8/3/2019 Sports MTSU Wanted

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

SPECIAL TEAMSK 38 Alan Gendreau (or) Freshman 5-11 17537 David DeFatta Junior 5-9 184

P37 David DeFatta Junior 5-9 184

LS48 Adam Wade Sophomore 5-10 214

 TWO-DEEP ROSTERMTSU FOOTBALL FALL CAMP PREVIEW

FALL CAMP

PRACTICE SCHEDULE

OFFENSEQB9 Dwight Dasher (or) Sophomore 5-10 207

12 Joe Craddock Senior 5-11 197

RB2 Desmond Gee Junior 5-8 16721 Phillip Tanner Junior 6-0 203

FB42 Jacob Longoria Sophomore 6-2 22439 Spike McDaniel r-Senior 5-10 207

 WR81 Wes Caldwell Sophomore 6-2 17283 Eldred King Junior 5-10 170

 WR13 Michael Cannon Senior 5-10 18515 D.D. Kyles r-Freshman 6-1 191

 WR17 Patrick Honeycutt Junior 5-9 17288 Marcus Thurmond Freshman 6-0 180

TE82 Alvin Ingle Sophomore 6-2 23116 Gene Delle Donne Junior 6-5 254

LT78 Mike Williams Sophomore 6-3 265

Derek Cardaci r-Freshman 6-4 248

LG

76 Jamal Lewis Sophomore 6-4 30550 Colin Boss Sophomore 6-4 318

C71 Jake Padrick Sophomore 6-0 29063 Chris Ritter Senior 6-2 314

RG75 Chris Hawkins Sophomore 6-3 28562 Evon Lettsome Sophomore 6-4 293

RT72 Mark Thompson Junior 6-4 30769 J.C. Moore Sophomore 6-6 306

DEFENSEDE98 Chris McCoy Junior 6-4 26311 Jamari Lattimore Sophomore 6-3 217

DT97 Trevor Jenkins Senior 6-1 28695 Jonathan Presley Junior 6-4 265

DT47 Dwight Smith Sophomore 6-1 26592 Brandon Perry Junior 6-1 325

DE56 Wes Hofacker Senior 6-2 252

91 Emmanuel Perez Sophomore 6-2 235

OLB55 Andrew Harrington (or) Senior 6-2 22429 Lonnie Clemons Senior 6-1 226

MLB44 Danny Carmichael Junior 6-0 24230 Cam Robinson Junior 6-1 218

OLB27 Ivon Hickmon Senior 6-1 21552 Antwan Davis Sophomore 6-1 213

CB6 Rod Issac Sophomore 5-11 1683 Marcus Udell Junior 6-0 190

CB7 Alex Suber Junior 5-9 16525 Ted Riley Senior 6-1 188

SS8 Anthony Glover Senior 6-2 21333 Kevin Brown Sophomore 6-1 194

FS20 Jeremy Kellem Sophomore 5-10 17528 Denzell Guerra Freshman 6-1 195

Plenty of costly injuries derailed MTSU’s 2007 season. Now young and mostly in-experienced, the Blue Raiders are expected to have little margin for error. There areboth good and bad possibilities at each position, but an additional element of cautionthat would turn the season’s outcome ugly. MTSU must avoid such pitfalls to returnto winning football in 2008.

WANTED: A GOOD SEASON

QBGOOD BAD UGLY 

Senior Joe Craddock and sopho-more Dwight Dasher were twoof the Sun Belt’s most effi-cient passers last season(combined 21 TDs, 8INTs). Dasher wasalso the team’sleading rusher.

Though two QBs provide depth,both carry injury issues. Dasher’s 121rush attempts resulted in knee and an-

kle injures last season. Crad-dock originally lost his

starting job after injur-ing his back.

Dasher and Craddock are very com-petitive. Neither will be content watch-ing from the sideline. QBs and coacheshave done well in keeping their compe-tition civil and respectful. The samechallenge will linger all season.

QUARTERBACKS

RBPHILLIP TANNER

showed his speed andpotential with 144yards and 3 TDs vs.Louisville last sea-son. Desmond Gee isa playmaker and two-time All-Sun Belt all-purpose performer.

Quar-terbackDwightDasherhad morerushing yards(530) than Tannerand Gee combinedin 2007. Plus, MTSU averaged 3.5yards-per-carry, second lowest in theSun Belt.

No RB is actually proven as adurable full-time runner. Gee is under-sized and has split time at WR. Tannerwas slowed by injuries last season.

Freshmen stand behind them.

RUNNING BACKS

WR PAT

RICKHONE

YCUT

T hassure hands, andsenior Michael Can-non is reliable. TEsAlvin Ingle, GeneDelle Donne and

Byron McLeodcould be team’s bestpassing targets.

