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Get Ready

Get Ready

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I decided not to put this in the sports forum because I hate that damn forum and more than likely this is going to turn into smack anyway. But in an effort to encourage meaningful dialoge on this page, I would like for the good posters on this board to tell us why you think you will be successful this year.

Im not saying that this is by invitation only, but I want to hear MikBig, GSup, Tigerpride, Robber, JR, JRock, Cleb, and MH tell me why you thingk your team is going to be successful. What has been done in the offseason to improve your team? Where do you feel your team is strong and can you overcome your deficiencies.

No smack...but tell me what you feel is going to separate your team and make them SWAC champions this year. I promise not to call Kent the best QB in football....bar none, on this thread.

Let me hear it, and maybe I can understand your rationale. Then again, maybe most of us are just talking.
 
GR,

Do you honestly think anyone outside of JSU and maybe GSU will actually answer this question? From what I am reading, most teams are praying that JSU gives them a 5 turnover advantage again. If we do that they will win.

A lot of things will have to be seen on the field but rational thinking will have to play a part in this analysis.

But I feel that the the thing that separates JSU from the rest of the crowd is Kent and our level of experience. We return more starters than anyone else in the SWAC from a 7-4 team ----and that was not accomplished by playing a sissy schedule. Like I told everyone about Alcorn in basketball, they started the season in mid-season form becasue they could use their preseason to get better rather than trying to find themselves. The "week later" theory came into play later in the season as other teams started to come together but by then, it was too late. The same is the case with JSU. Offensively, we made too many turnovers last year but we are still returning the best offensive unit in the SWAC. At this point, Alcorn runs a distant second in the passing game. I think JSU will also have the best running game in the SWAC. We will have a deeper and more experience offensive line this year. We are already two-deep in the spring putting us waaaaaaay ahead of where we were this time last year. Installing a running game will immediately take pressure off of Kent and keep the opposing defense honest. Unless fumbles, become the word of the day, this should help lower Kent's int's and keep him healthy.

Defensively, our DC came right in and made people earn spots back from last year. The integrity of this unit has returned. We have DC who moved people around to give us a pass rush...something we knew before the season started that we would not have. This time, we are at least confident that the speed is there. The schemes will have to be tested. Also, the DC has demoted starters before allowing them to get burned and beat up in the first five game first. Besides, I don't give this unit as much flack as everyone else. I saw this unit in action and although our DC did not put them position to stop anyone , they were always given bad field position by a turnover or special teams. In some of our losses, special teams or a turnover led to 21 points. You can't put your defense in a hole like that and then pin the blame on them.
 



Originally posted by Get Ready
why you think your team is going to be successful
Click to expand...
Well, for starters, we have the best COACHING. LC and his staff simply get the job done and get it done quickly. I think most of you will agree that in just 2 years at ASU, Cole has ASU as one of the top teams in bcf.

OFFENSE
Yes, Kennedy was great and yes, we will miss him. Kennedy is gone but the COLEBLOODED OFFENSE remains. (For all the people who keep bringing up the Alcorn game from last year w/o Kennedy, let me warn you------don't fool yourselves). LC has lined up some QB's who are more than capable of running this offense. The stable of WRs is intact (with added height this year) and Chris Coleman (the best TE in the SWAC) is back . Offensive line will be strong and huge.
DEFENSE
Look for big improvements here!!!!!! The defensive line will be much improved with Rogerman coming in as co-coordinator. Look for DE Earl Cochran to have an even bigger year than he did last year, when he was dominant!!!!! The secondary will be bigger, better, more experienced, and taller. btw, we have a transfer linebacker, who will be all-swac (I guarantee)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Well, David Beckford should be back and he's only the best punter in all of college football. Our FG kicker was good on 70% of his attempts last year.

INTANGIBLES
The conference schedule works in ASU's favor. Only 2 games outside of Alabama. Also, this team knows it can win!!!!! And we will!!!
 
Wow!!! It's a good thing we don't have to play Jackson again this year. :rolleyes: It sorta like the Rockets winning the NBA title the two years Jordan retired. Maybe we can pull a AAMU and back our way in to the SWAC Championship game.

