2008 Football Outlook Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year 2008 C-USA Football Coaches Offensive Letterwinners (16)/ in running back Damion Fletcher (5-10, Preseason Awards Starters Returning (6) 177, Jr.) and linebacker Gerald McRath (starters listed in bold) (6-3,220, r-Jr.). Overall, though, the Golden Eagles return Tackle Ryan McKee, Calvin Wilson five starters on offense and four on defense. OL Wesley Housley, Micah Brown, The team will also look to replace the Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Hebert entire defensive line as well as the quarter- Damion Fletcher, RB, Southern Miss Center Cameron Zipp back spot and a pair of starting offensive QB Todd Wilson guard positions. FB Josh Barton Defensive Player of the Year Nine seniors saw a majority of playing RB Damion Fletcher, V.J. Floyd time on the defensive side of the ball and Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson will need to be replaced in 2008, while the WR Gerald Baptiste, Torris Magee, offense lost its two-year starting quarterback Special Teams Player of the Year Ed Morgan, Johdrick Morris, and three members of the interior of the Joe Burnett, PR, UCF Chris Rhoden offensive line. Still, optimism is high for the program First Team Offense The 2008 Season that has never experienced a losing confer- Excitement in Hattiesburg is at an all- ence mark while in C-USA. QB Chase Clement, Sr., Rice time high as the Southern Miss football pro- RB Tarrion Adams, Sr., Tulsa gram enters its 92nd season. The Offense RB Damion Fletcher, Jr., Southern Miss With the announcement of its 18th head The slogan is simply one word - “Attack.” OL Patrick Brown, Sr., UCF coach, Larry Fedora, on OL Robby Felix, Sr., UTEP Dec. 12, 2007, a new era in OL Ryan McKee, Sr., Southern Miss Golden Eagle football has OL Doug Palmer, Jr., East Carolina begun – not only with a new coach but a new addition OL Brandon Pearce, Sr., Memphis to the school’s home facility WR Duke Calhoun, Jr., Memphis as well. WR Jarett Dillard, Sr., Rice Fedora, considered to WR Brennan Marion, Sr., Tulsa be one of the great offen- WR Jeff Moturi, Jr., UTEP sive minds in the game of TE Cody Slate, Jr., Marshall football today, promises to bring an attack offense as the Golden Eagles unveil its First Team Defense South End Zone Complex, DL Albert McClellan, Sr., Marshall which features 34 luxury DL Moton Hopkins, Sr., Tulsa suites, a club seating area DL Philip Hunt, Sr., Houston called the Touchdown DL Zach Slate, Sr., East Carolina Terrace and general seating. DL C.J. Wilson, Jr., East Carolina The Eagle’s Nest is also a LB Joe Henderson, Sr., UAB new feature for the stadium on the East Side, which fea- LB Gerald McRath, Jr., Southern Miss tures a new, chairback seat- LB Brian Raines, Sr., Rice ing area. DB Will Dunbar, Sr., UAB The new additions to the DB Kenneth Fontenette, Sr., Houston program hope to enhance its DB Andrew Sendejo, Jr., Rice illustrious history that cur- DB C.J. Spillman, Sr., Marshall rently includes 14-straight winning seasons, six con- secutive bowl appearances First Team Special Teams and four league champion- K Jose Martinez, Sr., UTEP ships in the 12-year history P Thomas Morstead, Sr., SMU of Conference USA.. KR Darius Marshall, So., Marshall The 2008 Southern PR Joe Burnett, Sr., UCF Miss squad features the Martevious Young Conference USA preseason 32 2008 Southern Miss Football 2008 Football Outlook That is what is expected C-USA Predicted Order of Finish by Fedora and his staff Johdrick Morris as they get ready for East the 2008 season and 1. UCF 67 the unveiling of their 2. East Carolina 60 spread offense at The 3. Southern Miss 49 Rock on Aug. 30, against 4. Memphis 36 5. Marshall 27 Louisiana-Lafayette. 6. UAB 13 As offensive coordina- tor at Oklahoma State, West the Cowboys raised their 1. Tulsa 72 2. Houston 59 offensive totals each year 3. UTEP 42 and in 2006 were one of 4. Rice 32 only two schools in the 5. SMU 29 country to average over 6. Tulane 18 200 yards a game both rushing and passing. Fedora said that the Preseason National Honors philosophy of their suc- Maxwell Award Calvin Wilson cess began at practice and Watch List Gerald McRath that attacking mode began Damion Fletcher then as well. Second Team “We are going to be in Chuck Bednarik Shawn Nelson a hurry up tempo,” Fedora Award Watch Britt Barefoot added. “We are going to List move during practice and Gerald McRath Third Team we are going to coach on Ryan McKee the run. We are going to Bronko C.J. Bailey Nagursky get on and off that field.” Trophy Watch Honorable Mention Although the Golden List Tokumbo Eagles are going to have Gerald McRath Abanikanda to replace Jeremy Young