University of Memphis Athletics
1999 Tigers Football Preview
Aug 16, 1999 | Football
Aug. 10, 1999
MEMPHIS - The atmosphere has changed. The look is new. The enthusiasm is contagious. Spirits are high. These were all terms used to describe spring football practice at the University of Memphis. A new defensive coordinator has instilled a rejuvenated confidence in the defensive unit and a new co-offensive coordinator has reestablished a sense of pride in the offensive line.
Head coach Rip Scherer made several changes in his staff during the off season and each move has brought a new spirit to the Tiger football team. John Thompson, the former defensive coordinator at the University of Southern Mississippi, was hired to take over the Memphis defense. Thompson's Golden Eagle defenses had been nationally ranked and led Conference USA in most categories for the three years of C-USA existence.
Mac McWhorter, who had coached the offensive lines at Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Alabama, was brought in to serve as co-offensive coordinator with Rusty Burns. McWhorter worked with the offensive line for just three weeks of spring practice and improvement was seen immediately.
"This is the first time in four years that we will open the fall campaign with the same quarterback that started the final game of the previous season," said Scherer. "Each of the past three years we have had to develop a new leader. Hopefully, we have leaped that hurdle with the return of Neil Suber. He became our starter for the final four games of '98 and we liked some of the things he was able to accomplish on the field. Now he has had a year to mature and continue to learn our system. It's now his team."
Memphis lost just three offensive and four defensive starters from last year's 2-9 squad and a total of just 11 seniors (6 offense, 6 defense, 0 specialist). However, included in that group were wide receiver Richie Floyd, all-conference offensive tackle Ron Sells, all-American defensive end Marquis Bowling and all-Conference USA cornerback Mike McKenzie.
"We spent a great deal of time in the spring reworking the offensive line and trying to solidify our quarterback position," Scherer continued. "Neil Suber demonstrated his talents both last fall and in the spring and we are now putting the team in his hands."
Back for fall camp are 18 returning starters who will provide experience and leadership for the numerous redshirted and true freshmen. There are eight offensive and seven defensive starters returning for 1999 but their names may appear at different positions due to moves made as spring drills progressed.
"We were able to move a few people around, especially in the offensive line, in an attempt to get more experienced players on the field at the same time," Scherer stated. "That was one of our main goals in the spring, to get as many experienced players on the field at one time as we could."
The Tigers will again face a difficult schedule meeting SEC foes Mississippi, Mississippi State and national champion Tennessee, Big-Twelve Conference's Missouri, as well as Conference USA rivals Southern Mississippi, Tulane, Louisville and Army.
The Quarterbacks: For the first time since Scherer's arrival in 1995, the Tigers will open a season with the same quarterback that started the final game of the previous season. Sophomore Neil Suber, who became the starter for the Arkansas State game in 1998 and led the team through the final four games of the 1998 season, will take the helm for the Tigers again fall. In addition to having a starter back at quarterback, the Tigers will also have greater depth at quarterback for the 1999 campaign.
Suber, who saw very limited action in the early part of the '98 season, led the U of M to a victory in his first contest as a starter. He connected on 61 of 124 pass attempts last season for 930 yards and five touchdowns. His 52 yard touchdown pass to Al Sermon in the Minnesota game was the first of his career and set the stage for better things yet to come. The strong-armed quarterback had a season-high 279 yards passing in a close loss to undefeated Tulane University and had 226 yards in the air in the season finale against East Carolina. He completed the longest pass of his career against the Pirates when he hit Dodson from 82 yards out.
Travis Anglin, a standout football and baseball player, was redshirted last season but demonstrated his abilities in the spring. The angular Anglin has been compared to former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig with his talent for running with the ball as well as passing. He could be called on for special offensive assignments this fall in positions other than quarterback.
The Tigers will have three walk-on candidates at quarterback including Michael Harris, Garrick Hrivnak and Scott Scherer. Harris lettered last season as the holder for special teams and completed one pass for a first down in the Arkansas State win. Hrivnak, a transfer from Arkansas State, threw the ball well in the spring, while Scherer, the son of head coach Rip Scherer, was redshirted last season. He too could see work with the Tiger special teams when not used in a backup role at quarterback.