Santino is already pissed becuase he knows won't make All American honors this year because no one will throw to his side. There is talk by Thomas to occasionally switch his jersey during games so he can confuse the offense. By mid-season, he should have the shool's all time interception record and contend for the SWAC all time record if we can keep him from going pro before then.

With Orlando implementing the "Third Coast Offense", we will be a force (as usual) in the SWAC West but will make the SWAC Championship game.

I won't go into full detail about how Mack is pissing Orlando off in practice because he doesn't have a "half speed" mode.

I won't go into how Cortez Hankton will lead all SWAC receivers in yards but come in no higher than 10th in receptions. And his freshman sidekick Dorell Moore on his opposite time will sneak up and surprise everyone this season.

It's inevitable, it can't be avoided, it's foreseeable and predictable
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Texas Southern will contend for the title.
 
Fellas, I do believe GR was for real. The only thing I have read so far is that LC is a good coach. If you think things are going to improve, I think we want to know how.
 
I just got finish conducting a full interview with Lenard Mack today.

I can't mention everything he said on this board, but you all should be very afraid. That Tiger defense is looky quite nasty.


TSU may be the team to beat in the SWAC West.
 
Ok, you talked to one player from a 2-9 team and now they are the beast. Does he have an adequate backup?? Is anyone else on the team?? :confused:
 
We will be the best for 3 reasons.......recruiting, coaching, and attitude.

Recruiting - We have had some solid recruiting classes overthe last 4 years. Kids are excited about playing for Doug, and the winning has renewed the GSU spirit of old. The last three classes have been littered with Blue Chip recruits, and Doug has recruited the state of LA well.

Coaching - Our coaching is superior. After a few bad mistakes early on, Doug has settled into his job well. He has assembled one hell of a staff, and like all great coaches. He lets them do their job. Our Defensive co-ordinator is unrivaled, and defense has carried us to 2 SWAC titles.

Attitude - Our players belive they can win. They don't think it, they now it. There is not one team that they don't feel they can beat. Winning is infectious, and now that our players have gotten used to making the trip to Birmingham every December, they don't ever want to not be there. Our players are hungry to prove themselves. We lost a helluva senior class, and the current crew is ready to prove that they can reload, and not just rebuild!

Offense -
We are loosing some key leadership. Randy Hymes was the heart and soul of our offense, and Robert Taylor our defense. But we will replace Hymes with a better pure pocket passer, who although he may be large for a QB...he is mobile enough. Plus with the return of the baby bus Brad Hill, it will help to take pressure off of our passing game. The biggest loss will be Levi Wasington. We have been slowing grooming Tramon Douglas to be his replacement though, and he should be very solid. The development of a deep threat at the X, and Z will be vital. Tyron Anderson has not develpoed as lanned. But we have some hungry young talent ready to play. Look for names like Latroy Calhoun, Mose Harris, and Delvin Lewis to be stars.
Our O line looses its leader in center Larry Metavia, but Lance Wright son of B-ball coach Larry Wright) is ready to step in. He is going to be key.....The Guard and Tackle spot are right now up for grabs. Depth at RB, behind Brad Hill may be filled by freshman Taycho Cleveland from famerville.

Defense -
We lost three LB's. And we didn't really play our back-ups. It is going to hurt. Marcus Yanez, a former all state player from Bastrop High, is poised to fill in at MLB! He can play. And will immediatly be an impact player! Some freshman recruits like the kid from Famerville High, whose name escapes me right now, will see playing times. At DB......we are solid. And they will be our heart. Chris Brown is a potential 1st day draft pick. He is a ball hawk. Big(6'2''), fast, and loves to go for the big play. Along with safety Denmark Reed, they will be solid for the GSU secondary! Look for names like Miacheal Daigre to step up. And freshman like Micheal Gilbert from Monroe will push for playing time. On DL key
looses Mark Hall, and Andre Arnold. But 3 of the 4 rotating DT', and the other 2 DE's. Stopping the run will be a strength. We play enough defensive lineman that graduation won't hurt us very much in this area. The key to a succesful defense will be the replacement of the LB core. The black and gold game this saturday will be a better look at who will fill the voids at outside LB and who will replace Kalvin Pearson.