at quarterback and all- Athlon Sports Blue Ribbon conference offensive Preseason Football linemen Chris Clark and ence of the quartet as each have taken a All-American Yearbook Nick Dean, the Golden Eagles have plenty few snaps in their respective Golden Eagle Second Team C-USA of weapons that run from a quality receiving careers. Young saw action in two games last Damion Fletcher Ryan McKee corps to a standout running back to two vet- season. He appeared late in the Tennessee- Damion Fletcher C-USA (Offensive Player erans on the offensive line. Martin game and got a start against Rice, First Team of the Year) Those mixed ingredients should help the but was lost for the season on the third play Damion Fletcher Gerald McRath Golden Eagles as they look for their fifth of the game when he suffered a broken leg. Shawn Nelson (Defensive Player Conference USA championship. Wilson has taken some snaps as a backup to Ryan McKee of the Year) This offense will try to top last year’s Young and Stephen Reaves (Tampa, Fla.) the Gerald McRath DeAndre Brown school-record total offense of 5,066 yards last couple of seasons. C.J. Bailey (Newcomer of the – the first time the school reached the Davis, who signed with the program last Year) 5,000-yard plateau in a season. spring after spending his first year with the Second Team team as a walk-on so that he could play Britt Barefoot Lindy’s The Quarterbacks baseball as well, decided to solely concen- C-USA Phil Steele’s First Team This may be the biggest battle heading trate in the spring with the intent on leading Magazine Damion Fletcher into fall camp as three underclassmen and a the Golden Eagle offense. All-American Ryan McKee senior vie for the job at running the offense. Jefcoat could also see action after Second Team Gerald McRath At the top of the list are Martevious enjoying a stellar career at Itawamba High Gerald McRath Young (6-1, 188, r-So.) and Austin Davis School. Second Team (6-2, 206, r-Fr.). Also vying for the job are C-USA Shawn Nelson Todd Wilson (6-3, 209, r-Sr.) and signee The Running Backs First Team Britt Barefoot Brett Jefcoat (6-1, 200, Fr.). This position starts with its backbone Damion Fletcher Young and Wilson have the most experi- the last two years – Damion Fletcher (5-11, 2008 Southern Miss Football 33 2008 Football Outlook passes thrown to him this fall. If last year’s How the 2008 Defensive Letterwinners (16)/ Papajohns.com Bowl is any indication Golden Eagles Were Built Starters Returning (4) of what is to come this year – 155 yards (starters listed in bold) rushing on 29 carries and seven catches 2008 High School Signees for 50 yards against No. 20 Cincinnati – • Bud Barksdale DL Anthony Gray, Eric Phillips it should be another banner year for the • Darius Barnes LB Tumbo Abanikanda, Roshaad Byrd, two-year starter. • DeAndre Brown • Nick Chartain Brandon Davis, Gerald McRath, Last season, Fletcher rushed for a school • Joe Duhon Jerome Lyons, Kevin North, record 1,586 yards and no other Southern • Brett Jefcoat Martez Smith, Blake Spiers Miss player has run for more yards in con- • Desmond Johnson • Jordan McNair DB C.J. Bailey, Eddie Hicks, secutive seasons (2,974 yards). • Willie Packer Chico Hunter, Michael McGee, Look also for V.J. Floyd (5-10, 186, So.) • Quentin Pierce Eddie Willingham, Justin Wilson to see some snaps after rushing for 93 yards • Terrance Pope • Kendrick Presley on 24 carries during his first season. • Austin Quattrochi 177, Jr.). The 2007 Cellular South Conerly The biggest surprise out of the spring • Marcal Robinson Trophy winner, given to the most outstand- came in the form of junior college transfer • Joel Ross • Quin Sanford ing college football player in the state and Hattiesburg native, Bubba Kirksey • Bo Tillman of Mississippi, looks to become only the (5-10, 179, Jr.), who showed his skills and • Josh Tillman fourth Golden Eagle rusher to run for over impressed the coaching staff at the same • Bruce Wilbourn 3,000 yards as he is 26 yards of reaching time. Isaac Bryant (5-11, 212, r-Jr.) and Junior College Signees that milestone. Kameron Roan (5-8, 160, r-So.) also look • Leroy Banks (Coahoma CC) Look for Fletcher as a double threat to contend for some time at the running • Rolando Barragan (El Camino CC) • R.J. Brown (Jones CC) this season as he could also see more back spot. • Kyle Burkhart (Dodge City CC) Josh Barton (5-11, 213, r-Jr.) • Terrance Conner (Coahoma CC) and Josh Hurd (6-0, 220, r-So) look • Jonathan Massey (Copiah-Lincoln CC) • Freddie Parham (East Central CC) to get most of the fullback snaps while Daren Turner (5-11, 218, Junior College Walk-ons r-So.) will fight for some time there Issac Brown (Hinds CC) as well.