S.C. college outlook
The Citadel
2007 — 7-4, tied for third in Southern Conference
Coach — Kevin Higgins, fourth season (16-17)
Outlook — Higgins has improved the Bulldogs’ victory totals in each of his first three seasons, including the school’s first winning campaign in a decade. The seven victories from a year ago were the most for the Bulldogs since going 11-2 and winning the SoCon title in 1992. The offense finished fourth in points per game last season and set several school records, including most passing yards and most passing TDs in a season. Expect the Bulldogs to keep passing this year with junior receiver Andre Roberts and sophomore Bart Blanchard at quarterback. The unit will have to replace Tory Cooper, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
The defense will feel some big losses from the departure of all-Southern Conference players Kendrick Lyles at defensive line, Andrew Rowell at linebacker and Joshua Lawson at defensive back. The replacements had better be ready quickly: the Bulldogs head to Clemson the second week of the season.
2008 Citadel schedule
8/30 Webber International 7 p.m.
9/6 @ Clemson 3:30 p.m.
9/20 Princeton 1 p.m.
9/27 Western Carolina 1 p.m.
10/4 @ App. State 3 p.m.
10/11 Elon 2 p.m.
10/18 @ Furman 2 p.m.
10/25 @ Samford 3 p.m.
11/1 Georgia Southern 1 p.m.
11/8 @ Wofford 3 p.m.
11/15 Chattanooga 2 p.m.
11/22 @ Florida TBA
Furman
2007 — 6-5, tied for third in Southern Conference.
Coach — Bobby Lamb, seventh season (49-24)
Outlook — Whatever Furman achieves this season, it will be done without their powerhouse runner “The Purple Bus,” Jerome Felton. Fullback Felton and tailback Cedrick Gipson, also gone, combined for 5,318 yards and 75 TDs in their careers. Brantley Kendall will get the first crack at replacing Felton, while Mike Brown will take over for Gipson. There will be a new quarterback, too, with Jordan Sorrells in for departed Renaldo Gray.
On defense, just four starters return from a group that led the Southern Conference against the run but was eighth in the league vs. the pass. The leader should be nose guard Justin Brown, a two-time all-SoCon selection.
2008 Furman schedule
8/30 Mars Hill 7 p.m.
9/6 @ Virginia Tech 1:30 p.m.
7/13 @ Colgate 1 p.m.
7/20 Delaware 2 p.m.
7/27 Chattanooga 3:35 p.m.
8/4 @ Elon 1:30 p.m.
8/11 Western Carolina 2 p.m.
8/18 The Citadel 2 p.m.
8/25 @ Appalachian State 3:30 p.m.
11/1 @ Samford 3:05 p.m.
11/15 @ Georgia Southern 3:05 p.m.
11/22 @ Wofford 12:05 p.m.
Wofford
2007 — 9-4, first in Southern Conference.
Coach — Mike Ayers, 21st season (132-93-1).
Outlook — Wofford comes in as the Southern Conference’s defending champion. Although tied with national champ Appalachian State last season at 5-2 in the league, the Terriers got the SoCon’s automatic NCAA berth because of their 42-31 victory over the Mountaineers during the regular season. On offense, Wofford will have to replace longtime starters in quarterback Josh Collier and runner Kevious Johnson. Collier started the past three seasons, while Johnson led the club in rushing four of the past five years. Ben Widmyer should get the call at QB, while returnees Dane Romero and Jeremy Marshall will lead the backfield.
Wofford’s defensive strength should lie in its linebackers, where all-Southern Conference performer Seth Goldwire should lead the way. He led the Terriers with 108 tackles last season.
2008 Wofford schedule
8/30 Presbyterian 7 p.m.
9/6 @ Charleston Southern 1:30 p.m.
9/20 @ South Carolina TBA
9/27 @ Georgia Southern 7 p.m.
10/11 Chattanooga 2 p.m.
10/18 Western Carolina 1:30 p.m.
10/25 @ Elon 3 p.m.
10/31 @ App. State 8 p.m.
11/8 The Citadel 3 p.m.
11/15 @ Samford 3 p.m.
11/22 Furman 1:30 p.m.
