Hampden Sydney Week
Following is the first of several posts leading up to this Saturday's game at Hampden-Sydney.
From the D3Football.com 2007 Kickoff Preview Edition:
Hampden-Sydney Tigers
Last playoff appearance: 1977
Last year: 4-6, 4-2 ODAC
Last conference title: 1987
Wins increase from 05-06: Minus-4
Preseason ranking: 104 of 238
Head coach: Marty Favret, eighth season, 46-24
Starters returning: 14 (seven offense, six defense, one special teams)
Position battle to watch: Middle linebacker. Junior Andrew Sellers and sophomore Josh Miller, neither of whom has seen much playing time, will be competing for this spot. The chosen starter will be expected to be key in a rush defense that faltered last season, giving up 166.8 yards per game and a conference-worst 23 touchdowns.
Pressure is on: Craig Warnement. The 6-1 sophomore is a lock as the Tigers' quarterback for '07 after sharing time last season with Bobby Owens, who has transferred to Appalachian State. Warnement -- who threw for more than 1,150 yards last season and connected with the end zone nine times -- doesn't have a lot of power but has a solid touch and toughness that should be welcome in the team's passing game.
Where did he come from? Brett Delk already has four years of college under his belt, but the fifth-year senior will be distancing himself from his old duties to start at free safety. Delk, a 22-year-old former backup quarterback under J.D. Ricca, missed playing during his original senior year and will be a new face to the secondary.
Their season will be defined by: The Sept. 29 game at home against Bridgewater. In many recent years, the matchup between the Tigers and the Eagles have separated the first and second spots in the ODAC. A win for Hampden-Sydney would likely reinstate the team as a top conference competitor.
Predicted record: 6-4, 4-2
Capsule: For the first time since 2000, Hampden-Sydney stumbled to a losing season -- fueled by a struggling passing game and low defensive numbers. The team, however, is getting another fresh perspective this year with an overhauled defensive staff led by coordinator Adam Braithwaite. New schemes will put a greater emphasis toward stopping third-down conversions and improving red-zone performance. The defense should also see boosts from all-conference performer Jamie Edlow at cornerback and Kyle Booker, the team's sack leader. On offense, players in several skill positions have grown into their roles, but questions still linger over whether those aspects can come together at game time. For many teams, the loss of a star running back such as Charlie Omick would be detrimental, especially considering that a rare bright spot in '06 was that the Tigers had the No. 2 rushing offense in the conference. However, junior Josh Simpson, who played the bulk of last year and had 513 rushing yards and averaged 5.8 per carry, will fill the big shoes Omick left. Simpson, a former slot receiver, was an honorable mention all-conference player and led the ODAC in total touchdowns with 12 -- most of them on the ground. His performance this season, though, will depend on Warnement and his maturity into the quarterback position. The sophomore likes to stay in the pocket and is expected to often look toward senior wideout Drew Smith in passing situations. Complementing the skill positions will be two key replacements in the offensive line, which graduated Paul Williams and Ben Niemaseck. Williams' spot will go to fellow high school teammate David Hester, a 6-2 sophomore. The replacement for Niemaseck is up for grabs, with juniors Brian Gay and Landon Portner vying to start there.
From the D3Football.com 2007 Kickoff Preview Edition:
Hampden-Sydney Tigers
Last playoff appearance: 1977
Last year: 4-6, 4-2 ODAC
Last conference title: 1987
Wins increase from 05-06: Minus-4
Preseason ranking: 104 of 238
Head coach: Marty Favret, eighth season, 46-24
Starters returning: 14 (seven offense, six defense, one special teams)
Position battle to watch: Middle linebacker. Junior Andrew Sellers and sophomore Josh Miller, neither of whom has seen much playing time, will be competing for this spot. The chosen starter will be expected to be key in a rush defense that faltered last season, giving up 166.8 yards per game and a conference-worst 23 touchdowns.
Pressure is on: Craig Warnement. The 6-1 sophomore is a lock as the Tigers' quarterback for '07 after sharing time last season with Bobby Owens, who has transferred to Appalachian State. Warnement -- who threw for more than 1,150 yards last season and connected with the end zone nine times -- doesn't have a lot of power but has a solid touch and toughness that should be welcome in the team's passing game.
Where did he come from? Brett Delk already has four years of college under his belt, but the fifth-year senior will be distancing himself from his old duties to start at free safety. Delk, a 22-year-old former backup quarterback under J.D. Ricca, missed playing during his original senior year and will be a new face to the secondary.
Their season will be defined by: The Sept. 29 game at home against Bridgewater. In many recent years, the matchup between the Tigers and the Eagles have separated the first and second spots in the ODAC. A win for Hampden-Sydney would likely reinstate the team as a top conference competitor.
Predicted record: 6-4, 4-2
Capsule: For the first time since 2000, Hampden-Sydney stumbled to a losing season -- fueled by a struggling passing game and low defensive numbers. The team, however, is getting another fresh perspective this year with an overhauled defensive staff led by coordinator Adam Braithwaite. New schemes will put a greater emphasis toward stopping third-down conversions and improving red-zone performance. The defense should also see boosts from all-conference performer Jamie Edlow at cornerback and Kyle Booker, the team's sack leader. On offense, players in several skill positions have grown into their roles, but questions still linger over whether those aspects can come together at game time. For many teams, the loss of a star running back such as Charlie Omick would be detrimental, especially considering that a rare bright spot in '06 was that the Tigers had the No. 2 rushing offense in the conference. However, junior Josh Simpson, who played the bulk of last year and had 513 rushing yards and averaged 5.8 per carry, will fill the big shoes Omick left. Simpson, a former slot receiver, was an honorable mention all-conference player and led the ODAC in total touchdowns with 12 -- most of them on the ground. His performance this season, though, will depend on Warnement and his maturity into the quarterback position. The sophomore likes to stay in the pocket and is expected to often look toward senior wideout Drew Smith in passing situations. Complementing the skill positions will be two key replacements in the offensive line, which graduated Paul Williams and Ben Niemaseck. Williams' spot will go to fellow high school teammate David Hester, a 6-2 sophomore. The replacement for Niemaseck is up for grabs, with juniors Brian Gay and Landon Portner vying to start there.
posted by Pat McConnell | 8:09 AM
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