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C4 | Friday, Aug. 1, 2008 | THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL | www.dnj.

com

MTSU FOOTBALL FALL CAMP PREVIEW

TWO-DEEP ROSTER
OFFENSE
QB
9 Dwight Dasher (or) 12 Joe Craddock Sophomore Senior Junior Junior Sophomore r-Senior Sophomore Junior Senior r-Freshman Junior Freshman Sophomore Junior Sophomore r-Freshman Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Senior Sophomore Sophomore Junior Sophomore 5-10 5-11 5-8 6-0 6-2 5-10 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-1 5-9 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 207 197 167 203 224 207 172 170 185 191 172 180 231 254 265 248 305 318 290 314 285 293 307 306

WANTED: A GOOD SEASON


Plenty of costly injuries derailed MTSUs 2007 season. Now young and mostly inexperienced, the Blue Raiders are expected to have little margin for error. There are both good and bad possibilities at each position, but an additional element of caution that would turn the seasons outcome ugly. MTSU must avoid such pitfalls to return to winning football in 2008.

RB
2 Desmond Gee 21 Phillip Tanner

FB
42 Jacob Longoria 39 Spike McDaniel

WR
81 Wes Caldwell 83 Eldred King

WR
13 Michael Cannon 15 D.D. Kyles

WR
17 Patrick Honeycutt 88 Marcus Thurmond

TE
82 Alvin Ingle 16 Gene Delle Donne

LT
78 Mike Williams Derek Cardaci

POSITION by POSITION

GOOD
Senior Joe Craddock and sophomore Dwight Dasher were two of the Sun Belts most efficient passers last season (combined 21 TDs, 8 INTs). Dasher was also the teams leading rusher. PHILLIP TANNER showed his speed and potential with 144 yards and 3 TDs vs. Louisville last season. Desmond Gee is a playmaker and twotime All-Sun Belt allpurpose performer.

BAD
Though two QBs provide depth, both carry injury issues. Dashers 121 rush attempts resulted in knee and ankle injures last season. Craddock originally lost his starting job after injuring his back.

UGLY
Dasher and Craddock are very competitive. Neither will be content watching from the sideline. QBs and coaches have done well in keeping their competition civil and respectful. The same challenge will linger all season.

LG
76 Jamal Lewis 50 Colin Boss

C
71 Jake Padrick 63 Chris Ritter

RG
75 Chris Hawkins 62 Evon Lettsome

QUARTERBACKS
Quarterback Dwight Dasher had more rushing yards (530) than Tanner and Gee combined in 2007. Plus, MTSU averaged 3.5 yards-per-carry, second lowest in the Sun Belt. No RB is actually proven as a durable full-time runner. Gee is undersized and has split time at WR. Tanner was slowed by injuries last season. Freshmen stand behind them.

RUNNING BACKS

QB RB

RT
72 Mark Thompson 69 J.C. Moore

DEFENSE
DE
98 Chris McCoy 11 Jamari Lattimore Junior Sophomore Senior Junior Sophomore Junior Senior Sophomore 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-1 263 217 286 265 265 325 252 235 224 226 242 218 215 213 168 190 165 188 213 194 175 195

DT
97 Trevor Jenkins 95 Jonathan Presley

DT
47 Dwight Smith 92 Brandon Perry

DE
56 Wes Hofacker 91 Emmanuel Perez

OLB
55 Andrew Harrington (or) Senior 29 Lonnie Clemons Senior

MLB
44 Danny Carmichael 30 Cam Robinson Junior Junior Senior Sophomore Sophomore Junior Junior Senior Senior Sophomore Sophomore Freshman

OLB
27 Ivon Hickmon 52 Antwan Davis

CB
6 Rod Issac 3 Marcus Udell

CB

WR TE
WIDE RECEIVER/ TIGHT END

WR PATRICK HONEYCUTT has sure hands, and senior Michael Cannon is reliable. TEs Alvin Ingle, Gene Delle Donne and Byron McLeod could be teams best passing targets.

TEs are sub-par blockers thus far. WRs lack speed and depth, and the only remedies would come from unproven newcomers like Eldred King, Marcus Thurmond and D.D. Kyles (redshirt).

GEE was moved from RB to WR last season because of inconsistency at wideout. MTSU cant afford such a permanent move this season because Gees experience is needed in the backfield.

