Cards Plan No Hospitality This Homecoming
When the Louisville Cardinals return to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium this weekend for Homecoming 2008, do not expect them to be in a cordial hosting mood. With Middle Tennessee State coming to town, the 3-2 Cards hope to avoid a repeat of last season’s PlayStation-like match-up against the Blue Raiders and move a step closer to bowl eligibility. Louisville and MTSU took turns running all over one another in 2007, to the tune of nearly 1,300 total yards, an even 100 points, and bruised egos for both defenses in a 58-42 Louisville win that felt anything but satisfying.
Now the Raiders return for the finale of this three-game series, looking once again the anemic offensive part that they were in most of their eleven other 2007 games. They will meet a Cardinal defense that has improved by leaps and bounds since that forgettable September evening, hoping to heal the scars left by last year’s Blue Raider team. Will Louisville and their defense atone for last year’s meeting? Can Middle Tennessee repeat their offensive explosion once again? We get to know the Raiders “Behind Enemy Lines”.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (2-4, 1-3 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill (14-17 record at MTSU, overall)
2007 Record: 5-7, 4-3 Sun Belt
Returning Stat Leaders: QB Dwight Dasher (530 rushing yards), QB Joe Craddock (1,259 passing yards, 12 TD’s), RB Desmond Gee (382 receiving yards, 4 TD), CB Alex Sumber (59 tackles), LB Lonnie Clemmons (3.5 sacks), S Jeremy Kellem (3 INT)
Other Key Players: LB Danny Carmichael, DE Wes Hofacker, WR Malcolm Beyah, WR Patrick Honeycutt, DT Trevor Jenkins, OL Jamal Lewis, OL Mark Thompson, RB Phillip Tanner
Key Losses: DE Tavares Jones, DE Erik Walden, RB DeMarco McNair, S Damon Nickson, TE Clinton Corder, OL Franklin Dunbar, WR Taron Henry, OL Brandon Nix, CB Roy Polite, CB Bradley Robinson, LB Derek Shropshire
What They’re Saying
For the bulk of Louisville fans who haven’t repressed the nightmarish memories of last year’s meeting between the Cards and Raiders, a quick look down the MTSU depth chart is enough to get the blood pressure boiling. Almost all the usual suspects return from the team that cut up Louisville’s defense for 555 total yards of offense: Joe Craddock, Desmond Gee, Phillip Tanner, Patrick Honeycutt. But what the depth chart doesn’t tell you is how much of an anomaly last year’s offensive blitzkrieg was for the Blue Raiders.
A team which showed so much promise with their aggressive, frenetic play during Coach Rick Stockstill’s 2006 debut (culminating in the team’s first-ever bowl bid and a Sun Belt Conference title) became little more than a one-game wonder in 2007. Despite the video game numbers they laid on Louisville, Middle Tennessee managed just 24 points and a shade over 300 yards of offense per game the rest of the season. It was a recipe for a sub-.500 finish and a 4-3 Sun Belt record.
“MTSU was young and inconsistent,” says Adam Sparks, journalist with the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. “Injuries slowed them down late in the year. Keep in mind, they scored 40-plus points three times, so that potential was always there.”
And much of that potential has returned in 2008, but still without the production. That may have a lot to do with the lack of returning talent on both lines, where the Raiders have struggled to find capable experienced bodies to create running lanes, give their quarterbacks time in the pocket, and disrupt the opposing offense. Gone are stand-out defensive ends Tavares Jones (team-high 7 sacks & 61 tackles) and Erik Walden (2 sacks, 46 tackles), leaving few difference-makers up front for MTSU.
“Middle has an extremely solid front four with a good deal of experience,” says Chip Walters, color commentator for the Blue Raider Radio Network. “However, you don’t have a guy like Walden that just blew up plays right and left. This group probably contains better, but may not have some of the flashy stats.”
“Walden and Jones were NFL-caliber guys,” adds Sparks. “MTSU is still looking for another pair like that.”
In the interim, the bulk of the playmaking duties have fallen to the linebackers and secondary for better or worse. The unit has been led this season by sophomore S Jeremy Kellem and junior LB Danny Carmichael. The pair rank 1-2 in tackles on the team while adding a combined 5 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions, and a sack.
LB Ivon Hickman (40 tackles, team-high 6.5 TFL), DB Alex Suber (team-best 2 INT), and S Anthony Glover have also shown flashes.
Says Walters, “The linebackers have played very consistently this year and Carmichael is the best cover guy out of that group. In the secondary, Suber and Glover have been playing very well of late.”
“Kellem has unbelievable instincts for such a young player,” says Sparks.
“They best stat to sum up Kellem’s knack for being around the ball is that he has either forced or received 11 turnovers in 18 career games. He’s not overly impressive athletically, but he’s a real good, smart football player.”
None of that has seemed to help a unit that is in the bottom half of almost every meaningful defensive statistic, however. Opponents have been equal opportunity in cutting up the Raiders on the ground (137.8ypg, 65th nationally) and through the air (220.7ypg, 81st) while scoring better than 23 points per game (57th nationally). A weak pass rush (1.3 sacks per game, 86th) has given opponents far too much comfort behind the line of scrimmage.