Bran Webb, a high school quarterback from Gilmer, Texas, will enroll this fall but will be redshirted due to his continued rehabilitating of an injured knee. Webb threw for 1,435 yards as a senior and 1,380 yards during his junior season. He will see his first duty with the Tigers in the spring of 2000.
The Running Backs: The Tigers will have a great deal of depth at both running back positions this fall but there will not be much of a battle for the starting spot at tailback.
Starting tailback Gerard Arnold, who set a new Memphis single-season rushing record in 1998, retained the number one tailback position after spring drills. The Lexington, Tennessee, native shattered Dave Casinelli's 35-year old mark by gaining 100 or more yards in six games last season. The Doak Walker candidate has now rushed for 1,672 yards in his career and enters this season ranked 7th on the school's all-time rushing list. The powerful back posted 40 yard dash times of 4.53 for professional scouts during the off-season conditioning period and was compared by several scouts to Dallas Cowboy back Emmit Smith. Arnold was again named to the second team All-Conference USA squad.
Competition at the tailback slot will come from senior Teofilo Riley and speedy newcomers Jeff "Sugar" Sanders, Dernice Wherry and Darche Epting. Also in the mix will be walk-on candidates Aaron Meadows as well as freshmen signees B.J. Edwards and Quinton Coles.
Riley, who has lettered for three seasons, finished last year as the team's second leading rusher. His back-to-back 100 yard games against Louisville and Arkansas State helped put him over 1,000 yards in career rushing and his six rushing scores tied him with Arnold for the team lead. The Memphis native is currently ranked 13th on the Tigers' all-time rushing list with 1,364 yards.
Sanders, who arrived on campus in January of 1998, was impressive in spring practice 1998 rushing for 219 yards and six touchdowns. He displayed a slashing style of running and was expected to bring some much needed breakaway speed to the backfield. However, the Miami native injured his knee in the summer of '98 and had to miss the entire 1998 season. He was redshirted, and after being held out of all contact work in the spring, is now ready for action this fall.
All-state sensations Dernice Wherry and Darche Epting were dominating as high school seniors in Tennessee and Texas. Wherry was considered by many to be the top running back in the state of Tennessee in 1997, while Epting claimed honors in the Dallas area. Wherry rushed for 2,070 yards as a senior and scored 24 touchdowns. Epting gained over 1,700 yards as a senior. Both young backs were impressive in the spring and should fit into offensive schemes this fall.
The fullback position features returning starter Brandon Tucker, three-year letterman Rashad Bailey and walk-on candidate Leonard Willis. Tucker, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship in 1997, was used mainly as a blocking back and for pass protection. Bailey, a three-year letterman, had 10 carries for 15 yards and caught one pass for three yards. Willis , the brother of defensive end Pat Willis, was an all-state fullback at Kingsbury High School in Memphis. He has been a diligent weightroom worker while gaining his eligibility and demonstrated his powerful blocking skills in spring drills.
Arriving in camp this fall will be freshman signees Edwards and Coles. Edwards was the Atlanta 4A Player of the Year for two seasons. He rushed for 2,005 yards and scored 16 touchdowns in 1998. Coles received the Atlanta 3A Player of the Year Award after piling up over 1,500 yards rushing and over 2,000 all-purpose yards.
The Receivers: Perhaps the youngest positions on the offense are the receiver slots. The Tigers have letterman receivers Damien Dodson, Al Sermon and Ken Coutain back for the season but will have to find depth from a number of redshirt and true freshmen. Dodson, who is the school's fourth all-time leading receiver, will have to lead the way for the youthful group.
Dodson led the team in number of receptions and in receiving yards in 1998. The diminutive receiver caught 42 passes for 753 yards and two touchdowns. His 92-yard reception in the Houston game stands as his career long reception and is the second longest pass reception in Memphis football history. Dodson currently ranks fourth on the all-time Tiger receiving list with 108 catches for 1,589 yards. With 535 yards this season, he could move into the number one position.
While Dodson mans the flanker slot, sophomore Chance Nesbitt and junior Al Sermon are the heir apparents to take over the wide receiver spot vacated by the graduation of Richie Floyd and Darrius Blevins. Sermon burst onto the scene in the Minnesota game when he caught three passes for a team leading 69 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown catch was the first of his career but Tiger coaches are hoping for many more. The 6'4" receiver offers Tiger signal callers a large downfield target. Nesbitt, who came to the Tigers as a quarterback, made a strong showing in the spring.