Charleston Southern
2007 — 5-6, fourth in Big South
Coach — Jay Mills, sixth season (27-28)
Outlook — Charleston Southern took a step back last year after its two best seasons in 2005 (7-4) and 2006 (9-2). The offense features senior receiver Dee Brown, who caught 69 passes for 898 yards and nine TDs last season. Brown’s catches and yards led the Big South. Quarterback is a big question mark. Eli Byrd and Sidney Bryant alternated there last year, but left the program. It could be up to former Clemson passer Tribble Reese to get Brown the ball. Reese transferred from the Tigers this past season.
The Buccaneers’ defense must replace some of its most important parts. Gone are linebacker Jada Ross, who led the Big South with 131 tackles last season. The team also is without four of its other eight top tacklers from 2007. The group’s strength this year could be the secondary, led by returnees Josh Warrior and Okeba Rollinson.
2008 Charleston Southern
schedule
8/28 @ Miami 7:30 p.m.
9/6 Wofford 1:30 p.m.
9/13 @ Miami University (Ohio) 3 p.m.
9/27 North Greenville 1:30 p.m.
10/4 Gardner-Webb 1:30 p.m.
10/11 @ Savannah State 2 p.m.
10/18 @ Stony Brook 3 p.m.
10/25 @ Liberty 3:30 p.m.
11/1 V.M.I. 1:30 p.m.
11/8 Presbyterian 1:30 p.m.
11/15 Edward Waters 1:30 p.m.
11/22 @ Coastal Carolina 6 p.m.
Coastal Carolina
2007 — 5-6, second in Big South
Coach — David Bennett, sixth season (39-17)
Outlook — Coastal Carolina looks to rebound after the program’s first-ever losing season. Coach David Bennett says the Chanticleers had to rebuild in 2007 after saying goodbye to 36 seniors who helped the team reach the NCAA playoffs a year earlier. Freshman Jamie Childers heads into fall camp as the starting quarterback. However, he could be pressured by senior William Richardson and Wake Forest transfer Zach MacDowall. The offense will be without all-time Big South receiving yards leader Jerome Simpson, drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals last April. The offensive line returns all five starters and should be the backbone of the group.
The defense features all-Big South returnees at linebacker (D.J. Rice, Phillip Oboh) and in the secondary (Marrio Norman, Brandon Autry). The season’s highlight comes early, with the Chants heading to Happy Valley to face Penn State in their first game against a Football Bowl Subdivision team.
2008 Coastal Carolina
schedule
8/30 @ Penn State noon
9/6 Colgate 7 p.m.
9/13 @ Monmouth 1 p.m.
9/20 Towson 7 p.m.
9/27 @ North Carolina A&T 6 p.m.
10/4 LIBERTY 7 p.m.
10/11 @ VMI* 1:30 p.m.
10/18 North Carolina Central 7 p.m.
10/25 Stony Brook 7 p.m.
11/8 @ Gardner-Webb* 3:30 p.m.
11/15 @ Presbyterian 1:30 p.m.
11/22 Charleston Southern 6 p.m.
Presbyterian
2007 — 6-5, ineligible for Big South title as it transitions to NCAA Football Championship Subdivision
Coach — Bobby Bentley, second season (6-5)
Outlook — Presbyterian played better than expected in its first Division I season. The highlight was a 41-34 overtime victory at Coastal Carolina, which had reached the NCAA playoffs in 2006. However, the Blue Hose take on four opponents from the powerful Southern Conference this fall, including three-time defending national champion Appalachian State. The offense is nicknamed the “Hurlin’ Hose” for good reason. They averaged 347 yards passing last season. Tim Webb, who passed for 648 yards in one game last season, is back, as is wideout Terrance Butler, who finished with 1,072 yards receiving.
Presbyterian’s linebackers should be the strength of the defense. Top tackler Antwan Thomas is back, along with fellow backers Chris Bowman and Ryan Anderson.
2008 Presbyterian schedule
8/30 @Wofford 7 p.m.
9/6 Fayetteville State 1:30 p.m.
9/13 @Elon 6 p.m.
9/20 Western Carolina 1:30 p.m.
