I know he was hurt, but DMac at 60% is better than Justin Fargas.
Archive for August 2nd, 2009
Raiders Head Coach Says it’s Time to Use DMac.
Posted by Adam Butler on August 2, 2009
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2009 Arkansas Football Roster
Posted by Adam Butler on August 2, 2009
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Tide Should Roll to Atlanta–2009 Alabama Preview
Posted by Adam Butler on August 2, 2009
Wake up, SEC fans and media–the University of Alabama–that big, Crimson Elephant in the league’s living room has a long memory–and it is determined to learn from the costly mistakes of last season’s end and roar its way back to the top of the conference heap.
Last season, with a mere 15 minutes separating it from a SEC Championship Game victory over the Tim Tebow-led Florida Gators and a shot at their 13th claimed national title, the Crimson Tide failed to do the things it had all season to post a 12-0 regular-season record–namely making timely first downs on offense and stifling opposing offenses with a ruthless, smash-mouth defense.
As a result, Florida outscored Alabama 14-0 in the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship Game on its way to claiming the crown. Time, and the loss of All-Everything left tackle Andre Smith to suspension did nothing to heal Alabama’s wounds, as the despondent Tide fell behind Utah 21-0 before eventually falling 31-17 in a bitter Sugar Bowl loss to the underdog Utes.
Alabama is now flying a bit lower than it should under the BCS Title contender radar, thanks to its rocky ’08 finish, combined with the loss of some key players, the return of one of the most decorated and deified college football players of all-time, Tebow, and the emergence of media darling Ole Miss.
Saban feels his team has rebounded, but true to his hard-nosed approach to coaching, is more concerned with the process of building a squad than predicting how it will fare.
“We’ve had a very good summer with our team,” Saban told the media gathering at SEC Media Days. “But…you will try to predict whats gonna happen in this season. I wish you well in that. I wish you good luck. Because, you know, it’s very difficult to predict what a bunch of adolescents are going to do, and we have over a hundred of ‘em on our team…It’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen with any team. That’s why we choose to stay focused on the things we need to do to build an outstanding team.”
While the primary focus of media and fans alike in the offseason has been new starting quarterback Greg McElroy, Saban knows he will only be as effective as the offensive line protecting him.
In order for that group to succeed it will have to replace the Outland Trophy winner, Smith, and center Antoine Caldwell, a fellow All-American who was chosen in the third round of the NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
Junior William Vlachos (6-0 305) has filled the void and center and appears to be the kind of steady performer that is needed at that position. The left tackle spot is much more wide open, with JUCO transfer James Carpenter (6-5 305) and blue-chip true freshman and Foley, AL native D.J. Fluker (6-5 340) set to battle for the opportunity to protect McElroy’s backside.
Carpenter is the type of skilled veteran that is recruited to step right in and play. Fluker was a whale of a pickup for Saban on the recruiting trail, and he has the size and skill set that could make him the anchor of the Tide offensive line, in time.
“The kid’s a freak athlete,“ Alabama offensive lineman Mike Johnson marveled of his teammate, Fluker. “He probably outweighs by 70 pounds and moves just as well. The biggest thing is he’s willing to work to learn what he needs to do to be a better player and make us a better football team.”
That is high praise from Johnson (6-6 305) who is the returning starter at left guard, but in a pinch, could play tackle, as he has in the past. Sophomore Drew Davis (6-7 305) is the returning starter at right tackle. Right guard, like left tackle, is wide open. John Michael Boswell (6-5 300)is the leading candidate to replace departed senior Marlon Davis at that spot, but he has plenty of competition.
“I think that the players have opportunities to create their own identity at those positions….’ Saban said. “Every question (the media asks him) about quarterback is gonna come right back to this group. Quarterback is a difficult position to play if you don’t have good people around you, and it starts with the offensive line.”
McElroy will inherit the starting quarterback position from three-year starter John Parker Wilson. He could have much he same career arc as Wilson, who began his career as a “game manager” and ended it by making plays for his team in the clutch.
For now, Saban Nation is looking for more Jay Barker than Joe Willie from McElroy, but don’t be surprised if McElroy exceeds expectations. He apprenticed under Chase Daniel at national high school powerhouse Southlake Carroll for two seasons before taking the helm as a senior.
He then put up ridiculious numbers–4,636 yards and 56 touchdowns en route to a 16–0 season, which included the Texas 5A state championship. He was named the Texas 5A Player of the Year and was high school All American.
