2011 College Football Preview

The Anniston Star

College football preview S u n d ay, A u g u s t 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

Counting down the ways, days

SEC, page 4

Alabama, Page 10

JSU, page 22

Auburn, page 32

The Anniston Star

Page 2 Sunday, August 28, 2011

2 0 1 1 S E C com p os i te Sept. 3

Sept. 10

Sept. 17

Sept. 24

Oct. 1

Oct. 8

ALABAMA

Kent State Tuscaloosa

Penn State State College

North Texas Tuscaloosa

Arkansas Tuscaloosa

Florida Gainesville

Vanderbilt Tuscaloosa

Arkansas

Missouri St. Fayetteville

New Mexico Little Rock

Troy Fayetteville

Alabama Tuscaloosa

Texas A&M Arlington

Auburn

Auburn

Utah State Auburn

Mississippi St. Auburn

Clemson Clemson

Florida Atl. Auburn

S. Carolina Columbia

Arkansas Fayetteville

Florida

Florida Atl. Gainesville

UAB Gainesville

Tennessee Gainesville

Kentucky Lexington

Alabama Gainesville

LSU Baton Rouge

Georgia

Boise State Atlanta

S. Carolina Athens

C. Carolina Athens

Ole Miss Oxford

Mississippi St. Athens

Tennessee Knoxville

Kentucky

Western Ky. Nashville (9/1)

Central Mich.

Lexington

Louisville Lexington

Florida Lexington

LSU Baton Rouge

S. Carolina Columbia

LSU

Oregon Arlington

N’Western St. Baton Rouge

Mississippi St. Starkville (9/15)

West Virginia Morgantown

Kentucky Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge

Ole Miss

BYU Oxford

S. Illinois Oxford

Vanderbilt Nashville

Georgia Oxford

Fresno State Fresno

MIss. St.

Memphis Memphis (9/1)

Auburn Auburn

LSU Starkville (9/15)

La. Tech Starkville

Georgia Athens

UAB Birmingham

S. Carolina

East Carolina Charlotte

Georgia Athens

Navy Columbia

Vanderbilt Columbia

Auburn Columbia

Kentucky Columbia

Tennessee

Montana Knoxville

Cincinnati Knoxville

Florida Gainesville

Buffalo Knoxville

Georgia Knoxville

Vanderbilt

Elon Nashville

Connecticut Nashville

Ole Miss Nashville

DEC. 3 • SEC Championship game, Atlanta

S. Carolina Columbia

Fayetteville

Florida

Alabama Tuscaloosa

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 3

Schedule Oct. 15

Oct. 22

Ole miss Oxford

Tennessee Tuscaloosa

Florida Auburn

Oct. 29

Ole Miss Oxford

Vanderbilt Nashville

LSU Baton Rouge

Ole Miss Auburn

Nov. 5

Nov. 12

Nov. 19

Nov. 26

LSU Tuscaloosa

Mississippi St. Starkville

Ga. Southern Tuscaloosa

Auburn Auburn

S. Carolina Fayetteville

Tennessee Fayetteville

Mississippi St. Little Rock

Baton Rouge (11/25)

Georgia Athens

Samford Auburn

Alabama Auburn

LSU

Auburn Auburn

Georgia Jacksonville

Vanderbilt Gainesville

S. Carolina Columbia

Furman Gainesville

Florida State Gainesville

Vanderbilt Nashville

Florida Jacksonville

N. Mexico St. Athens

Auburn Athens

Kentucky Athens

Georgia Tech Atlanta

Mississippi St. Lexington

Ole Miss Lexington

Vanderbilt Nashville

Georgia Athens

Tennesee Lexington

Alabama Tuscaloosa

Western Ky. Baton Rouge

Ole Miss Oxford

Baton Rouge (11/25)

Auburn Auburn

Kentucky Lexington

La. Tech Oxford

LSU Oxford

Mississippi St. Starkville

S. Carolina Starkville

Kentucky Lexington

UT-Martin Starkville

Alabama Starkville

Arkansas Little Rock

Ole Miss Starkville

Mississippi St. Starkville

Tennessee Knoxville

Arkansas Fayetteville

Florida Columbia

The Citadel Columbia

Clemson Columbia

J’ville State Lexington Tennesee Knoxville

Auburn Baton Rouge

Alabama Oxford

Arkansas Oxford

Arkansas

LSU Knoxville

Alabama Tuscaloosa

S. Carolina Knoxville

Middle Tenn.

Knoxville

Arkansas Fayetteville

Vanderbilt Knoxville

Kentucky Lexington

Georgia Nashville

Army Nashville

Arkansas Nashville

Florida Gainesville

Kentucky Nashville

Tennessee Knoxville

Wake Forest Winston-Salem

Page 4 Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Anniston Star

Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

Here they go ... yet again

A look AT the

Southeastern

Conference 2011 SEASON

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 5

League even tougher to � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� stop with 2 contenders ����

By Mike Huguenin

F

Rivals.com

orgive the rest of the college football world if they’re a little sick of hearing about this: An SEC team has won each of the past five national titles.

SEC fans, of course, continue to revel in the accomplishment, telling everyone who will listen how great their conference is and will continue to be.

Bad news for folks not associated with the SEC: There are two legit national title contenders in the league this season.

Auburn won the 2010 title, and the Tigers were the only one of the recent SEC national titlists to open the season outside the top 10. The other four Florida in 2006, LSU in ‘07, Florida in ‘08 and Alabama in ‘09 opened in the top seven in The Associated Press poll and the top eight in the coaches’ poll.

None were No. 1, though.

This season, the league’s top two contenders, Alabama and LSU, are second and fourth, respectively, in the coaches’ poll. In all, seven league teams are in the top 25.

Once again, the West is the stron-

gest division in the league. Four West Division teams Alabama and LSU, along with Arkansas and Auburn are in the preseason top 25. Every team in the East lost at least four games last season, and all but South Carolina lost at least five; it wouldn’t be a shock if that happened again.

There are two new coaches in the league, both in the East. Will Muschamp, a Georgia alum who had been Texas’ defensive coordinator, is the new Florida coach, while James Franklin, who had been offensive coordinator at Maryland, is Vanderbilt’s new leader.

On the field, think of this season as the year of the running back in the SEC. Every league team except Arkansas and Kentucky has a legitimate hope of having a 1,000-yard rusher. Conversely, this is not a league with a lot of proven quarterbacks or wide receivers.

The league will get a chance to prove its strength early. Two of the season’s biggest non-conference games involve SEC teams in the first week of the season: Boise State vs. Georgia in Atlanta and LSU vs. Oregon in Arlington, Texas.

Chances are the SEC will get a chance to prove its strength in the final game of the season, too.

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Alabama’s Marcell Dareus helped lead the Tide to its national title in 2009. With the No. 2 preseason ranking, Alabama is looking for another championship run.

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The Anniston Star

Page 6 Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Coaches

The players

• COACH ON THE HOTTEST SEAT: Georgia’s Mark Richt. Richt is coming off the first losing record of his tenure, and some of the natives are mighty restless. The Bulldogs have lost 12 games in the past two seasons; the last time that happened was in 199596. In addition, last season’s seven losses were the most for the Bulldogs since 1990. The SEC East looks as down as it has been since the league went to the division format in 1992, and folks will know early if this Bulldogs team has what it takes to challenge for the division title: They open with Boise State in Atlanta on Sept.

3, then play host to South Carolina in a huge division showdown the next weekend.

• BEST COACHING STAFF: Alabama. Nick Saban may rub some people the wrong way, but the guy is a good coach and he has a great staff.

Both his coordinators Jim McElwain on offense and Kirby Smart on defense are in line to be head coaches sooner rather than later, and he also has some of the best position coaches around in Burton Burns (running backs) and Sal Sunseri (linebackers).

• BEST OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Auburn’s Gus Malzahn. His “marriage” with QB Cameron Newton last season produced one of the most magical statistical seasons in college football history, and with all the big stats came a national title.

Don’t expect those types of numbers with Newton gone, but Malzahn’s track record at Tulsa and with Auburn in 2009 shows he will wring the utmost from the talent he has on hand.

• BEST DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: South Carolina’s Ellis Johnson.

Johnson never seems to get the credit he deserves, though he annually oversees some of the best defenses in the nation despite having less-than-elite talent. He places a big emphasis on shutting down the run, yet still fields aggressive, attacking units.

• BEST POSITION COACH: Alabama RB coach Burton Burns. Burns is a former Nebraska fullback under Tom Osborne, so it’s no surprise his backs run hard and play tough. He’s also a former Tommy Bowden assistant at Tulane and Clemson, and at those two schools and at Alabama, he has coached some of the best running backs in each school’s history. Watch for Tide TB Trent Richardson to make a huge impact this fall.

• BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER: South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery emerged as one of the nation’s best wide receivers as a sophomore last season, catching 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine TDs. While it’s true he benefits from playing in the same offense as star TB Marcus Lattimore, Jeffery is hampered by not playing with a consistent quarterback. No matter: Jeffery is going to put up great stats again this season for the Gamecocks, then almost certainly head off to the NFL. • BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Alabama SS Mark Barron.

Barron is a big-play guy from his strong safety position. He is heading into his third season as a starter, and he led the Tide with 75 tackles last season. He also had three interceptions and six pass breakups. Barron is a key part of what should be the nation’s best secondary this season.

• BREAKOUT OFFENSIVE STAR: Alabama TB Trent Richardson. Think back to 2009, when Alabama was counting on a former backup to take up the slack at tailback. All Mark Ingram did was win the Heisman and help the Tide win the national title. It’s not unrealistic to expect the same thing from Richardson this season. He has rushed for 1,451 yards and 14 TDs in his first two seasons and easily could match those totals this season.

Richardson attended the same high school as Emmitt Smith in Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia and can start making a name for himself this fall.

• BREAKOUT DEFENSIVE STAR: LSU E Sam Montgomery.

If Montgomery is as good as we think he is, he’ll flirt with 10 sacks and provide the Tigers’ defensive front with a playmaker off the edge. T Drake Nevis was LSU’s big-play lineman last season, but he’s now in the NFL. Montgomery still is a bit raw when it comes to defending the run, but he has all the tools to be a top-flight pass rusher. If he puts everything together this season, LSU’s defense will come close to matching last season’s success.

• MOST OVERRATED PLAYER: LSU WR Rueben Randle. For a five-star talent coming out of high school, Randle sure hasn’t done much. Yes, you certainly can place some of the blame on poor quarterback play; LSU hasn’t really had a good quarterback since Randle arrived in campus. Still, in two seasons, he has just 46 total touches. Perhaps this will be his breakout season.

Frederick Breedon/Associated Press/File

South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (1) caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore last season. The Gamecocks are predicted to finish first in the SEC East.

The other stuff • TEAM THAT WILL SURPRISE: Florida. If the Gators get competent quarterback play from John Brantley and that’s a big “if,” considering his performance last season, they will finish second in the East and contend for the division title. The defense could be quite good, and there is speed galore on that side of the ball. The offense is the question. We’ll find out more about Charlie Weis’ coaching acumen this season, considering what he has to work with on offense.

• TEAM THAT WILL DISAPPOINT: Auburn. “Disappoint” is a relative term. The Tigers won the national title last season, but

won’t get a sniff of the BCS this season because they lost too much talent. Losing Newton is bad enough. But Auburn also lost the nation’s best defensive lineman (Nick Fairley), three of its top four receivers, four-fifths of the offensive line, three-fourths of the defensive line, the two best linebackers, three starting defensive backs and maybe the best clutch kicker in school history. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Auburn finished fifth in the West.

• TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: LSU. The Tigers play Oregon in the opener at a neutral site, travel to West Virginia and also have to play Mississippi State, Tennessee and Alabama on the road.

