College Football
Program Killer
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re all ecstatic that college football season is back.
We normally reflect on past greats and talk about their amazing performances. I think of guys that won national championships or Heisman’s like Tim Tebow, Tommie Frazier, Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Ken Dorsey.
There is another side to this, people that were highly recruited but never lived up to the hype in college. We can even go far enough to say they set their program back for several years with their poor play.
The top name that comes to mind is Chris Rix.
He was in the inaugural Elite 11 QB Camp. He led the California team to victory over Florida in the CaliForida Bowl 1 at the Rose Bowl and was one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.
Rix arrived in Tallahassee in the Fall of 2000 and was red shirted. He got to watch Chris Wienke’s senior season, a Heisman-winning campaign that ended with a loss to Oklahoma in the national championship game.
Florida State was an amazing program during this time. The Seminoles finished the season ranked in the top five for 14 consecutive years at the end of 2000.
They won the ACC Championship 9 times, one for every year they were in the conference. They won two national championships during this time. They also played in the first three BCS national championship games from 1998-2000.
It’s safe to say expectations were high going in to the 2001 season. Rix was the only four-year starting QB Bobby Bowden ever had but that was not the plan.
Florida State typically had quarterbacks play backup for two years then play for two years, normally taking a redshirt to make that happen.
That was how it worked for Peter Tom Willis (started 1988-89), Casey Weldon (90-91), Charlie Ward (92-93), Danny Kanell (94-95), and Thad Busby (96-97). Redshirt junior Jared Jones would have been the starter but he got in off the field trouble.
Mark Richt gave him the option to sit another year and lose that year of eligibility or leave the team. Jones bolted to play minor league baseball.
Rix was forced to start and coincidentally the program took a nosedive. We can say that FSU dynasty ended September 22. 2001 against North Carolina.
Going in to that game they never lost to UNC and had only lost two conference games since joining the ACC in 1991. The year before they beat the Tar Heels 63-14.
The 0-3 Heels destroyed No. 6 FSU, 41-9. Rix threw an interception and lost 2 fumbles. Miami snapped a 54-game home winning streak in a blowout, 49-27. Rix lost 2 fumbles and threw 4 picks against the Hurricanes.
The ‘Noles lost to NC State at home which was the first home conference loss, snapping the 39-game streak.
Rix was still named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2001. His best statistical season was in 2003 and he passed for 3,107 yards with 23 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He was a turnover machine that seemed to really crumble in big games. He finished with a 25-11 record as a starter. He’s also the only QB to lose to the same team 5 times in his career (Miami).
He missed the 2003 Sugar Bowl because he overslept and missed an exam, which caused him to get suspended from the game.
On a positive note he ranks second in school history in passes attempted, completed, and touchdowns thrown.
The team was actually worse from 2005-2009 after he left. In retrospect maybe he was a good player in a bad situation?
Panthers Moving Mountains
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2007 Appalachian State began their season by defeating Michigan in one of the biggest upsets in college football history and capped it off by winning a third straight 1-AA (FCS) Championship.
The success of that season helped finalize the program’s decision to move from the FCS to the FBS, a move that has catapulted the Mountaineers to become one of the best mid-major football programs in college football; winners of four straight bowl games, three consecutive Sun Belt titles, and one of the best overall records since 2014.
Most of what has transpired since their win in Ann Arbor probably would have taken place had they lost that game, but it’s still the first thing that pops into the minds of most football fans when you mention Appalachian State.
I say all this show the positive effects an upset win like Appalachian has, something Georgia State hopes to familiarize themselves with after their 38-30 win over Tennessee.
The similarities between the Mountaineers and Panthers begins and ends with their upset wins, so it is unlikely to see Georgia State make the same kind of strides their conference peers have made.
However, that’s not to say this win won’t have a major impact on the program’s possible success five or six years from now.
A lot will depend on how the rest of Georgia State’s season goes. Their football program has struggled mightily since forming in 2010 and took a big step backwards last year after appearing in their second bowl game the season before that.
The Panthers are sure to see a boost in their recruiting based upon the Tennessee win alone, but if they’re able to ride that momentum to another bowl game, it’ll just make their program that much more enticing.
