AAC Football Preview 2016
By Tyler Smith (@arenafanatic)
East
#1 Temple Owls
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Coach: Matt Rhule
Offensive Coordinator: Glenn Thomas Defensive Coordinator: Phil Snow Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field (68,532) 2015 Record: 10-4 Offense: When you see that senior RB Jahad Thomas is coming back for the Owls you know they will be in good hands. Thomas went off in 2015 with 1262 yards and 17 TD. They will need him to be even better this season despite the focus being on him. P.J. Walker was the team's second leading rusher but only averaged 2.56 yards per attempt. Walker will be crucial to this years team. He has improved his ability to not turn the ball over but his accuracy will have to be better if they plan on throwing the ball over 400 times again. Walker will have one of the top lines in the conference protecting him. It will be hard to replace Robby Anderson but two transfer give Temple hope. Adonis Jennings only played in 6 games for Pitt and will have three years left with Temple. Keith Kirkwood made an impact at Hawaii in his freshman season with 5 TD. Ventell Bryant is the team's top returning target with 39 receptions last season. Defense: One of the best defense in the country was in Philadelphia last season. Five starters return from that team that held opponents to just 20 ppg. Despite the loss of Tyler Matakevich, Temple feels confident with the three players they will start at LB. Jarrad Alwan was second on the team in tackles last season and forced 4 fumbles.. Avery Williams has had plenty of experience the past two seasons and is ready to emerge in his senior season. Stephaun Marshall has been a factor in the Temple defense for three previous years. Corner Sean Chandler is one of the top corners in the conference. As a sophomore he led the team in passes broken up and had two touchdowns of INTs. Sophomore safety Delvon Randall has a lot of promise and could earn accolades at the end of this season. The defensive line will be in the backfield with Haason Reddick and Praise Martin-Oguike at defensive end. Averee Robinson will be back at DT, if he can make a greater impact this line will be special. Special Teams: Austin Jones is one of the front runner for first team all-AAC.. Punter Alex Starzyk has went from walk on to starter. The one thing that Temple did better than everyone else last season? Blocked punts (5). Overview: Temple put together a 10 win season in 2015 and they could very well do it again this season with a lighter schedule. The game vs Penn State will be huge but this season it is not at home. Their two toughest conference games UC and USF, will be played at home.With the offensive fire power and tough defense it is going to be another great year to be a Temple fan. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing P.J. Walker, JR, QB 14 G, 433 ATT, COMP, 56.8 PCT, 2973 Yards, 19 TD, 8 INT, 125.26 Rating Rushing Jahad Thomas, JR, RB 14 G, 276 ATT, 1262 Yards, 17 TD Receiving Ventell Bryant, FR, WR 14 G, 39 REC, 579 Yards, 3 TD Defense: Interceptions: Sean Chandler, SO, DB 14 G, 4 INT, 2 TD Sacks: Haason Reddick, JR, DL 14 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Jarred Alwan, JR, LB 14 G, 30 Solo, 44 Assisted, 74 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-4 2014 6-6 2013 2-10 2012 4-7 2011 9-4 Temple Schedule
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#2 South Florida Bulls
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Coach: Willie Taggart
Offensive Coordinator: David Reaves Defensive coordinator: Raymond Woodie Stadium: Raymond James Stadium (65,857) 2015 Record: 8-5 Offense:
USF went from averaging 17.2 ppg to 33.6 in 2015. Quinton Flowers was one major reason for that improvement. Flowers took care of the ball and threw for 22 TD on just 275 attempts. He also makes plays with his legs where he nearly had 1,000 yards rushing and 12 TD. With the running ability of Flowers and dangerous RB Marlon Mack the Bulls have the top running attack in the conference. Marlon Mack has played two seasons for the Bulls and went over 1,000 yards in both seasons. The team combined for the 10th most yards per game in the country. When the Bulls go to the air they look for Rodney Adams. The senior WR has 11 career TD, over 1,100 receiving yards. D’Ernest Johnson is a top target as a RB. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the player they need to emerge. Don’t be surprised if true freshman Darnell Salomon becomes a go to guy by the end of the season. Defense: The defense has gotten better every year that Taggart has been at USF. They have a new D-Cord, Raymond Woodie who will keep the 4-2-5 formation. Last year the Bulls really went after the QB and forced plenty of turnovers which led to a +10 turnover margin. Auggie Sanchez is the heart of the defense at MLB. As a Sophomore he led the team in tackles, 8.5 of those tackles for a loss. Nigel Harris returns at WLB. The South Florida secondary has some serious talent with Nate Godwin at the rover spot. Deatrick Nichols had 8.5 TFL and a team high 4 interceptions. Ronnie Hoggins played in all 13 games last season and had 6 passes broken up, 26 tackles and 2 interceptions. The line is deep and has two strong DT. If they can get LaDarius Jackson and Juwan Brown going of the edge this defense will once again take a step forward. Special Teams: The return game is impressive as they led the conference in kick return yards and second in punt return yardage. Breaking in a new punter is always concerning but Brent Gordon will hopefully make a impressive debut. Emilio Nadelman will needs to better after missing 8 kicks last season. Overview: Willie Taggart is on to something in Tampa. He has the Bulls in position to compete for the AAC title for years to come. A tough non-conf schedule will be important as they have Florida State coming into town. Do not sleep on the Bulls taking that game. The Bulls AAC schedule sees them traveling to UC and Temple. Double digit wins is not out of the question this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Quinton Flowers, SO, QB 13 G, 275 ATT, 162 COMP, 58.9 PCT, 2290 Yards, 22 TD, 8 INT Rushing Marlon Mack, SO, RB 12 G, 210 ATT, 1381 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Rodney Adams, JR, WR 13 G, 44 REC, 816 Yards, 9 TD Defense: Interceptions: Derrick Nichols, SO, DB 13 G, 4 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Bruce Hector, SO, DL 12 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Auggie Sanchez, SO, LB 13 G, 73 Solo, 42 Assisted, 115 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 4-8 2013 2-10 2012 3-9 2011 5-7 USF Schedule
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#3 Cincinnati Bearcats
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Coach: Tommy Tuberville
Offensive Coordinator: Zac Taylor Defensive Coordinator: Robert Prunty Stadium: Nippert Stadium (40,000) 2015 Record: 7-6 The Breakdown
Offense: The Bearcats takes several blows this season at WR and OC. Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran made an impression in Cincinnati and now has moved down the road to Lexington. The receiving core losses its top production leaders in Shaq Washington, Max Morrison, Mekale McKay and Chris Moore. No returning player has over 20 catches for the Bearcats. Malick Mbodj could be the next big thing at Cincinnati. Gunner Kiel returns as the top QB for the Bearcats. His completion percentage sits at 65.2 percent which is ideal and an improvement over his 59.7 in 2014. If anything happens to Kiel they will go to Hayden Moore who threw 225 passes last season. The new pro style offense will be beneficial to Mike Boone and Tion Green in the backfield. Don’t be surprised if both players get close to the 1,000 yard mark this season. The line returns everyone but the two tackles. Defense: The defense continues to give up more and more points. In 2013 UC only gave up 21 ppg and now they are at 31.8. The defense should have more depth in 2016 but will the skill set improve enough to make an impact. Eric Wilson is a special player at LB. He went over 100 tackles last year and will do the same in 2016. Bryce Jenkinson was third on the team in tackles as a freshman. The line will miss Silverberry Mouhon who led the team in sacks and TFL in 2015. Mark Wilson seems to be the player to fill that void. Both Cortez Broughton and Alex Price are back at DT. Zach Edwards is a first team all-AAC talent at safety. Last season he tallied 93 tackles with 3 interceptions. Carter Jacobs and Tyrell Gilbert will see time at the other safety position. As a team they only had 9 total interceptions. One thing they must improve since their turnover margin was a -19 last season. Special Teams: Andrew Gantz gets plenty of chances to kick FGs and he is converting at 77.8 percent. The return game could use a boost this season. Sam Geraci has become of the better punters in the country with an average of 46.27 yards. Overview: Last season was suppose to be the year for UC, that didn’t happen. This season the expectations aren’t as high so they could sneak into the top spot. The offense has some question marks at WR but looks good everywhere else. The defense is up in the air. If they can improve slightly against the run this team will win more than 7 games. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Gunner Kiel, JR, QB 10 G, 316 ATT, 206 COMP, 65.2 PCT, 2777 Yards, 19 TD, 11 INT, 151.89 Rating Rushing Mike Boone, SO, RB 11 G, 104 ATT, 749 Yards, 9 TD Receiving Nate Cole, JR, WR 13 G, 19 REC, 262 Yards, 1 TD Defense: Interceptions: Zach Edwards, JR, DB 13 G, 3 INT Sacks: Sione Tongamoa, JR, DL 12 G, 3.0 Sacks Tackles: Eric Wilson, JR, LB 13 G, 51 Solo, 55 Assisted, Total 106 Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 9-4 2013 9-4 2012 10-3 2011 10-3 Cincinnati Schedule