There are some positives: LSU doesn’t have to play Georgia or South Carolina and gets Florida and Arkansas at home. All in all, though, LSU will have earned its good record if it wins 11 or 12 games.

• EASIEST SCHEDULE: Mississippi State. The non-conference schedule is such that the Bulldogs are a lock to go 4-0 in those contests, which means that to get to a bowl, the Bulldogs only have to win two league games.

The toughest league games (Alabama, South Carolina and LSU) are in Starkville. There are road trips to Auburn and Georgia, but both of those come in the first five weeks of the season.

PREDICTED FINISH EAST DIVISION 1. South Carolina 2. Florida 3. Georgia 4. Tennessee 5. Kentucky 6. Vanderbilt WEST DIVISION 1. Alabama 2. LSU 3. Arkansas 4. Auburn’ 5. Mississippi State 6. Ole Miss CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WINNER: Alabama

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 7

The Anniston Star

Page 8 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Heisman campaigns not just for big names

W

By Matt Murschel Orlando Sentinel

hen you think of possible Heisman Trophy candidates this season, you think of names like Andrew Luck, LaMichael James, and Kellen Moore.

But how about Robert Griffin III, Bryant Moniz or Dan Persa?

All three aren’t necessarily households names, but their schools hope that will change thanks in part to several campaigns started this offseason promoting their stars.

Baylor sent out promotional trading cards asking members of the media to ‘keep your eye on third’ playing off the school’s third generation of Robert Griffins. Griffin, a quarterback, was sixth in the nation last season in total offense, averaging 318.15 yards per game.

Northwestern is going to the source with its campaign for quarterback Dan Persa. The school had a billboard announcing its campaign for Persa placed in Bristol, Conn., the home of ESPN. Obviously hoping that someone will take notice on their way in to work.

The school has also put up billboards all over Chicago as well as establishing a social media push. A website featuring their slogan, ‘Persastrong’ is up and running as well as special hashtags for Twitter users to follow the latest information about the senior quarterback.

Hawaii is doing a similar online blitz for quarterback Bryant Moniz, establishing a Facebook page for his Heisman campaign.

In years past, schools would send out anything from notebooks to CDs promoting their candidates for Heisman.

However, with tougher economic times comes more of a push toward online campaigns.

“I think the economy will affect things,” Chris Huston said.

“Because of the economy, you are going to see less physical collateral going out, I think you will see more of the Internet variety: websites, Facebook pages, twitter accounts, all that kind of stuff.”

Huston runs HeismanPundit.com,

one of the leading websites looking at the Heisman Trophy race.

Campaigns are mainly constructed by schools looking to increase their brand image as well as promote a candidate who isn’t necessarily on the mainstream media’s radar.

“There are a few schools that have an already established brand in producing Heisman candidates so maybe they don’t need so much of a preseason push, but some of the smaller schools, the ones that aren’t used to being discussed, it makes more sense for them to let people know that, ‘Hey, don’t overlook this guy just because he plays for Hawaii or plays for Baylor,’” Huston said.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a preseason favorite for the award, but the school isn’t putting together a campaign for its star junior.

But does a campaign really work?

In 2001, Oregon put up a billboard in Times Square, promoting quarterback Joey Harrington for Heisman. Renaming him, ‘Joey Heisman,’ the Ducks were hoping to build a brand identity.

Harrington finished fourth in the Heisman race that season.

“I think the billboard in Times Square worked really well because people talked about it,” Huston said. “You can almost trace the rise of the modern Oregon program to that billboard. It was a symbol of their reaching out away from the West Coast and becoming a national program.”

ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard doesn’t think the extra attention helps that much.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press/File

Northwestern has already started a 2011 Heisman campaign for quarterback Dan Persa. The school put up billboards and started a website for Persa.

“I can’t remember a campaign like that really helping a Heisman Trophy winner win it,” Howard said. The former Michigan wide receiver knows a thing or two about the Heisman. He captured the award in 1991.

For the players involved in the campaign, the extra attention means the team itself is doing well.

“It makes you feel good because you know the Heisman is a team award,” Griffin said.

“Anybody to label you as a Heisman contender just means that your team is doing good things.”

Oklahoma State has promoted its top two stars in quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon. The school has created a campaign called Weeden2Blackmon that features a Facebook page as well as a Twitter presence.

While a Heisman campaign isn’t for everyone, like the award itself, just being nominated is sort of an honor.

“I think a school should back a candidate. It’s the least they can do considering how hard the players work and how much revenue they are bringing into the school,” Huston said.

“You can almost trace the rise of the modern Oregon program to that billboard.

It was a symbol of their reaching out away from the West Coast and becoming a national program.”

— Chris Huston, HeismanPundit.com

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 9

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Page 10 Sunday, August 28, 2011

O? No. This is time for ‘D’ to shine

A look AT the

Alabama

Crimson Tide 2011 SEASON

The Anniston Star

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 11

If Tide is to notch No. 14 it’ll be done with defense

By Michael Casagrande

T

mcasagrande@annistonstar.com

TUSCALOOSA he balance of power shifts yet again.

A year after hinging expectations on future NFL talent on offense, expectations of an Alabama run at a national title hinge more on the experience on defense. Future draft picks Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw headline the roles held by Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Greg McElroy in 2010.

The offense of a year ago couldn’t live up to the consensus No. 1 preseason rankings, though.

The defense of 2009 was the lynchpin of a 14-0 run to the BCS title. Those expectations return after restocking the shelves last fall.

“We can be great. I honestly think we could be better than the ’09 defense,” linebacker Nico Johnson said. “We still got a lot of work to do, but I seriously think that. When we’re out there at practice, it makes everything more easy for linebackers, linemen, because we’ve got so much experience. We don’t know what our best is going to be. We just gonna shoot for that this year.”

Still, the attention of spring and summer was focused on the glamour position on offense.

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This additional education enhances the treatment that Anniston Orthopaedics can provide to area athletes and their family members.

Kent Gidley/University of Alabama

Mark Barron goes through drills at a recent practice. With all the potential NFL first-round picks on the defensive side of the ball, it’s clearly the Tide’s strength.

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The Anniston Star

Page 12 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Gary Cosby Jr./Decatur Daily/File

Alabama’s C.J. Mosley and Courtney Upshaw bring down Auburn’s Emory Blake in the 2010 Iron Bowl. Upshaw returna as a star on the Tide’s defense.

Alabama Continued from Page 11 Replacing two-year starting quarterback Greg McElroy gained intrigue as the competition between AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims appears to be without a leader heading into the opener. Coach Nick Saban even stopped releasing statistics from preseason scrimmages to quell outside analysis of the two young passers.

With the Sept. 3 season opener against Kent State fast approaching, Saban said there was no reason to pick a winner.

“It’s not out of the question that both have roles on our team in some kind of way,” Saban said after the second of the two scrimmages on Aug. 20. “I know that’s sort of not what everybody wants to hear, but both of those guys have done a good

job in what we’ve asked them to do. Both of them have developed nicely. Both of them have consistently made plays.”

The offensive line protecting McCarron and Sims returns mostly intact. Just left tackle James Carpenter departed, but the one job opening is causing more of a shift. Two-year starting right guard Barrett Jones is the leader to replace the first-round draft pick while sophomore Anthony Steen appears to be the man in Jones’ old spot.

The guys they’ve been blocking in practice carry just as many questions as the new quarterbacks.

Alabama’s defensive line — the strength of the 2009 title team — doesn’t have the same star power as in the past.

Nose guard Josh Chapman won’t have Marcell Dareus on his hip anymore, so the power of the front must come from

another source like junior college transfers Quinton Dial or Jesse Williams.

Improving the pass rush falls heavily on the shoulder of Upshaw, a cross between a linebacker and defensive end who had five sacks in the final two games of 2010. Jones said blocking him in practice is no treat.

“It’s a challenge. The best rushers in any league are guys who can beat you with speed and power,” Jones said. “The thing about Courtney is he is the perfect hybrid of speed and power. He’s so fast off the edge, and he can beat you with a speed rush. But the second you kind of soft set him so you set back and handle that speed rush, he’ll just run right over you.

“So he really is an extremely difficult guy to block and we’re looking for him to have a great year.”

On top of it all, the Alabama football

team comprehends its role in a community and state still recovering from the deadly April tornado outbreak.

After helping with the physical labor of rebuilding Tuscaloosa, the players are ready to provide a distraction for those still dealing with the effects of April 27.

“I’m already a motivated person to begin with and then to finish the way I did last year, that’s more motivation,” Barron said. “And then with the tornado thing, I see a lot of people depending on us more even than what they did simply because they lost a lot and they’re looking for us to give them something to take pride in by winning.

“That’s something I want to help them with.”

Michael Casagrande covers University of Alabama sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @UARollTide_Star

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 13

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The Anniston Star

Page 14 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Exciting newcomers

5

Cyrus Kouandjio

Linebacker • 6-6, 322, Fr.

By all accounts Kouandjio is having a standout performance in camp and definitely is looking at some serious playing time. If he lives up to the hype, he’ll most likely be a monster. And after the all the drama Kouandjio had with his recruitment between Alabama and Auburn, he’d better. Worst-case senario at this point is that he is just an OK offensive tackle who’ll eventually start for a few years.

MVP candidates

Trent Richardson

Running back • 5-11, 224, Jr.

Richardson got a glimpse of what it was like to be the main man in Alabama’s offense for two games at the beginning of last season and he didn’t disappoint. Now he gets to try again but without first-round draft picks Julio Jones and Mark Ingram. He does, however, have the benefit of a veteran offensive line to run behind.

Alabama’s season will go as far as Richardson’s legs will carry it. Stumble and he will shoulder all the blame. But anyone who has seen him run knows he doesn’t go down easy.

Courtney Upshaw Linebacker • 6-2, 265, Sr. Alabama didn’t attack the passer as much as they would have liked in 2010, but if Upshaw can play like he did against Michigan State in the 2011 Capitol One Bowl all season, it shouldn’t be a problem. One of two big veteran leaders of Alabama’s front seven, Upshaw gives the Tide a relentless pass rush that will be key to making stops on defense.

Dont’a Hightower Linebacker • 6-4, 260, Jr.

Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix

If Upshaw will be key to Alabama’s pass rush, Hightower will be instrumental in stopping the run.

Finally fully healthy, Alabama will need him to fulfill his potential and step up as a leader on Alabama’s veteran defense. Both Hightower and Upshaw are likely first-round draft picks and Bednarik Award finalists granted they stay healthy, and their importance can’t be overstated.

Linebacker • 6-1, 203, Fr. It’ll be hard for a true freshman to nab a starting spot anywhere for the Tide, especially on defense, but Clinton-Dix had an impressive camp and could see some significant playing time for Alabama in certain formations. The No. 1 rated safety in the nation according to scout.com and rivals.com, Clinton-Dix will at least provide solid talented depth for when Barron and Lester need breathers.

Vinnie Sunseri Linebacker • 6-0, 217, Fr. TOP: Trent Penny; ABOVE: Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star

Trent Richardson, top, and Dont’a Hightower are among top players to potentially earn MVP honors.

Mark Barron Safety • 6-2, 218 Sr. An injury to Barron likely cost Alabama the 2010 Iron Bowl, but also likely kept him out of the NFL draft.

If Barron stays healthy and keeps producing, it might not be a bad trade for the Tide — and Barron will likely get to keep his first-round spot in the draft.

If Alabama’s defense has a soft spot, it’s at corner. So, safeties Barron, who led the team in tackles, and Robert Lester, who led the team in interceptions, will have to play solid.

