SoCon Football 2014: Western Carolina Set For Matchup With South Florida

Catamounts Take Another Shot At The FBS Saturday Night

GAME OVERVIEW: Much optimism has surrounded this moment for Western Carolina, which expects to be much improved entering the third season under the direction of Mark Speir. The Catamounts will commence the 2014 campaign on the road in Tampa, FL, in the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Catamounts are coming off a 2-10 season, which was an identical mark of that of the South Florida Bulls, who struggled under first-year head coach Willie Taggart. The Catamounts enter the 2014 seaosn with an ugly, 21-game losing streak, and will be looking to garner the program’s first-ever win over an FBS opponent. South Florida had never lost a home opener until last season’s 53-21 loss to McNeese State to open the campaign. The Bulls are 3-0 over Southern Conference competition in recent seasons, having defeated Elon (28-13, 2007), Wofford (40-7, 2009) and Chattanooga (34-13, 2012) since 2007. The Catamounts will be without one key component to its offense in the first couple of games of the season, in wideout Karnorris Benson, stemming from the fall semester of the 2013 season. Benson was among the Southern Conference’s best big-play targets last season, leading the SoCon with 12 scoring catches last season. The Catamounts welcome the return 18 starters this fall (10-offense/8-defense), while South Florida welcomes back 15 starters (10-offense/ 5-defense). The Bulls play as a member of the newly formed American Athletic Conference, which is old Big East members combined with some old leftover members of the Big East, as well as some former Conference USA members. Like Western Carolina, the recent past hasn’t been filled with a lot of success, as the Bulls have combined to post just a 10-26 record over the past three seasons. The Catamounts will be looking to put an end to what has become a streak of eight-straight seasons without a winning mark.
COACHES: Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir heads into his third season as the head coach in Cullowhee having registered a 3-20 record as the head coach at Western Carolina. Last season, Speir helped the Catamounts end what had become a 26-game Southern Conference losing streak, when the Catamounts defeated outgoing Southern Conference member Elon (27-24) on Oct. 26, 2013, as the Catamounts would show signs of beginning to be competitive once again in Southern Conference play. The win over Elon also snapped a 33-game losing skid to Division I foes. The Purple and Gold are the preseason No. 5 pick in the now eight-team Southern Conference. Speir, of course, knows a little bit about winning, having served for nine seasons on the Appalachian State staff, which claimed three national titles in a row (2005-07) and seven Southern Conference titles in eight seasons, including six-straight from 2005-2010. Speir has been able to establish plenty of continuity within his staff, having kept his assistants intact for the most over his two seasons, including Sean Quinn at defensive coordinator, who enters his second season as the defensive coordinator after serving in the same role at Charleston Southern.

South Florida head coach Willie Taggart is very familiar with the FCS, once serving as a standout quarterback at Western Kentucky, which was then referred to as Division I-AA. South Florida’s 2-10 season Taggart’s first season in charge was one of the worst the program has encountered since making the move to the FBS back in 2001.