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#4 UConn Huskies
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Coach: Bob Diaco
Offensive Coordinator: Zac Taylor Defensive Coordinator: Vincent Brown and Anthony Poindexter Stadium: Rentschler Field (40,000) 2015 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: Nothing new here the offense is still standing still. UConn hasn’t scored over 21 points since 2011. Arkeel Newsome is all they have. Newsome led the team in rushing yards, 2nd in receptions. At the end of the day they have to continue to find ways to get him the ball. The line needs to improve all around despite returning 4 starters. The dual threat QB Bryant Shirreffs had an ok year. Being more effective in the running game should help the teams all around offense. UConn on the road only converted 22.83 percent of their third downs. If that doesn’t change, good luck. Shirreffs has one great option at WR, Noel Thomas. Thomas had 54 receptions last year. Having only 10 touchdowns receiving must improve. Defense: The defense kept this team in 10 games last season, the offense came up short 4 times. The Huskies defense gave up only 19.5 PPG. The front four has a stud in Foley Fatukasi. He had 7.5 sacks, 4 QB hurries, 4 fumbles forced and 8 TFL. Graham Stewart is gone from a strong linebacking core but they have plenty of skill left to keep things positive. Junior Joseph will find himself as the team's leading tackler this year. Luke Carrezola made an impact as a freshman with 47 tackles and 11.5 TFL. The secondary is special. Obi Melifonwu was third in tackles last season. Jamar Summers had 8 interceptions as a sophomore which was second in the country. Jhavon Williams is no slouch opposite of Summers. Williams led the team with 7 passes broken up. Special Teams: Bobby Puyol had a great year by going 16 for 18. He did however miss 3 extra points. Justin Wain was one of the worst punters in the country in terms of average. Arkeel Newsome is always a threat to take one to the house. Overview: It all lies on the offense and how they progress. The defense should be just as good last year. The schedule is unforgiving this season. Games against Navy, Houston, UC, South Florida, and Temple in conference play. 4-4 will be tough to duplicate this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Bryant Shirreffs, SO, QB 12 G, 279 ATT, 168 COMP, 60.2 PCT, 2078 Yards, 9 TD, 8 INT, 127.70 Rating Rushing Arkeel Newsome, SO, RB 13 G, 183 ATT, 792 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Noel Thomas, JR, WR 13 G, 54 REC, 719 Yards, 3 TD Defense: Interceptions: Jamar Summers, SO, DB 13 G, 8 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Folorunso Fatukasi, SO, DL 12 G, 7.5 Sacks Tackles: Junior Joseph, SO, LB 13 G, Solo 41, 52 Assisted, 93 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 6-7 2014 2-10 2013 3-9 2012 5-7 2011 5-7 UConn Schedule
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#5 East Carolina Pirates
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Coach: Scottie Montgomery
Offensive Coordinator: Tony Petersen Defensive Coordinator: Kenwick Thompson Stadium: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000) 2015 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: The top WR core in the conference resides in Greenville, NC. Isaiah Jones will find himself in the NFL next season. In his career he's grabbed 241 balls. Trevon Brown is the next star at WR. Davon Grayson is a nice piece to have. So who will be getting the ball to these great players? Philip Nelson seems to be the leader in the clubhouse. He played for both Minnesota and Rutgers. Nelson didn’t light the world on fire when he was at Minnesota. The offensive line should be able to keep Nelson upright this season. The running game isn’t a main focus for the Pirates. Anthony Scott has the most returning attempts with 49. A freshman that could end up getting some carries is Hussein Howe at RB out of Florida. Defense: The defense was average last season but will need to be even better with a new QB coming to town. The defensive front brings back two of three starters. Demetri McGill is the run stopper at nose guard. A lot of talk surrounds massive OLB Yiannis Bowden, as a redshirt freshman he made plays across the board. With Bowden in as the full time OLB look for him to earn accolades this season. Jordan Williams is the team's top tackler. DaShuan Amos and Corey Seargent are your starting corners. The safety position is really strong with Travon Simmons and Terrell Richardson. This season the team will hope to create more turnovers. Special Teams: The special teams unit sits in the middle of the pack with Davis Plowman (kicker) and Worth Gregory (punter).ECU should make plays in the return game with the athletes they have. Overview: The defense should be good enough to keep the team hanging around. The offense has a big question mark at QB production. The non conference schedule is brutal with games at SC and VT plus a home game vs NC State. If the QB play doesn’t improve after playing UCF OCT 1, this season is toast. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Blake Kemp, JR, QB 11 G, 375 ATT, 260 COMP, 69.3 PCT, 2658 Yards, 16 TD, 10 INT, 137.62 Rating Rushing James Summers, JR, QB 10 G, 96 ATT, 446 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Isaiah Jones, JR, WR 12 G, REC 98, 1099 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: DaShaun Benton, JR, DB 7 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Yiannis Bowden, FR, LB 11 G, 3.5 Sacks Tackles: Jordan Williams, SO, LB 12 G, 46 Solo, 35 Assisted, 81 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 5-7 2014 8-5 2013 10-3 2012 8-5 2011 5-7 East Carolina Schedule
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#6 Central Florida Knights
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Coach: Scott Frost
Offensive Coordinator: Troy Walters Defensive Coordinator: Erik Chinander Stadium: Bright House Networks Stadium (45,301) 2015 Record: 0-12 The Breakdown Offense: When Scott Frost became the HC of UCF you knew that things were going to change and change quick. The offense will go from ball control to hurry up and spread. This has to be exciting as a UCF fan considering the season they just went through. Justin Holman will be the man under center for one last season. Forget about last years disaster of a season. Holman is capable of putting up solid number he just needs to work on accuracy. His top target will be Tre’Quan Smith who became a bright spot in a dark season. The freshman WR led the team in TD, Receptions and yards.Tristan Payton and Jordan Franks both had 20 or more catches as underclassmen. The running game was ranked 127th in the country last season. The Knights didn’t rush for even 1,000 total yards and only found the end zone 4 times. The offensive line will have to be better this season in order for things to change. Defense: The defense ranked 100 and above in all the main defense categories. New defensive coordinator Erik Chinander brings in a 3-4 scheme. On the front three you have Jamiyus Pittman at DT. Pittman was one of the few players that could get in the backfield last season. JUCO transfer Chris Mulumba should factor in on the line. Chequan Burkett should be ready for a breakout season after an above average 2015 season. The Knights have plenty of upperclassmen options to fill the other three roles. Pat Jasinski is one of underclassmen that could find himself at a starting spot. The secondary is the strongest of all the levels of defense. Drico Johnson finds his way to the ball and had 64 tackles last season. Tre Neal will be in the running for the other safety spot. The two starters at corner are back D.J. Killings and Shaquill Griffin. Griffin had half of the four total interceptions the team had last season. Special Teams: Caleb Houston is looking to be one of the best punters the school has ever had. Matthew Wright enters his sophomore season feeling pretty good since his rookie campaign went well. Tristan Payton will handle punt and kick return duties. Overview: Expect the offense to much better this season. The defense will be a bit of a work in progress but should be better than last seasons effort. Last season the Knights couldn’t buy a win. This year look for 2 wins to be a step in the right direction. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Justin Holman, JR, QB 9 G, 250 ATT, 127 COMP, 50,8 PCT, 1379 Yards, 7 TD, 14 INT, 95.17 Rating Rushing C..J. Jones, FR, RB 12 G, 93 ATT, 339 Yards, 1 TD Receiving Tre’Quan Smith, FR, WR 12 G, 52 REC, 724 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Shaquill Griffin, JR, DB 12 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Jamiyus Pittman, SO, DL 12 G, 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Drico Johnson, JR, DB 12 G, 39 Solo, 25 Assisted, 64 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 0-12 2014 9-4 2013 12-1 2012 10-4 2011 5-7
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West
#1 Houston Cougars
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Coach: Tom Herman
