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2010 Conference USA Preview
East Division Predictions
Conference USA East division has been very strong in recent years. Last year saw Skip Holtz's East Carolina Pirates take top honors and earn a trip to the C-USA title game. They won that game over East champ Houston. With Skip Holtz gone, ECU will have plenty of competition. They barely held off UCF last year, and UCF will be tough yet again. Let's take a look at the top teams in C-USA East.
UCF Knights - This school of 53,000+ students is ready to make
some noise with 15 starters back from an 8-5 2009 team. RB Brynn Harvey rushed
for 1,000+ yards last season, but he suffered a knee injury in the spring and is
expected to miss at least four games. In his absence sophomore Jonathan Davis is
expected to get the majority of the carries. There is a four way battle for the
starting QB job between Rob Calabrese, Andy Slowik, Jeffrey Godfrey, and LD
Crow. It looks like Calabrese is the most likely candidate to win the job, but
Auburn transfer Crow and the others will make him work for it.
The offensive line is very experienced thanks to the return of 1st Team All-CUSA
member Jah Reid. The DBs and LBs look to be stronger. The defensive line looks a
bit thin and has little depth. If any of the starters get hurt they could find
themselves in trouble. Special teams looks like a bright spot. The schedule Is
soft for the Knights. They season may come down to a game against Southern Miss
and then a subsequent game against what is most likely to be Houston. Look for
UCF to put in a valiant effort all year long.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles - Last year could've ended on a strong
note, but Southern Miss failed to down Middle Tennessee in the New Orleans Bowl.
Their final record for 2009 was 7-6 and every game they played was close. They
bring back just 3 offensive starters, but 9 members of last years defense are
back. The Golden Eagles own the best 1-2 QB combination in
Conference
USA. Both Austin
Davis and Martevious Young are capable of doing big things. The offensive line
and running backs both have very little experience. Freshman Kendrick Hardy
could be an impact player at RB.
Linebackers and Defensive Backs both look like bright spots for the Golden
Eagles. They return 1-2 top tacklers Korey Williams and Ronnie Thornton. The
defensive line is arguably the best in C-USA.
Nose Tackle Anthony Gray is a force on the line. Arkansas transfer John
Henderson will be an impact player on the defense. The Golden Eagles must travel
to play UCF, but get Houston, and ECU at home. Thanks to a strong defense
Southern Miss will compete with UCF for top honors in
Conference
USA
East.
UAB Blazers - It looks like this team will be improved thanks to
the return of 7 offensive starters and 9 defense starters. They finished a
lackluster 5-7 in 2009. David Isabelle takes over at QB. The lanky sophomore has
a strong arm, but is likely to suffer some growing pains in his first year as
the starter. Losing star RB Joe Webb will hurt the Blazers. The offense will be
aided by a strong offensive line and great WRs. The defense is very solid,
particularly on the defensive line and at LB. The DBs will move way up. Touhg
games on the road against SMU, Tennessee, UCF, and Southern Miss will define the
season. Look for the Blazers to win 7-8 games.
Marshall Thundering Herd - With a name like Doc Holliday, but
could this coach not right the ship at Marshall? After all, he gets back 14
combined starters from a 7-6 team that won the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl over
Ohio under the guidance of interim coach Rick Minter. The offense gets back WR
Antavious Wilson who picked up 724 yards on 60 recs, but loses big time running
back Darius Marshall. The Thundering Herd may have problems putting up points
this year. The defense looks strong thanks to a great LB group and a strong
defensive line. A favorable schedule in
Conference
USA means they
could compete for top honors. They are the wildcard of this
conference.
East Carolina
Pirates - This team did great to finish 9-5 and take top honors in
Conference
USA last year.
They did so well that Coach Skip Holtz was lured to South Florida. New HC Ruffin
McNeil inherits 6 starters on offense and just 2 on defense. The three-peat will
be very hard to pull off under these circumstances. They lost 28 Seniors overall
and some defensive starters that will be playing in the NFL this season. They
must replace QB Patrick Pinkney and top rusher Dominque Lindsay. On the bright
side, they do retain their top two WRs. While things don't look great, it's
important to remember that
East Carolina had been making strides each year under Skip Holtz which was a
big boost to recruiting efforts. This team doesn't lack talent, so don't write
them off just yet.
Memphis Tigers - Well, you can't be good at basketball, AND
football, right? That's true for most schools and Memphis is one of them. They
bring back 13 starters form a 2-10 team in 2009. The Tigers will play 4 of their
first 6 games on the road and they will be the underdog in almost every game
this year. They will continue to rebuild in 2010 under new 38 year old head
coach Larry Porter. It wouldn't be much to ask for this team to improve upon
last seasons 2-10 mark. A .500 record would be a fantastic goal to shoot for and
certainly possible.
The Conference
USA
East
division looks like a competitive race in 2010. The UCF Knights are the
front runners, but even the Knights have chinks in their armor. Look for
Southern Miss, and even UAB to make a run for the top spot. The winner of the
East is likely to face
Houston in the C-USA
Championship game. We will go with UCF to breakthrough and win the
East after finishing
second last year.
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