2003 Houston Football Preview

Jermain Woodard

History was made on December 6, 2002, when the University of Houston named one of its own, Art Briles, as the new Cougar football coach. Briles not only becomes the 10th coach in school history, but more importantly, he becomes the first-ever former Cougar player to assume the role of directing the UH program.

Briles arrives at his old stomping grounds as one of the greatest prep head coaches in the storied history of Texas football, winning four state championships at Stephenville High School. Briles inherits a Cougar program that is on the rise and coming off a 5-7 mark a year ago. Houston had a +4.5 improvement in the win column from the 2001 season that ranked them fourth best in the nation for Division I-A football programs.

The Cougars return 48 lettermen to kick off the Briles' era at the University of Houston, including eight starters on defense, five on offense and all three specialists. The majority of these lettermen participated in the spring practice, as the Cougars needed this participation with the switch in offensive and defensive philosophies.

After four straight seasons implementing a 4-2-5 defense, Briles will change to a standard 4-3 package with his former Texas Tech co-worker, Ron Harris, directing the UH defense in 2003. As for offense, Briles goes even more high tech than the last staff and the Cougars could present headaches to all 12 defensive coordinators that will have to find a way to stop this innovative offensive attack.

Briles' new offense will employ a variety of schemes, from multiple backs to one back to no backs. Sometimes there will be a tight end, sometimes five wide receivers. There will a lot of passing, but don't be surprised if there is some triple option thrown in. Everything that is possible on offense is included in the new Cougar playbook.

Even with the multitude of returning players, there are still plenty of question marks. How will the team adjust to the new styles on both sides of the ball? Who will replace Joffrey Reynolds at running back and Hanik Milligan in the secondary? Can the Cougars take the next step into the upper echelon of Conference USA and qualify for their first post-season trip since 1996? And, who will direct the UH wide-open offense, now that the quarterback situation has been left in turmoil?

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2003 Cougar squad:

QUARTERBACKS
Entering spring drills this was an area of strength for the Cougars, with two players-senior Nick Eddy and sophomore Barrick Nealy-having started games for Houston during the 2002 season. With Nealy sitting out spring practice while recovering from knee surgery, Eddy picked up the complicated system and looked especially sharp during the entire spring. What was certain quickly turned to uncertainty, as both Eddy and Nealy's status for the fall are up in the air.

Eddy might have to sit out the entire season to concentrate on his studies, while Nealy was contemplating transferring elsewhere. With this critical position in limbo, sophomore Blade Bassler becomes the Cougars' number-one quarterback.

Bassler possesses the attributes of both Eddy and Nealy-big, strong and fleet a foot. He enjoyed a very productive spring, and like Eddy, picked up the nuances of the offensive scheme. After Bassler the depth chart becomes even more complicated, with true freshman Kevin Kolb and two walk-ons, sophomore Matt Stanley and junior Bart Zavaletta, fighting it out to see who backs up Bassler as the season approaches.

RUNNING BACKS
Replacing Reynolds and his Conference USA-record 1,545 yards rushing is a tall order. Stepping into the fray are sophomore Anthony Evans and junior Bobby Tillman. Evans saw plenty of action last season as Reynolds' primary backup, and the former Pearland High School standout rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role.

As for Tillman, he is finally at 100 percent after a series of injuries over the last three years have limited his big-play ability. While Evans is more of an inside-the-tackles runner, Tillman is quick and shifty who can turn it on when getting to the corner. Both should thrive in the new wide-open attack.

When the Cougars go to a two-back set a fullback is needed, and heading into fall there is a three-way battle for top honors. Juniors Carl Francis and Matt Schirmer, as well as redshirt freshman Jackie Battle, will fight it out during fall for the number-one spot. Francis played sparingly last season at fullback, while Schirmer returns back to the offense after one year of playing linebacker. Battle is a converted tailback who still combines speed with his bruising inside running.

In the new scheme the Cougars plan on using a utility back, and former quarterback Shang Moore illustrated in spring camp that he is up to the task. This position could run, receive and pass, thus making it extremely difficult for the UH opponents to gauge the Cougars' next move.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Over the past several seasons this has been an area of strength for the Cougars, and this year is no different. Even with the departures of seniors KeyKowa Bell (35 catches, 422 yards, 2 TDs) and Brian Robinson (29-518-2), the Cougars are loaded again at the wide out spot.

Senior Brandon Middleton returns for his final encore as one of the top deep threats in all of college football. For the second straight season Middleton averaged over 24 yards per catch, ranking him in the top two nationally. He should get more receptions in the new offense and could easily double his total (28) from a year ago.