There is a plethora of homegrown talent in the state of Georgia, as well as its neighboring states, that are overlooked by the bigger schools in the area.
When competing with other schools in the Sun Belt for those players, having a win over a team like Tennessee on your resume can sometimes be the difference maker.
Add to that the ability to prove yourself to be a program that participates in bowl games, which translates to exposure on a national level for recruits, and younger the kind of success Appalachian State has been able to enjoy.
It’s not something that will happen overnight, but you’ll be able to see the impact over the next year or two in the level of talent Georgia State is able to recruit. Having a successful season this year will just help expedite the process.
Unfortunately, they play in the same division as Appalachian, Georgia Southern, and Troy, so it will certainly be an uphill climb. Plus, even though it’s a problem any mid-major program would like to have, Georgia State isn’t going to sneak up on anyone, now.
It’s funny, oftentimes when an upset occurs, we tend to look at the more prestigious team and try to figure out what went wrong and what it means for their future; just think of how many Tennessee and Jeremy Pruitt stories you’ve read since the game.
Rarely do we look at the winning team and see what type of impact it has on their program. Appalachian State made the most of their opportunity twelve years ago; will Georgia State take advantage of theirs?
College Football Trade Deadline
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
An all too frequent headline in college football today is player x from named institution has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Listed Below are the rules according to the NCAA pulled from their website:
Transfer Process:
Academic year in residence: Under the basic transfer regulations, you must spend an academic year in residence at the school to which you are transferring.
If you transfer from a four-year college to an NCAA school, you must complete one academic year in residence at the new school before you can play for or receive travel expenses from the new school, unless you qualify for a transfer exception or waiver.
To satisfy an academic year in residence, you must be enrolled in and successfully complete a full-time program of studies for two-full semesters or three-full quarters. Summer school terms and part-time enrollment do not count toward fulfilling an academic year in residence.
Exception: If you meet a legislated exception, it means a specific regulation will not apply to you.
The school to which you are transferring determines whether you are eligible and has the authority to apply exceptions.
One-time transfer exception: If you transfer from a four-year school, you may be immediately eligible to compete at your new school if you meet ALL the following conditions:
You are academically and athletically eligible at your previous four-year school.
You receive a transfer-release agreement from your previous four-year school.
Waiver: An action that sets aside an NCAA rule because a specific, extraordinary circumstance prevents you from meeting the rule. An NCAA school may file a waiver on your behalf; you cannot file a waiver for yourself. The school does not administer the waiver, the conference office or NCAA does.
After you digest the rules it seems simple right? That’s where the lawyers come in and that’s where the NCAA has lost total control of the entire process.
Questions/Thoughts:
What extraordinary circumstance allowed Justin Fields to be ruled immediately eligible at Ohio State?
Did the NCAA deem Fields was mentally scarred because of his botched fake punt attempt at UGA last fall with the SEC Title game hanging in the balance?
Yes, we all know OSU’s quarterback from last year now plays for the Washington Redskins.
Why wasn’t Jacob Eason granted immediate eligibility at Washington after he left UGA last season?
Former UGA TE Luke Ford was denied immediate eligibility at Illinois because he wanted to be closer to a sick relative. Are you kidding me NCAA?
Former Auburn QB Malik Willis transferred to Liberty University. He was waiting for a ruling on his eligibility from the NCAA.
Liberty learned this week that Willis’s appeal had been denied. Really NCAA? Was Liberty a threat to make the College Football Playoff this fall, or are you still mad at Hugh Freeze for breaking the rules at Ole Miss?
GT head coach Geoff Collins blasted NCAA’s decision not to grant former Florida defensive end Antonneous Clayton immediate eligibility at Tech saying that the NCAA does not have the best interest of the student athlete in mind.
Well coach the NCAA seems to have Ohio State’s best interests in mind and apparently not the best interests of student athletes who want to attend GT, Washington, Illinois, or Liberty.
The NCAA created this mess, and now it is time for them to clean it up, or have they allowed free agency to settle in for college football?
Maybe it’s a coin flip by the NCAA to determine eligibility and Ohio State adopted the tails never fails policy to get Fields cleared to play. You just never know.
