Trevor Vittatoe is a hell of a quarterback, but he's going to have to overcome the same hurdle as the rest of the CUSA West. Total lack of defense.
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The C-USA East Preview came out a few days ago, and to no surprise of most, the ECU Pirates will likely be competing for the championship. While ECU is the safest bet to win the East, there is no true safe bet in the West as Houston, Tulsa, UTEP, and even a few cries from SMU have come out saying that the West is theirs.
The C-USA West is the second to last conference preview left, as Hunter will be posting the Sun Belt soon! The NFL Previews will be coming soon, and we promise that they will be just as informing, fun, and controversial against your favorite teams, just like the college previews! Just one more reminder that if you’d like to question or comment anything from this or any other preview that you should all check out the Forums Here!
Ok, enough self promotion and a lot more previewing. The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes and the Houston Cougars will try to hold back a potential-filled UTEP team and the small cries of power and potential that SMU has. While Rice was a great team last year, it’s hard to justify a big season after losing their Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. Tulane returns from an injury filled 2-win season, but will struggle to be in the top of the conference.
6) Rice Owls
The Owls are prob. The 4th or 5th best team on paper, but it is truly hard to think that the team will finish in the middle (or higher) in the West. The team finished with 10 wins last season, but a brutal September(including games at Texas Tech, OK State, and Vanderbilt) schedule, and the team could even go winless through October(Tulsa, ECU, Navy), and a five win season would be a huge success.
On Offense:
The team lost one of the best QB/WR duos in NCAA history in Chase Clement and Jarrett Dillard this offseason. It’d be great to tell you which QB has to step into the shoes of Clement, but to this day there is no clear cut winner between three different players. John Thomas Sheppard is the experienced candidate, while former Scout team player Ryan Lewis and Alabama transfer (my personal favorite of the three) Nick Fanuzzi. Each player has his own skills, but we will say for creative argument that the bazooka armed, athletic Fanuzzi takes the spot. Overall the team returns 5 on offense including good talent at WR and on the left side of the line. There is no doubt that the offense will be good, but the top-10 offense from last year is doubtful.
On Defense:
The good news is that the team returns eight on defense, but the bad news is that the team was in the bottom 6th in defense last season. In fact the team was in the bottom 10 in pass defense and total defense despite having five players in the backfield (4-2-5 with a weak safety). The team was able to get a ton of turnovers and takeaways last season, but finding a shiny quarter in a pile of crap doesn’t make you smile. The team might have another shiny quarter this season in a group of five sophomores that will be starting on the defense. If their young potential and talent can keep the weakened offense off the field, expect good things.
But it’s hard for a team to face some of the hardest teams in the conference, and to also face four very tough out of conference games.
5) Tulane Green Wave
Tulane might be the worst team on paper in the West, and their 2 wins from last year don’t help them win any arguments against that statement either. The one nice (theoretically) thing for the team is that last year the G-Wave suffered a bunch of injuries. This year they get those players back (including one of the better RB tandems in the C-USA) and the nine total starters from last year do not tell the whole story of the team. The only reason that the team is ranked slightly higher than Rice is this year is because of the return in talent and potential on offense, more bright spots and proven talent on defense, and a smoother and more favorable schedule.
On Offense:
Just about every position is coming back from injury. QB Kevin Moore led the team to 2,200 yards despite the fact that he came in as a backup in the 5th game when the athletic Joe Kemp went down with a collarbone injury. One of the best small school RB’s in Andre Anderson returns with a ton of his own talent after his shoulder injury from last year stopped him. In fact Anderson was one of the best statistical rushers when he went down, and he will mean a ton to the team. And finally the great WR Jeremy Williams was averaging almost 100 yards and 1 TD a game before he went down with a knee injury. All three stars are back this year, which means nothing but trouble and better yardage and scores from last year.
On Defense:
The defense has some good news, some bad news, and some more good news for the team, but the bad news might end up costing the team more wins than expected. The first piece of good news is that statistically the DB had a great year last year finishing 14th in passing yardage. The DB did lose a good amount of depth, but there should be enough talent to keep balls out of the air. The other good news is that the DL is one of the deepest in the West, as just about anyone on the depth chart could start for the team. Logan Kelly (who technically isn’t even a returning starter) returns seven sacks to the team, and the potential doesn’t end there. However the LB core might be one of the thinnest and worst in the West, let alone college football. It is so bad that despite having a decent DL, the team finished in the bottom seven in rushing yardage allowed per game, at nearly 220 yards per game. If the team can rebound from the losses they took last year, and if the LB’s can establish themselves as football players, the D should be able to keep the O in the game.
4) SMU Mustangs
Do you know who had the 17th best passing game last season? That’s right folks it was the SMU Mustangs! And do you know where they finished in rushing? That’s right folks, dead last at 41 yard per game! Apparently in his first season as head coach Mike Martz… oh wait… June Jones decided to use his old Hawaii technique in running a pass first, pass second, pass third offense in Dallas. The team returns 15 starters from last year, and Jones will likely be starting eight -count them eight- sophomores on offense and two on defense in 2009.
On Offense:
There are two sides to the offense, and June Jones is one of the most pass happy coaches out there. The team did have decent success through the air, including nearly 3,000 yards from true freshman Bo Levi Mitchell. But when you throw 24 TD’s to 23 Ints, it’s hard to justify a good season. It is also especially hard to justify a good season when the 3,000 yards came off of 410 passing attempts, when the leading rusher for the team was unable to break 200 total yards! The team does return eight to the offense including all of the top receivers, but Jones is going to have to clean up quite a few things before this team will look good.
