The Kyyote's Howl

Last season, June Jones found his quarterback to build his duck and cluck offense around.  Kyle Padron showed that he was ready to take the reins, as a freshman.  He will have a great starting line in front of him.  But, depth on the offensive line is a question.The number twos on the depth chart are huge, and may be great, especially in the future, but three of the five are freshmen, and were in high school last year.  The other two are a red shirt freshman, and a junior at center.
     The Mustangs will no longer have their running back Shawnbrey McNeal, who ranked 34th in the nation in rushing last year with 91 yards per game.  Padron will have his talented group of receivers to throw to.  SMU’s offense was ranked 51st in the country, last year.  I would expect their offense to be improved this season.  Padron will be even more comfortable with June Jones’ offense, and although the Mustangs lost McNeal this  team uses the run to keep defenses honest, and to set up the passing game.
     Defense will be the problem, again.  Last year, the defense was ranked 84th in the country.  This year’s defensive line won’t scare anyone.  At linebacker, there is a mix of experience and youth.  The defensive backfield will be tested.  A lot.  The two cornerbacks consist of a senior with 1 season of play, and a red shirt freshman.  The safeties are a junior with two seasons under his pads, and a sophomore with one.
     Defensively, the Mustangs had trouble with the run last season, and it doesn’t look too good for this season, either, and the passing team’s are going to light them up.  That’s a bad combination.  As much as the offense should be improved, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the defense look worse than last season. 
     Then, there is SMU’s 2010 schedule.  While they have four games against some of the worst teams in the country that they should beat easily, they also have eight games against teams that should present real challenges.  In those eight games, some are against teams that should be able to out gun them in shoot outs, and the others are against teams that should just out muscle them.
     Here is the Mustangs’ schedule, and my fearless preseason predictions of their wins and losses;

9/5 @ Texas Tech    L
9/11   Bowling Green    W
9/18 WA St.    W
9/24 TCU    L
10/2 @ Rice    W
10/9 Tulsa    W
10/16 @ Navy    L
10/23 Houston    L
10/30 @ Tulane    W
11/6 @ UTEP    L
11/20 Marshall    L
11/26 @ ECU    L

All Games  5-7
Conference Games  4-4

     I just got off of the phone with Coach Burns, the ex-Miners Defensive Line coach.  Those of you who watched my videos of practice, know that I loved watching him coach his players.  I always said that he wasn’t just building football players, he was building men.  It is the nature of the coaching business that there will always be change.  I don’t remember who said it, but he said the coaching is what you do between firings.  When Coach Patterson was hired as Defensive Coordinator, his specialty is d-line, and so Coach Burns was let go.  Coach Burns understands that this is the nature of college football coaching, and his biggest concern was that his players not think that he had abandoned them.  Coach Burns is a fine coach, and an even better man. 
     He called to share with me his excitment about the success of one of his players.  Steve Riddick, one of El Paso’s own, and a walk on, has been signed by the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.  Steve’s story is a great one.  He just wasn’t supposed to make it, but his hard work, and big heart, overcame any perceived shortcomings he may have had as a football player coming out of high school.  He and his father were one of my early interviews, a few years ago.  Both of them are quiet, soft spoken men.  Both of them exude class, and an inner strength.  I enjoyed watching Steve grow as a football player, but last year was special.  I watched him take on a leadership role, as he worked with his fellow defensive linemen.  He didn’t get all rah rah, or loud.  He would quietly talk with them, instructing them, encouraging them, correcting when necessary, always avoiding making any of it about him, always to make them better, to make his team better. 
     At UTEP’s Pro Day, Steve was getting his chance to show what he could do, when he pulled up with an injury while running his 40′s.  Once again, it looked like he might be counted out.  But, betting against Steve Riddick is a dumb thing to do, unless you are into losing your money.  He got his chance to show them what he could do with the Rough Riders, and they loved what they saw.  It looks like he will see playing time with them right away. 
     I hope to get in touch with him and bring you an interview with the newest member of the Rough Riders.