Depth at the receiver spots will come from senior letterman Ken Coutain and freshmen redshirts Derrick Harmon and Andrew Hardin and freshman newcomer Tripp Higgins, who enrolled in Memphis in January and participated in spring drills. Coutain, who came to the Tigers from junior college, lettered last season but caught just two passes for 20 yards. The 6'2", 200 pounder could become a vital player this fall. Harmon demonstrated good speed and could provide the Tigers with a deep threat if he recovers from the injury bug. Higgins, who left the Naval Academy Prep School in January to enroll at Memphis, made numerous big catches in the spring, including a touchdown grab in the first scrimmage of the spring. He has been compared to former Tiger Richie Floyd.
There are several walk-on candidates for the receiver positions as well as several incoming freshmen signees. Junior Trey Munson and redshirt freshman Quincey Stephenson saw extended playing time in the spring and could be pressed into service this fall. Newcomer Ryan Johnson of St. Louis, Missouri, has the credentials to add depth in 1999. He had 51 receptions for 468 yards in 1998 and finished his career with 121 catches for 1,538 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Tight Ends: The Tigers will also have one experienced player at tight end, but don't count out redshirted freshmen Jeff Cameron and Mowbray Rowand, as well as newcomer Wade Smith of Dallas, Texas.
Billy Kendall became an immediate starter last fall when letterman Reid Hedgepeth quit the team just two weeks before the season opener. The big Maryland native became the starter for the Ole Miss game and never missed a contest all season. Kendall finished the season as the team's fourth leading receiver with 19 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
Cameron and Rowand were both redshirted last season but showed in spring practice why they will both see playing time this fall. Rowand, who was a track letterman at Kirby High in Memphis, was clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash in the spring. Cameron, who ran 4.7, demonstrated his pass catching abilities in the spring catching five passes for 28 yards.
Smith, who was highly recruited by the University of Wisconsin, was used primarily as a blocker in high school but is an outstanding athlete. He recorded eight pass receptions for 108 yards as a junior.
The Offensive Line: One of new co-coordinator Mac McWhorter's first projects last spring was to rework the offensive line. The youthful group is bigger, stronger and faster than in past years with an average size of 6'5" and 299 pounds.
Gone from last year's squad are all-conference tackle Ron Sells and center Chris Powers. However, the Tigers return three starters and six lettermen, as well as several talented newcomers.
Expected to anchor the line this fall will be Conference USA All-Freshmen Artis Hicks and David Sherrod, as well as three year letterman Tim Seymour. In addition, the Tigers will have former starters Tavares Middlebrooks and Lou Esposito, sophomore Josh Eargle and Parade all-American DeCorye Hampton as a base to build upon.
Seymour started every game at offensive guard last season and has now logged 15 consecutive starts and 17 overall starts. He will return to a guard slot this fall but could be called on to work as a backup at center if needed. Hicks and Sherrod, two promising sophomores who were named to the All-Freshman team by C-USA in 1998, have locks on the tackle positions, while Hampton is tied up in a battle with Middlebrooks for the second guard slot. Middlebrooks has been a starter for two years at both tackle and guard. Eargle, a Texan who started his career on the defensive line, appears to have taken over the center spot.
Working in backup roles this fall will be Esposito, Austin O'Dell, Julian Gibson and Baki Celaj at the tackle positions, Trey Eyre and Kevin Bohannon at guard and Matt Gehrke and Jason Austin at center.
O'Dell appeared in two games for the Tigers in 1997 and one in 1998 and with a good spring, could extend that playing time this fall. Gibson, Austin, Eyre and Gehrke are all outstanding young linemen who have been redshirted and are now ready for support roles on the line. Gehrke will work behind Eargle at center, while Eyre and Austin are slated for assignments at guard.
Several incoming freshmen will join the offensive line this fall. Included are Jon Crews and Cedric McAfee. Crews was an All-Gwinette County selection in Georgia, while McAfee was named the Mississippi 2A Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.