On Defense:
The defense was not ready for 2008, nor will they be ready for 2009. The team finished in the bottom 5 of scoring, rushing, and total defense, and the passing defense was in the bottom 6th. The team does have a few players that could really shine this year, especially at LB, and the defense as a whole has improved from recruitment and adjustment. One interesting change is the entire defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4, especially since the entire DL had to be replaced from offseason losses. It isn’t always a great idea to switch up defensive schemes in your second year of a coaching job, but when you have to replace the talent, and when you have good LB depth, this seems like an ok idea!
3) UTEP Miners
This is a team that is either overrated or underrated to people. If that doesn’t make sense, let’s put it this way, do you know who the starting QB is for UTEP? If you do then you assume his awesome skills will propel the Miners to a huge year (S.I has them in the top 50 while I wouldn’t put them in the top 70), and if you haven’t hear the name Vittatoe, then you should read this part closely. Vittatoe not only is one of the two or three most underrated players in college, he may even be the best small school QB out there! In fact, Wikipedia Trevor Vittatoe and tell me he isn’t overrated!
On Offense:
Trevor Vittatoe is a man’s man in El Paso. Vittatoe started as a true freshman and had an amazing year doing so. He followed it up last year with 33 TDs, 3,300 yards, and only nine picks! One thing to love about Vittatoe is that he improved in just about every way (TDs, int ratio, completion percent and yardage) last year. With his entire receiving core, and his left side of the line back in action this season, there is no doubt that Vittatoe might become a good prospect for the 2011 NFL draft, especially if he does the things that people think he can do. The team returns ok talent at RB, but a capable star needs to jump in and attack if the Miners want to make the leap back into the spotlight.
On Defense:
Here is why the UTEP hype isn’t going to be happening. The Miners ranked in the bottom 15 in rushing, the bottom 7 in scoring and passing defense, and the bottom 4 in total defense. While the team returns seven starters, the leading sack getter from last year brings back two. The 3-3-5 Miner defense obviously needs a little tweaking, especially since the team has very few certain starters. The team seems like it has depth, but the fact remains that they have failed to live up to expectations.
The Miners start the season off with a blazing tough schedule that includes Texas and Kansas, but they end the season with 5 of the weaker C-USA teams. The Miners should be able to get into a bowl game, which will definitely show the Vittatoe hype across the country, but don’t bet the house that they take the West.
2) Tulsa Golden Hurricane
This is another one of those situations where this team might have a better on paper team than Houston, but Houston gets the nod for the West. The Golden Hurricane have a few questions on offense (including a certain QB replacement and RB depth), and their schedule sucks. A loss at Oklahoma is bad enough, but when you end the season against Boise State (top-15 team), at UTEP (West 3rd), SMU (West 4th), Houston (West 1st), ECU (East 1st), at Southern Miss (East 2nd), and Memphis (East 3rd), you will be hurting badly.
On Offense:
This Tulsa team has had the best statistical offense for the last two seasons in FBS college football. The Hurricanes are frantically looking for a replacement at QB between experienced Jacob Bower, Texas Transfer G.J. Kinne, and freshman Shavodrick Beaver. While Beaver obviously who have the best starting college QB name, the starter will likely be between Kinne and Bower. Bower has the most experience and fit s the system best, meaning he will likely take the spot this season. The team is happy to bring back all four starting receivers, and the left side of the line to help out whichever QB takes over. Charles Clay will get his chance at RB, but the team often likes to throw in 2RB looks and situations on the field, so don’t be surprised to hear a lot of different names running the ball this year.
On Defense:
One thing that people never hear about is the Tulsa defense, but this year might rely more on the defense for the Hurricanes than the offense. In fact the Hurricanes have one of the best rush defenses in the C-USA and the pass defense has a ton of talent to work with. The team runs in an alternate form of defense in a modified 3-3-5 defense. This version features two corners, a spur, a FS and a Bandit safety. The team returns a total of seven starters, including the eight sacks from the Bandit, James Lockett. Kenny Sims is one of the better true corners in the West, and overall the defense is great. If the team can stop more passing yardage (not easy in a pass happy conference), then look for a huge year for Tulsa. There is no doubt that the team has a great amount of talent, but their closing schedule might be too brutal to compete with.
1.) Houston Cougars
The Golden Hurricanes have had the best statistical offense in the NCAA for the last two years, but the Houston Cougars had the second best last year. The team features a ton of talent, including college fantasy’s top stud in Case Keenum. The defense is not great, but the offense should be better than last years, and the defense only has to be so good to win the West.
On Offense:
The team features one of the scariest offenses in college football, including Junior Case Keenum who threw 397 completions last year. That’s not 400 attempts, its 400 completions last year to match his nearly 600 attempts. Keenum threw for 5,020 yards, 44 TD’s and only 11 picks in 2007 as a sophomore. It would seem like a team that had 600 passing attempts would suck at rushing, but there is no reason to think that way once you mention Bryce Beall who ran for 1,250 yards(nearly 6 y/r) and 13 TD’s as a freshman! This team is stacked offensively, and if a few losses on the line can be repaired well, look for at least two more years of awesome offenses.
On Defense:
The defense however is not stacked. The Cougars return only four starters to a team that ranked in the bottom 4th in just about every statistical category. In the Conference USA that isn’t amazing, and it isn’t awful. The defense is not great at getting a ton of pass rushing opportunities (top player returns only 1.5 sacks), but the team is pretty good at getting some decent turnovers. The team will be fine at the LB position, but there is almost no depth on the line to make anybody scared. The backfield should be fine after getting transfer and injury talent back to the team, and overall the defense must stop the opponents and pressure the QB to succeed.