He originally committed to play for Mike Leach at Texas Tech, but switched to Alabama. McElroy has been in the program for three years and is fully aware of Saban’s expectations, as well as the pressure that comes with being the starting quarterback for a storied program like Alabama.
Saban likes what he has seen from his new signal-caller but knows that ultimately, McElroy will have to move the chains on the field in order to garner absolute trust from his teammates.
“McElroy has done a nice job of developing,“ Saban said. “He’s a good leader. He’s instinctive. Players like him. He makes good decisions. He’s been in the offense for two years. But, he does lack experience. He’s only going to get that experience by playing and making plays. With that, he’s going to develop a lot of respect from his teammates.”
One player who earned the respect of the college football world last year is McElroy’s primary target, and ‘Bama’s biggest playmaker, Julio Jones. Jones (6-4 210) backed up his pre-season hype as one of the best incoming freshman in 2008, nabbing 58 catches for 924 yards and four touchdowns. He didn’t catch a touchdown pass in the team’s final 9 games, but that statistical oddity should go by the wayside early in the ‘09 season.
Alabama needs another dependable playmaker to emerge, though. Senior Mike McCoy is a returning starter with experience. Saban thinks finding more playmakers is vital, and feels sophomore Marquis Maze may be ready to shine.
“I think it’s important we have explosive players on offense for our team,” Saban said. “I think Marquis Maze is one of the players that that can provide that. He has good speed, quickness, is good with the ball in his hands.”
Georgia Tech transfer Colin Peek (6-6 255) should provide a big target for McElroy at tight end and Sophomore Brad Smelley (6-3 218), (brother of former South Carolina quarterback, and current Tide baseball player, Chris Smelley) should also get plenty of snaps.
As it almost always does at Alabama, the running back position provided plenty of punch a year ago, and should in ‘09, as well. Although Glen Coffee has departed for the NFL, sophomore running back Mark Ingram appears ready to become a household name.
Last season as a true freshman, he piled up 728 rushing yards and a whopping 12 TDS. He should be the primary ball carrier in ‘09, but will get plenty of help from veterans Terry Grant (5-9 190) and Roy Upchurch (5-10 215) (if healthy).
The running back creating the most buzz, however, is true freshman Trent Richardson from Pensacola, Florida. He attended the same high school as his idol, Emmitt Smith (Escambia) but stiff-armed Urban Meyer and Florida to cast his lot with the Tide.
Richardson, a rare blend of size and strength (he can bench press over 400 pounds) should factor heavily into the running back rotation, and could be the kind of immediate impact player that Jones was a year ago.
With nine starters returning from a salty ‘08 defense, the Crimson tide should again make moving the chains a nightmare for its opponents.
Terence “Mount” Cody, listed at 6-5, 365 is the immovable object in the middle of the 3-4 defense that NFL teams covet. Cody’s stats (34 tackles) do not tell the story of his impact on a game. He requires constant attention by way of double teams, and invariably clogs the middle, helping to make the Alabama run defense exemplary. He also gives free reign to Alabama’s ball-hawking linebackers, Rolando McLain (6-4 249) and Dont’a Hightower (6-4 250).
The secondary is led by senior cornerback Javier Arenas (cousin of NBA star Gilbert Arenas), who is one of the nation’s most explosive special teams players with six career punt returns for touchdowns. He is, with good reason, one of Saban’s favorites.
(Arenas) continues with his knowledge and experience to become a better and better player,“ Saban said. “He’s worked hard to get bigger and stronger and is a very physical player. I can’t say enough about his competitive character and the kind of person that he is, how he affects the other players on our team with his example.”
Justin Woodall returns to start at one safety spot, while Robby Green (6-0 175) will be asked to replace All-American and third round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, Rashad Johnson, at the other.
Up-and-down senior Leigh Tiffin returns for his 12th 4th season at Bama and steady punter P.J. Fitzgerald returns to handle those duties.
Just as it did last year, the schedule begins with a marquee non-conference tilt. The Crimson Tide can only hope its ‘09 lid-lifter, a clash with Virginia Tech in Atlanta, goes as well as the 34-10 drubbing Alabama dropped on Clemson in ‘08.
From there, the SEC slate is relatively favorable, and could boil down to a October 10th showdown with Ole Miss in Oxford. If Alabama can pull off a victory there, it should end up meeting Florida again in Atlanta, in much the same position it was a year ago–vying for the conference championship and a spot in the BCS Championship game.