“There’s only nine seniors on the team (tied for lowest in the nation),” notes Sparks, “and youth has slowed some progress. The D-line has played fairly well, but there are no all-conference difference makers up there yet.”
Offensively, the Raiders may find themselves in full QB controversy mode as the team takes the field Saturday. Senior QB Joe Craddock has been steady but unspectacular as the team’s starter, throwing for 1,369 yards and seven touchdowns in six games. But his performance last weekend against Florida International, in which he threw two interceptions and completed just 7-of-12 passes for 25 yards, gave way for Dwight Dasher in the second half. The sophomore responded with two scoring drives for MTSU and helped the team enjoy its best rushing performance of the season (171 yards, 2 TD’s).
“This past week at FIU, Craddock did not play very well while Dasher played pretty well for the first time this season,” says Walters. “In fairness to Dasher, it was his first opportunity to play more than a series or so. He gave the offense a much-needed spark.”
Head coach Rick Stockstill has already announced that Dasher will get an opportunity to play a larger role in the offense, but much of that will depend on the players’ performances leading up to kick-off.
“You’ve heard me say it a million times: I believe in competition,” Stockstill told The Tennesseean this week. “I think Dwight, based on his performance in that game, deserves and merits a little more playing time. So we’ll go through this week of practice and have a plan for Saturday.”
Regardless of who lines up behind center, it will be important to find time in the pocket and/or running lanes for themselves and the running back duo of Phillip Tanner and Desmond Gee. Behind a line even more inexperienced than their defensive counterparts, MTSU’s offense has bogged down often while ranking as one of the worst in the country rushing the ball (83.8ypg, 115th nationally) and punching it in to the end zone (17.3ppg, 108th).
“I think the offensive line issues have probably been the biggest contributing factor (to the poor rushing statistics),” says Walters. “Their lack of overall experience has shown up here. Desmond has had zero success running the ball this year. I feel he’s much better in space. I think teams are also making sure he’s accounted for on every play.”
“Youth is more of a problem than health right now,” adds Sparks, referring to the wave of preseason injuries on the offensive line. “Among the top 9 linemen, there are 4 freshmen and 3 sophomores. They’ve been OK pass protectors, but run blocking has been a problem.”
“With guys coming right out of high school or only one year removed from it, many of the linemen are still undersized strength-wise.”
When Craddock and Dasher have found time, their favorite target has undoubtedly been freshman WR Malcolm Beyah. The Top 100 athlete recruit (Rivals) and Atlanta product has burst onto the scene, leading the Raiders in receiving yards (429) and touchdowns (4) while sporting a ridiculous 19.5 yards per catch average. Eye-popping stats, and ones that have already earned him midseason All-Sun Belt accolades from Phil Steele.
“I’m sure the coaches can give you all the technical reasons why Malcolm has been successful,” says Walters. “To me, it’s pretty simple…he’s very talented and flat goes and gets the football. He’s one of those guys that has a knack for making big plays and doesn’t mind using the middle of the field to do it. He’s a winner.”
When the team isn’t going deep to Beyah, it is usually Patrick Honeycutt hauling in the possession passes. The junior leads the team with 28 receptions for 253 yards and a pair of scores.
“Beyah has been Mr. Big Play,” says Walters, “but Honeycutt has been Mr. Consistency with 20 catches against Arkansas State and FAU…most ever by an MT receiver over a two-game span.”
What They Expect
Despite their youth and shortcomings, both Sparks and Walters expect an exciting game Saturday against the Cards.
Says Sparks, “The offense has been sluggish lately, but it’s never boring. Offensive coordinator G.A. Mangus is creative and he likes to throw it a lot. I expect MTSU to try a lot of different things on Saturday and test Louisville’s speed early in the game.”
“The last two MTSU-Louisville games have at least been exciting early on. I expect the same out of this one — at least early on.”
Odds & Ends
More on WR Malcolm Beyah from Adam Sparks: “He’s very fast, though his stride looks effortless. He was one of the fastest high school sprinters in the country. But a lot of freshmen are fast, but his play-making ability is beyond his years. He made a great catch-and-run to put away Maryland, and his Hail Mary game-winning catch against Florida Atlantic was MTSU’s play of the year.”
Sparks on the running game: “Louisville fans saw the best game of DeMarco McNair and Phillip Tanner’s careers. Tanner and Gee have had little running room. The line (and blocking by young WR’s) has been a work in progress. Gee had a real good game receiving against Kentucky, and that’s his better role. Tanner and Gee are both breakaway backs, but they haven’t seen much daylight yet.”
Sparks on the QB controversy: “Joe Craddock is the better passer, and Dwight Dasher is the better runner. But they are both dual-threat QB’s. Some think MTSU should start giving Dasher more playing time to prepare him for next season, since he’ll be the full-time starter, and bowl hopes are probably over this season. But that’s not really Stockstill’s style. Craddock is still the better option of the two, but Dasher has a play-making ability MTSU has lacked the last couple of games. Both QB’s will play early against Louisville, and then the one with the most success will finish off the game (if it’s close).”
* Chip Walters says DE Wes Hofacker is expected to be back and fully healthy for the first time since injuring his leg against Florida Atlantic. The senior has 11 tackles and a sack in five games played this year.
