should be reinstated to the program by the start of the season. They have a pretty good TE in Sophomore Sean Price (21 receptions for 209 yards in 2012), and in Taggart’s offense, it wouldn’t be a shock if he were near the top on the team in receptions. Lets talk about the offensive line: Not much in terms of surprises here or even any competition here. There aren’t really any surprises up front, or even much of a competition, At OG they have are sophomores Brynjar Gudmundsson and Thor Jozwiak. A fun fact here: Jozwiak's real name is Thornton, but as Vanderbilt coach Herb Hand, a friend of the Jozwiak family, told USA Today’s Paul Myerburg, and I found this pretty interesting too, "If he wants to play piano, it's Thornton, Football, its Thor." From a football end, he moves over from RG to LG, which opens up a starting role for Gudmundsson. Junior Austin Reiter is back at the Center position and Junior Quinterrius Eatmon is back at RT. The two new starters on their line are Gudmunsson and Junior LT Darrell Williams. Williams has some big shoes to fill, considering that all-conference pick in Mark Popek is gone to Graduation. Their staff believes that Williams, who started several games on that side in 2012, is very ready to assume a full-time starting role. That line was terrible last year, but you have to factor in, there were losses and attrition played a major role here. If they stay healthy, this could be a unit that will be one to deal with.  

Defensively: Their front 4 is going to be the best in the American Athletic Conference. Look what they have coming back at the Ends: You have Senior Ryne Giddins (25 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and Sophomore Aaron Lynch, but especially Lynch, who is going to be an All-American. While at Notre Dame, in his freshman year, he was already becoming a force on the D-Line. This guy has tremendous talent and with the right coaching, this guy could be a great Bulls fans talk years after he leaves the program. With Lynch on one side and Giddins on the other side, harassing linemen and quarterbacks, anything is possible.

Their entire front is already pretty darn good. After Giddins and Lynch, you have in the rotation, Seniors Julius Forte and Tevin Mims, and they are going to get a lot of work in the rotation for them. They did lose Cory Grissom (signed as UFA by New England) inside, they get back Seniors Luke Sager and Anthony Hill, as well as Juniors Elkino Watson and Todd Chandler, as well as Sophomore James Hamilton. The staff and the fanbase in the Bay area are really waiting to see If Chandler becomes the beast people thought he would be when he came out of Northwestern High in Miami. They are deep here so they can absorb the loss of Grissom. Lynch is the impact player on their D-Line.

While the D-Line is very strong, the same cannot be said for their back seven. In 2012, they lacked  production and reliability and the results proved that pretty painfully. Their staff believes that Cooper has to step up and be an immediate impact player in their secondary, which like many groups on this team, doesn’t lack talent, but do lack consistency. With the LB core, they get back a leader in Senior DeDe Lattimore (76 tackles, 7.5 for loss), but the other two outside LBs need to step up and produce. One of those players that need to step up is returning starter  Reshard Cliett, a Junior, who come backs on the strong side. Others that need to step their games up are sophomores Zack Bullock and Tashon Whitehurst. To have to try and duplicate the impact former starter Sam Barrington (drafted 7^th round by Green Bay) made on the weak side is going to be pretty tough. If there’s a weak link on the D, this area is it right here.

Cooper is the man to lead the secondary back. How bad was it in Tampa in 2012? They only had two picks all year. He’s going to have much work to do, with the departure of Kayvon Webster (3^rd round pick by Denver), who was their leading tackler in 2012. There is some good news here: They went younger in the secondary as the season went on, whether due to injuries or otherwise, and this experience will help in 2013, especially with Cooper coaching the secondary.

Even better for them, they start three seniors: Mark Joyce (74 tackles) and JaQuez Jenkins (53 tackles) at safety and Brandon Salinas at CB. Joining Salinas on the outside is sophomore Kenneth Durden, who moved into the starting lineup late in the season. This is going to an area to watch as the season goes on.

Special Teams: They have three guys that can return Kicks/Punts to the house in Shaw, Hopkins and Andre Davis, though its likely it’ll be more of the latter two than Shaw, due to the fact that he will be in their offense more and with not enough energy to return kicks/punts. The attention here turns to breaking in both a Kicker and Punter.  At the former, Maikon Bonani is gone (Graduation, signed as UFA by Tennessee Titans), so it’ll be up to either junior Marvin Kloss or incoming freshman Emilio Nadelman to fill those big shoes that Bonani leaves behind. At punter, sophomore Mattias Ciabatti steps up to replace Justin Brockhaus-Kann (Graduation).

In closing, looking at USF’s schedule, you have to believe, this is 8-9 win team, possibly 10 if things break their way. We’re going to start to get a good idea on them on 9/7 when they go up to East Lansing to play Michigan State. As I said in the beginning, we come to RJS on 9/28 after USF has their BYE week on 9/21. Their biggest conference game is going to be Louisville on 10/26, when the Cardinals come to RJS. If they win that game, then running the table in the conference becomes a real possibility. Realistically, I think 8-4 season is accurate here for USF.

In Part 5 of the series, I will talk about our opponent in the ACC opener and that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.