A pair of sophomores looks to be the next exciting duo to electrify Cougar crowds. Vincent Marshall and Chad McCullar proved during the spring that they not only have big-play ability to compliment Middleton, but also are extremely adept at breaking tackles and beating defenders deep.

The Cougars also will depend on big, physical receivers to take the short-to-intermediate routes across the middle. Former walk-on Harrison Arceneaux will break into the rotation as a senior, and he will be joined by redshirt freshmen Leonard Gibson and Josh Carethers. All are over 6-1, have great hands and are extremely physical on the perimeter.

Don't be surprised if one or two true freshmen crack this rotation. Donnie Avery and Bennie Swain were very highly recruited and could step in immediately and provide instant offense for the Cougars.

TIGHT ENDS
Just like the quarterback situation, the tight end position looked to be a strength of the Cougars coming out of the 2002 campaign. With four soon-to-be seniors on board, Houston had high hopes for this area as the 2003 spring approached. Funny how things can change overnight.

With a need for a tackle, Matt Mattox was switched to this position and excelled during spring and easily made the transition. That left three at this position as spring practice began and ended.

Then, former junior-college All-America Jon Clark decided to transfer back to his home state of Utah, and Jonathan Pritchett was denied a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA (which is still being worked on.) That left Stephen Cucci, a Second-Team, All-Conference USA selection last season and senior walk-on Chioke Lazarus.

Cucci has all the intangibles for a tight end: determined blocking ability, quick feet, good hands and speed down the field. He could easily be another honors candidate this fall. Junior Travis Griffith moves from linebacker to tight end, to help with depth, and if there is one person on the team that can make this difficulty change, it is the extremely gifted and talented Griffith.

Former wide receiver Mark Hopkins also will get a look here during the fall, but he must put on more weight (208 pounds) for the rigors of the tight end spot. Hopkins can still be used as an H-back or the "big" slot receiver.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Senior Rex Hadnot is truly the anchor of this inexperienced offensive line. After two-and-a-half years playing left guard, he moved over to center for the final five games of the season after his best friend, senior Al James, was lost for the year with a devastating knee injury. Hadnot did not miss a beat with the change and was selected Second-Team, All-C-USA for his outstanding season. James' status is still up in the air, so Hadnot will begin the year as the man in the middle for the Cougars. He will be flanked by sophomore Roy Swan-who stepped in for Hadnot and made the Conference USA, All-Freshman Team-on the left and senior Brandon "Bubba" Evans on the right. Swan has quietly developed into a stellar offensive lineman, while Evans already has scouts eyeing him even though he sat out last season after transferring from Division II Wayne State University.

The tackle spot is critical for the success of the Cougar offense, and right now both are manned with inexperienced players. As mentioned, Mattox has made the transition one spot inside and performed well during the spring. On the right side, sophomore David Douglas nailed down the starting nod with a very productive spring; however, neither Mattox nor Douglas has started a Division I-A game on the offensive line, and their first test will be on August 30 against Rice.

As thin as the starting crew is, the depth behind the starters is even thinner. Only junior tackle Phil Hawkins, senior center Jaron Barganier and sophomore John McGilvray have seen action for the Cougars, with only Hawkins and McGilvray actually taking snaps on the offensive line.

This area could see the immediate infusion of youth when the freshmen report this fall. 2003 signees Jeff Akeroyd, Dustin Dickinson and Beau Tuft are slated to be the future of the Cougar line, but their future might arrive sooner than later. Redshirt freshmen Blake Garrison and Jeremy Davis also figure into the mix.

DEFENSIVE LINE
For several years this was an area of concern for the Cougars. Not now. This is the most experienced area on the defensive side of the ball, and it is not only deep, but also extremely talented. Sophomores Matthew Bentley and Kade Lane were starters a year ago at the two tackles spots as true freshmen and were honored by being selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. The athletic Bentley has been moved outside and will compete with junior Kendrick Goss at left defensive end, while the determined Lane is slated to battle the versatile Goss at the right tackle position.

The most talented d-lineman is senior Farouk Adelekan. Penciled in to start at right defensive end, Adelekan should have been selected to one of the post-season league squads last season after leading the Cougars with 18 tackles for losses and nine sacks. He worked his way into a starting role midway through the 2002 season and never relinquished the starting role.