Barrett Jones Offensive lineman • 6-5, 311, Jr. The anchor of Alabama’s veteran offensive line, Jones is not only the top lineman in Tuscaloosa, but probably the whole SEC. He’s the leader of an offensive line that has two first-team preseason All-SEC picks and two more on the second team. If Alabama hopes to score points, they’ll need Jones to keep the defense away from Richardson and whoever ends up starting at QB.

Sunseri had a standout A-Day game and will see the field enough to make an impact for Alabama in the secondary at safety or even linebacker depending on the defensive formation.

Vinnie, son of Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri, enrolled early and should press for playing time after having a solid spring and summer.

Trey Depriest Linebacker • 6-2, 242, Fr. The linebacker prospect the Tide snagged from Ohio State has earned lots of praise on his intensity from Alabama coach Nick Saban after enrolling early. Depriest, like most incoming freshmen, has loads of talent ahead of him on the depth chart, but Depriest could still see plenty of on-field time at inside linebacker.

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 15

2 0 1 1 A l abama c r imson T ide p r ojected t w o - deep cha r t

Offense Wide Receiver 15

Darius Hanks

6-0, 185, Sr.

2

DeAndrew White

6-0, 181, Fr.

Fluker skinnier, more confident

defense Defensive end 92

Damion Square

6-3, 285, Jr.

54

Jesse Williams

6-4, 319, Jr.

Tight end

Defensive end

89

Michael Williams

6-6, 269, Jr.

90

Quinton Dial

6-6, 294, Jr.,

84

Brian Vogler

6-7, 252, Fr.

49

Ed Stinson

6-4, 279, So.

Left tackle

Nose guard

75

Barrett Jones

6-5, 311, Jr.

99

Josh Chapman

6-1, 310, Sr.

71

Cyrus Kouandjio

6-6, 322, Fr.

54

Jesse Williams

6-4, 319, Jr.

Left Guard

Linebacker

65

Chance Warmack

6-3, 320, Jr.

5

Jerrell Harris

6-3, 242, Sr.

52

Alfred McCullough

6-2, 311, Sr.

19

Jonathan Atchison

6-3, 240, So.

Center

Linebacker

73

William Vlachos

6-1, 294, Sr.

41

Courtney Upshaw

6-2, 265, Sr.

63

Kellen Williams

6-3, 307, So.

42

Adrian Hubbard

6-6, 237, Fr.,

61

Anthony Steen

6-3, 303, So.

30

Dont’a Hightower

6-4, 260, Jr.

67

J. Boswell

6-5, 300, Sr.

36

Chris Jordan

6-3, 240, Sr.

Right guard

Linebacker

Beth Hall/Associated Press/File

Right tackle 76

D.J. Fluker

6-6, 335, So.

79

Austin Shepherd

6-5, 321, Fr.

H-Back 17

Brad Smelley

6-3, 229, Sr.

87

Chris Underwood

6-4, 243, Sr.

Wide Receiver 4

Marquis Maze

5-10, 180, Sr.

11

Brandon Gibson

6-2, 194, Sr.

Quarterback 10

AJ McCarron

6-4, 205, So.

14

Phillip Sims

6-2, 212, Fr.

3

Trent Richardson

5-11, 224, Jr.

42

Eddie Lacy

6-0, 220, So.

Running back

Alabama offensvie lineman D.J. Fluker, far right, should have a secure spot as the starting right tackle in his second season with the Tide.

TUSCALOOSA — D.J. Fluker doesn’t typically fly under the radar.

At 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, the Alabama offensive lineman’s been in the glare of the spotlight since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. He was, after all, No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation as a high school senior in 2008.

Now entering his second season as a starter, all the focus is trained on the other bookend of the offensive line.

Fluker’s job at right tackle appears secure while Barrett Jones makes the move to left tackle with freshman Cyrus Kouandjio making his case for early playing time.

Should Kouandjio crack the starting five, the shuffled deck on the line could threaten jobs. Fluker should be safe, though. After dealing with a groin injury midway through last season, the Foley product is confident about his second go-round.

“I’m a whole new person this year,” he said. “I understand the offense.

I understand the tackle position. I understand the plays. I understand the defense. I’m like a whole new person.”

A little hard work before last season made him a fraction of the person he was a year earlier.

Fluker dropped about 75 pounds between arriving with high expectations and his first career start last September.

He’s settled in at 335 pounds and moving much better than he did two years ago. Projections said Fluker was the next Andre Smith at left tackle. The right side, however, became his home on the line.

Offensive coordinator Jim McElwain doesn’t expect that’ll change.

“I think it’s one of those deals where he has become fairly comfortable at that spot, and right now it’s not as much as which tackle as it is which five guys are going to work together the best,” McElwain said.

— Michael Casagrande

Linebacker 35

Nico Johnson

6-3, 245, Jr.

32

C.J. Mosley

6-2, 234, So.

Cornerback 21

Dre Kirkpatrick

6-3, 192, Jr.

9

Phelon Jones

5-11, 199, Sr.

Cornerback 24

DeQuan Menzie

6-0, 198, Sr.

28

Dee Milliner

6-1, 196, So.

safety 4

Mark Barron

6-2, 218, Sr.

29

Will Lowery

5-10, 188, Sr.

37

Robert Lester

6-2, 210, Jr.

29

Will Lowery

5-10, 188, Sr.

SAFETY

4

The Anniston Star

Page 16 Sunday, August 28, 2011

key offensive areas that must produce

Quarterback

Whoever turns out to be the starter — whether it’s AJ McCarron or Phillip Sims — really doesn’t have to step in and be a star for the Crimson Tide.

With a defense as good as the Tide’s promises to be and a rushing attack keyed by the likes of Trent Richardson, Alabama just needs a game manager, a la Jay Barker in 1992.

With as secretive as the race has been, it makes one wonder: Is the race really that close or is mastermind Nick Saban using the quarterback race as a carrot to dangle in front of the media to distract from something? (What else? Who knows.)

Bottom line is this: Whoever the quarterback turns out to be, he won’t need to win that many games, he’ll only need to ensure that he doesn’t lose any to keep Alabama in the picture for its 14th national championship.

5

Wide Receiver You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a faster player on Alabama’s squad than Marquis Maze (pictured right).

But for the first time, the speedster is going to be running routes in the opponents secondary without the advantage of first-round draft pick Julio Jones drawing double and sometimes even triple coverage. Darius Hanks will be sitting out the first two games for an extra season of eligibility, so someone in Alabama’s receiving corps is going to have to step up if the Tide expects to take pressure off the running game.

Tight end Having a good receiving tight end can do wonders for an offense. Having someone catching passes that’s as big as Michael Williams, who is 6-foot-6, 269 pounds, can create plenty of trouble for defenses. Throw enough his way over the middle and the linebackers will focus on him and draw attention away from receivers Maze and Hanks who will be

Must-see contests

trying to step up after the departure of Julio. A good receiving tight end also makes defensive coordinators think twice about the blitz as linebackers have to stay at home to keep safeties from having to deal with a what is basically a left tackle carrying the ball. All said and done, without Julio, Williams could be a big, and big-time target for a fresh quarterback.

Barrett Jones Jones has been a great utility player for the tide for the past two years, his versatility at guard, tackle and even center gives Alabama an advantage when it comes to arranging its veteran offensive line. Jones got the most votes in the SEC Media days preseason poll for offensive lineman and will be key if Alabama expects to push its opponents around in the trenches like they

did in 2009.

— Bobby Bozeman

ABOVE: Kent Gidley/U. of Alabama LEFT: Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

At Penn State, Sept. 10 Second game of the year, a still very green quarterback — A.J. McCarron or Phillip Sims — will have to go into Happy Valley and bring home a win. No easy task, even if Penn State isn’t having a great year. If their linebackers can get enough pressure to force whoever is the starting signal caller into a mistake, things could get bad quickly for Alabama.

LSU, Nov. 5

years recently this game will most likely decide the SEC West.

Arkansas, Sept. 24 Alabama’s secondary will face it’s first major test against the Razorbacks.

Arkansas will have no reason not to come into Tuscaloosa undefeated with three games under their belt to work out any kinks Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson might have with the Hog’s offense. If Alabama’s cornerbacks can keep Arkansas’ skilled receiving corps locked down, they shouldn’t have to worry too much on the ground after an unfortunate season-ending injury to talented running back Knile Davis.

Les Miles might prefer the way the grass tastes at Tiger Stadium, but he likes wins over Alabama anywhere, and he’s no stranger to Bryant-Denny. Any problems the Tigers might have at quar- At Auburn, Nov. 26 terback should be settled by the time It’ll be late in the year, enough November rolls around and like most time for Auburn’s young team to be

hardened enough to shock Alabama.

Anytime Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is calling plays, the Tigers are going to be a threat for an upset.

Especially if the Tigers are given a lastminute chance to derail an undefeated title run.

At Mississippi State, Nov. 12 With all the talk about Alabama, LSU and Arkansas competing to go to Atlanta this year, people may be overlooking the most dangerous team in the SEC, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen has built an impressive foundation, and with the right influx of talent, similar to what Auburn had in 2010, the Bulldogs could find themselves on the winning side of more than a few upsets this year.

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 17

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The Anniston Star

Page 18 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Stati s tical leader s team stats

Rushing GP

Att

Yds

Avg

TD

Long Avg/G

Mark Ingram

11

158

875

5.5

13

54

79.5

T. Richardson

11

112

700

6.2

6

65

63.6

Eddie Lacy

12

56

406

7.2

6

62

33.8

Demetrius Goode

6

34

140

4.1

1

15

23.3

Julio Jones

13

8

135

16.9

2

56

10.4

Jalston Fowler

11

14

111

7.9

1

36

10.1

Marquis Maze

13

3

15

5.0

0

7

1.2

Ben Howell

1

5

11

2.2

0

6

11.0

Nick Tinker

1

4

9

2.2

0

3

9.0

Darius Hanks

13

2

7

3.5

0

6

0.5

A.J. McCarron

13

6

-10

-1.7

0

4

-0.8

Greg McElroy

13

60

-12

-0.2

1

17

-0.9

Total

13

467

2378

5.1

30

65

182.9

Opponents

13

435

1432

3.3

6

59

110.2

Passing GP

Effic

C-A-I

Yards

TD

Avg/G

Greg McElroy

13

169.0

222-313-5

2987

20

229.8

A.J. McCarron

13

151.2

30-48-0

389

3

29.9

Marquis Maze

13

589.6

1-1-0

19

1

1.5

Total

13

167.8

253-362-5

3395

24

261.2

Opponents

13

103.6

192-367-22

2291

12

176.2

receiving GP

No.