Most teams would be worried after loosing the amount of Talent that GSU lost. But our boys are confident. We were in this same position 2 years ago, and still won the title. Expect a repeat. And if we are able to bring home the title again this year, with the number of Jrs and Sophs we will be playing this fall...........GSU will be even harder to handle in the upcoming years. We are going to be young, but we will be young and hungry


How was that GR!
 
Originally posted by Suge
We will be the best for 3 reasons.......recruiting, coaching, and attitude.

Recruiting - We have had some solid recruiting classes overthe last 4 years. Kids are excited about playing for Doug, and the winning has renewed the GSU spirit of old. The last three classes have been littered with Blue Chip recruits, and Doug has recruited the state of LA well.

Coaching - Our coaching is superior. After a few bad mistakes early on, Doug has settled into his job well. He has assembled one hell of a staff, and like all great coaches. He lets them do their job. Our Defensive co-ordinator is unrivaled, and defense has carried us to 2 SWAC titles.

Attitude - Our players belive they can win. They don't think it, they now it. There is not one team that they don't feel they can beat. Winning is infectious, and now that our players have gotten used to making the trip to Birmingham every December, they don't ever want to not be there. Our players are hungry to prove themselves. We lost a helluva senior class, and the current crew is ready to prove that they can reload, and not just rebuild!

Offense -
We are loosing some key leadership. Randy Hymes was the heart and soul of our offense, and Robert Taylor our defense. But we will replace Hymes with a better pure pocket passer, who although he may be large for a QB...he is mobile enough. Plus with the return of the baby bus Brad Hill, it will help to take pressure off of our passing game. The biggest loss will be Levi Wasington. We have been slowing grooming Tramon Douglas to be his replacement though, and he should be very solid. The development of a deep threat at the X, and Z will be vital. Tyron Anderson has not develpoed as lanned. But we have some hungry young talent ready to play. Look for names like Latroy Calhoun, Mose Harris, and Delvin Lewis to be stars.
Our O line looses its leader in center Larry Metavia, but Lance Wright son of B-ball coach Larry Wright) is ready to step in. He is going to be key.....The Guard and Tackle spot are right now up for grabs. Depth at RB, behind Brad Hill may be filled by freshman Taycho Cleveland from famerville.

Defense -
We lost three LB's. And we didn't really play our back-ups. It is going to hurt. Marcus Yanez, a former all state player from Bastrop High, is poised to fill in at MLB! He can play. And will immediatly be an impact player! Some freshman recruits like the kid from Famerville High, whose name escapes me right now, will see playing times. At DB......we are solid. And they will be our heart. Chris Brown is a potential 1st day draft pick. He is a ball hawk. Big(6'2''), fast, and loves to go for the big play. Along with safety Denmark Reed, they will be solid for the GSU secondary! Look for names like Miacheal Daigre to step up. And freshman like Micheal Gilbert from Monroe will push for playing time. On DL key
looses Mark Hall, and Andre Arnold. But 3 of the 4 rotating DT', and the other 2 DE's. Stopping the run will be a strength. We play enough defensive lineman that graduation won't hurt us very much in this area. The key to a succesful defense will be the replacement of the LB core. The black and gold game this saturday will be a better look at who will fill the voids at outside LB and who will replace Kalvin Pearson.


Most teams would be worried after loosing the amount of Talent that GSU lost. But our boys are confident. We were in this same position 2 years ago, and still won the title. Expect a repeat. And if we are able to bring home the title again this year, with the number of Jrs and Sophs we will be playing this fall...........GSU will be even harder to handle in the upcoming years. We are going to be young, but we will be young and hungry


How was that GR!
Click to expand...

Now thats what Im talking about....Now Im beggining to understand. Grambling is in...where is SU. I wish I had someone from Alcorn.
 