TEs are sub-parblockers thus far.WRs lack speed anddepth, and the onlyremedies wouldcome from unprovennewcomers like El-

dred King, MarcusThurmond and

D.D. Kyles(redshirt).

GEE was movedfrom RB to WR last

season because ofinconsistency atwideout. MTSU

can’t afford such apermanent move this

season because Gee’s expe-rience is needed in the back-field.

WIDE RECEIVER/

 TIGHT END

OLThe line is young,

with no seniorstarters and only one ju-nior, but full of potential. Tackle MarkFisher, thought to be lost for the year,could return from a shoulder injurythis season.

There are no back-ups with significant expe-rience. Fisher and early NFL entryFranklin Dunbar, maybe team’s besttwo linemen, are both gone (at leastearly in Fisher’s case).

Injuries plagued line last seasonand in the spring. Similar bad luckwould bury Blue Raiders. Fisher can’tbe rushed back, but freshmen don’tneed to forfeit a redshirt to fill gaps.

OFFENSIVE LINE

DTTrevor

Jenkins andDE WES HOFACKER

have been overshad-owed by past stars.DE CHRIS MCCOYhad a great spring.Talented youngsterscould prove differ-ence-makers upfront.

MTSU allowed 200 rushing yardsper game last season and graduatedthe league’s best DE duo. DL Imma-neul Chu and DT Andre Wicker are al-ready out with injuries.

MTSU al-lowed 999 rushingyards in the last threegames in 2007. If theyare gashed like thatagain, the Blue Raiders’late-season run willturn flat and titlecontention will beout of the question.

LBThree seniors

and two juniorsmake MTSU’s line-backing corps the

most experiencedposition onthe team.

Danny Carmichael and LonnieClemons both tout All-SunBelt potential.

Andrew Harrington, Ivon Hickmonand Landon Givers have been slowedby injuries. Despite the unit’s experi-ence, only Carmichael was among theteam’s top-6 tacklers last season.

Last year’s LBswere serviceable, but not extraordi-nary. They recorded only two forcedfumbles and no interceptions. Thisseason, the LBs can’t afford to simplyblend in. They must be difference-makers for the defense to succeed.

LINEBACKERS

DBJEREMY KELLEM and Rod

Issac were quick-study freshmenin 2007. CB Alex Suber is theunit’s best, and senior safety An-thony Glover is experienced. Newrecruits include four lauded DBs.

MTSU’s secondarydepth has been strainedby the combination of in-juries and a need fornickel coverages. Threeor four reliable DBswon’t make a difference ifa weak link is still on thefield.

Freshmen were good last year, butwere they aided by all-conference se-niors who are now gone? Leadershipwill be tested early against Troy’s high-powered passing offense.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

ST

Junior David DeFatta is among bestpunters in conference, and MTSU’scoverage teams ranked high nationallyin 2007. Sophomore deep snapperAdam Wade is reliable.

MTSU missed 10kicks (7 FG, 3 PAT) lastseason, perhaps costingit two wins. Its optionsthis season are to dou-

ble DeFatta’s duties,give Matt King another try or relyon true freshman Alan Gendreau.

MTSU doesn’t need all its startersalso playing special teams, so young-sters will be on the field early. And thesooner the placekicking question is an-swered, the better.

SPECIAL TEAMS

WR TE

DLDEFENSIVE LINE

POSITION byPOSITION

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aySaturday 4:05-6:30 p.m.Aug. 3 4:30-6:45 p.m.Aug. 4 5:15-7:30 p.m.Aug. 5 5:15-7:30 p.m.Aug. 6 5:15-7:30 p.m.Aug. 7 5:15-7:30 p.m.Aug. 8 9:05-11:15 a.m.

4:45-6:45 p.m.Aug. 9 3:25-6 p.m.

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r)Aug. 10 Fan Day, 2 p.m.

5:10-6:40 p.m.Aug. 11 8:15-10:30 a.m.

4:30-6:45 p.m.Aug. 12 3:45-6 p.m.Aug. 13 8:15-10:30 a.m.

4:35-6:35 p.m.Aug. 14 4-6:15 p.m.Aug. 15 8:15-10:30 a.m.

4:35-6:35 p.m.Aug. 16 6-8 p.m.Aug. 17 No practiceAug. 18 3:55-6:15 p.m.Aug. 19 6-8 p.m.Aug. 20 5-7 p.m.Aug. 21 3:30-5:30 p.m.Aug. 22 5:05-7:05 p.m.Aug. 23 10:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m.Aug. 24 4:30-6:30 p.m.