Maybe put Jake Fromm in charge of the portal after he is done at UGA. He created a lot of this mess by winning the UGA QB job, or mandate NCAA member institutions to not post depth charts until 24 hours before the first scheduled game each season.
Fix this mess NCAA, your exceptions are not consistent. Where you stand on a college football depth chart is not an extraordinary circumstance.
At this rate college football will have an October 15th trading deadline in the next 10-15 years.
New Tricks Against Bama?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Could UGA be shut out of playoff again?
Without a doubt, the University of Georgia is in its golden age. The Bulldogs, seem to have found a generational coach in Kirby Smart, have been dominating the recruiting wars and enter 2019 as – once again – a serious contender for a national championship.
…So when is that oft-presumed second national title of the modern area finally going to arrive in Athens? Because unless the Bulldogs can solve their Alabama problem, this year isn’t going to be it.
Georgia was a powerhouse in 2018. The Bulldogs ran roughshod over everyone in their path during the regular season last fall – save for a hiccup at LSU – and looked to be objectively better than even Alabama in the SEC championship game before the wheels fell off and the Tide rolled to a thrilling comeback victory.
That seemed to be insult added to injury as just 11 months before the Bulldogs had dominated Alabama for one half of the national championship game and was just one defensive stand away from an overtime victory before seeing everything go up in smoke in the form of Tua Tagovailoa hitting DeVonta Smith for a title-winning touchdown.
Last season’s conference title game loss served as a flashpoint for the playoff selection committee to pass along a judgement that – for as much as the SEC values itself – no team is guaranteed a spot in the playoff without a conference championship to its name.
With the ACC (read: Clemson) owning two of the last three national championships and the SEC trending more towards a league that is both top and bottom-heavy, containing few solid and consistent programs in between, there just isn’t a good reason to think that the SEC should have the chance to place two teams in this year’s playoff.
And that’s where the spotlight shines brightest on Georgia.
The Bulldogs don’t play Alabama in the regular season, making it very likely that they’ll be favored in all 12 regular season games.
And unless UGA can beat hyped-up preseason teams like Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Florida while all of those schools have otherwise-great seasons and retain their initial rankings, the Bulldogs will likely run into the same hurdle as before.
If UGA wins the SEC East, it’s most likely that Alabama will be waiting in the conference championship game.
And if Georgia falls to the Crimson Tide for a third consecutive season, even an otherwise great showing in 2019 probably won’t be enough of an argument for UGA to be included in the four-team national championship playoff.
It’s a tough situation for the Bulldogs, but it’s also as simple a proposition as any team could hope for.
Find a way to win the SEC and they’re guaranteed a chance to build on the last two great seasons and possibly attain that elusive national title. At the same time, just about any loss is bound to be the sore spot in yet another great season that doesn’t quite live up to what could have been.
No one doubts that Georgia is one of the best teams in all of college football. But until the Bulldogs can prove otherwise, ‘one of the best’ is all they’ll be.
Blazing Hot
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
VSU is coming off its fourth national championship this century and is under the direction of new head coach Gary Goff.
The Blazers are picked to finish first in the preseason Gulf South Conference Poll after going, a school-record, 14-0 last season to win the title.
Blazer junior quarterback Rogan Wells, along with sophomore running backs Seth McGill and Jamar Thompkins, junior wide receivers Kenny Benjamin and Lio’undre Gallimore and senior offensive lineman Adonis Sealey comprised a league-high six offensive selections for the Blazers on the preseason all-conference team.
On defense, senior defensive lineman Joe Mozone and sophomore linebacker Jameon Gaskin earned spots on the team, as did junior special teams utility player Pippin Davis.
Wells tossed 38 TD passes for VSU in 2018 and finished as the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Could Wells be the favorite Harlon Hill Trophy favorite in 2019, which is the Heisman Trophy in Division II football? He was the runner up in 2018.
Head Coach Gary Goff played for VSU under Hal Mumme and was a team captain in 1996 when VSU won its first Gulf South Conference Title.
Valdosta State Schedule and my predictions:
Sat, Sep 7 @ Albany State (GA): The Blazers travel to Albany for this one. VSU runs out to an early lead and runs away with this contest 44-16 to run the winning streak to 15.
