THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL season is fast approaching as the Conference USA Media Day takes place this Sunday in Memphis.
Predicting the winners of the C-USA East and West divisions is about as hard as it gets when it comes to predicting the victors of any league in college football these days.
Chances are I'll fail miserably, but I'll go ahead and take a stab at predictions.
In the East, I'll take East Carolina just based on the fact that Skip Holtz is in his fourth season as the program's head coach. I think the man can flat-out coach football and Connecticut can credit much of the success it is having today to the stint he had of directing the Huskies (1994-98). I see the Pirates only improving on last season's 8-5 mark.
In the West, I'll go with Tulsa. I believe the East will once again be the stronger division, but the Golden Hurricane returns a good deal of firepower despite the loss of quarterback Paul Smith.
Top Eagles
When it comes to the C-USA Players of the Year, I don't hesitate in predicting Southern Miss junior running back Damion Fletcher on offense and USM junior linebacker Gerald McRath on defense.
It should be fun watching Fletcher work in new coach Larry Fedora's spread offense and McRath is just a heck of a football player. Those are two players that provide a heck of a foundation for a new coaching staff to build a team around. If Fedora and his staff excel in doing so, the Eagles could be fighting at the top of the East as well.
Fedora, June Jones at SMU and Kevin Sumlin at Houston will be the three new faces of C-USA coaching at the media day. Granted, of course, that Jones can fit his ego through the entrance at the Peabody Hotel.
It will be interesting to see what Jones and junior quarterback Justin Willis can do for the ever-woeful SMU football program.
Building cohesion
The new Southern Miss football coach staff is obviously trying to implement a close dynamic for the team.
The Golden Eagles have been bowling, taken part in a 3-point contest and have even been out to Camp Shelby to go through a military-style obstacle course.
"The activities we take part in do a good job of bringing the team together," said Rolando Barragan, a junior college transfer at defensive tackle. "It's making us stronger and we're pushing each other."
With so many new faces in important positions, especially at quarterback, it will be interesting to see who steps into leadership roles.
One thing for certain is that Gerald McRath will be the man in charge on defense.
Just in my interviews with freshman quarterback Austin Davis, he seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders and a grounded confidence. He seems capable of directing a group, but it's going to be a major challenge for whichever young signal-caller jogs onto the field on Aug. 30.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/SPORTS/807160307/1006
Predicting the winners of the C-USA East and West divisions is about as hard as it gets when it comes to predicting the victors of any league in college football these days.
Chances are I'll fail miserably, but I'll go ahead and take a stab at predictions.
In the East, I'll take East Carolina just based on the fact that Skip Holtz is in his fourth season as the program's head coach. I think the man can flat-out coach football and Connecticut can credit much of the success it is having today to the stint he had of directing the Huskies (1994-98). I see the Pirates only improving on last season's 8-5 mark.
In the West, I'll go with Tulsa. I believe the East will once again be the stronger division, but the Golden Hurricane returns a good deal of firepower despite the loss of quarterback Paul Smith.
Top Eagles
When it comes to the C-USA Players of the Year, I don't hesitate in predicting Southern Miss junior running back Damion Fletcher on offense and USM junior linebacker Gerald McRath on defense.
It should be fun watching Fletcher work in new coach Larry Fedora's spread offense and McRath is just a heck of a football player. Those are two players that provide a heck of a foundation for a new coaching staff to build a team around. If Fedora and his staff excel in doing so, the Eagles could be fighting at the top of the East as well.
Fedora, June Jones at SMU and Kevin Sumlin at Houston will be the three new faces of C-USA coaching at the media day. Granted, of course, that Jones can fit his ego through the entrance at the Peabody Hotel.
It will be interesting to see what Jones and junior quarterback Justin Willis can do for the ever-woeful SMU football program.
Building cohesion
The new Southern Miss football coach staff is obviously trying to implement a close dynamic for the team.
The Golden Eagles have been bowling, taken part in a 3-point contest and have even been out to Camp Shelby to go through a military-style obstacle course.
"The activities we take part in do a good job of bringing the team together," said Rolando Barragan, a junior college transfer at defensive tackle. "It's making us stronger and we're pushing each other."
With so many new faces in important positions, especially at quarterback, it will be interesting to see who steps into leadership roles.
One thing for certain is that Gerald McRath will be the man in charge on defense.
Just in my interviews with freshman quarterback Austin Davis, he seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders and a grounded confidence. He seems capable of directing a group, but it's going to be a major challenge for whichever young signal-caller jogs onto the field on Aug. 30.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/SPORTS/807160307/1006