Yards

Avg

TD

Long

Avg/G

Julio Jones

13

78

1133

14.5

7

68

87.2

Marquis Maze

13

38

557

14.7

3

48

42.8

Darius Hanks

13

32

456

14.2

3

51

35.1

Preston Dial

13

25

264

10.6

3

24

20.3

T. Richardson

11

23

266

11.6

4

85

24.2

Mark Ingram

11

21

282

13.4

1

78

25.6

M. Williams

13

8

100

12.5

1

32

7.7

Earl Alexander

13

7

90

12.9

0

28

6.9

Brad Smelley

13

6

55

9.2

0

13

4.2

Brandon Gibson

12

4

39

9.8

0

18

3.2

Kevin Norwood

13

3

56

18.7

1

36

4.3

Chris Underwood

13

3

36

12.0

1

28

2.8

Kenny Bell

10

2

26

13.0

0

18

2.6

Eddie Lacy

12

2

18

9.0

0

15

1.5

Demetrius Goode

6

1

17

17.0

0

17

2.8

Total

13

253

3395

13.4

24

85

261.2

Opponents

13

192

2291

11.9

12

75

176.2

UA SCORING .......................................................464 Points Per Game .........................................35.7 FIRST DOWNS . .............................................287 Rushing ........................................................126 Passing .........................................................151 Penalty ...........................................................10 RUSHING YARDAGE ..................................2378 Yards gained rushing . ...............................2630 Yards lost rushing ........................................252 Rushing Attempts ........................................467 Average Per Rush ..........................................5.1 Average Per Game ....................................182.9 TDs Rushing ..................................................30 PASSING YARDAGE ....................................3395 Comp-Att-Int ....................................253-362-5 Average Per Pass ...........................................9.4 Average Per Catch ......................................13.4 Average Per Game ....................................261.2 TDs Passing ...................................................24 TOTAL OFFENSE ........................................5773 Total Plays ....................................................829 Average Per Play ...........................................7.0 Average Per Game ....................................444.1 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards ......................... 40-986 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards ....................... 28-349 INT RETURNS: #-Yards ........................... 22-239 KICK RETURN AVERAGE ............................24.6 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE . .........................12.5 INT RETURN AVERAGE ..............................10.9 FUMBLES-LOST . ........................................ 20-9 PENALTIES-Yards . .................................. 66-490 Average Per Game ......................................37.7 PUNTS-Yards ......................................... 41-1607 Average Per Punt ........................................39.2 Net punt average ........................................36.2 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game ..................30:46 3RD-DOWN Conversions ....................... 67/150 3rd-Down Pct .............................................45% 4TH-DOWN Conversions ......................... 10/15 4th-Down Pct . ............................................67% SACKS BY-Yards ....................................... 27-177 MISC YARDS . ....................................................0 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED ..............................58 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ....................... 19-25 ON-SIDE KICKS . ........................................... 0-0 RED-ZONE SCORES .......................(48-57) 84% RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS . ........(36-57) 63% PAT-ATTEMPTS . .............................(57-58) 98% ATTENDANCE ........................................712747 Games/Avg Per Game ....................... 7/101821 Neutral Site Games . ..........................................

OPP

176

13.5

198

85

99

14

1432

1777

345

435

3.3

110.2

6

2291 192-367-22

6.2

11.9

176.2

12

3723

802

4.6

286.4

76-1628

10-64

5-13

21.4

6.4

2.6

19-4

72-575

44.2

73-3098

42.4

36.3

29:14

65/191

34%

15/23

65%

32-165

0

19

14-17

1-1 (20-31) 65% (10-31) 32% (18-18) 100%

394267

5/78853

1/61519

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 19

Birmingham & Atlanta

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205-591-7770

www.theairportexpress.com

Serving Anniston/Oxford and surrounding areas $55 Each Way

Page 20 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 21

Michael Battle

Steve Perry

Jeff Wilson

Was $35,805

Matt, Hope, & Mim Miles

Bridget Mays

Don Jacobs

Jennifer Williams

Becky Pritchett

Randall Moore

Drew Pritchett

Steve Daniel

Jerry Hazelwood

Tommy Moore

From Our Winning Team To Yours!

2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT Convertible Stock#21049

Mickey Pritchett

Stock#10733

Was $42,470

Up to Hwy

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL, stk #20939A,

$33,289

Per month

2011 Chevrolet Colorado 4X2 Reg. Cab Stock#21013

27 MPG

2dr, Silver ............................. $17,555

2008 Nissan Armada SE stk #21079A, 2WD, 4dr, Red ........................ $23,888

2003 Chevy Tahoe LT

Hwy

$225

NOW

Per month

2011 Chevrolet Traverse LT Stock#20461

4dr, White ............................. $12,888

29 MPG Hwy

2WD, 4dr, White ..................... $27,444

2006 Toyota Tundra SR5, stk #21089A, DoubleCab, V8, 4WD, White ....... $21,777

2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ

stk #21055A,

Ext. Cab, 2WD .............................. $19,888

1993 Ford Club Wagon

NOW

$32,216 Stock20755

Was $36,745

Stock#10649

Was $26,550

Stock#10701

Was $24,585

SuperCrew, 4WD, Brown.........

2011 Ford Focus,

$29,741

$462

Per month

2011 Ford Escape Limited

Stock#10652

Was $30,115

Up to

Up to

21 MPG

stk #21106A,

29 MPG

Hwy

NOW

$29,525

$409

Per month

Hwy

NOW

$22,122

$299

Per month

24 MPG

4dr, Silver ...............................

2011 Ford Flex Limited, 4dr, FWD, Silver.......................

NOW

$17,227

$257

Per month

www.bustermiles.com

stk #10869A,

$30,888

SES, 4dr, Black.........................

Hwy

2007 Volvo S80 I6,

NOW

$23,898

$355

Per month

I-20 Exit 199 • 1880 Almon St. • Heflin, AL 1-866-589-9651 256-463-2247

stk #10788A,

$17,888 stk #10791A,

$29,888 stk #10654C,

$10,995

stk #10643A

Up to

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685 Ross Street, Heflin, AL 1-866-592-5110 256-463-2151

$18,444

2007 Ford Ranger Sport, 2WD, SuperCab, 4dr, White ......

30 MPG

Hwy

stk #10844A,

SES, Silver ...............................

2011 Ford Fiesta, Up to

stk #10787A,

$29,888

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 S,

NOW

stk #10835A,

$21,777

2008 Ford F150 King’s Ranch,

XLT, 2WD, White ......................

Hwy

2011 Ford Ranger 4X2 XLT Super Cab

$26,777

2011 Ford Expedition EL,

Up to

* DISCLAIMER: PRICING & PAYMENTS ARE BASED ON $2,000.00 CASH DOWN OR TRADE EQUITY, REBATES & 3.49 APR @ 75 MONTHS

2011 Chevrolet Impala LT Stock#21110

$411

Per month

26 MPG

Per month

Blue ........................................ $3,995 2WD, Black .................................. $43,988

NOW

$27,618

$16,777* $230* Per Month

*All payments are figured with $2,000 Cash or Trade Equity (3.49% for 75 months) WAC

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

4dr, Silver ..............................

Hwy

$20,888* $279* Per Month

stk #21096B,

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 LTZ

Hwy

Stock #10659A

stk #10589A,

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, LS,

32 MPG

Was $37,720

34 MPG

Stock #21038A

$449

Up to

2011 Ford F150 4X4 Supercab

Up to

Hwy

Up to

2008 Chevrolet Suburban 3LT, stk #21090A,

$23,288* $330* Per Month 2010 Ford Focus SE

32 MPG

Was $36,565

stk #21070B,

Stock #10642A

Up to

2010 Ford Edge Limited, 4dr, FWD, Silver.......................

Stock #20543A

$18,778 $261 Per Month 2011 Chevy HHR

Hard Hitting Specials

Stock#10745

Was $33,970

Hwy

*

$526

Per month

2011 Ford Taurus SEL

20 MPG

Hwy

*

NOW

$33,877

Up to

29 MPG

Up to

Hwy

2010 Ford Explorer XLT Up to

Was $19,065

$17,108

24 MPG

2010 Chevy Impala LT

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt 2LT, stk #21036A,

Crew Cab, 4WD, Black.............. $23,555

Up to

$465

NOW

4dr, 3.0L, FWD, Red ................. $25,999

2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, stk #20984A,

Dan Jordan

2011 Ford Expedition 4X2 XLT

33 MPG

Hard Hitting Specials

Tim Pruitt

$16,888

stk #10662A,

Leather, Sunroof, Heated Seats.

$20,995

Page 20 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 21

Michael Battle

Steve Perry

Jeff Wilson

Was $35,805

Matt, Hope, & Mim Miles

Bridget Mays

Don Jacobs

Jennifer Williams

Becky Pritchett

Randall Moore

Drew Pritchett

Steve Daniel

Jerry Hazelwood

Tommy Moore

From Our Winning Team To Yours!

2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT Convertible Stock#21049

Mickey Pritchett

Stock#10733

Was $42,470

Up to Hwy

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL, stk #20939A,

$33,289

Per month

2011 Chevrolet Colorado 4X2 Reg. Cab Stock#21013

27 MPG

2dr, Silver ............................. $17,555

2008 Nissan Armada SE stk #21079A, 2WD, 4dr, Red ........................ $23,888

2003 Chevy Tahoe LT

Hwy

$225

NOW

Per month

2011 Chevrolet Traverse LT Stock#20461

4dr, White ............................. $12,888

29 MPG Hwy

2WD, 4dr, White ..................... $27,444

2006 Toyota Tundra SR5, stk #21089A, DoubleCab, V8, 4WD, White ....... $21,777

2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ

stk #21055A,

Ext. Cab, 2WD .............................. $19,888

1993 Ford Club Wagon

NOW

$32,216 Stock20755

Was $36,745

Stock#10649

Was $26,550

Stock#10701

Was $24,585

SuperCrew, 4WD, Brown.........

2011 Ford Focus,

$29,741

$462

Per month

2011 Ford Escape Limited

Stock#10652

Was $30,115

Up to

Up to

21 MPG

stk #21106A,

29 MPG

Hwy

NOW

$29,525

$409

Per month

Hwy

NOW

$22,122

$299

Per month

24 MPG

4dr, Silver ...............................

2011 Ford Flex Limited, 4dr, FWD, Silver.......................

NOW

$17,227

$257

Per month

www.bustermiles.com

stk #10869A,

$30,888

SES, 4dr, Black.........................

Hwy

2007 Volvo S80 I6,

NOW

$23,898

$355

Per month

I-20 Exit 199 • 1880 Almon St. • Heflin, AL 1-866-589-9651 256-463-2247

stk #10788A,

$17,888 stk #10791A,

$29,888 stk #10654C,

$10,995

stk #10643A

Up to

*PRICING & PAYMENTS ARE BASED ON $2,000.00 DOWN CASH OR EQUITY; 3.49% APR @ 75 MONTHS; W.A.C.; PLUS TAX, TITLE & FEES*

685 Ross Street, Heflin, AL 1-866-592-5110 256-463-2151

$18,444

2007 Ford Ranger Sport, 2WD, SuperCab, 4dr, White ......

30 MPG

Hwy

stk #10844A,

SES, Silver ...............................

2011 Ford Fiesta, Up to

stk #10787A,

$29,888

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 S,

NOW

stk #10835A,

$21,777

2008 Ford F150 King’s Ranch,

XLT, 2WD, White ......................

Hwy

2011 Ford Ranger 4X2 XLT Super Cab

$26,777

2011 Ford Expedition EL,

Up to

* DISCLAIMER: PRICING & PAYMENTS ARE BASED ON $2,000.00 CASH DOWN OR TRADE EQUITY, REBATES & 3.49 APR @ 75 MONTHS

2011 Chevrolet Impala LT Stock#21110

$411

Per month

26 MPG

Per month

Blue ........................................ $3,995 2WD, Black .................................. $43,988

NOW

$27,618

$16,777* $230* Per Month

*All payments are figured with $2,000 Cash or Trade Equity (3.49% for 75 months) WAC

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

4dr, Silver ..............................

Hwy

$20,888* $279* Per Month

stk #21096B,

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 LTZ

Hwy

Stock #10659A

stk #10589A,

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, LS,

32 MPG

Was $37,720

34 MPG

Stock #21038A

$449

Up to

2011 Ford F150 4X4 Supercab

Up to

Hwy

Up to

2008 Chevrolet Suburban 3LT, stk #21090A,

$23,288* $330* Per Month 2010 Ford Focus SE

32 MPG

Was $36,565

stk #21070B,

Stock #10642A

Up to

2010 Ford Edge Limited, 4dr, FWD, Silver.......................

Stock #20543A

$18,778 $261 Per Month 2011 Chevy HHR

Hard Hitting Specials

Stock#10745

Was $33,970

Hwy

*

$526

Per month

2011 Ford Taurus SEL

20 MPG

Hwy

*

NOW

$33,877

Up to

29 MPG

Up to

Hwy

2010 Ford Explorer XLT Up to

Was $19,065

$17,108

24 MPG

2010 Chevy Impala LT

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt 2LT, stk #21036A,

Crew Cab, 4WD, Black.............. $23,555

Up to

$465

NOW

4dr, 3.0L, FWD, Red ................. $25,999

2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, stk #20984A,

Dan Jordan

2011 Ford Expedition 4X2 XLT

33 MPG

Hard Hitting Specials

Tim Pruitt

$16,888

stk #10662A,

Leather, Sunroof, Heated Seats.