Although you didn't ask for my input, I'll post anyway.
<br>I think will contend for the title because of Coaching, Attitude, and depth.<br><br>First, Pete has a way of making those kids think they can beat anyone no matter what and having them ready to do that. The second reason concerning coaching is that Orlando is gone (good luck Tex. So.). Our offense was not "what it should have been". I will leave that at that. But the players are already more confident in our new offense. We will run the ball more and not be as preditable. Last year, we lost our starting QB, best 2 WR, and top 4 RB's and still were successful. Most of these players will be back. We have added a few more running backs to this arsenal. Since our new offense will not depend on the QB as much, Richard does not have to be a superstar. Our depth should also make a difference. Except for maybe JSU and Grambling, most schools do not have the quality depth that we have. There may be some games that we don't win pretty, but we will win them anyway. I'm not into namedropping so I won't go position by position with comments, but don't sleep on the Jags.
 
Well Lewis let me drop a few names at the glamour positions. I?ll be back to drop a few more on OL, DL, and special teams later!

  • Wide Receivers _ Hayes, Plain and Joubert are the most experienced and best receiving core in 1-AA. Then there are young bucks like Lionel Joseph, Alfred Ard, Drayton Bridges, and Chris Davis all contributors last season.
  • Running Backs _ I would trade the backs we have for any in the SWAC. Carl Singleton proved prior to his injury last season he was as good as any back in the conference. Bo Jackson ? got love that name, true freshman last season that pickup the slack when Singleton went down. Every since films highlights were shown of Marcus Newman at the 2001 recruiting bash Jaguar fans can?t wait for him to hit the field. Another true freshman that had an outstanding spring was kid name Rodney Tucker out Plano, TX. Final there is Victor Ike transfer out Texas that will have a positive impact on the running game.
  • Quarterbacks _ Quincy Richard a gifted athlete with the size, the arm, and running ability. We looking for good things from this kid with the kind of weapon he has at his disposal. Behind Richard there is Thomas Ricks, Kirby Sharp, and Anthony Fisher who gained valuable playing time against the like of FAMU last year. During spring Sharp demonstrated so much athleticism that the new OC had to come up with the ?Sharp?s Package?.
 



I agree with the Pres-0-Dent! No need to add anything, he covered all the basis.

[size=5.5]However[/size], I must add that we will be stronger due to the departure of the 24 guys from last year.
That seems like a put down, but that's not what I'm saying.

A lot of those guys were two and three year starters. Their talent and experience will be missed. But it's time that they move on so as to guard against complacency. Plus the young guys are ready to take step up and make their mark on the scroll of GREATNESS! We have a good blend of veterans and talented newcomers (many of whom logged significant playing time) who will kick azz...like those who have gone before them!
 
Found the nerve, to try again

To add what my wodie Suge wrote, one needs to look no further than Doug?s track record ? 5-6 (?98), 7-4 (?99), 10-2 (?00), and 10-1 (?01), respectively ? this is impressive. When looking deeper at Doug Williams coached teams ? one point comes mind ? and this is that QB position does not hurt the team. From Lionel Haynes to Showtime Hymes, both had better than average td/int ratio and got the job done. One thing we do not worry about at Icon Gram is the signal caller.

Despite the gaping holes, we have to fill; I think we are looking at the situation incorrectly. Relative to the SWAC, Grambling has the advantage. For example, the Gram/J-State game (2000) was a mismatch. J-State?s defense reminded me of Gram?s defense in ?98. I could count on one hand how many times we blitzed in ?98. A good defense has to take chances. J-State?s defense was so unimaginative, in terms of schemes, that teams literally tore them apart. Watching the Portland State game, I have seen their O-lineman (just standing in space) because they were too confused with the stunts and blitzes Coach Roach devised. This happened in SWAC play also. Until an OC recognizes this, basically Gram?s entire defense will be All-SWAC selections ? like in 2001. As Suge mentioned Doug made some mistakes early on, but what separates him is the talent he has assembled (makes plays) ? which correct many of the mistakes.