Offensive Coordinator: Major Applewhite Defensive Coordinator: Craig Naivar and Todd Orlando Stadium: John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium (40,000) 2015 Record: 13-1 The Breakdown Offense: Greg Ward Jr. elevated his game last season. Ward rushed for almost double the rushing yards, passed for over 800 yards more and became one of the more dangerous QBs in the country. One thing Ward does really well is complete passes at a high percentage. Ward should be in the running for the Heisman. Ward will lose his top target in Demarcus Ayers. Chance Allen and Steven Dunbar should pick up the slack.. Transfer Ra’Shaad Samples could play a major role in the slot. The freshman class has talent at this position too. Linell Bonner had 25 catches last season with 5 of them being touchdowns. The offensive line, with only two starters back, should be above average this year. Hopefully they can get a nice push for the running game. The loss of Kenneth Farrow will be hard to replace. Duke Catalon could be the next great back at Houston. The former Texas running back was a four star recruit. Defense: The secondary is the only unit group that took a major hit. William Jackson, Trevon Stewart and Adrian McDonald combined for 13 interceptions, 27 passes broken up. DB Brandon Wilson has first team all-AAC talent. Howard Wilson will start at the other corner spot. The defensive line will set the tone this season. Ed Oliver comes in as a 5 star recruit and will get a shot at DE. The other DE position is locked down by Cameron Malveaux. Malveaux had 8.5 TFL in 2015. B.J. Singleton is a first team talent at DT. At linebacker they lose Elandon Roberts who had 142 tackles, 19 TFL, and six sacks. Steven Taylor is the one player who could come close to put up those numbers. Steven Taylor, had 92 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 2 INT and 10 sacks. Special Teams: Brandon Wilson took two kicks for touchdowns and might get a shot a punt return with Ayers gone. Ty Cummings went 8-8 last season but will be counted on more this season. Punter is a major question mark. Back up QB Kyle Postma is the front runner for the starting spot. Overview: This team has the makeup to be top 10. The non-conference schedule is what will make or break this team. Oklahoma comes to Houston this season (neutral site) in game one. If Houston can win that game watch out. They will get another shot for a big non-conference win with Louisville coming to TDECU Stadium in November. Running back and secondary could make or break this team. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Greg Ward Jr., JR, QB 14 G, 345 ATT, 232 COMP, 67.2 PCT, 2828 Yards, 17 TD, 6 INT, 148.88 Rating Rushing Greg Ward Jr., JR, QB 14 G, 198 ATT, 1108 Yards, 21 TD Receiving Chance Allen, JR, WR 14 G, 56 REC, 752 Yards, 6 TD Defense: Interceptions: Steven Taylor, JR, LB 14 G, 2 INT Sacks: Steven Taylor, JR, LB 14 G, 10 Sacks Tackles: Steven Taylor, JR, LB 14 G, 61 Solo, 31 Assisted, 92 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 13-1 2014 8-5 2013 8-5 2012 5-7 2011 13-1 Houston Schedule
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#2 Navy Midshipmen
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Coach: Ken Niumatalolo
Offensive Coordinator: Ivin Jasper Defensive Coordinator: Dale Pehrson Stadium: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) 2015 Record: 11-2 The Breakdown Offense: Hard to believe that we will finally have a season without Keenan Reynolds. Reynolds did things that no QB in college football history had done. Not only do the Midshipmen lose Reynolds they lose 10 other starters. A senior Tago Smith will be the man to replace Reynolds. Smith has been in the system for a few years and should be able to run the offense. The issue is will he elevate the offense? That will come in time. Smith has a good option at WR in Jamir Tillman. Considering they don’t throw the ball much his 29 receptions show that he is the main target. DeBrandon Sanders is the deep threat option, he averaged 27.78 yards per catch. The backfield loses a combine 2,396 yards from its top two options. Dishan Romine is the top returning back. His 36 carries look pretty good compared to the rest of the roster. With all of the inexperience it is hard to project who will become the key player of the bunch but we know with the offense that Navy runs that the will plug and run. The offense has one more issue, the offensive line. While they have more experience than most positions they will have their struggles. Defense: They have a strong core of linebackers. All four starters are back including Micah Thomas. Thomas was second in tackles (73) last season. OLB D.J. Palmore tied for 2nd in TFL. Defensively they will need to work on getting teams of the field on third down. Last season they let team convert at a 46.78 percent rate. Ranking the Midshipmen at 119 out of 128 in the country. The front four will be crucial in changing this. Amos Mason will need to make his presence felt in the backfield this