Sat, Sep 14 vs Ohio Dominican: Ohio Dominican is not coming to Bazemore-Hyder and winning. Blazers win big 52-7. Winning streak is now 16 games.
Sat, Sep 21 vs West Alabama: West Alabama should be a good football team in 2019, but not good enough to beat VSU at home. Blazers stay undefeated 34-27
Sat, Sep 28 @ Shorter: Blazers will beat the brakes off of Shorter 49-10. The winning streak now stands at 18 games.
Sat, Oct 5 vs Mississippi College: MC comes to Valdosta and takes a long bus ride back home with a 38-19 loss. Blazer winning streak is now 19 games.
Sat, Oct 12 @ Delta State: With the meat of the schedule coming in the next month the Blazers struggle at Delta State, but kick a last second FG to win 34-31. The winning streak reaches 20 games.
Sat, Oct 19 vs Florida Tech: State of Florida has very good athletes, but the Blazers whip Florida Tech 42-27 in Valdosta. The winning streak is now 21 games.
Sat, Oct 26 @ North Greenville: Valdosta is on a roll now and handles NG 35-24. Valdosta State now has a 22-game winning streak.
Sat, Nov 9 vs West Florida: Senior Day at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium is a festive one as VSU extends the winning streak to 23 games with an impressive 44-28 win over West Florida and with the win the Blazers clinch their second straight Gulf South Conference title and a Division II playoff berth.
Sat, Nov 16 @ West Georgia: West Georgia will be a very solid football team, and lay the trap for the Blazers. The Blazers get caught looking ahead to the playoffs after clinching a conference championship and get upset by West Georgia 38-34.
The winning streak ends at 23 games, and the Blazers fall to 9-1 on the season as they head into the playoffs with the wakeup call needed to get their heads out of the clouds.
This team has what it takes to win another National Championship in 2019. Four national titles in 14 years makes Valdosta State on of the premier Division II programs in the country.
Interesting Fact: Brunswick High School head football coach Sean Pender holds the Gulf South Conference record for receptions in a season with 111. Pender set that record in 1995.
Knights Playoff Crusade
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For any P5 school, an undefeated record followed up by a 12-1 showing would be cause for fans and national pundits alike to wonder if a dynasty is on the horizon.
But for a G5 school, even those incredible showings lead to questions about how far it might fall off in the next season.
Such is the plight of Central Florida in 2019.
To be sure, there are plenty of question marks for the Golden Knights as they enter the new season.
Chief among those is the absence of quarterback McKenzie Milton, whose second consecutive Heisman-level season was cut short the day after Thanksgiving last fall due to a devastating knee injury that will keep him out for all of this fall and still has his playing career very much in doubt of ever continuing.
There is also the loss of more than half of the defensive starters from last year’s squad. The Knights were good – but not great – throughout 2018 and will have to find plenty of answers this time around.
If UCF can continue to jump out ahead of opponents, the defensive rebuild will be helped greatly by an experienced secondary that will make life tough on trailing teams trying to rally through the air late in games.
Brandon Moor and Nevelle Clarke return at both corners and Richie Grant is back at safety, giving the Knights a stellar secondary.
But despite the continued absence of Milton, it’s the UCF offense that will once again make the Knights a favorite to win the AAC and continue to loom in the national polls.
Former Notre Dame starter Brandon Wimbush will step into the void behind center and – while not the passer that Milton was – can do plenty of damage on the ground.
Wimbush will be surrounded by the Knights’ top two rushers from last season in Greg McCrae and Adrian Killins, as well as receiver Gabriel Davis and his seven touchdown catches from 2018.
Even more important to the Knights’ continued offensive firestorm, UCF figures to feature, arguably, the best offensive line in the conference. Three All-AAC honorees return to the Knights’ front and can be depended on to keep the chains and the scoreboard moving as Wimbush assumes leadership of the offense.
While the Knights are once again supremely talented, a tough schedule lies ahead and will make their continued presence in the national polls a challenge.
Central Florida has a road date against a pesky Florida Atlantic squad in its second week before hosting Stanford and then traveling to Pittsburgh.