Defense has been the catalyst to the G-MEN success, as will be in the 2002 campaign. Our D-line will have to carry us as the LBers get into the flow. This will happen because our scheme and philosophy enables us to do so. Personally, I have no concerns on offense; we have to replace the right side of the O-line, but we rotated lineman like we did D-lineman. Defensively, as long as we can find a replacement for Mark Hall (1st team All SWAC DE ? this cat was something serious last year), and a capable strongside LBer we will be fine. Hopefully, Dimitri Carr (Suge, this is the All-State from Farmerville you were alluding to ?the one that was on everyone?s wish list) can fill this position. Is there any better interior lineman than Antwan Lawrence and Willie Gray? Suge covered the rest -- the secondary and the future on offense. One thing that I am most proud of is Doug has recruited the best North Louisiana talent too. We always had a presence in South Louisiana, but over the years I felt we were not as strong in North Louisiana. The old adage still lives ? if you win the state, you win. Clearly, Doug has achieved this.

Special teams ?are you serious? I stopped counting how many 45+ yarders Brian Morgan kicked and we have him for another 3 years. The greatest upside has been kick and punt returning. The 2001 squad blocked ten folds better than the 2000 championship team. Special teams will win more games this year. We are hearing good things about Shank's replacement from spring camp.

The take home message is that there is no team in the SWAC that collectively have a better offense, defense, and special teams. This synergy is the reason the G-MEN will go back to B-ham and bring the hardware back home. Like I told D Nice this morning ? Icon Gram will wreck damage on the SWAC, and this is no smack. I really think this recruiting class is the best in the state. These cats simply can play, are strong, and not filling redundant space on the roster. Another thing is we play more true freshmen than anyone in the SWAC. I have been a Grambling Tiger since birth, and the last time I remember this degree of excitement is from the Clemente Gordon era.
 
I AGREE WITH MIKEBIGG, SUGE AND GSUPER

I WOULD ADD SPECIAL TEAMS. WHEN THEY CAN SCORE A .T.D OR A BIG PLAY AND THE DEFENSE CAN SCORE A T.D. OR BIG PLAY GAME AFTER GAME THE OFFENSE IS NOT PRESSURED. I HOPE WE WILL MAINTAIN THE BALANCED ATTACK OF AIR TO GROUND YARDAGE, WHICH MAKES YOU A BETTER TEAM IF YOUR STRENGTH IS TAKEN FROM YOU.

IT IS A GREAT CONFORT TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU CROSS THE 50 AND THE OFFENSE STALLS YOU BRING OUT BRIAN "LED THE NATION IN FIELD GOALS" MORGAN TO SCORE:D
 
I knew Gram would step up to the plate because I do believe that they have the talent and most importantly the system. THAT IS WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR FROM THE GRAM FANS. THAT IS THE MOST LOGICAL THING YOU HAVE IN YOUR CORNER. A lot of Pete's succes came when he had a system in place. That is now gone. I ain' trying to smack so don't come back with smack but AlaState and Southern ain't said nothing yet expept we got 11 players to put on the field against your 11. PV can say that.


I ain't trying to smack, I am just trying to help you all out??
 
Com'om Tigerpride, there is a big difference between the 11 SU will put on the field and the 11 PV will put out there. Just cause I don't post a lot of "John Doe is an impact player on the line" and Bill "Blaze" Jackson is a super wide out", etc. Don't mean they can't play. PapaJag dropped a few names on you, but ain't really about that. Without smacking, I think talentwise, the big three are still the Big three. JSU, GSU and SU have the most talent from top to bottom. ALA ST has some talent at the high end (like Kennedy last year) but it drops a lot faster than at the BIG 3. The other schools are at another level when it comes to overall talent. (But the do have enought to make some noise and upset somebody). So we can use our jornalism skills to trade accolades and imagative descriptions about our players all day. But what Get Ready asked was WHAT WAS GOING TO SEPARATE YOUR TEAM, not how much shine you can put on your diamond. <br><br>With that said, I think a big diffence maker this year may be the fact the no matter what, the players at Southern believe in PETE and will put their last ounce of gut out on the line for him, the GMEN players and fans believe in Doug, and even Ala State believe in LC, but Jackson State, I don' t think anybody without the last name hughes believes in thier coach, and if you pull them to the side off the record..... So it won't take much adversity in Jackson for all hell to break loose this year. I'd hate to have Get Ready and robber on my arse if I was Hughes. IF the fans turn on Hughes, it will affect the players.
 