Alabama Offense:
Returning starters: 4
Key Players: Greg McElroy, QB, Julio Jones, WR, William Vlachos, C, James Carpenter LT
One to Watch: Trent Richardson, RB
Alabama Defense:
Returning Starters: 9
Key Players: Terrence “Mount” Cody, NG, Javier Arenas, CB, Rolando McClain, LB
One to Watch: Robby Green, S
Key Game(s): @ Ole Miss Oct. 10, LSU Nov. 7, Auburn Nov. 28
Schedule/Predicted Result: (12-0)
9/5 Virginia Tech (Atlanta) W
9/12 FIU W
9/19 North Texas W
9/26 Arkansas W
10/3 at Kentucky W
10/10 at Ole Miss W
10/17 South Carolina W
10/24 Tennessee W
10/31 OPEN DATE
11/7 LSU W
11/14 at Miss State W
11/21 Chattanooga W
11/28 at Auburn W
Posted in Commentary, Sports | 4 Comments »
Mouth of the South — 2009 Tennesee Preview
Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 2, 2009
“The plan had to be we had to create national attention immediately…We had to put Tennessee in the national media.” University of Tennessee Head Coach Lane Kiffin (July 24, 2009)
I think Coach Kiffin can say with great confidence, Mission Accomplished. If only they could get the USS Abraham Lincoln to float down the Tennessee River for him to make that proclamation. Talk about creating a buzz!
From accusations of cheating, to disparaging a small Floida town, to violating NCAA rules, Lane Kiffin has certainly put Tennessee back on the national stage. It was all part of his master plan; now we get to see if winning is part of that plan, too. The Volunteers struggled through a 5-7 campaign in 2008 that exposed the deteriorating talent on Rocky Top, especially at the skill positions offensively. That looks to be changing, as Kiffin and his staff pulled off some remarkable recruiting coups, led largely by the addition of #1 overall recruit (according to Rivals.com) Bryce Brown and flashy wide receiver Nu’keese Richardson.
Kiffin’s father, Monte, will head up the defense after leaving the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The elder Kiffin, at 69-years-old, inherits a unit that suffered through offensive ineptitude and bad luck in ’08 despite having one of the game’s best safeties in Eric Berry. With a little more production offensively (115th out of 120 last season), both Kiffins hope to see a big turnaround from the steady decline of the past two years.
The main question entering fall camp in Knoxville centers around the quarterback position. Senior Jonathan Crompton has got 
to be considered the favorite to keep the starting position, but Coach Kiffin has made it clear that the starting job — at almost every position — remains up for grabs. “Eric Berry is a starter. Outside of that, we 
have 21 jobs open.” Hoping to steal that job is junior Nick Stephens, who started six games last year. The plan is for the two to split snaps early in camp while the coaching staff makes its evaluations before naming a starter. With JUCO transfer Nick Lamaison and former minor league baseball player Mike Rozier (walk-on), the depth is pretty thin going into camp. Consider the fact both Crompton (ankle) and Stephens (wrist) have a history of injury problems, Volunteer fans should be a little concerned about depth behind center.
Senior Montario Hardesty returns to Knoxville as the starter at running back. By reading the papers, though, one would hardly know it. Freshmen Bryce Brown and David Oku will be counted on to contribute early and often. Both show all the signs of being top-flight SEC backs. Sophomore Tauren Poole is also expected to contribute.
The receiving group at Tennessee has received plenty of attention this off season, and none of it positive. Serious injuries have left the Volunteers looking for volunteers to step up immediately. Senior Austin Rogers is out for the year with an ACL tear, junior Denarius Moore is recovering from recent foot surgery, and junior Gerald Jones suffered a rehab setback on his ailing wrist. Moore and Jones could both return by early October, but that still leaves a huge void as camp starts. Freshman phenom Nu’keese 
Richardson will now be counted on to play immediately. According to Kiffin, “Even if those guys were healthy, we were looking for that. This is more of an opportunity for him stepping up.” Fellow freshman Marsalis Teague should expect a great shot at early playing time, too. Coaches will also turn to senior Quinton Hancock early this season. Also, look for the tight ends to play a bigger role early. Both Luke Stocker and Jeff Cottam could see plenty of balls thrown their way this year.
The offensive line should be a plus for the Vols this season. It’s a more experienced group that has adopted a zone-blocking scheme, which takes out a lot of the thinking. These guys will be able to line up, find their area, and put a helmet on someone. Center Josh McNeil provides an experienced anchor up front. Vladimir Richard is back at the starting left guard position with senior Chris Scott manning the tackle position on the left side. The right side has a little more confusion with the starting spots, but it does look like Jacques McClendon will get the nod a guard. A battle during camp is expected between Jarrod Shaw and redshirt freshman Aaron Douglass for the right tackle slot.