Two weeks later, the Knights travel to fellow AAC front-runner Cincinnati for a nationally televised Friday night showdown.
If UCF can survive all of that, it has a great chance of once again having a great argument for earning better rankings and more consideration for the national championship playoff.
If it doesn’t, the Knights will be the latest G5 team to become the (undeserved) butt of jokes coming from the P5 while suffering a quick fall from grace as pollsters aren’t much for giving the Cinderellas of the college football world the benefit of a doubt.
Gators and Hurricanes
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After all of the talking, all the predicting and all of the back and forth from both fan bases on Social Media, it’s finally here: The Miami Hurricanes and The Florida Gators kick off this Saturday.
The eyes of the College Football world will be watching Gators vs Canes when they face off at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on August 24th. Let’s breakdown the kick off to the 150th season of College Football.
MIAMI OFFENSE vs. FLORIDA DEFENSE
Miami just announced that they are starting redshirt Freshman Jarren Williams.
Every football fan knows the best way to take pressure off a young quarterback is run the football. Establishing the run game early is vital for the Hurricanes success in this contest.
The Hurricanes rushing attack begins with junior Deejay Dallas. Dallas had an outstanding sophomore season, compiling a team best 1,260 all-purpose yards.
Promising sophomore Cam’Ron Harris is expected to back up Dallas. However, I believe the battle will be between the Hurricanes offensive line and the Gators front seven, and whether or not Miami can run the ball.
Miami is starting a true Freshman Zion Nelson at left tackle, and redshirt Freshman John Campbell at right tackle.
Florida lost Jachai Polite, but the defensive line is 9 deep with seasoned SEC players. Todd Grantham (D-coordinator) will disguise his schemes to confuse the young QB and tackles.
The question is, can Dan Enos (Miami O-coordinator) take advantage of Grantham’s aggressive style?
Miami has explosive receivers in Jeff Thomas, Mike Harley, and Buffalo transfer KJ Osborn. They will match up against two top corners in CJ Henderson and Marco Wilson.
One advantage for Miami in this matchup is Tight End; Breven Jordan and Will Mallory against Florida’s Linebackers David Reese and Amari Burney. Florida has always had problems with Tight Ends.
FLORIDA OFFENSE vs. MIAMI DEFENSE
This is the match up I’m looking forward to watching: Head Coach vs. Head Coach.
Miami’s front seven is probably the greatest strength for Manny Diaz and his team. The Hurricanes return their starting Linebackers Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McClould.
On the defensives line for Miami, Junior defensive ends Jonathan Garvin and Trevon Hill are looking to take full advantage of Florida’s new starters at both tackles.
If Miami has a weakness, it is in their secondary; where the Canes have to replace 3 starters from last season.
Florida’s offense will ride or die in this game behind Feleipe Franks.
Florida is loaded with skilled players like Lamical Perine, Van Jefferson, Kadarius Toney (Tag Positions) and many more. The question is can Florida’s inexperienced offense line hold up against Miami’s front seven.
Florida’s offensive line coach, Dan Hevesy will earn his paycheck in this contest.
Florida has four new starters on the offensive line; Stone Forsythe (LT), Brett Heggie (LG), Chris Bleich (RG) and Jean Delance (RT) (Delance sustained an injury in camp and is questionable for Saturday’s game). Depth is an issue; Florida doesn’t have a true utility lineman among the reserves.
COACHES
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. This is the first game for Manny Diaz as a head coach with an entirely new offensive staff.
PREDICTION
This game gives me deja vu of Florida opener in 2017 versus Michigan.
Florida starting a redshirt freshman quarterback against a tough veteran defense.
I believe Florida’s defense controls the game long enough for Florida’s offensive line to wear out Miami’s front seven.
Feleipe Franks has a big game with his arm and legs throwing for 2 scores and running for another. Florida 31 Miami 17.
Prowling Panthers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia State started their football program in 2010. They have not been around long so they have a built-in excuse to not be successful.
That is until we compare them to another local program like Kennesaw State that just started playing football in 2015. The Owls are one of the best teams in the country at the FCS level.
The Panthers had an awful 2018 season, finishing 2-10. One of the wins was against KSU, 24-20. When an FBS team barely beats an FCS opponent, you know it’s going to be a long season.