$20,995

Page 22 Sunday, August 28, 2011

When different isn’t welcomed

The Anniston Star

A look AT the

Jacksonville State

GAMECOCKS 2011 SEASON

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 23

By Al Muskewitz

Gamecocks, Crowe see consistency as key to realizing ultimate team goals

C

amuskewitz@annistonstar.com

JACKSONVILLE onsistency is the key to success in any program, and it’s that element that will define a football season that starts with so much promise for Jacksonville State.

The Gamecocks, preseason favorites to win the Ohio Valley Conference and top 10 in both major preseason polls, own the best in-conference winning percentage of any team in its Football Championship Subdivision league in the country since joining the OVC in 2003. But there have been times they’ve left their fan base to wonder if the team and that record are one and the same.

Even when the Gamecocks went undefeated through the first two months of last season — streaking to an 8-0 start that included a dramatic upset of Ole Miss and had them on the verge of being the No. 1 team in the country on their level — there were elements of inconsistency that left coach Jack Crowe to admit he “never knew the team in the way I needed to know a team that had a chance to be special.”

Each of their first four wins came down to the last play or

Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

Please see JSU ❙ Page 25

JSU’s LaRay Williams’ two-point conversion against Ole Miss helped to put JSU the map.

It’s up to this year’s team to stay there.

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The Anniston Star

Page 24 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Must-see contests

UT Martin, Sept. 1

Tennessee Tech, Oct. 29

OK, so it’s the opener, but for the Gamecocks, it’s much more than a first game. It may be their most important opener since moving to Division I. It’s an OVC game, so if they don’t win, they’ll be playing catchup for an automatic playoff berth the rest of the year.

They haven’t opened the season against a conference opponent since 1979 and haven’t opened with a conference foe at home since 1972.

This game could be wild.

The Gamecocks will play their power game, while the Racers will come with an offense that will have them throwing it all over the yard.

It was fun last year when the Hatch Attack was new and had JSU down 14-0 in the first 13 minutes. The teams combined for 74 points and nearly 800 yards of offense, not counting the long special teams TDs they each produced.

A revenge game if ever there was one, and at homecoming no less.

The Gamecocks had a collapse for the ages last year, giving up 28 points in the final 11:33 to lose 35-24. It still bothers them to this day the way they let the game, the conference championship and a high seed in the playoffs slip through their fin- Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File gers because, as one assistant coach put it, they simply lost their composure.

At Kentucky, Oct. 22

At Tennessee State, Nov. 19

At Murray State, Oct. 1

After nearly upsetting Florida State in 2009 and beating Ole Miss last year, every time JSU plays up now, folks will keep an eye on the crawl on the bottom of their TV screens.

If the Gamecocks pull off another upset this year, the SEC teams already contracted for the next four years might start looking for a way out, and the Gamecocks might never get another big-money game.

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The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 25

JSU Continued from Page 23 closing seconds, and even though they continued to win, the successes weren’t satisfying. Eventually, it would prove to be their downfall.

As much as the wins manifested themselves early, the losses manifested themselves late. As it turned out, if the Gamecocks hadn’t beaten Southeast Missouri in the final 15 seconds on Senior Day, they would have lost their last four games of the year — and that includes the collapse they had in the final 12 minutes at Tennessee Tech that cost them the OVC title.

“We’ve got to find a consistency of performance,” Crowe said. “When you look back over last year, which you put up against other years, we have just not had the consistency it takes to distinguish yourself.”

And that’s on both sides of the ball.

To Crowe, the most well-played football game is something that goes 24-21 — with the Gamecocks getting the 24, of course.

And their record over the years bears it out. Since joining the OVC, in games JSU scores 24 points or more, its record is 54-8.

The mark swings to 6-22 when scoring 23 points or fewer.

When the Gamecocks give up 21 or more, their record is 19-25. At 29 pointsplus, it’s 4-18. When they hold teams below 20 points, they’re 41-5.

There are several instances during Crowe’s tenure where the Gamecocks would play several games in a row holding opponents to 17 points or fewer, then somebody would put together a 35- or 44point game against them.

That’s going to happen sometimes, when an opponent’s style just lends itself to a high-scoring affair. The key is not being surprised by it.

“You go over 28 points, I think you’ve exposed yourself,” Crowe said. “We’ve got to make the 21 number real for us. Not that we can’t hold somebody under 21, but you start going over that with any consistency, you’re just asking to get beat.”

If giving up 28 points in a game is bad, then how about 28 in a quarter? That’s what the Gamecocks did last year at Tennessee Tech, and it still bothers them to this day.

They blew a 17-point lead, giving up 28 points in the final 11:33 and, the Ole Miss win notwithstanding, had to keep their fingers crossed for a favorable draw in the playoffs.

Much of the confidence the Gamecocks carry into the season is tied to a stout defense, anchored by a front four potentially as good as any in the country, and the presence of a veteran quarter-

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Jacksonville State’s running game should be bolstered with the transfer of Washaun Ealey, formerly a Georgia running back. back.

Ivory is surrounded by a veteran group Three of the front four — Co-Preseason of receivers and a running game bolstered Player of the Year Monte Lewis, defensive

by Georgia transfer Washaun Ealey. And, end Jamison Wadley and hybrid bandit of course, Coty Blanchard, the hero of the end Rodney Garrott — are preseason AllOle Miss win, returns to provide a change OVC picks. The other is nose DiMetrio of pace to Ivory after playing baseball in Tyson, a converted defensive end. the spring.

The Gamecocks recorded only 14 sacks The only question is the development last year — 7.5 from of the offensive line, the front four — but which Crowe said with the emphasis of “has to have a comthe defense shifting plete rebirth.” The from the linebackunit suffered a major ers to the front, their blow early in camp “Four Forcemen” have when tackle Odie the chance to flourish, Rush, their only pick and those numbers on the preseason Allare likely to meet the OVC offense, broke increased but undishis leg. He is expected closed expectations. back at some point in “With those four, if the season. they can stay healthy, The start JSU got we can be pretty off to last year was — Jack Crowe, danged salty,” new among the best in JSU coach defensive coordinator school history. How Chris Boone said. much of it can be tied Marques Ivory directly to the Ole returns for his fourth Miss win is open to year with the team and second as the debate. full-time starting quarterback, some 40 Garrott said beating Ole Miss “helped pounds slimmer than the version that us, but I don’t think losing to them would finished the 2010 season. The decrease have hurt us,” because a loss to a bigger in weight will increase his mobility; the program was expected from the outside. maturity factor has long been there.

Crowe said the season’s success “would

“There’s a thread of confidence that I expect to lead to consistency.”

probably have been unlikely” had they not won all the close games early.

Of course, the Gamecocks couldn’t have gone 8-0 without winning that first game — duh — but they were anticipating being strong enough to beat the teams on their own level that remained, just like they did in 2009 after they got past Georgia Tech and Florida State.

But it was never easy. After beating Ole Miss, they needed a long touchdown pass with 16 seconds left to beat Chattanooga, a sharp-eyed official’s favorable ruling in overtime to hold off upstart Georgia State and Brooks Robinson’s interception with two seconds left to survive at Eastern Illinois.

The only real easy ones they had all year were a 24-0 win over Tennessee State and a 56-3 rout of Austin Peay that took them to 8-0 right before their open week.

One thing the close wins did do for them was instill a confidence they could win in the fourth quarter. Five years earlier, they started the season with three straight last-minute losses and struggled to finish 6-5.

If anything, last year’s travails served to raise the questions about the validity of the record. Having gone through the spring and seen his players respond, Crowe said he has none of those questions this year. In fact, he’s more comfortable with this team than he has been with any in a long time.

“I know more about this team than any team I’ve ever coached here and more about this team than any team I’ve coached as a head coach, more of what’s in the minds and hearts of these guys than any team I’ve ever been head coach of,” he said. “I think there’s ingrained in this group of players a mentality that is rare. There’s a thread of confidence that I expect to lead to consistency.”

The players even admitted the big start last year had them getting ahead of the game. Having good teams denied a playoff berth in 2008 by the selection process and in 2009 by NCAA academic sanctions, they talked of making a national championship run throughout the season and thought of conference titles and playoff games before anything was a sure thing.

Having learned that lesson, even with higher expectations, the Gamecocks aren’t saying national championship game or bust this year. Not publicly at least.

“We kind of did that last year and that was a mistake,” Ivory said. “If we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll get the things we’re supposed to get.”

Al Muskewitz covers Jacksonville State sports for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3577. Follow him on Twitter @ JSUSports_Star

The Anniston Star

Page 26 Sunday, August 28, 2011

2 0 1 1 J acksonville state gamecocks official depth chart

Offense Split End 4

James Shaw

6-0, 190, Sr.

1

Trey Smith

6-5, 220, So.

left tackle 56

Tarik Milner

6-3, 280, Fr.

76

Tristian Hardin

6-6, 291, Fr.

Left guard 65

Matt Jones

6-3, 305, Sr.

73

Colt Kennedy

6-6, 300, So.

Center 62

Max Holcombe

6-3, 271, Fr.

64

Preston Hatcher

6-4, 290, Fr.

Right guard 67

Michael Ellis

6-2, 285, Sr.

70

Ricky Clemons

6-5, 288, So.

Right tackle 69

Tori Mobley

6-3, 280, Jr.

68

Taylor Johnstone

6-3, 295, So.

Tight end 81

Justin Howard

6-3, 235, So.

84

Denzell Cheeks

6-6, 215, Jr.

FLanker 16

Alan Bonner

5-11, 168, Jr.

6

Kevyn Cooper

6-1, 197, Jr.

Quarterback 12

Marques Ivory

6-1, 235, Sr.

11

Coty Blanchard

6-0, 185, So.

A-Back 7

Washaun Ealey

5-11, 215, Jr.

8

Rashod Byers

5-8, 170, Fr.

B-Back 3

Calvin Middleton

5-11, 220, Sr.

32

DeMarcus James

5-10, 220, Fr.

Wadley a family, football man

JACKSONVILLE — You say there’s just not enough hours in the day to manage all that’s on your plate? Consider all the balls Jamison Wadley has to keep in the air.

As a dedicated husband, father, student and teacher — in addition to being a Division I college football player on a team with national aspirations — Wadley doesn’t have time to slow down, let alone stop.

He rises before the milkman and, depending on the time of year, drives 30 minutes to Jacksonville for workouts, goes back home to help get his 3year-old ready for preschool so his wife can get ready for work and then it’s off to do his student-teaching. At the end of the school day, he goes to practice with the Gamecocks, returning home just in time to eat and see his little one off to bed.

“It’s just a lifestyle, kind of how I’ve lived,” he said. “I’ve lived back and forth, here and there, my whole life. It is what it is.”

Outsiders might not understand Wadley’s demanding schedule, but the JSU players and coaches marvel at and appreciate the way he manages to keep it all together.

“He was a grown man when he was 12 years old,” JSU coach Jack Crowe said.

And Wadley, a senior preseason AllOVC pick at defensive tackle, appreciates their understanding. The structure football brings has helped him master personal responsibility and time management.