Dude, there is a difference in naming your stars who are stars and naming recruits and third string players. Papajag talked about RB's, WR's, QB's but do they have anyone to block for them?? This is the NON SMACK infor we are wanting you to tell us. Do you guys have a replacement for that DB who made me turn off the TV before halftime in the BC?? How many starters do you return?? This info would help. Tell us the real strengths of your team.
 
Ok GR, I finally have a chance for my write up. Lewis and PapaJag have covered some of what I was going to say . But here's my own reasoning on SU having a shot for Pete's 5th SWAC title.

First of all it starts with Pete. He has never had a losing campaign and it isn't going to start in 2002. He has won at SU with some great teams and some not so great teams and he is the Dean of SWAC coaches. Pete teams never quit or lay down. They have heart. While we have a new OC, I agree with Lewis. There had been rumblings around Jag Land for awhile on Orlando's playcalling. So while we lose his experience and familiarty of the players, we also now have a chance not be predictable. Coach Oliver was on a good offensive coaching staff at Tulane. If they couldn't do nothing else. They could score. Patrick Ramsey will be the 3rd QB chosen on tomorrow. So I feel like we will use the TE, RB's and different formations this year. Plus Pete is redicated to the run. Orlando abandoned it. On the defensive coaching front, these guys have been together 3 years now and you can tell. They have the "D" playing like the old Dog Day D. Now to the positions and players who will make it happen.

Offense
OL - It starts here in the trenches. We have All-SWAC 1st teamer Gary Jenkins returning with a host of experienced players. We lost very little on the OL. Maybe 2 players total out of the top 7 Lineman from last year. The center spot will be one to watch in the development of the 2 returning guys(Jackson and Saulsby) moving over to play this spot. Look for 6-7 335 Mynia "Manster" Smith to be a force on the OL. Pete will be able to rotate 10-11 guys on OL. Returning Players who were in the rotation are Patrick Tyson, Daniel Leon, Chad Green. This OL didn't give alot of sacks last year. We were third in the least amount of Sacks allowed. And we know Levy was not that mobile. Richard will help OL out with his mobility. The depth is there, so it 's no need for Freshmen to play this year. New OC has OL stressing speed and agility. So even though they are big guys. He has had some lose weight to increase their speed.

TE- We have 3 TE's that can all run , catch and block and the new OC has already put in plays. Since he is a TE type of guy , this position will be one to watch. We threw to the TE one time last year and it was a TD. Rod Jones and Adam Nelson(a workout freak and converted WR) are the ones to watch. Both are fast agile TE's.

WR- This is the strength of the Offense. With Michael Hayes, Kentrell Plain, Al Trevion Joubert, Lionel Joseph, Al Ard, Drayton Bridges, Chris Davis, and Fred Mitchell. We are stocked. All are over 6 feet except Joubert and Ard. All these guys played last year due to injuries. Hayes, Plain, and Joubert are all veterans and have played every year they have been at SU. If Hayes returns to form it's going to be ugly. Joubert is already back to his form. So no Freshmen will even see the field unless Prize recruit James Vernon has fully qualified. I think he was close. Probably just be better off redshirting anyway.

RBs- Our weak spot last year due to injuries and youth. There were some bright spots last year. Carl Singleton #40 had finally emerged. Played well as a Fr against JSU and AAMU until going down that game(ACL). Then he was replaced by Fr. Leroy "Bo" Jackson who won the game for us at FAMU. This kid can play and was highly thought of coming in. He will be ready to go this fall. held out of Spring game for shoulder injury he sustained late in season. Now the troops come. Highly touted RB from NC. Marcus Newman 6-2 220 and fast. Jag fans have been waiting for his debut since we signed him last year. Freshman Rodney Tucker from Plano, Tx had an impressive Spring as did Gerald Holmes, a scatback in the mold of Ryan Lewis. Leon Miller still is a backup in my mind. Not impressed with him. But of course the big news is the transfer of UT's Victor Ike. Now I expect him to contribute. But we'll see if he can move anyone out. We will be deep at Rb. And they will catch the ball in this offense.