Head coach Shawn Elliott is entering his third season in Atlanta. He did well in his first season and led GSU to their first bowl win in school history.
The offense is led by senior quarterback Dan Ellington. Last season he passed for 2,119, 12 touchdowns and 5 picks. He completed 60% of his passes. He was also the leading rusher with 625 yards and 5 TD’s on the ground.
I think he can have a good 2019 season and the offense should be the strength of the team. They return their top three rushers, all but one receiver and five offensive linemen with starting experience.
The defense was awful last season and injuries played a factor. Three returning players in the secondary missed a combined 13 games. That led to freshmen having to play and they were torched.
The Panthers finished 126th in total defense, out of 130 FBS teams. They gave up 490 yards per game and 37 points per game.
Georgia State signed the No. 3 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in 2018 and the fifth in 2019. There should be players on the roster ready to step up this season.
8/31 at Tennessee: This will be a blowout loss. The Vols are an SEC team with superior talent at every position so this is expected.
9/7 Furman: This is an FCS team so GA State is favored. The Paladins are a good team, finishing 6-2 in conference play in 2018. I expect this to be a close game but the Panthers win.
9/14 at Western Michigan: The Broncos won the 2018 game 34-15. I expect a similar result and WMU wins by 20 points.
9/21 at Texas State: The Bobcats also finished Sun Belt conference play 1-7, last place in their division. This will be an easy win for the Panthers.
10/5 Arkansas State: After a bye week GSU returns home. The Red Wolves are a good team. They will win this game by double digits.
10/12 at Coastal Carolina: Coastal Carolina just moved up to the FBS level in 2017. They won last season’s game 37-34. Georgia State should get revenge this season.
10/19 Army: The Black Knights run the triple option and are hard to stop. They should rush for 400 yards and a win.
10/26 Troy: Troy was 7-1 in conference play last year and they are one of the best teams in the division. I expect them to win big.
9/9 at ULM: The Panthers thrashed Louisiana-Monroe 46-14 in 2018. They finished 6-6 so this was a big upset. GA State should beat them again.
9/16 Appalachian State: App State is the class of the conference. They will win big.
9/23 South Alabama: The Jaguars only won two conference games a season ago. They will lose this game also.
9/30 at Georgia Southern: The season ends with a rivalry game. The Eagles are very good so they will win.
I expect Georgia State to improve and win 5 games in 2019.
Storm Brewing In Miami?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you had asked me three years ago to place a significant amount of money on which coach- Kirby Smart at Georgia or Mark Richt at Miami- would be the first to leave, I would have doubled down on Smart, no questions asked.
The storyline surrounding Richt was just too good; a well-respected coach returning to his alma mater in hopes of returning them back to national prominence. Oh well, sometimes the story has a Cormac McCarthy ending rather than a Disney one.
So, out goes Richt and in comes Diaz, freshly removed from a two and a half week “vacation” we’ll call it, as Temple’s Head Coach.
It’s always difficult to gauge how much of an impact a first-year coach, let alone first-time head coach will make, but the Miami native and former Broyle Award winner (college football’s top assistant) is as highly regarded as they come; very Kirby Smart-esque, if you will.
Being a defensive coordinator at heart- tell me if you’ve heard this before- it’s no surprise that one of Diaz’s most important decisions was who he brought in to be offensive coordinator. Diaz’s choice of Dan Enos as OC says two things:
- Diaz has someone on that side of the ball he can trust to execute his vision. Enos has been around for a while and has enough experience as a coordinator that Diaz should know exactly who he’s getting.
- Enos’ reputation has really been built off his success with quarterbacks, including Tua Tagovailoa this past season. This is vital considering what I’m about to bring up next.
Outside of the uncertainty Diaz brings as a coach the big question in Coral Gables, “Who will be the Hurricanes starting quarterback?” was answered in a very unexpected way.
Originally, the QB battle was thought to be a two man race between N’Kosi Perry, who started the back half of last season for Miami and Ohio State transfer Tate Martell, who is shaping up to be the greatest college quarterback never to play.
Instead, the job went to redshirt freshman Jarren Williams; someone both Diaz and Enos feel has the biggest upside of the three.