7 Alex Suber 25 Ted Riley

SS
8 Anthony Glover 33 Kevin Brown

FS
20 Jeremy Kellem 28 Denzell Guerra

SPECIAL TEAMS
K
38 Alan Gendreau (or) 37 David DeFatta Freshman Junior Junior Sophomore 5-11 5-9 5-9 5-10 175 184 184 214

P
37 David DeFatta

LS
48 Adam Wade

OFFENSIVE LINE
DT Trevor Jenkins and DE WES HOFACKER have been overshadowed by past stars. DE CHRIS MCCOY had a great spring. Talented youngsters could prove difference-makers up front. Three seniors and two juniors make MTSUs linebacking corps the most experienced position on the team. Danny Carmichael and Lonnie Clemons both tout All-Sun Belt potential. JEREMY KELLEM and Rod Issac were quick-study freshmen in 2007. CB Alex Suber is the units best, and senior safety Anthony Glover is experienced. New recruits include four lauded DBs. MTSU allowed 200 rushing yards per game last season and graduated the leagues best DE duo. DL Immaneul Chu and DT Andre Wicker are already out with injuries. MTSU allowed 999 rushing yards in the last three games in 2007. If they are gashed like that again, the Blue Raiders late-season run will turn flat and title contention will be out of the question.

DEFENSIVE LINE

LINEBACKERS

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Junior David DeFatta is among best punters in conference, and MTSUs coverage teams ranked high nationally in 2007. Sophomore deep snapper Adam Wade is reliable.

SPECIAL TEAMS

OL DL LB DB ST

The line is young, with no senior starters and only one junior, but full of potential. Tackle Mark Fisher, thought to be lost for the year, could return from a shoulder injury this season.

There are no backups with significant experience. Fisher and early NFL entry Franklin Dunbar, maybe teams best two linemen, are both gone (at least early in Fishers case).

Injuries plagued line last season and in the spring. Similar bad luck would bury Blue Raiders. Fisher cant be rushed back, but freshmen dont need to forfeit a redshirt to fill gaps.

FALL CAMP PRACTICE SCHEDULE


Practice open to public (Aug. 2-9) Today Report Day 4:05-6:30 p.m. Saturday 4:30-6:45 p.m. Aug. 3 5:15-7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 5:15-7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 5:15-7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 5:15-7:30 p.m. Aug. 7 9:05-11:15 a.m. Aug. 8 4:45-6:45 p.m. 3:25-6 p.m. Aug. 9 Practice closed to public (Aug. 10-after) Fan Day, 2 p.m. Aug. 10 5:10-6:40 p.m. 8:15-10:30 a.m. Aug. 11 4:30-6:45 p.m. 3:45-6 p.m. Aug. 12 8:15-10:30 a.m. Aug. 13 4:35-6:35 p.m. 4-6:15 p.m. Aug. 14 8:15-10:30 a.m. Aug. 15 4:35-6:35 p.m. 6-8 p.m. Aug. 16 No practice Aug. 17 3:55-6:15 p.m. Aug. 18 6-8 p.m. Aug. 19 5-7 p.m. Aug. 20 3:30-5:30 p.m. Aug. 21 5:05-7:05 p.m. Aug. 22 10:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Aug. 23 4:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 24

Andrew Harrington, Ivon Hickmon and Landon Givers have been slowed by injuries. Despite the units experience, only Carmichael was among the teams top-6 tacklers last season.

Last years LBs were serviceable, but not extraordinary. They recorded only two forced fumbles and no interceptions. This season, the LBs cant afford to simply blend in. They must be differencemakers for the defense to succeed.

MTSUs secondary depth has been strained by the combination of injuries and a need for nickel coverages. Three or four reliable DBs wont make a difference if a weak link is still on the field.

Freshmen were good last year, but were they aided by all-conference seniors who are now gone? Leadership will be tested early against Troys highpowered passing offense.

MTSU missed 10 kicks (7 FG, 3 PAT) last season, perhaps costing it two wins. Its options this season are to double DeFattas duties, give Matt King another try or rely on true freshman Alan Gendreau.

MTSU doesnt need all its starters also playing special teams, so youngsters will be on the field early. And the sooner the placekicking question is answered, the better.

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