The other tackle spot alongside Lane is currently occupied by sophomore Gerard Richard, a strong, athletic run-stopper who saw limited action as a true freshman a year ago. Another youngster, sophomore Sharod McGowan will head into fall camp looking to usurp the starting nod from Richard.

Several experienced veterans are slated for backup roles, including part-time starters Joe Clay and Ryan Huffman. A junior this fall, Clay should see plenty of playing time at either end spot and is versatile enough to be moved inside if needed. As for Huffman, he enters his senior year with a legitimate shot at earning a starting position at either end spot with a productive camp.

Sophomore Jessie Bryant and redshirt freshmen L.C. Kirkpatrick and Albert Martinez will have their work cut out to crack the linemen rotations; however, all three are extremely gifted and might do enough in the preseason camp to warrant playing time.

LINEBACKERS
The spotlight is on this position after an off-season schematic change added another linebacker to the starting mix. With the move to a standard 4-3, one more linebacker will be on the field, which might play into the talent the Cougars have at this position.

Seniors Damien West and Justin Davis both were starters last season and should be again in 2003. West has solidified his spot at the "Mac" linebacker position in the middle, while the ever-versatile Davis could play all three spots. Davis will battle junior Lance Everson, an up-and-coming defender, at the "Stub" spot and sophomore Bryant Brown-returning after a year away from football-at the "Buck" linebacker.

All four linebackers are physical and fast; athletic defenders who can stuff the run and run with running backs in a moment's notice. This area could easily turn into a strength for the Cougars with the full implementation of Harris' defensive scheme.

As for backups, sophomore Tristen Robertson makes the move from the secondary to serve as the number-two person behind Brown. A mixture of walk-ons (Andrew Reese, Ji Yun and Gus Zavaletta) along with true freshmen (Trent Allen, Wade Koehl and Jason Price) could work their way into the rotation with an eye-opening preseason camp.

SECONDARY
How do you replace Milligan, a one-man tackling machine? That is a tough question to answer as the fall camp approaches. Senior Jermain Woodard looks to be the heir apparent to Milligan's play and leadership in the secondary. Woodard makes the move to strong safety after playing weak safety for two years. Woodard is a tremendous athlete, and he uses his former skills as a running back to make himself a better defender.

Sophomore Will Gulley could be the replacement to the hard-hitting ability of Milligan. Gulley played last season on special teams as a true freshman, but his spring performance elevated him to a starting role at free safety. With more jaw-dropping plays like the ones he had in spring, Gulley's name will soon make its way onto offensive coordinator's lists as players to stay away from.

The Cougars are hoping that University of Oklahoma transfer Brian Hodges will be able to suit up this fall. A big hitter like Gulley, Hodges has been victimized by a series of concussions that has his playing career in jeopardy. If he is given clearance by the UH medical staff, he could be a valuable player for the Cougars in 2003.

Seniors Chad Davis and Corbin Mozisek will serve as backups at the safety positions, with true freshman Marcus Ross waiting in the wings.

At cornerback, Houston possesses experience and depth with the return of seniors Roland Cola and Delenell Reid and junior Stanford Routt. All three of these heady defenders have started games in their UH careers, and the three will battle for the two cornerback positions. The third will be the Cougars nickel back.

Backing up the corners are sophomores Willie Gaston and Roshawn Pope and Arizona State transfer Courtney Sterling. Both former high school quarterbacks, Gaston and Pope have made the transition to the defense with relative ease, and the duo is dangerous enough to be potent return men.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior kicker Dustin Bell is slowly-but-surely establishing himself as one of the top place-kickers in the nation. In his breakthrough season in 2002, Bell was deadly in field goals (12-of-14) and kicked 60 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone with over 43 percent resulting in touchbacks. Bell has finally harnessed the power of his strong left leg and becomes a potent weapon for the Cougars in the third facet of the game.

The punting chores will again fall upon the shoulders of senior Jimmy McClary. McClary flirts with averaging 40 yards per game, but what he lacks in distance he makes up for in hang time and accuracy, as the Cougars' net punting average of 35.89 led Conference USA and ranked 32nd in the nation.

Redshirt freshman Justin Laird can serve as both the backup kicker and punter and will wait his turn to assume these roles.

The return game should be much improved this season with the addition of McCullar to this year's team. The shifty McCullar will be joined by another playmaker, Pope, to give the Cougars' an explosive one-two punch for punt and kickoff returns.

Junior Thomas Gafford, a former walk on, will return again to provide the snaps for field goals, extra points and punts, while junior J.J. Wyatt is listed as the number-one holder as fall camp approaches.