QB- Well this is the most critical position.Quincy Richard is a mature kid with athletic ability and has the height. He has a canon arm. He just needs to harness it. He will not underthrow his WRs like past Qbs. Actually he needs to work on over throwing his open WRs. He will benefit from the experience of the Wrs. Now the backup situation can be interesting. Anthony Fisher did a great job against Famu but struggled the rest of the way. He is a gamer, but his arm strength is not there. Kurvis Sharp has made the most noise as a backup and I think he will unseat Fisher. Sharp is a pure athlete with outstanding speed. You already heard about the "Sharp Package" . Thomas Ricks may the most gifted one of them all. He is 6-3 and much bigger than Richard bodywise. Tremendous Athlete as well. Got in Pete's and Orlando's doghouse last year, but new OC has given him a new lease. He is the QB of the future. Highly thought of coming in. We need to stay healthy at this position. QB will not have to win the game, so that should ease the pressure of previous years.


Defense
DL - plenty of Depth. We have some All Staters on the DL. Perry Davis #60 will be all SWAC. Great Freshman year last year. DL is big and fast. We are deep enough to rotate . Look out for Charles Ball, Alex Coleman, Aandre Payton, Glynn Mangum, Arthur Smith, Joshua Davis and Jonathan St. Cyr.

LB- We will miss Chapman, but the rest are back including last year starters Chris Cooper and Jabari Greene. We are deeper at LB than we have been for awhile. Look out for Kenneth Johnson(this kid is awesome, just can't stay healthy) Eddie Green, Kendrick Paul, Lendrick Francois, Trey Calhoun and Sheldon Pearl. Also keep an eye on last year recruits Greg Handy and Daryl Hurst.

Secondary
This is our strength of the defense. Starting corners Lenny Williams(All-SWAC) and Terence Arnold(7 ints 2nd in SWAC 2001) are both back. Williams would lead the SWAC in ints if he can hold on to the ball. Herman Hartman returns at safety, but I expect him to lose his job. But as anybody could see last year our Safeties were weak and had to many blown coverages. Eddie Woods who has played well in nickel package should get his chance to start this year. Also Ole Miss transfer Kevin Moffett and LSU transfer Erin Damond. D'Angelo Lewis and Randy Williams, both All Conference JC transfers from Mississippi a year ago will get their chance too. We also have a load of other kids sitting and waiting that came to SU the last 2 years. This is the deepest position of defense. There is talk of moving Lenny Williams to safety to get all the best Dbs on the field at one time. Codie Smith (one that got burned, but got lucky once and returned one for TD in the BC), Darwon Hammond and Cedric Gross add to the already deep group. The coaches have been quite pleased with this group. Gross may be one to watch. He likes to hit and is fast.

Special Teams
Well thank goodness for Justin Mattingly returning to SU from Texas this semester and he has been impressive. He is reportly very happy and hyped to be back and has been booming punts and kicks. He has all the family issues under control and is happy to be back. Colby Miller is a kid we signed last year that eligible this year and we have another Freshman coming in August. So we will have 3 kickers for a change. This is good news. The return game is solid. Erza Landry almost broke many returns for Tds. He put us in good field position and he held on to the ball to be a little man. If the Freshman J. Vernon qualifies to play this year, he will return as well. This kid averaged crazy return numbers in HS. He is very explosive. But I am not counting on him to play. Victor Ike will probably see time as well.

So GR,
We have depth, players with game experience, kicking game is back and Pete seems to be renewed and this team is mixed with a balanced blend of very experienced players and seasoned youth. All Richard has to do is take care of the ball, nothing fancy. One thing I like about him is. If he if off, He doesn't throw an int. It's an over throw most of time. So he don't turn the ball over. Which was a problem for us last year too. So we have the most returning starters and game experiened players in the West and we get TXSU in BR. So we will be fine. There are still players who were on the 99 team and know what feels like to win(Hayes, Joubert , Plain, Mattingly, and Richard). I look forward to seeing the East rep in the SCG. And we can agree on one thing. The East is stronger than the West. GSU and TxSU will be our only challenge. We have better players than people give us credit for. There are an abundance of All-State players on this team. And these kids love to play for Pete. That's the intangible. Pete teams do not quit. Like Lewis said, We will win ugly some games. So that's my case for SU. Pretty strong I would say.
 