season with Will Anthony gone. One thing that made Navy so great was their ability to force fumbles. A +19 turnover margin made them the third best team in the nation in that category. The secondary returns two starters. Daiquan Thomasson is back at FS after a average 2015 season. The big news is Brendon Clements is coming back. His 35 starts give this team more experience and a first team talent. Clements led the team with 4 ints last year. Special Teams: D.J. Grant Johnson earned the kicking role in the spring and has big shoes to fill with the consistent kicker Austin Grebe gone. Alex Barta has experience under his belt having punted in every game last season including 11 punts vs Army. Overview: You can be confident that the defense will be good this season. The offense has very little experience but the scheme will help negate that. So why should you like Navy this season? The schedule is tough but once you get past USF, Houston in conference play it is manageable. The games vs Tulsa and Memphis will be a major factors in how this season goes. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Shawn White, JR, RB 13 G, 1 ATT, 1 COMP, 100 PCT, 47 Yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, Rating 162.13 Rating Rushing Dishan Romine, JR, RB 13 G, 36 ATT, 378 Yards, 0 TD Receiving Jamir Tillman, JR, WR 13 G, 29 REC, 597 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: Brendon Clements, JR, DB 13 G, 4 INT Sacks: Kevin McCoy, SO, LB 13 G, 2.5 Sacks Tackles: Micah Thomas, SO, LB 13 G, 40 Solo, 33 Assisted, 73 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 11-2 2014 8-5 2013 9-4 2012 8-5 2011 5-7 Navy Schedule
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#3 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
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Coach:Philip Montgomery
Offensive Coordinator: Philip Montgomery Defensive Coordinator: Brian Norwood and Bill Young Stadium: ShellyField at H. A. Chapman Stadium (35,542) 2015 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: Philip Montgomery has this team going in the right direction. The offense was one of the best in the country in the amount of yards they produced, 507.4 ppg. Dane Evans is back under center after passing for 25 TDs and over 4,300 yards. He gained over 1,200 yards more than he did in 2015. He will have Josh Atkinson back whom Evans went to often. Atkinson had over 1,000 yards last season. Who jumps in to be the number 2 guy behind Atkinson is the real question. It has to be Keevan Lucas who grabbed 100 balls in 2014. The return of Lucas gives this team a huge boost. The presences of a run game at Tulsa was important to their success. This season they bring back D’Angelo Brewer who led the team in yards. The loss of Zack Langer and his 18 touchdowns will be tough to replace near the goalline. The offensive line gave up 41 sacks last season. This will have to better this season, somewhere around 26 sacks would be respectable. Defense: Bill Young and Brian Norwood will need to progress this season or they will be gone. The Golden Hurricanes gave up 39.8 ppg and 536.6 YPG. The defensive line is a good place to start. Jeremy Smith and Jesse Brubaker are back at the end spots and need more production who only combined for 4.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL. Two seniors will see a lot of time at DT. The linebacking core will have to carry the defense. Matt Linscott and Trent Martin had big time numbers last season. They combined for 30 TFL, 211 tackles and 7 sacks. Craig Suits will be starting for his third straight season at WLB. The secondary was all-around poor last season. Michael Mudoh had 135 tackles last season but he won’t be back this season. Two starters return but look for some new faces to get a lot of playing time. Special Teams: The special teams could be better with Redford Jones and Dalton Parks. Jones missed 8 kicks and 2 PAT’s.Dalton Parks will hope to raise his punting average this season. Overview: The offense will be even better this season and will need to be as the focal points will be gone next season. The defense will up newcomers combined with 7 returning starters will improve a defense that was one of the worst in the country. The conference schedule is manageable. This could be a special season for Tulsa. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Dane Evans, JR, QB 13 G, 485 ATT, COMP 305, 62.9 PCT, 4332 Yards, 25 TD, 8 INT, 151.63 Rating Rushing D’Angelo Brewer, SO, RB 11 G, 162 ATT, 837 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Josh Atkinson, JR, WR 13 G, 76 REC, 1071 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: Darrell Williams, SR, DB 11 G, 2 INT Sacks: Matt Linscott, JR, LB 13 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Matt Linscott, JR, LB 13 G, 61 Solo, 46 Assisted, 107 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 6-7 2014 2-10 2013 3-9 2012 11-3 2011 8-5