Normally when you have a new coach, offensive coordinator, and starting quarterback you try to temper expectations a bit. While that’s probably not a bad idea for the ‘Canes, their schedule is actually as favorable as they could ask for.
Outside of their season opener against Florida, their two opponents that should be the most difficult, Virginia and Virginia Tech, will both be played at home, in Hard Rock Stadium.
If Miami is able to at least split those two games, the rest of their ACC schedule sets up nicely for them to make a run at the Coastal Division title. The only other real stumbling block could be Florida State, but they have even more question marks than Miami.
With Diaz at the helm and the number of defensive starters Miami has returning, fans should feel pretty comfortable with that side of the ball.
If Enos and Williams can get the offensive side on track, a 9-3 season isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
There’s a new regime, along with a renewed sense of hope in Miami, a sentiment they’ve gone through more often than not lately. It feels like this could be the start of something special for the Hurricanes and their fans, but I’ll stay away from any predictions; they normally don’t turn out quite like I expect.
Bulls On Parade?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2018 University of South Florida season was essentially the college football equivalent of “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
The Bulls dominated in the first half of the year to the tune of a 7-0 start in which everything seemed to be going right; followed by a swift and painful collapse where everything went wrong as they lost every single one of their last 6 games.
Injuries certainly played a part in the ill fortunes of USF. Starting quarterback Blake Barnett and key linebacker Nico Sawtelle were both bitten by the bug last year.
Barnett’s health in particular is key to the Bulls maintaining a high level of play through the entire season. His passing game in the first half, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 64% completion rate, was basically the opposite of his passing game in the second half.
His numbers for the second half were 8 interceptions, 4 touchdowns, 56% completion rate. We can pretty much interpret that as meaning that with Barnett, so goes USF.
If he can stay healthy in 2019 and stay consistent, he’s got plenty of help on offense. Jordan Cronkrite and Johnny Ford return to run the ball, and Randall St. Felix, Eddie McDoom, and Mitchell Wilcox all serve as excellent targets.
All these pieces will be serving under Valdosta State’s former head coach Kerwin Bell, who moves up from Division II to work as offensive coordinator under head coach Charlie Strong.
On the other side of the gridiron, Sawtelle is just as key to the defense as Bartlett is to the offense. However, to be fair, the defense was giving up 30+ points in their victories prior to Sawtelle’s injury and the subsequent losing streak; at the end of the year they were giving up more than 400 yards and 32 points per game.
Sacks and interceptions are two areas in which USF desperately needs to improve. The division has too much talent at quarterback for the Bulls to hover around “average.”
There’s a lack of physicality that Sawtelle needs to demonstrate for his squad and they need to follow that example.
Let’s take a look at USF’s schedule:
Week 1: vs. Wisconsin (Aug. 30)
Week 2: at Georgia Tech (Sept. 7)
Week 3: vs. South Carolina State (Sept. 14)
Week 4: BYE
Week 5: vs. SMU (Sept. 28)
Week 6: at UConn (Oct. 5)
Week 7: vs. BYU (Oct. 12)
Week 8: at Navy (Oct. 19)
Week 9: at East Carolina (Oct. 26)
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: vs. Temple (Nov. 7)
Week 12: vs. Cincinnati (Nov. 16)
Week 13: vs. Memphis (Nov. 23)
Week 14: at UCF (Nov. 29)
There are a couple of interesting stops on the way to winter for South Florida, starting off the season against the Wisconsin Badgers will be a test for the defense right out of the gate in Week 1.
Georgia Tech is in the midst of rebuilding their program, but they’ll still be looking to compete under new head coach Geoff Collins.
Cincinnati is one of the teams they beat during the win streak but gave up the 30 points doing it. The signs of the upcoming losing streak were starting to show. This season they play them in Week 12, so the stakes may be even higher.
And of course, the rivalry game against UCF.
This is a make-or-break season for Charlie Strong. All eyes were on the Bulls in 2018, in both a positive and a negative way.
They need to come out strong (again) but stay strong in order to prove that those 7 wins weren’t a fluke. The offense, health dependent, will be able to get the job done; the defense will be in the hot seat all season long.
