Spring Football Roundup: Changes Abound at Oklahoma State Practice
By Kyle Kensing
Jan 1, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt (11) prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State opened its spring football season on Monday with plenty of new faces — and will welcome another on Tuesday.
Mike Gundy hired Tim Duffie to coach defensive backs after a season leading Wake Forest’s secondary. Duffie replaces Jason Jones, who left Stillwater for a spot on Hugh Freeze’s Ole Miss Rebels staff.
Duffie faces a challenge at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys were ranked No. 110 against the pass a season ago, allowing 280 yards per game. The weekly gauntlet of pass-heavy offenses in the Big 12 Conference is a substantial deviation from the ACC and Mountain West, where Duffie spent four seasons at Colorado State.
But Duffie’s not a stranger to the air raid offense — he is a product of Texas Tech.
As for Oklahoma State’s version of the spread, new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has a difficult decision ahead of him in the off-season. The Cowboys started three different quarterbacks in 2012 — J.W. Walsh, Clint Chelf and Wes Lunt — and all three return in 2013.
Yurcich told the Associated Press:
"“Right now, I’m so involved in trying to learn the Oklahoma State offense that I have really not even come close to trying to tweak or adjust or develop the offense. I want to get involved and learn what these players know and what they’ve been good at. I’ll be honest with you: I don’t know where the tweaks will come and when they will come, if they will come.”"
Boise State Broncos
Dec 22, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Joe Southwick (16) throws a pass against the Washington Huskies in the 2012 Maaco Bowl at Sam Body Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Petersen’s quintessential BCS busting Broncos opened spring football on Monday, aiming for one last David-like run at Goliath’s ultimate prize before college football introduces a playoff system. An 11-2 season is a source of pride for most programs — but Boise State has been anything but a typical program in the past decade.
Quarterback Joe Southwick replaced Kellen Moore a season ago. Southwick has the opportunity to stand out of his own accord, but is still in a competition this spring writes Chadd Cripe of The Idaho Statesmen.
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
December 22, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns quarterback Terrance Broadway with his son Terrance Joseph Broadway II holds up the MVP trophy following a win over the East Carolina Pirates in the New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. UL-Lafayette defeated East Carolina 43-34. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
“How many games we are going to win this year is determined by how hard we practice this spring and summer,” ULL head coach Mark Hudspeth told his players at the Ragin’ Cajuns’ first spring football workouts of 2013, per the university’s athletic website.
Hudspeth knows a thing or two about winning in Lafayette. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons and New Orleans Bowl titles. An elusive Sun Belt Conference championship could be in ULL’s future, with talent and experience returning next fall.
Dual threat quarterback Terrance Broadway leads a group that includes 2011 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and running back Alonzo Harris and defensive lineman Christian Ringo.
Cal Golden Bears
Quarterback Allan Bridgford will transfer from Cal, the Associated Press reports. Bridgford had an unremarkable two seasons in Berkeley, backing up Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard.
Bridgford was reportedly lost in the shuffle under new head coach Sonny Dykes, whose high-tempo offensive scheme will call for a sizable workload from the quarterback. Ballyhooed 2012 recruit Zach Kline should be the front runner to run the Golden Bears’ offense in 2013.
At 23 points per game, Cal ranked No. 92 among Bowl Subdivision teams in a 3-9 finish last year. Head coach Jeff Tedford was fired at season’s end after the most successful run in program history.