“They’ve helped me out a lot,” he said of the coaches. “I probably wouldn’t be able to do it anywhere else if they weren’t that understanding.

“But at the same time, they’re understanding because when I’m out here I’m busting my tail for them. ... I’ve been very accountable for them since I’ve been here, so I guess in return and in respect for what I’ve done for them, they’ve always helped me out.”

It also helps to have a supportive family. Wadley met his wife Jessica while he was a freshman in high school and they married in 2007. Daughter

defense Cornerback 20

A.J. Davis

6-0, 183, Sr.

38

Francis Duncan

5-11, 167, Jr.

Free safety 18

Robert Gray

5-11, 195, So.

9

Jason Horton

6-0, 202, Sr.

Keginald Harris

6-3, 200, Jr.

28

Strong-side linebacker 24

Nick Johnson

5-11, 185, Jr.

47

James Powell

6-1, 210, So.

35

Clarence Jackson

6-2, 220, So.

45

Brannon Byrd

6-2, 243, Sr.

Middle linebacker

Weak-side linebacker

Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

Cali was born during his first year at JSU, and the family is expecting another in February.

During the season, Jessica and Cali are at all the home games. They were in the stands during last week’s open scrimmage, with Cali bouncing around the field when it was over in her JSU cheerleader outfit.

Wadley has a big “Cali” tattoo scripted on his left bicep, and when he starts feeling down, he looks at it for inspiration.

“My little girl, she’s a huge fan of football,” he said. “She wouldn’t know what to do without it, I don’t guess.

She’s there, and she’s loud and cheering the whole time every game.

“That’s really neat that she has the chance to see me do what I do. Not many people can say that their kids got to watch them play football period, and she actually understands. They’re memories I’m sure she’ll have for the rest of her life.”

Wadley figures it’ll get easier in time.

In the meantime, he will continue to keep finding ways to keep all the balls in the air.

“I don’t really worry about it right now,” he said. “Sometimes you want free time, but I know it’s all going to pay off some day. I’ll have free time eventually. It’ll come one day.”

— Al Muskewitz

51

Rashad Smith

6-1, 210, So.

48

Ben Endress

6-1, 200, Fr.

Defensive end 90

Monte Lewis

6-3, 251, Sr.

53

Marquis George

6-4, 242, Sr.

NOSE guard 96

DiMetrio Tyson

6-2, 275, Jr.

92

Barry Stafford

6-0, 295, Fr.

78

Caleb Lawrence

6-0, 270, Fr.

Defensive tackle 93

Jamison Wadley

6-3, 282, Sr.

99

Sean Watson

6-2, 290, Fr.

BANDIT 49

Rodney Garrott

6-1, 255, Sr.

43

Tanner Robertson

6-3, 225, Jr.

Strong safety 14

Brooks Robinson

6-2, 201, Jr.

15

Pierre Warren

6-1, 195, Fr.

2

Jawaan Booker

5-11, 180, Sr.

38

Francis Duncan

5-11, 167, Jr.

Cornerback

5

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 27

Tailgating Headquarters

MVP candidates

Savings

Washaun Ealey

Running back • 5-11, 215 Jr.

When Ealey transferred in from Georgia, the Gamecocks figured their problem of finding a back who could control the game was solved. Ealey led the Bulldogs in rushing each of his two years there, but left feeling underappreciated in the offense.

That should be no problem here. The Gamecocks won’t mind giving it to him 20 or more times a game. Kentucky fans certainly will remember him; Ealey ran for five TDs against the Wildcats last year.

to Cheer About!

Photos by Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star

Marques Ivory

Monte Lewis

Quarterback • 6-1, 235 Sr.

Defensive end • 6-3, 251 Sr.

The ultimatum was laid down at the end of last season: Lose the weight or lose the starting job. Ivory has dropped nearly 40 pounds since the end of the season, and that should translate to more mobility. It’s not like he’s going to pull it down and run at the drop of the hat, but being lighter will give him a better chance to escape when plays break down.

He’s the OVC’s co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, what more needs be said?

Lewis (pictured above) was a force last year, recording 34 tackles and four sacks, but with the emphasis of new coordinator Chris Boone’s defense shifting from the linebackers to the defensive front this year, look for those number to skyrocket.

Calvin Middleton Running back • 5-11, 220 Sr. If MVP truly means “most valuable,” Middleton (pictured right) could be the guy no matter what he does statistically this season — and he’s been the team’s leading rusher the last two seasons. He’s often been referred to as the glue for what the Gamecocks want to get done. He’s powerful enough to be a fullback, tough on the goal line, effective enough to run it as a lone tailback and can catch the ball.

We Accept &

Coty Blanchard

The Original Cost Plus 10%

Quarterback/Punter • 6-0, 180 So. Blanchard energizes the crowd whenever he enters the game, but the Gamecocks offense did become a little too predictable when he was inserted as the year wore on. That’s expected to change this year with a year of experience and better understanding of the offense, even if he didn’t go through the spring.

Plus, he allows the Gamecocks to fill another roster spot in his dual role as punter, which opens the possibility for some gadgetry on special teams.

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The Anniston Star

Page 28 Sunday, August 28, 2011

S tatistical leaders team stats

Rushing GP

Att

Net

Avg

TD

Long Avg/G

Calvin Middleton

9

118

514

4.4

7

32

57.1

Jamal Young

10

72

468

6.5

4

76

46.8

Darius Barksdale

12

100

389

3.9

1

22

32.4

Coty Blanchard

12

58

289

5.0

2

46

24.1

Alphonso Freeney

12

36

207

5.8

4

30

17.2

Marques Ivory

12

59

118

2.0

2

26

9.8

Richard Freelon

6

16

31

1.9

0

7

5.2

James Shaw

12

11

18

1.6

0

23

1.5

Cole Doolittle

11

1

8

8.0

0

8

0.7

Lequintez Reynolds

8

1

2

2.0

0

2

0.2

TEAM

11

10

-40

-4.0

0

0

-3.6

Total

12

482

2004

4.2

20

76

167.0

Opponents

12

465

1938

4.2

23

48

161.5

Passing GP

Effic

C-A-I

Yards

TD

Avg/G

Marques Ivory

12

133.1

181-309-9

2248

18

187.3

Coty Blanchard

12

181.1

27-41-2

296

8

24.7

Thomas Darrah

1

383.6

3-3-0

62

1

62.0

TEAM

11

0.0

0-1-0

0

0

0.0

Total

12

140.4

211-354-11

2606

27

217.2

Opponents

12

123.0

198-339-10

2373

12

197.8

receiving GP

No.

Yards

Avg

TD

Long

Avg/G

12

39

728

18.7

5

65

60.7

John Houston Whiddon 12

27

281

10.4

0

21

23.4

James Shaw

12

25

316

12.6

6

72

26.3

Jamal Young

10

22

174

7.9

4

34

17.4

La’Ray Williams

10

19

196

10.3

1

26

19.6

Alan Bonner

12

17

245

14.4

5

30

20.4

Kevyn Cooper

12

13

225

17.3

2

40

18.8

Justin Howard

10

12

157

13.1

1

22

15.7

Cory Freeman

12

12

100

8.3

1

13

8.3

Calvin Middleton

9

11

85

7.7

0

15

9.4

Alphonso Freeney

12

6

41

6.8

0

19

3.4

Denzel Cheeks

10

4

21

5.2

2

7

2.1

Richard Freelon

6

2

26

13.0

0

21

4.3

Darius Barksdale

12

2

11

5.5

0

6

0.9

Total

12

211

2606

12.4

27

72

217.2

Opponents

12

198

2373

12.0

12

76

197.8

Jeffrey Cameron

JSU SCORING .......................................................386 Points Per Game .........................................32.2 FIRST DOWNS . .............................................239 Rushing ........................................................109 Passing .........................................................116 Penalty ...........................................................14 RUSHING YARDAGE ..................................2004 Yards gained rushing . ...............................2310 Yards lost rushing ........................................306 Rushing Attempts ........................................482 Average Per Rush ..........................................4.2 Average Per Game ....................................167.0 TDs Rushing ..................................................20 PASSING YARDAGE ....................................2606 Comp-Att-Int ..................................211-354-11 Average Per Pass ...........................................7.4 Average Per Catch ......................................12.4 Average Per Game ....................................217.2 TDs Passing ...................................................27 TOTAL OFFENSE ........................................4610 Total Plays ....................................................836 Average Per Play ...........................................5.5 Average Per Game ....................................384.2 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards ....................... 51-1171 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards ....................... 32-353 INT RETURNS: #-Yards ........................... 10-183 KICK RETURN AVERAGE ............................23.0 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE . .........................11.0 INT RETURN AVERAGE ..............................18.3 FUMBLES-LOST . ........................................ 24-7 PENALTIES-Yards . .................................. 76-673 Average Per Game ......................................56.1 PUNTS-Yards ......................................... 46-1798 Average Per Punt ........................................39.1 Net punt average ........................................35.5 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game ..................31:57 3RD-DOWN Conversions ....................... 76/171 3rd-Down Pct .............................................44% 4TH-DOWN Conversions ......................... 11/19 4th-Down Pct . ............................................58% SACKS BY-Yards ......................................... 14-97 MISC YARDS . ....................................................0 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED ..............................49 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ....................... 15-22 ON-SIDE KICKS . ........................................... 1-1 RED-ZONE SCORES .......................(48-56) 86% RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS . ........(37-56) 66% PAT-ATTEMPTS . .............................(41-44) 93% ATTENDANCE ........................................103977 Games/Avg Per Game ......................... 6/17330 Neutral Site Games . ..........................................

OPP 300 25.0 238 103 116 19 1938 2256 318 465 4.2 161.5 23 2373 198-339-10 7.0 12.0 197.8 12 4311 804 5.4 359.2 60-1249 10-124 11-87 20.8 12.4 7.9 20-8 65-520 43.3 56-2200 39.3 31.6 29:18 62/158 39% 7/22 32% 9-58 7 39 10-17 2-2 (34-44) 77% (27-44) 61% (34-35) 97% 87996 6/14666 0/0

5

The Anniston Star

players you don’t know now ... but will

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 29 Jerry Slota Fullback/Tight end • 6-3, 220 So. Slota was a highly regarded high school quarterback who originally signed with Colorado then transferred to JUCO when the Buffs wanted him to play another position and flourished there as well.

He won’t be a quarterback at JSU — at least not this year — but he’s willing to play anywhere. His versatility gives the Gamecocks numerous options in the offense. There’s even talk that his best NFL shot is as a linebacker.

Trey Smith Wide Receiver • 6-5, 220 Jr. A transfer from Western Michigan, he’s the new John Houston Whiddon, a reliable possession receiver who can keep the chains moving. He caught 12 balls in the spring game for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The key to that success might be how quickly he and Coty Blanchard meld as a combination, since they didn’t work with each other in the spring.

DiMetrio Tyson Defensive lineman • 6-2, 275, Jr. Currently the least-known of the Gamecocks’ front four, but maybe

not for long. When they needed a nose, the coaching staff took the next best defensive end they had, moved him inside and now have a potential all-star. If Tyson ever gets to feeling lost between the two preseason AllOVC picks on the D-line, he can relate to stories from position coach Davern Williams, who flourished in his playing days at Troy between future All-Pros Demarcus Ware and Osi Umeniyora.

Clarence Jackson Linebacker • 6-2, 220 So. A transfer from Ole Miss, Jackson (pictured left) has embraced his second chance after he got booted from the Rebels for a series of missteps. The coaches acknowledge he’s a better player than the Gamecocks could have gotten in the normal recruiting process. He played in four games for Ole Miss last year, including the season opening loss to JSU, and was pegged as a starter this year before being dismissed.