THE OFFENSES: Western Carolina was solid on the offensive side of the football last season, and the Purple and Gold have plenty of offensive talent returning for the 2014 campaign, with a total of 10 starters back on the offensive side of the football.Western Carolina brings back plenty of experience and potency to its offense for the 2014 season, and it all starts with the quarterback position, with Troy Mitchell (131-of-227 passing, 1,614 yds, 12 TDs, 10 INTs / 565 rush yds, 2 TDs) returning to lead the way for the Purple and Gold this fall. With Eddie Sullivan no longer in the program, it’s Mitchell’s team now, and the rising junior signal-caller will no longer have to split reps with Sullivan. Mitchell has been an emerging star at Western since arriving in Cullowhee a couple of years ago, and I even made the comparison of him resembling a very raw version of Armanti Edwards. That’s exactly what Speir wants him to be in the spread option offense the Catamounts will employ this fall, and with the receivers now on the same page, the offense has the makings of being one of the better units in the SoCon this fall. The Catamounts completed the 2013 season ranking 69th nationally in total offense (359.9 YPG), tied for 103rd in scoring offense (19.6 PPG), 53rd in passing offense (221.3 YPG) and 85th in rushing offense (138.7 YPG). The 21 sacks surrendered by the Catamounts ranked tied for 46th nationally last season, allowing 1.75 QB hits per game last fall. With Karnorris Benson in the lineup for the Catamounts at wide receiver, the Purple and Gold will be without their top offensive weapon heading into the season, but fortunately for Speir and the Western offense, wide receiver might be deepest position on the offensive side of the football. Spearman Robinson (39 passes, 376 yds,1 TD in 2012) and Terryon Robinson (41 rec, 567 yds, 2 TDs, 13.7 YPR) will be leading options for Mitchell as downfield options the fall. Spearman Robinson did not participate in football for the Catamounts last season after turning in what was a solid freshman campaign, as the Greenwood, S.C., product hauled in 39 passes for 376 yards and a TD, ranking fifth in the SoCon in receptions per game, with 4.3 catches-per-contest in 2012. The third and fourth options at wideout on Saturday night will be Willie Police (40 rec, 367 yds, 9.2 YPR) and Jeff Moore (15 catches/125 yds in 15-career games for Catamounts). Michael Helms, Jr. (10 caches, 181 yds, 1 TD) who is a converted signal-caller, will start as the tight end. Not since 2006 has Western Carolina featured a 1,000-yard ground-gainer, however, junior running back Darius Ramsey (139 rush att, 565 yds, 4 TDs, 4.1 YPC) could be the first since Darius Fudge accomplished that same feat back in what was a dismal 2006 season for the Cat, rushing for 1,001 yards during that two-win campaign.

Ramsey brings the special combination of speed and vision to the Catamount backfield, and has even gained some weight during the off-season to make him more of a durable and versatile running back this season for the Purple and Gold. Anchoring the offensive front this fall will be all-conference candidates Josh Wineberg and Jake Thornton, who will line up at the left tackle and center positions, respectively, this fall for the Catamounts. Wineberg has started all 22 games he has played in during his solid career at Western. Wineberg, a junior, should compete for All-SoCon accolades this fall. Potts comes into the 2014 campaign as one of the real progressing talents along the Catamount offensive front, and saw action in all 12 games, logging five starts along the front.

South Florida comes into the contest with a couple of new changes on the offensive side of the football, as Willie Taggart went out and hired a couple of former FCS guys to help re-ignite the South Florida offense this fall, with former Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff set to lead the offense, while former Appalachian State quarterback David Reaves shifts from wide receivers coach to quarterbacks coach heading into the 2014 campaign. The Bulls will utilize a pro-style offense in the season opener against the Catamounts, and will be led under center this fall by sophomore signal-caller Mike White (93-of-175 passing, 1,083 yds, 3 TDs, 9 INTs). White struggled much of last season, as it is bared out by his stats, which saw him throw six more INTs to his TD passes in what was a tough freshman season. The other player that could see action under center Saturday night will be Penn State transfer Steven Bench. In limited action for the Bulls last season, Bench was able to connect on 26-of-64 passes for 392 yards, with a pair of TDs and three INTs. One of the big targets on the offensive side of the football for White will be wideout Andre Davis (49 rec, 735 yds, 2 TDs, 15.0 YPR), who comes into this contest as the big offensive weapon for this offense. The 6-1, 205-lb senior from Tampa, FL, and he has been one of the few bright spots for the Bulls over the past three seasons, as he ranks third on the career charts in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,542), and he is the one players that the Catamounts must account for on Saturday night. One of the positions this Bulls team will utilize on Saturday night is the tight end position, as the Bulls will throw down field to its tight ends with a pair of veterans leading the way, in senior Mike McFarland (23 rec, 288, TDs, 12.5 YPR) and junior Sean Price (21 rec, 185 yds, 8.8 YPR). Both tight ends were recognized as both landed on several preseason watch lists and all-conference teams in various preseason publications. Running the football is an element that teams must have at any level of college football, and it has been an element that has been missing from the South Florida offense the past few seasons. With the graduation of leading rusher Marcus Shaw, who completed the 2013 season with 765 yards and three scores, the Bulls will now look to Darius Tice (35 rush att, 141 yds, 4.0 YPC) to be the leading man out of the backfield. Tice will be talented freshman Marlon Mack, who should see some action on Saturday night. The offensive line returns all five regulars, including three seniors, in (LT) Darrell Williams, (C) Austin Reiter and (RG) Quinterrius Eatmon. One of the concerns from the Catamounts’ perspective coming into the matchuip will be the size of the USF offensive front, with lightest player along the starting five weighing in at a mere 296 lbs. The Bulls will also utilze the fullback in their offense, with Kennard Swanson likely to be utiized against the Catamounts on Saturday night. Offensively, the Bulls were one of the worst offenses in the entire nation last fall, ranking 121st of 123 nationally in total offense (255.5 YPG) last season, and 120th nationally in scoring offense (13.8 YPG).