TP,
To anwer your question we had very few Seniors last year. We still have a fairly young team. Mostly because of the redshirts. Obviously Hayes and Plain coming back helps too.

The Seniors of importance that we lost were:

Devin Lewis WR
Haywood Gallien WR
Michael Landry DE
Robert Chapman LB
Kentrell Blantcher DE
Brandon Small OL
Larry Harold OL
Shannon Smith LB
Terrence Levy Qb
F. Villagrana K
 
We are often ignored by the former big three, but we never felt that we could not field competative teams in the SWAC. As we continue to analyze the issues facing our teams at Alabama A&M University, we are compel to make any change necessary to provide our student athletes with a great college athletic experience. After a careful review of issues, and looking at the attitude of the staff, players fans and the manner in which we lost ball games, we feel on the Hill that we have made the change that will make a big difference in the number of games that we won last year over the number we will win this year.

The many astute smackers on the board, are fully aware of the manner in which we lost games. But I am personally pleased with the new attitude that I experience on a day by day among our student athletes. I mentioned that the hollowing and screaming are things of the past. It is more teaching and if you as a player cannot measure up to the teaching then you may not get a chance to play.

As some fans have asked; "What are you going to do if this coach don't win?" My answer is we get rid of this one and get another one. But I have no doubt or any reason to believe this coach cannot win.

We are not asking for respect, we don't need stroking, our goal is to win. To win football game you have to bring something to the table. We had the players now we have a staff that understand BCF. Look for a surprise.
 
Let me add just for informational purposes:

I have been reading a lot about how Gram lost 24 seniors but I would like to point out that of those 24 seniors, 11 didn?t get significant playing time or none at all. Using the JSU-GSU game book from last year as reference, the 11 that fit into that category was:

DB # 7 J.J. Brown
QB #14 Micah Mays
DB #25 Monte Hodge
RB #31 Vyron Brown
DB #35 Byron Anderson
RB #36 Walter Falls
LB #41 Quentin Hogg
RB #42 Michael Young
LB #43 Willie Evans
DL #93 Lonnie Walker

There are a few players that were underclassmen that did get significant playing time or split time, that I think will make a difference in 2002:

DB # 2 Earin Bridges (should settle in as the ?extra? DB this year)
WR# 5 Tramon Douglass (solid replacement for Levi Washington)
RB # 9 Darrick Wallace (with DJ Clay, should be solid in the kick/punt return game)
DB #11 Travis Massey (was the 5th defensive back; got plenty of p.t. in 2001)
WR#21 DJ Clay (see #9 Darrick Wallace)
WR#81 Thyron Anderson (Didn?t do that well last year but will step up this year)
TE #86 Gershone Jesse (I like this guy; Nice catch in the SCG for a TD)

There are also a couple of positions where we had players to start that I think will be replaced rather easily. Chris Highshaw disappointed me in 2001. In several games last year he ran half-ass routes and didn?t seem to have his head in games. Whatever position he played, be it x or z, I consider it covered, I?m not worried about that position at all. The other position that I consider in good hands is the LB spot that Alexis Robinson covered. The firm of Taylor and Dukes was so good last year that I?m not sure that we couldn?t have played with just 10 on the defensive side of the ball. There was a special teams player #53 named Rogers or something like that. He seemed to be on every play on kickoffs and punts. He should be a candidate to fill that role with Yanez, Petty and Dmitri Carr.

While we are doing this ?serious smack? I?m just curious to know how many starters everybody else lost last year. Using the JSU-GSU gamebook again, it looks like JSU lost quite a few starting seniors:

DB # 8 Caraway
DB #24 Denson
DB #32 Mouton
LB #54 Grady
WR#10 Taylor
WR#13 Story
TE #86 Travis
OL #64 Akins
OL #62 Hammond
OL #72 Elliot

Correct me if the game book was wrong.

What about the rest of the SWAC? How many did you lose?
 
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