DeMarcus James Running back • 5-10, 220 Fr. One of many true freshmen who could play a major role this season, owing to the depth of the signing class not any limitations of the roster, James has made one of the biggest impacts in training camp. He was a runner-up for Alabama Mr. Football last year and brings a combination of strength and speed that plays well among veteran backs Washaun Ealey and Calvin Middleton. He rushed for nearly 7,000 yards in high school.

Page 30 Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Anniston Star

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 31

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Tigers not giving up their swagger

The Anniston Star

A look AT the

Auburn

TIGERS 2011 SEASON

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 33

By Charles Bennett

Plenty of faces may change for the Tigers, but their approach remains the same

cbennett@annistonstar.com

A

AUBURN uburn lost 16 starters and 23 seniors off last year’s national championship team.

What the Tigers did not lose was their swagger. “Same thing you saw last year,� said Auburn junior cornerback T’Sharvan Bell when asked about the Tigers’ expectations. “Our goal is the same. We want to win it all. Our goal is to go to Atlanta (for the SEC championship) and do this all over again. “It’s as realistic as it can be. We’re not going to accept anything but that.�

Realistic? It’d be hard to find a pigskin pundit that would say it’s so, but maybe the Tigers are simply too young to know better. After all, Auburn begins this season with 51 true or redshirt freshman on its 105-man fall roster, and 10 scholarship seniors, three of whom are former walk-ons.

And just maybe Auburn’s coaching staff is working the youth angle to its advantage.

Rather than lower expectations, Auburn’s coaches

With nearly half of its roster either true or redshirt freshman, Auburn coach Gene Chizik will earn his paycheck this season.

Please see Auburn â?™ Page 34 Stephen Gross/The Star

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The Anniston Star

Page 34 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Auburn Continued from Page 33

are raising them.

“As far as our staff goes, we’re not using any excuses for anything,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. “We’ve got to coach these young guys up, and if they become the guys that we’ve got to play — whether it’s 10-15 or 20 true freshmen out there — that’s who we’ll play with.

We’ll have to do the best coaching job since we’ve been here.”

During fall practice, freshman center Reese Dismukes confided that offensive line coach Jeff Grimes told his charges that they have a chance to be better than last year’s group that included four seniors and was arguably the best offensive line in the nation.

“Yeah, it’s setting the bar high,” Grimes said.

“But if I didn’t take that approach, what would they think of me as their coach? So the thought that I tried to share with them — there’s actually a Scripture verse in First Timothy that says: Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your youth. “… We’re a young group, we’re an inexperienced group. But that doesn’t mean we have to take a back seat to anybody.”

To get an understanding of how the Tigers wound up with so few seniors, it’s necessary to look at the recruiting class of 2008, the last for former coach Tommy Tuberville and the group that would be this year’s fourth-year seniors.

Of Auburn’s 28 signees in a class ranked No. 20 by Rivals.com and No. 18 by Scout.com, five remain on the team.

Reserve defensive back Drew Cole and starting safety Neiko Thorpe are the only fourth-year scholarship seniors. Starting quarterback Barrett Trotter is a redshirt junior, as are Bell and running back Onterio McCalebb.

Wide receiver Darvin Adams left for the NFL after last season, and wide receiver Derek Winter, who graduated early, elected not to return for his final year of eligibility.

Three of the signees never made it into school, and there were three junior college players in that class who have completed their eligibility.

That leaves 15 players who transferred, were dismissed, or left the program for other reasons.

Most of the attrition involving those 15 occurred during the transition from Tuberville to Chizik.

That leaves an experience gap and a leadership gap that will have to be filled by younger players.

From a talent standpoint, the Tigers are fortunate to be working with back-to-back recruiting classes ranked in the top five in the nation.

By necessity, many of those players will play.

“We did not recruit our freshmen to watch,” Chizik said. “We didn’t recruit them to observe

“We did not recruit our freshmen to watch.”

— Gene Chizik, Auburn coach

everybody else play. We recruit them to come in here and play.

“Not to one of them are we saying, `Look, you’re redshirted until you prove you can play.’

It’s the opposite. It’s, `You can play until we feel like there’s no way, and then we’ll redshirt you.’

That’s how we see it, and that’s how we have to see it right now with the numbers we have.”

It also means some players unaccustomed to leadership roles are stepping up by necessity.

Sophomore Nosa Eguae has become a team leader on the defensive line, and Bell has followed suit in the secondary.

On offense, Trotter, tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen and tailbacks Michael Dyer and McCalebb are all trying to show the younger players the way it should be done.

Trotter, Lutzenkirchen and McCalebb are all juniors. Dyer is a sophomore.

“It’s kind of weird,” McCalebb said. “I never thought it would come to a point like this, where I’m having people look up to me and ask me questions about the offense and stuff like that.”

While expectations among Auburn’s players and staff are high for the coming season, they’re anything but high outside the program. Auburn was picked to finish fifth in the six-team SEC West in a preseason poll of the league’s media.

“If I’m not mistaken, this time last year, nobody used ‘Auburn’ and ‘championship’ in the same sentence,” Chizik said. “So that’s what makes college football so great. Everybody’s got opinions and everybody loves this time of year to predict who’s going to do what.

So that’s all good. I don’t have the time or energy to worry about it.”

And then there’s Bell, who draws motivation from low expectations from outside the program.

“You just take that, put it into what you eat in the morning,” Bell said. “I already put it into my breakfast, lunch and dinner. It just fires me up. Every day at practice, I have a lot of energy, I’m always flying around. September third (when the Tigers open the season against Utah State), it’ll be the same thing.”

Charles Bennett covers Auburn University sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @ AUTigers_Star

Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

With so many freshman on the roster, Michael Dyer may be able to help.

He’s only one year removed from being a freshman himself.

5

The Anniston Star

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 35

MVP candidates

Michael Dyer

Running back • 5-9, 210 So.

Tailback Mike Dyer is capable of putting up MVP-type numbers. The only reason to pause comes to the offensive line. Last year the unit — arguably the best in the country — opened massive holes, doing as much to bring Auburn its third Heisman Trophy winner as Cam Newton did himself.

Dyer was at his best in last year’s BCS title game when he earned MVP honors in Auburn’s 22-19 victory over Oregon. By the end of the year, it could be looked at as merely a prelude.

Trovon Reed Wide receiver • 6-1, 183 Redshirt Fr. If there’s a longshot in this bunch, it’s definetly Reed. But if he stays healthy, the only reason that he wouldn’t be in the discussion at the end of the season would be him. He should get enough opportunities to put up big numbers in receiving, running the Wildcat offense and in the return game. The Tigers are definitely counting on him.

Saturday Sports Injury Clinic

T’Sharvan Bell Cornerback • 6-0, 180 Jr. Bell is the Tigers’ top cornerback, and if Neiko Thorpe doesn’t lead the Tigers in interceptions, look for Bell to do it. In addition to being solid in coverage, Bell has a nose for the football. He picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the SEC Championship game against South Carolina.

Emory Blake Wide receiver • 6-2, 197 Jr.

August 20th through the Playoffs 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

He’s is the Tigers’ top returning receiver, and it would not be a shock to see Blake (pictured below) catching 60-plus passes to go with a dozen or more touchdowns.

He definitely looms as Auburn’s best wide receiver and among the best big-play players on offense.

Barrett Trotter Quarterback • 6-2, 207 Jr. Quarterbacks always rate a big shot at being the MVP, and Trotter will be no exception. A redshirt junior, he knows the offense inside and out. Despite Auburn’s overall inexperience, expect the offense to once again put up big numbers. As the triggerman, Trotter will be in for a lot of the credit.

(256) 241-3242 1419 Hamric Drive East • Suite 201 Oxford, Alabama 36203 Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

The Anniston Star

Page 36 Sunday, August 28, 2011

2 0 1 1 A u b u rn T igers projected two - deep chart Offense Wide reciever 80

Emory Blake

6-1, 197, Jr.

3

DeAngelo Benton

6-2, 203, Jr.

Left tackle 75

Brandon Mosley

6-6, 303, Sr.

77

A.J. Greene

6-5, 309, Sr.

79

Jared Cooper

6-4, 300, Sr.

60

Eric Mack

6-3, 332, Rfr.

Left guard

Center 63

Blake Burgess

6-2, 281, So.

50

Reese Dismukes

6-3, 300, Fr.

Right Guard 71

John Sullen

6-6, 336, Jr.

65

Tunde Fariyike

6-2, 307 , Rfr.

Right tackle 62

Chad Slade

6-5, 329, Rfr.

78

Aubrey Phillips

6-5, 348, Rfr.

Tight end 43

Philip Lutzenkirchen

6-4, 264, Jr.

11

Brandon Fulse

6-5, 245, Fr.

1

Trovon Reed

6-0, 185, Rfr.

9

Quindarius Carr

6-1, 184, Sr.

14

Barrett Trotter

6-2, 206, Jr.

15

Clint Moseley

6-3, 224, So.

Wide Reciever

Quarterback

Tailback 5

Michael Dyer

5-9, 207, So.

23

Onterio McCalebb

5-10, 170, Jr.

Fullback 40

Chris Humphries

6-2, 225, Sr.

37

Ladarious Phillips

6-0, 293, Rfr.

Kicker 36

Cody Parkey

6-0, 193, So.

29

Chandler Brooks

6-0, 180, Sr.

Parkey kicking it under the radar

AUBURN — While much of the attention during Auburn’s fall camp centered on position battles ranging from starting quarterback to thirdstring tailback, the heir apparent to one of the most important positions on the team has gone about his business relatively unnoticed.

Sophomore Cody Parkey will assume place-kicking duties for the defending national champions, taking over from the most prolific kicker in Auburn history.

Wes Byrum holds nearly every school kicking record of note, including career records for most points kicking (363), field goals made (60) and the singleseason record

for accuracy (93.8) set in 2009 when he made 15 of 16 field goals.

In addition, Byrum kicked the game-winning field goal in Auburn’s 22-19 BCS title game victory over Oregon.

Parkey, who handled some of the kickoff duties last season, said he learned a lot from Byrum.

“I really appreciate him showing me the ropes and now it’s my turn,” he said. “He showed me a lot to work on.

“I feel like I’m really focused and have gotten better through spring and summer. I feel like I’m a lot better than I was last year, and I’m prepared.”

Parkey brings excellent credentials to the job.

He was ranked No. 1 in the nation

by ESPN.com and Rivals coming out of Jupiter (Fla.) High. As a senior, he made nine of 12 field goals — his three misses all came from outside 49 yards.

Special teams’ coordinator Jay Boulware said Parkey has had a solid fall camp.

“He’s been pretty good,” he said.

“He started off a little sluggish for whatever reason. We weren’t kicking nearly as well in the stadium as we were on the practice field. The stadium has a different wind factor element.

The wind kind of swirls in there a little bit. In the last scrimmage, he was pretty solid, right on. The last few days, he’s made all his kicks. That’s what we want.”

As for the pressure of following the school’s all-time leading scorer, Parkey says he can handle it.

“I don’t really look at it as pressure,” he said. “I want to be able to make my own legacy and make a name for myself.

“It’s going to be hard to follow a kicker like Wes Byrum as good as he was, but I want to try to do as well if not better.”

— Charles Bennett

defense Defensive end 94

Nosa Eguae

6-2, 261, So.

13

Craig Sanders

6-4, 257, So.

Defensive tackle 54

Jeffrey Whitaker

6-3, 310, So.

93

Jabrian Niles

6-3, 260, Fr.

92

Kenneth Carter

6-5, 287, So.

90

Gabe Wright

6-4, 310, Fr.