THE DEFENSES: The Western Carolina defense has plenty of talent back on defense this fall, with nine starters back on the defensive side of the football. The defense for the Catamounts last season was improved, but it had been so bad in previous seasons, that the improvement went un-noticed by many. However, what Western does have entering the 2014 season is athleticism and experience, which at least on paper, should see major improvements this season. The Catamounts will utilize a 4-3 defensive scheme. Western must replace its leading tackler from a year ago, in All-SoCon LB Courtland Carson. A much improved defensive line will be anchored by Caleb Hawkins (53 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 FF) and John McBeth (30 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 1 PBU), who will start at the respective defensive end positions for the Catmounts. One of the more interesting transitions on the defensive side of the football for the Catamounts entering the season opener for the Catamounts will be the move of Sertonuse Harris (96 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 PBU, 2 FRs, 1 FF), who makes the move from safety to linebacker, thanks in large part to the Catamounts’ depth and experience in the secondary. It also helps give Western athleticism on the perimeter, and it’s very similar of the transition that Furman’s Marcus McMorris made last season in the Paladin secondary, also transitioning from safety to outside linebacker. Harris was a 2014 All-Southern Conference selection. Christon Gill will be the centerpiece of this defense, and despite some struggles on the defensive side of the ball the past few seasons, the Catamounts have gotten good linebacker play the past few seasons, going back to Rock Williams. Gill posted a career-high 107 tackles last season. The secondary might be the best in the SoCon entering the 2014 season, led by a pair of All-SoCon candidates, in safety Ace Clark (84 tackles, 2 PBU, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 blkd kick) and corner Fred Payne (11 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR).

South Florida’s strength last season was on the defensive side of the football, however, six starters are gone from that South Florida defense from last season. It was a unit that yielded just 350.8 YPG last season, which was good enough to rank 21st in the FBS in total defense at the conclusion of the 2013 campaign. The Bulls have made a significant change on the defensive side of the football heading into the 2014 season, transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive scheme. Defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan is back for a second season, as he helped USF improve exponentially on fhe defensive side ot the ball last season, including helping the Bulls force an impressive 25 turnovers, including 11 INTs.The 25 turnovers last season and nearly tripled the 11 turnovers recorded by the Bulls in 2012. The lone returning starter along the defensive front for the Bulls heading into the new season is Elkino Watson (28 tackles,7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks), who will anchor a line that lost a pair of All American Athletic Conference honorees to graduation,i in Luke Sager and Rhyne Giddins, who combined for nine sacks and 15 TFL last season. Junior defensive end Eric Lee (JC All-American in 2013) and senior nose tackle Todd Chandler (24 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 FRs) round out the remainder of the starting trio up front. Linebacker is a position that will feature good experience in the two-deep heading into the opener, with senior Reshard Cliett (56 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) entering the campaign as an All-AAC candidate at one of the outside linebacker positions, while Nigel Harris (35 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 PBU) returns at the other OLB, turning in what was a strong freshman season in 2013. Four players return that were apart of that ball-hawking secondary from a year ago, including three starters. Safety Nate Godwin (49 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PBUs, 1 INT) returns as the most experienced player in the returning quartet from a year ago.

FINAL PREDICTION: The Catamounts enter the 2014 season with plenty of motivation and optimism, and their FBS opponent on Saturday evening isn’t one that is as intimidating as some of the opponents the Catamounts have faced on the gridiron in recent seasons. That being said, it won’t be an easy game and South Florida comes into with a very strong defense, which will certainly test the Catamount spread. I think Western has the abilitiy to put a scare into the Bulls before things are all said and done on Saturday night, and plenty more positives, as well as confidence, will be gleaned for Speir and his team in a respectable opening loss on the road to begin the 2014 season.

South Florida 35, Western Carolina 20