     Coach Burns was also happy to tell me that Robby Felix had been picked up by the Jets.  Another Miner defying the odds through hard work, determination, and heart.  Congratulations to Robby.

     I asked Coach Burns if he had any irons in the fire, and he told me that he has been hired as the Defensive Line Coach of the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.  He joins Head Coach Dennis Green, and tells me that the Mountain Lions will be a force in the league this upcoming season.  Best of luck to Coach Burns.  I hope that the United Football League is a big success.  There can never be enough good football for us fans.

We have lots of time on our hands, so let’s take a look at Conference USA West for 2010.  I am going to start with the University of Houston.
     In 2009, the University of Houston went 10-3 before losing to the Air Force Academy 47 to 20 in the Armed Forces Bowl.  Two of those wins were by a single point, beating Texas Tech 29-28, and Tulsa 46-45.  In Total Offense, Houston’s team was the nation’s leader, piling up 563 yards per game.  Their leader, quarterback Case Keenum, was the nation’s leader in Total Offense with his 416 yards per game.  But, as is often the case with teams with high octane offenses, that offense was offset to some degree by a defense that was one of the worst in the country.  Giving up 451 yards per game earned them the 111th spot on the list of 120 teams in the FBS Division.
     The offense should hold on to their number 1 ranking, as they return the key members of their offense.  Case Keenum will have his four best pass catchers back.  James Cleveland, Tyrone Carrier, Patrick Edwards, and Charles Sims averaged 101, 74, 73, and 54 yards per game, respectively through the air.  Charles Sims chipped in another 49 yards per game on the ground, along with the 52 yards per game contributed by Bryce Beal, the Cougars’ two top running backs.  They will have to replace offensive lineman Carl Barnett, who started in all of their games.  But, that means that the other four offensive line spots will be filled by returning starters.  So, basically, the best offense in the country will be back, with more experience than the had at the start of last season.
     As for the defense, it is hard to say what to expect when the team loses four of the top seven tacklers on the 111th ranked defense.  That may be a bad thing, or it may be a good thing.  But, presumably, they were better than the ones coming up.  But that was last year, and this is this year.  The Cougars are switching to a 3/4 defense this season.  The team’s leader in tackles per game was middle linebacker Marcus McGraw, and he will return for the 2010 season.  He made seventy-five solo tackles, and assisted on eighty-one others.  But, they lose numbers 2 and 6 of their players with the most tackles in Outside Linebackers C.J. Cavness, and Tyrell Graham.  Those two accounted for 92 solo tackles, and another 120 assists.  Last year, the Cougars ranked 115th in rushing defense, and losing Cavness and Graham may hurt them as they try to improve on that.  Their Pass defense ranked 72nd, giving up 225 yards per game.  The lose two of their top three cornerbacks, Brandon Brinkley and Carson Blackmon.  Brinkley had 50 solo tackles and 4 interceptions, and Blackmon had 29 solo tackles, and 1 interception.  They will have Jamal Robinson back at cornerback.  He led the team with 5 interceptions, and was eighth on the list of tacklers with 38 solos and 20 assists.
     I predict that their offense will remain the best in the land, but their defense will be as bad, and maybe worse than it was last season.  They lost some key players, and are putting in a new defense.  I see them winning 7 and losing 5 of their games.  Here is their schedule, and my predicted wins and losses.

 9/ 4  Texas State @ Houston    W
 9/10 UTEP @ Houston     L
 9/18 @ UCLA    W
 9/25 Tulane @ Houston    W
10/ 9 Miss. St. @ Houston    L
10/16 @ Rice    W
10/23 @ SMU    W
10/30 @ Memphis    W
11/ 5 UCF @ Houston    L
11/13 Tulsa @ Houston    W
11/20 @ So. Miss.    L
11/27 @ Texas Tech    L