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#4 Memphis Tigers
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Coach: Mike Norvell
Offensive Coordinator: Chip Long Defensive Coordinator: Chris Ball Stadium: Liberty Bowl (62,380) 2015 Record: 9-4 The Breakdown Offense: How do you replace Paxton Lynch? Really you won’t but you can hope that you find a QB that can get near his production. Former Vol Riley Ferguson has the most promise to walk in Paxton's footsteps. The offensive line will still be stout with Trevon Tate,Gabe Kuhn and Drew Kyser back. The running game may be more of a focal point with Doroland Dorceus back. Dorceus led the team in rushing yards and touchdowns. Jarvis Cooper and Sam Craft got into the action as well. The Tigers top target Mose Frazier has graduated but they still have plenty of good options. The three juniors to watch will be Anthony Miller, Phil Mayhue, and Roderick Proctor. Sam Craft could factor in here as well. Defense: The defense had it’s ups and downs but the game vs Ole Miss and USF show that this team has major potential this season. Eight starters are back with new coordinator, Chris Ball. Shareef White and Genard Avery made a huge impact as sophomores and are both back at LB. The line brings back Christian Johnson and Donald Pennington. Johnson is the team's returning leader in Sacks and TFL for players on the line. Latarius Brady and Ernest Suttles will factor in at DE as well. The SPUR position is up for grabs but Shaun Rupert or Austin Hall should see time there. Only one starters is gone from the secondary which will be filled by former Alabama Safety, Jonathan Cook. Defensive back might be the deepest position on the team with Chauncey Lanier, Arthur Maulet and Dontrell Nelson. Special Teams: Jake Elliot is not only one of the best kickers in the conference but he is in the nation too. Spencer Smith is no slouch at punter either, he averages over 47 yards per punt. Overview: Replacing Justin Fuente and Paxton Lynch is no easy task. Don’t expect the offense to average 40 points per game this season. The defense should be in the bottom half of the country this season in points per game. This year's league schedule is tough. It is hard to see Memphis getting close to 9 wins like they did last year. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Clay Holgorsen, FR, QB 4 G, 20 ATT, 14 COMP, 70 PCT, 177 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 150.84 Rushing Doroland Dorceus, SO, RB 13 G, 155 ATT, 659 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Anthony Miller, SO, WR 12 G, 47 REC, 694 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: Reggis Ball, SR, DB 13 G, 5 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Christian Johnson, SO, DL 13 G, 4.0 Sacks Tackles: Shareef White, SO, LB 51 Solo, 12 Assisted, 63 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 9-4 2014 10-3 2013 3-9 2012 4-8 2011 2-10 Memphis Schedule
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#5 SMU Mustangs
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Coach: Chad Morris
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Craddock Defensive Coordinator: Van Malone Stadium: Gerald J. Ford (32,000) 2015 Record: 2-10 The Breakdown Offense: The offense improved by 16 points last season. Chad Morris has found his QB but the bad news is he is a senior this season. Matt Davis totaled 26 total touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. He led the team in rushing yards with 761. One of his best games of the season came against TCU where he had a total of 396 yards. The running game will have to be better in year two. Morris shouldn’t be the leading rusher going forward. Xavier Jones and Braeden West are the two backs that will garner the most carries. The sophomore duo totaled 12 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards. Prescott Line never got things going at SMU and transferred out. Another freshman that made a huge impact last season, Courtland Sutton with his 49 receptions. He led the team in receptions, yards, TDs and average yards per catch. If they want to take another step forward on offense Ryheem Malone and Xavier Castille will need to become true second options. TE Jeremiah Gaines had a good year in the red zone with 4 TD. 41 sacks last season will make it hard for Davis to have confidence when he drops back. Defense: The defense will need to build depth this season. Last season they gave up 45.7 ppg and couldn’t stop anyone on the ground. All three units will need to build towards next season for Morris to feel comfortable moving forward. This years team could feature a bunch of underclassmen by the end of the season. The