The old saying goes “Defense wins championships,” and no one is more aware of that than Monte Kiffin. The head coach’s father won a Super Bowl championship as the defensive coordinator at Tampa Bay, and now hopes to add a national championship while at Knoxville. He has the perfect centerpiece around which to build with All-American Eric Berry at safety. Said Lane Kiffin, “To have Eric, a guy that could come down and play nickel as well as be a safety, I think NFL teams are going to fall in love with him.” The question remains, though, Who else will be there to help?
Junior Chris Walker takes over for Robert Ayers at defensive end. The former linebacker brings quickness to the position, a la Dwight Freeney. Junior Ben Martin projects as the starter at left end with Wes Brown moving inside to the tackle spot. Big Dan Williams (6′ 3″, 327 lbs) is the leader on the inside, though, likely to draw plenty of double-teams that could open things up for Brown.
The linebacking corps provides the most questions for a defensive unit that ranked third in the nation in total defense last year. Rico McCoy is the only starter that returns with any experience. The future NFLer need to provide leadership while the younger players develop. Junior Nick Reveiz looks to be the future at MLB, but Herman Lathers may just run past him once camp opens. LaMarcus Thompson should step up as the starting SLB this fall.
As good as Berry is, he cannot play all four secondary positions simultaneously…at least I do not think he can. Good thing for Volunteer fans (and Berry) is that cornerback Dennis Rogan also returns to start this season. True freshman Janzen Jackson, a former LSU commit that switched very late in the recruiting process, could step in and play immediately at the free safety position. Sophomore Art Evans is the leading candidate to start at corner opposite Rogan.
Junior Chad Cunningham is back as the starting punter at Tennessee, and fellow junior Daniel Lincoln returns to handle the kicking duties. A host of speed burners will get an opportunity to return kicks and punts this year, including Berry. Don’t be surprised if Kiffin puts one of his head-turning freshmen back there just to get some athleticism on the field and save his every-down players.
OUTLOOK
One thing we can certainly say for Tennessee is that everyone will be watching. That appears to be one major goal for Coach Kiffin, and now the product has to catch up to his mouth. There is certainly enough talent on Rocky Top to expect a quick turnaround this season, but questions at QB and WR make us wonder if 2009 may be a little too early to project great things. Add in a top-heavy SEC East and road games against at Alabama and Ole Miss, just getting back to a bowl game seems like a reasonable goal.
September opens with a nice warm-up against Western Kentucky before UCLA makes the long trip across country. I expect UT to pull off wins in both games before heading down to the Swamp for their annual late-September war. Tebow and the Gators will prove too much again this year, leaving the Vols at 3-1 after their win over Ohio the following week.
Auburn and Georgia visit Neyland to open October, and the Vols should win both — but the Georgia game could be trouble. While no coach truly enjoys going to Tuscaloosa, the Vols do get that trip after their open week. The extra prep time will not likely produce a win on the road, but the good news for Tennessee is the schedule after that game. South Carolina visits on Halloween, and Memphis comes across the state to being November.
A road date at Ole Miss looks difficult now, but things may change by then in Oxford. Vanderbilt comes to a revenge-minded Neyland Stadium the following week before the Vols head up to Lexington to take on Kentucky in the battle for The Beer Barrel.
Most Likely: While it is tempting to say 8-4, it looks like 7-5 is the most likely. There are just too many questions offensively before we can go and predict great things for this season.
With a lucky break: With improved QB play and production from the WR spots, Tennessee could definitely make a jump to 9-3 with wins over Georgia and Ole Miss.
Best case scenario: This looks like a 10-2 team at best. It’s hard to project a win over Florida or Alabama this season, and the Vols would need to beat one of them to get back to double-digit wins this year.
Bold prediction: Bryce Brown rushes for 1,000 yards as a freshman.
Final thought: Kiffin has a plan. That plan obviously centers around recruiting, bringing in the best talent available. No doubt, it is easier to win if the talent is there. What needs to be seen now, though, is can this still inexperienced coach get things done on Saturdays. If he can, the Volunteers appear to be headed back to regular SEC Championship Game appearances.
Posted in SEC Preview, Sports | 6 Comments »
Good Story from the Commerical Appeal
Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 2, 2009
Ron Higgins over at Memphis likes the Hogs to progress some this season. Some good stuff in this article from DJ Williams.
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Just Because I feel Guilty for Picking Bama to go Undefeated
Posted by Adam Butler on August 2, 2009
This is just hilarious.
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