Defense, worse before it gets better?

[Cadillac]

I'm not abandoning this season by a long shot. I thought it woudl be 6 wins, and I still think it will be. I thought next season we'd be bowling and I still think... Ok, I'm not at all so sure about that now. But like I mentioned in September, I've never followed College football before, so I'm not used to looking at Roster turnover. It scares the hell out of me lol.

The offense looks set right now. I mean, we lose Chase and Pellerin, but we still have Sanders and Givens, not to mention Sledge and a host of youngs guys for depth. The entire starting O-line returns, and we'll have Martin/Mapps/Henderson to carry the ball. We lose Kennedy at TE, but I believe that Chase will excell at that role next season.

The offense should improve dramatically next season.

The defense though...

Who is going to start at DT next season? The line is going to be horribly depleted isn't it? Muse will return on one end position, but outside of that it's going to be anyone's guess. Hawkings, McCarry and Carrington will be back to man the LB spots, and we may be ok at CB with Lowery, McCaan Lindley and Haynes... But what's going to happen when Joe Sturdivant leaves? Who's going to man the Safety positions? It just looks to me like we're going to have gaping holes at the DT and S positions. Is it normal in college football to have to cross your fingers and make the leap of faith that someone will step up next year? Or will there be a host of JuCo kids coming in to fill in some blanks?

Walk me throught the process here, because it's been a [horrible] weekend to be a Mustang/Charger fan.

-CoS

[BUS]

We need a host of JUCO help and we get a few. In the past we did not shop that market very actively. I hope that Orsini is more open to work for faster progress for the football team.

As of now, the only thing I have seen him do fast is fire people.

OK, and help Coach Doherty raise some money but them I thought that groundbreaking was to be this past summer.

[Corso]

The offense looks set right now. I mean, we lose Chase and Pellerin, but we still have Sanders and Givens, not to mention Sledge and a host of youngs guys for depth.

We also lose Ryan Kennedy and Blake Warren. I think we'll be fine at TE with Vincent Chase and Jeff Brock, among others, but we need more help at WR. A youngster or two -- A'Darius Medford? Phillip Burley? -- will have to step up.

The entire starting O-line returns

Actually, LT Darrin Johnson is gone after this year. I think we'll be OK there, though, because Chase Smith has looked very good at times. With a little more experience and consistency, he should be solid.

Who is going to start at DT next season? The line is going to be horribly depleted isn't it? Muse will return on one end position, but outside of that it's going to be anyone's guess.

You're absolutely right. Muse will have to be the leader, but if the 2007 season started today, I guess the starters would be Muse and Handy at DE, and Parham and Berry (?) inside. The defensive line, more than anywhere else, needs JUCO help.

But what's going to happen when Joe Sturdivant leaves? Who's going to man the Safety positions?

This will sound strange, considering how terrific Sturdivant has been, but I feel better about his SS position than I do about replacing Randall Goode at FS. By all accounts, redshirt freshman Bryce Hudman is arguably the best athlete among the safeties, and I keep hearing that he'll be ready to take over for Sturdivant. Who replaces Goode? I don't know.

Also in the mix at CB will be Tim Crosby, who missed the start of the start of the season with some kind of an injury, but supposedly has looked very good in practice. If he pans out, we could have five CBs with usable talent. As for safeties .... I don't know the answer there.

[J.T.supporta]

Tim Crosby was walking around campus at the beginning of the year with a boot on. I believe it might have been a broken foot but I am not for sure.

[Cadillac]

Actually, LT Darrin Johnson is gone after this year. I think we'll be OK there, though, because Chase Smith has looked very good at times. With a little more experience and consistency, he should be solid.

Ooops, looks like a typo on the roster page.

Thanks for the input! I had the DL worked out the same, but with nobody at all starting next to Parham. I hope it's not as bad as all that.

-CoS

[J.T.supporta]

Berry will start at DT.

[mustangfan01]

DT:

Charlie Berry, Chris Parham, Kyle DeGroat, Mickey Dollens, Dominic Pryor....and a big Juco would be nice.

DE:

Cory Muse, Kyle Griffin, Patrick Handy, Adrian Dizer, Zac Thomas at least. DE could use a Juco boost.
The DE talent differential b/w 1st and 2nd string players is significant compared to the rest of our squad's 2 deep...except maybe free safety.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Zac Thomas will most likely play on the inside.
Don't be shocked if Berry doesn't return.
There has been a thought or two, of Handy being moved to the inside.

[jkflamebo]

somebody please give a list of updated injuries, im out of the loop here