secondary could have three sophomore starters. Jordan Wyatt as a freshman was tied for first on the team in INTs with 2. If the front four doesn’t improve the Mustangs will be one of the worst in the country again. Justin Lawler was one positive a year ago with his 5 sacks. Some of SMU’s best incoming freshman are on the line so expect them to get plenty of experience this season. Who had the most tackles out of returning LB’s? Kyran Mitchell. Mitchell as a freshman in 8 games was 4th overall in tackles with 40. Jackson Mitchell will be back and playing at WLB. This unit has a lot to prove this season. Special Teams: Josh Williams will handle both punting and kicking. Last year he was the primary punter but did not attempt any kicks. Braeden West will handle the return duties. Overview: The offense will score over 30 points this season. The defense however will be lucky to hold teams under 40. Chad Morris is getting close but it won’t be this season. The conference schedule doesn’t open up for a lot of wins with cross division games vs South Florida and Temple. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Matt Davis, JR, QB 12 G, 336 ATT, 183 COMP, 54.5 PCT, 2263 Yards, 16 TD, 7 INT, 122.57 Ratings Rushing Matt Davis, JR, QB 12 G, 187 ATT, 761 Yards, 10 TD Receiving Courtland Sutton, FR, WR 12 G, 49 REC, 862 Yards, 9 TD Defense: Interceptions: Horace Richardson, JR, DB 7 G, 2 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Justin Lawler, SO, DL 12 G, 5 Sacks Tackles: Justin Lawler, SO, DL 12 G, 43 Solo, 21 Assisted, 64 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 2-10 2014 1-11 2013 5-7 2012 7-6 2011 8-5
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#6 Tulane Green Wave
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Coach: Willie Fritz
Offensive Coordinator: Doug Ruse Defensive Coordinator: Jack Curtis Stadium: Benson Field at Yulman Stadium (30,000) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: Willie Fritz is in and the offense will have a whole new look. Fritz will pound the ball with the run game. QB Tanner Lee has departed which will hurt. Darius Bradwell and Glen Cuiellette will be the leading candidates for starting QB. The most important spot for the offense will be running back. The good news is they are better here than they are at any other spot. Dontrell Hilliard has a chance to do big things. In just 115 carries he totaled 646. The running game only had 11 total TDs last season. Look for that to change this season in a big way. The offensive line has to be better and ready to produce one of the top running teams in the nation. With The departures of both Teddy Veal and Devon Breaux this is one of the weakest WR cores in the country. Excluding TE’s and RB’s the next top WR is Rickey Preston who had 8 catches in 11 games. Defense: You gotta feel better about the defense going into this season with 7 starters back. One of those starters being Tanzel Smart. Smart was one of the biggest surprises in the AAC. He landed on the first team by seasons end. His 15.0 TFL were a team high and his 62 tackles are impressive from his DT spot. The second returning starter on the line is Ade Aruna the team's best option to get sacks this season. Nico Marley leads the linebackers in his final season. Marley has had 65 or more tackles in his first three seasons with the Green Wave. Another senior, Eric Thomas, keeps getting better every season. The secondary will need Parry Nickerson to have a bounce back season. Nickerson was all the talk heading into last season and by the end of it he was the all the talk but in a negative way. The secondaries progression relies on him. If he can elevate his game back to what he did his freshman season things will be positive. Special Teams: Zachary Block was the punter last season. He is back and so is the 2nd worst punting unit in the land by the numbers. The return game was also very poor last season. Kicker Andrew DiRocco improved last season but I wouldn’t expect too much out of him. Overview: The offense will have its bumps this season but Dontrell Hilliard will become the man on campus. The defense should be a positive this season. SMU and at UCF will be key games on the schedule this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Tanner Lee, SO, QB 9 G, 276 ATT, 143 COMP, 1639 Yards, 11 TD, 7 INT, 109.77 Rating Rushing Dontrell Hilliard, SO, RB 12 G, 115 ATT, 646 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Trey Scott. SO , TE 12 G, 18 REC, 205 Yards, 0 TD Defense: Interceptions: Darion Monroe, SR, DB 11 G, 3 INT Sacks: Ade Aruna, SO, DL 12 G, 3.0 Sacks Tackles: Nico Marley, JR, LB 12 G, 62 Solo, 20 Assisted, 82 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 3-9 2013 7-6 2012 2-10 2011 2-11
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