Conference USA preview: Central Florida new Golden child
DeAngelo Williams might be gone, but Conference USA should still sport one of the top running backs in the nation again in 2006.
Who could possibly fill the shoes of Williams, who rushed for 1,964 yards and 18 touchdowns last year, finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting and was picked 27th overall in the NFL Draft? Just remember this name: Kevin Smith.
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| George O'Leary presided over a historic turnaround at Central Florida last season. (Getty Images) |
Thanks in large part to Smith's running, the Golden Knights staged one of the most amazing turnarounds in college football history -- from 0-11 in 2004 to 8-5 and the school's first bowl bid in 2005.
Smith even saved his best for last, setting a Hawaii Bowl record for yards rushing (202) and longest rush (a 78-yard TD scamper, one of his three scores on the day). Alas, UCF lost the game 49-48 in OT to Nevada, but Smith put the nation on notice.
"It was a good year, but that wasn't the best I can do," Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. "I could have done a lot better. Last year just drives me to come in here and work harder."
Besides being a year older and wiser, Smith has the good fortune of running behind the most experienced offensive line in the country. Tackles Patrick Brown and Josh Sitton, guards Kyle Smith and L.J. Anderson and center Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, a preseason all-conference first team selection, have combined for 93 starts.
What's more, defenses won't be able to focus on stopping Smith, as the Golden Knights' aerial attack isn't too shabby with Steven Moffett (22 TD passes, 9 INTs in 2005) under center and Mike Walker, considered one of the top receivers in the league, snagging passes.
Though it all seems aligned for Smith to become a national sensation, coach George O'Leary remains cautious when speaking of his star pupil.
"To me, you are not a special back until you do it for three or four years," O'Leary said. "He has the chance to be a special back. When you have freshmen success, the biggest thing is mental. He can be special if he continues to get better."
Offensive MVP
Jordan Palmer, UTEP: The senior QB, the younger brother of Bengals QB Carson, looks to add to his school records for passing yards (7,489) and touchdown passes (62). He threw for 3,503 yards and 29 touchdowns last season and could very well improve upon those numbers in 2006.
Defensive MVP
Larry McSwain, UAB: The dominating defensive end (6-feet-1, 255) is one of the lone bright spots for a UAB team expected to finish in the basement of C-USA East. After a 2004 season in which he finished fourth in the nation with 13 sacks, he drew extra attention in 2005 but still picked up conference defensive player of the year honors after recording 53 tackles and four sacks.
| Conference USA | |
| Predicted Finish | |
| | |
| 1. Central Florida | |
| 2. Southern Miss | |
| 3. East Carolina | |
| 4. Memphis | |
| 5. Marshall | |
| 6. UAB | |
| | |
| 1. UTEP | |
| 2. Tulsa | |
| 3. Houston | |
| 4. SMU | |
| 5. Tulane | |
| 6. Rice | |
| Team to beat: | |
| Central Florida | |
| Sleeper team: | |
| East Carolina | |
| Offensive MVP: | |
| Jordan Palmer, UTEP | |
| Defensive MVP: | |
| Larry McSwain, UAB | |
| Coach of the year: | |
| George O'Leary, UCF | |
East
1. Central Florida: After a dreadful 0-11 campaign in 2004, the Golden Knights improved by leaps and bounds in 2005, advancing to the first C-USA championship game (as host, no less) and earning the first bowl berth in school history. Expectations are high with nine starters returning on each side of the ball, most notably RB Kevin Smith, who could make a run at conference MVP honors. If QB Steven Moffett makes strides like he did last season, UCF will be tough to stop on offense.
2. Southern Mississippi: The Golden Eagles have earned a bowl berth in eight of the past nine seasons and with coach Jeff Bower still in control, there's no reason to think they won't make it nine of 10. Finding a viable replacement at QB for three-year starter Dustin Almond will be key. Jeremy Young is the favorite, but he'll receive competition from Stephen Reaves, a transfer from Michigan State.
3. East Carolina: The Pirates might very well be improved from last year, but they could be hard-pressed to show it thanks to a grueling schedule that features eight teams that made a bowl a year ago. With a backfield in flux, East Carolina will air it out with senior QB James Pinkney and exciting WR Aundrae Allison, who had 83 catches for 1,024 yards and seven TDs a year ago.
4. Memphis: The offense is a big question mark. Last year injuries decimated the QB position, but fortunately they had star RB DeAngelo Williams in the backfield. That's not the case this year as the burden of carrying the load falls on Joseph Doss, but at least he has the entire starting offensive line back. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski is another big loss for Tigers.
5. Marshall: There's a lot of promise for the Thundering Herd, who struggled last year after losing 25 seniors and returning only six starters from the previous season. This season there's a bit more stability with 10 starters back on offense and eight on defense. Led by versatile RB Ahmad Bradshaw (1,382 all-purpose yards, 10 TDs), Marshall is especially deep in the backfield.
6. UAB: With the departure of record-setting QB Darrell Hackney and its top two receivers from a year ago, it looks to be a rebuilding year at UAB. It's not all bad news for the Blazers, who feature one of the best defensive players in the country in defensive end Larry McSwain. Over the past two seasons, McSwain has 109 tackles and 17 sacks.
West
1. UTEP: After an 8-1 start, the Miners ended last season in disappointing fashion, losing their final three games. There are questions at running back, but with quarterback Jordan Palmer returning, the offense is in good hands. He should team with WRs Johnnie Lee Higgins and Joe West to produce some serious yardage and points. The team as a whole must cut down on turnovers, finishing minus-10 in turnover margin in 2005.
2. Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane are looking for a repeat performance after claiming the inaugural C-USA title game, but it won't be easy. The defense returns nine starters and while it's a solid unit, ranking among the best in the nation against the pass, it's the offense that will probably make or break Tulsa's season. Even with the loss of All-American tight end Garrett Mills, coach Steve Kragthorpe believes the offense will be explosive.
3. Houston: Last season, the Cougars looked like world-beaters at times and played down to their competition at others. Kevin Kolb is an experienced signal caller who has a cannon for an arm. He will team with WR Vincent Marshall for one of the top passing combos in the nation. The defense returns 10 starters and will be counted on to step up if the Cougars are to return to the postseason.
4. SMU: It has taken awhile, but the Mustangs have climbed their way back to respectability. SMU ended last season with a three-game win streak, its longest since 1999, and defeated three bowl teams, including handing TCU its only loss. However, it might be tough to build on that momentum as the Mustangs do not have a QB on their roster who has ever taken a snap in a Division-I game.
5. Tulane: At the very least, the Green Wave should have a bit more stability than the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged season of a year ago, when they were forced to play 11 games in 11 different stadiums. The offense is in good hands at QB with either Lester Ricard or Scott Elliot. Defensively, though, they lost six starters -- all three linebackers and three defensive backs.
6. Rice: Todd Graham takes the reins of a team that has just one win in its past 17 games. His biggest job will be fixing a defense that allowed a whopping 454.5 yards per game last season. Though a new QB takes over, the offense isn't in bad shape with nine starters returning, including RB Quinton Smith, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season.