Defensive tackle

Defensive end 55

Corey Lemonier

6-4, 234, So.

95

Dee Ford

6-4, 229, Jr.

Strong-side linebacker 25

Daren Bates

5-11, 207, Jr.

38

Jawara White

6-1, 244, Rfr.

Middle linebacker 5 21

Jake Holland

6-0, 234, So.

Eltoro Freeman

5-11, 226, Sr.

Weak-side linebacker 35

Jonathan Evans

5-11, 232, Jr.

58

Harris Gaston

6-1, 241, So.

22

T’Sharvan Bell

6-0, 180, Jr.

19

Ryan White

5-10, 195, So.

12

Demetruce McNeal

6-1, 187, So.

16

Ikeem Means

6-0, 209, Jr.

Cornerback

Strong safety

Free safety 15

Nieko Thorpe

6-2, 185, Sr.

24

Ryan Smith

6-1, 200, So.

Cornerback 11

Chris Davis

5-10, 183, So.

6

Jonathan Mincy

5-10, 187, Rfr.

Punter 30

Steven Clark

6-5, 231, So.

29

Chandler Brooks

6-0, 180, Sr.

The Anniston Star

5

fabulous freshman

Tre Mason

Running back • 5-10, 190 Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

players Auburn needs to shine

Auburn quarterback Barrett Trotter won the starting job late in fall camp after a prolonged battle with Clint Moseley. The Tigers aren’t expecting Cam Newton-numbers, but Trotter will have to show he can manage the game and lead the offense on point-producing drives. Moseley and freshman Kiehl Frazier are waiting in the wings.

3

games that could go either way

4

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 37

At various times Phillip Lutzenkirchen will find himself lining up at tight end, wide receiver and H-back. He proved to be a big weapon for the Tigers last season, particularly in the redzone. In additio to being a go-to receiver, the Tigers will need his blocking skills, as well.

Neiko Thorpe moved from cornerback to safety in one of Auburn’s most significant position changes of the offseason.

He’ll have to show he has the vision and the range to play the position, and if he plays up to expectations look for him to lead the Tigers in tackles and interceptions.

Mike Dyer rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman and stamped himself as one of the best tailbacks in a league stocked with great runners. Auburn needs Dyer to build on last year, and in particular, to get those tough yards running between the tackles.

Nosa Eguae, a rare returning starter for the Tigers, will be counted on to be a leader on this team, even though he’s just a sophomore. Eguae, pictured above, should be able to handle the leadership demands without much problem, and should provide steady if not spectacular play at defensive end.

Mississippi State (Sept. 10) Auburn had to battle to emerge with a vicitory last season in Starkville, and the Bulldogs are expected to be much improved this season. MSU didn’t win any friends in Auburn because of their role in the Cam Newton investigation. The intensity should be high on both sides.

At Clemson. (Sept. 17) The first road test of the season comes against a non-conference opponent, and a victory get could Auburn off and running to another big season. Clemson came the closest to any team on the schedule to

beating Auburn last season, losing in overtime after a wide receiver dropped a game-winning touchdown pass and the place kicker missed a chip shot field goal to extend overtime.

At South Carolina. (Oct. 1) The early-season games will go a long way toward determining whether the Tigers can keep pace with the rest of the league. This rare road trip to Williams-Brice Stadium sets up a rematch of last year’s SEC Championship game, and the Gamecocks figure to put up much more of a fight in this one.

Auburn’s quest for a third tailback to compliment the duo of Mike Dyer and Onterio McCalebb may end here. Mason has a rare combination of speed and power and could become a major factor in the backfield by the season’s midpoint.

Quan Bray Athlete • 5-10, 185 He’s worked through a host of personal issues, including the death of his mother, to emerge as one of Auburn’s best wide receivers. He also is capable of playing running back and has gotten a look at quarterback in the Wildcat formation.

Reese Dismukes Center • 6-3, 316 If Dismukes doesn’t wind up as the Tigers’ starting center, he’ll be a close second to Blake Burgess. If he’s not the starter, look for him to be first off the bench when the Tigers need a sub up front as he’s seen work at guard, as well.

Kiehl Frazier Quarterback • 6-2, 220 In the race to replace Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, nobody excited the Auburn fanbase like Frazier. Despite being a true freshman dealing with Gus Malzahn’s complicated offense, he stayed in the hunt well into the fall.

Although he finished third behind Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley, don’t slap a redshirt on him just yet.

Rated one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation, he is the Tigers’ quarterback of the future.

— Charles Bennett

The Anniston Star

Page 38 Sunday, August 28, 2011

Stat i s t i cal l e ad e r s team stats

Rushing GP

Att

Net

Avg

TD

Long Avg/G

Cam Newton

14

264

1473

5.6

20

71

105.2

Michael Dyer

14

182

1093

6.0

5

38

78.1

Onterio McCalebb

14

95

810

8.5

9

70

57.9

Mario Fannin

13

61

395

6.5

5

42

30.4

Terrell Zachery

14

11

71

6.5

0

31

5.1

Barrett Trotter

6

5

68

13.6

1

34

11.3

Davis Hooper

4

12

37

3.1

0

6

9.2

Neil Caudle

14

2

22

11.0

0

35

1.6

Kodi Burns

14

6

10

1.7

1

4

0.7

Trovon Reed

1

2

8

4.0

0

6

8.0

Clint Moseley

1

2

8

4.0

0

5

8.0

Total

14

652

3987

6.1

41

71

284.8

Opponents

14

448

1527

3.4

16

83

109.1

Passing GP

Effic

Cmp-Att-Int

Yds

TD

Avg/G

14

182.05

185-280-7

2854

30

203.9

Barrett Trotter

6

126.40

6-9-0

64

0

10.7

Kodi Burns

14

176.56

2-5-0

42

1

3.0

Neil Caudle

14

452.80

1-1-0

42

0

3.0

Total

14

180.56

194-296-7

3002

31

214.4

Opponents

14

133.67

325-515-12

3630

25

259.3

Cam Newton

receiving GP

No.

Yds

Avg

TD

Long

Avg/G

Darvin Adams

14

52

963

18.5

7

62

68.8

Terrell Zachery

14

43

605

14.1

4

80

43.2

Emory Blake

14

33

554

16.8

8

94

39.6

Mario Fannin

13

17

173

10.2

2

38

13.3

Philip Lutzenkirchen

13

15

185

12.3

5

39

14.2

Kodi Burns

14

11

177

16.1

1

35

12.6

Onterio McCalebb

14

7

86

12.3

1

23

6.1

Eric Smith

14

5

49

9.8

0

14

3.5

Quindarius Carr

14

3

103

34.3

2

48

7.4

Derek Winter

14

3

44

14.7

0

16

3.1

Cam Newton

14

2

42

21.0

1

22

3.0

Deangelo Benton

9

1

15

15.0

0

15

1.7

Michael Dyer

14

1

9

9.0

0

9

0.6

Shaun Kitchens

8

1

-3

-3.0

0

0

-0.4

Total

14

194

3002

15.5

31

94

214.4

Opponents

14

325

3630

11.2

25

81

259.3

AU SCORING........................................................577 Points Per Game...........................................41.2 FIRST DOWNS................................................344 Rushing..........................................................202 Passing...........................................................126 Penalty.............................................................16 RUSHING YARDAGE....................................3987 Yards gained rushing...................................4297 Yards lost rushing..........................................310 Rushing Attempts..........................................652 Average Per Rush............................................6.1 Average Per Game......................................284.8 TDs Rushing....................................................41 PASSING YARDAGE.....................................3002 Comp-Att-Int........................................94-296-7 Average Per Pass...........................................10.1 Average Per Catch.........................................15.5 Average Per Game......................................214.4 TDs Passing..................................................... 31 TOTAL OFFENSE..........................................6989 Total Plays......................................................948 Average Per Play.............................................7.4 Average Per Game......................................499.2 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards........................ 63-1482 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards......................... 22-136 INT RETURNS: #-Yards............................... 12-95 KICK RETURN AVERAGE.............................23.5 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE..............................6.2 INT RETURN AVERAGE..................................7.9 FUMBLES-LOST......................................... 20-10 PENALTIES-Yards..................................... 79-745 Average Per Game........................................53.2 PUNTS-Yards........................................... 42-1590 Average Per Punt..........................................37.9 Net punt average..........................................35.2 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game....................29:18 3RD-DOWN Conversions........................ 86/162 3rd-Down Pct...............................................53% 4TH-DOWN Conversions.............................. 5/8 4th-Down Pct................................................62% SACKS BY-Yards........................................ 35-211 MISC YARDS.......................................................0 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED...............................75 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS........................ 17-22 ON-SIDE KICKS.............................................. 1-1 RED-ZONE SCORES.........................(57-66) 86% RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS...........(44-66) 67% PAT-ATTEMPTS................................(74-75) 99% ATTENDANCE..........................................688692 Games/Avg Per Game........................... 8/86086 Neutral Site Games..............................................

OPP 337 24.1 299 104 167 28 1527 1888 361 448 3.4 109.1 16 3630 325-515-12 7.0 11.2 259.3 25 5157 963 5.4 368.4 90-1772 11-50 7-45 19.7 4.5 6.4 21-10 69-565 40.4 66-2665 40.4 36.8 30:42 68/183 37% 13/26 50% 23-152 -20 42 14-18 2-2 (38-45) 84% (27-45) 60% (37-39) 95% 288877 4/72219 2/77202

5

The Anniston Star

players you don’t know now ... but will

Sunday, August 28, 2011 Page 39 Trovon Reed Wide receiver • 6-0, 183 RS Fr. Despite being one of Auburn’s most highly touted freshmen a year ago, Reed wound up redshirting last in 2010.

With the hits the Tigers’ took with graduation, it’s time for him to live up to his Reed hype. And more than just Auburn fans are planning for it; the coaching staff plans to put the ball in his hands a lot.

Look for him to start at wide receiver, play quarterback in the Wildcat formation and return punts and kicks.

Chad Slade

Offensive lineman • 6-5, 320 RS Fr.

Before signing with the Tigers out of Moody, Slade didn’t have many big-time offers to go along with his three-star rating and the one from the Tigers.

But Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes must have saw something.

The redshirt freshman has followed an excellent spring with an excellent fall, and will probably wind up in the starting lineup at right tackle. He has a chance to make himself a fixture for years to come.

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Ladarious Phillips Fullback • 6-0, 291 RS Fr. Injuries kept the former Handley standout and familiar name to Anniston Star readers out of print much of last season. For a time, Phillips more or less fell off the radar, but that could be by the Auburn coaching staff’s design.

We’ve got a gut feeling Phillips could emerge as an effective blocker at fullback/ H-back. And don’t let his big fool you — the monster has soft hands and could make some catches out of the backfield.

Jeffrey Whitaker Defensive tackle • 6-4, 312 So. With his tounge planted firmly in his cheek, Auburn coach Gene Chizik called Whitaker one of a group of “salty old veterans.” And relatively speaking, his half-year of experience is looking at those who’ll play behind him.

Whitaker (pictured, above right) is all Auburn has got, but he’s not bad. Whitaker is already emerging as a leader on defense, even though he’s only a sophomore.

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Cody Parkey Kicker • 6-0, 190 So. There’s a clever phrase with a kicker and having big shoes to fill, but we won’t try it. But it is the case.

He’ll be replacing the school’s all-time leading scorer, Wes Byrum. Parkey’s got the resume as one of the most highly rated kickers in the nation in high school, and he handled some of the kickoff duties last season while serving as an understudy to Byrum.

With Auburn’s offense learning and growing, the Tigers could find themselves in some close games in the fourth quarter, and that would put Parkey in the spotlight.

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The Anniston Star

Page 40 Sunday, August 28, 2011

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