9/27 @Appalachian State 7 p.m.
10/4 North Greenville, 2 p.m.
10/11 North Carolina Central, 1:30 p.m.
10/18 @ Gardner-Webb, 6 p.m.
11/1, Liberty, 1:30 p.m.
11/8, Charleston Southern, 1:30 p. m.
11/15, Coastal Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
11/22 @ VMI, 1 p.m.
Newberry
2007 -- 9-2, third in South Atlantic Conference
Coach -- Zac Willis, sixth season (33-21)
Outlook -- Newberry is ranked 20th in the 2008 American Football Coaches’ Association preseason poll. This is the second consecutive season Newberry has begun the season in the top 20 of the coaches poll. Newbery garnered 163 votes in the poll. The scarlet and gray finished the 2007 season in the 20th spot.
On September 20, Newberry travels west to play Midwestern State University, which finished 2007 in the 25th spot in the poll and received received nine votes in the preseason poll.
Newberry opens the South Atlantic Conference slate with Carson-Newman College, which is ranked No. 6 in the 2008 preseason poll with 466 points in the poll. The Eagles also received two first-place votes, the third most of any team in the nation. The following week, Newberry hosts Catawba, which is ranked one spot ahead of the scarlet and gray at 19th with 165 points, just two more than Newberry.
Newberry carries a five-game winning streak from the 2007 season into the 2008 campaign, and has a record of 20-4 in the last two years.
2008 Newberry schedule
8/30 Valdosta State 1:30 p.m.
9/11 North Greenville 7 p.m.
9/20 @ Midwestern State 7 p.m.
9/27 Carson-Newman 1:30 p.m.
10/4 Catawba 7 p.m.
10/11 @ Mars Hill 2:30 p.m.
10/18 Wingate 7 p.m.
10/25 @ Tusculum 2 p.m.
11/1 Lenoir-Rhyne 7 p.m.
11/8 @ Brevard 2 p.m.
Benedict
2007: 2-9, 1-8 in SIAC
Coach: Stanley Conner, second year (2-9)
Outlook -- Benedict runs a spread offense and a 4-3 multiple defense. Returning starters include (OL) Stanley Wright, (OL) Jamaal Williams, (RB) Jonathan Cunningham, (RB) Verna Nesmith (LB) Michael Thompson, (LB) James Graham, (WR) Richard Siders.
Key starters lost: QB Marcus Webb, (OL) Michael Spencer, (TB) Elijah Clark, (OL) Melvin Henry, (DL) Donnie Wilcher, (TE) Dwight Junior , (DB) Carl Spellman, (DB) Andre Gladness.
2008 Benedict schedule
8/30 Morehouse College 4 p.m.
(Palmetto Capital City Classic)
9/6 @ South Carolina State 6 p.m.
9/13 @ Tuskegee University 1 p.m.
9/20 Lenoir-Rhyne College 6 p.m.
9/27 Albany State College 6 p.m.
10/4 @ Miles College 2 p.m.
10/11 @ Lane College 5 p.m.
10/18 @ Fort Valley State University 1 p.m.
10/25 Stillman College 2 p.m.
11/1 Kentucky State University 2 p.m.
11/8 @ Clark Atlanta University 2 p.m.
North Greenville
2007: 5-6
Coach: Mike Taylor
Outlook -- The ten-game 2008 campaign will feature four home games and six away games. North Greenville will face three NCAA Division I opponents, five Division II teams, and two schools from the NAIA ranks. NGU will play two Thursday night games, both against nationally ranked teams. One Thursday night showdown will be on the road at Newberry and the other at home against North Alabama.
2008 North Greenville
schedule
8/30 @ Liberty 7 p.m.
9/6 Wingate 7 p.m.
9/11 @ Newberry College 7 p.m.
9/20 Kentucky Wesleyan College 7 p.m.
9/27 @ Charleston Southern 1:30 p.m.
10/4 @ Presbyterian 2 p.m.
10/9 University of North Alabama 7 p.m.
10/18 @ Shorter College 1:30 p.m.
10/25 Edward Waters College 2 p.m.
11/1 University of South Dakota noon
11/8 @ UNC-Pembroke 1 p.m.
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