The Defensive Line: The defensive front will enter the fall of 1998 with all two incumbents returning from the 1998 unit. However, the Tigers substituted freely in 1998 and many young players gained valuable experience with the defensive front.
Back to lead the 1999 Tiger defensive line will be 1998 starters Tramont Lawless and Calvin Lewis. Lawless started at defensive end, while Lewis was a starter at defensive tackle.
Lawless, a senior from Nashville, Tennessee, logged 30 tackles last season and tied for second in quarterback sacks with four. Lewis, a two-year letterwinner, had 49 tackles last season and registered four tackles for lost yardage and four quarterback sacks. He finished the season as the seventh leading tackler.
Joining the talented duo in the front will be lettermen Marcus Bell, Jarvis Slaton, Rodney Lanctot, Tommy Vollmar, Andre Arnold and Patrick Willis, as well as several talented newcomers.
Bell, Slaton and Vollmar saw action as down linemen. Lanctot and Arnold worked as defensive ends and Willis played in every game as a tight end but was moved to his former defensive position in the spring of '99. Arnold played well enough to be named to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team in 1998.
Bell, a junior from Memphis, was credited with 44 tackles to rank 10th on the hit list. Slaton, Lanctot and Arnold all recorded more than five tackles in 1998.
Several new names appear on the defensive line depth chart. Joining in the hunt at defensive end will be redshirt freshman Boris Penchion and sophomores Tony Brown and Nick Tsatsaronis. Brown, a former linebacker from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was impressive in spring drills and at 257 pounds could become a force at end. Penchion, also a linebacker upon arrival at Memphis, is the nephew of former Tiger nose tackle Anthony Penchion.
Joining the hunt at defensive end will be sophomore Patrick Willis, who like DeCorye Hampton, had to sit out last season. He was an all-state honoree who is expected to provide depth at the rush end slot.
New faces will also be seen at defensive tackle and nose tackle positions. Cortez Stokes and Joey Gerda offer two big bodies at the tackles for Memphis in the future. They were both redshirted in 1998. Stokes was an all-state player before being felled by a knee injury during his senior season. Deep South Football magazine rated Gerda as one of the top prospects in the state of Georgia in 1997. Joining the Tigers this fall will be true freshmen Stanley Jackson, Cornell Bazile and Garfield Garth. Jackson was one of the most highly recruited players in the state of Tennessee and opted for the Tigers over Auburn, Miami and Ole Miss. The 6'7 Jackson will work at defensive end. A Prep all-American, Bazile registered 19 quarterback sacks last season. Garth, an all-state tackle from Amory, Mississippi, had 24 tackles in a single game and received Pigskin Prep honors.
The Linebackers: A concern for the Tiger coaching staff in the fall of 1998, the linebacker slots will be filled with veterans in 1999. The Tigers lost none of their backers from last season and several new faces were added to the mix in the spring.
Leading the linebackers this fall will be Sporting News All-American linebacker Kamal Shakir, starters Caspor Stiles and DeMorrio Shank and letterwinners Michael Boatman, Ian Williams, former junior college transfer Corey Irby, Joe Rocconi and George Harper. Rocconi and Harper saw most of their action as members of the Tiger special teams.
Shakir became a starter for Memphis as a freshman. The Georgia native earned freshman all-America honors and backed that up with a team leading 87 tackles in 1998. He will return to his middle linebacker spot for the fall of '99. Stiles started five games in 1997 and all eleven contests in 1998 at an outside linebacker slot. He was credited with 71 total hits including five tackles for lost yardage and one quarterback sack. Stiles ranked third among all tacklers and should lay claim to one of the outside linebacker positions. Shank earned the starting nod at an outside linebacker position last year and logged 63 tackles over the season. He had two fumble recoveries in the Houston game that led to Tiger scores.
Support at linebacker will come from a talented cast that features Boatman, Irby, Williams, Rocconi, Harper and newcomers Roberto Young and Ross Estes as well as walk-ons James Bailey and Draper Hall.
Boatman, a senior letterman, had 42 tackles in 1998, while Irby was credited with 26 tackles and two quarterback sacks. Williams, a Canadian who came to Memphis as a quarterback, had 27 tackles in a reserve role.
Depth at the linebacker positions could come from a number of redshirted freshmen. Joining the Tigers in camp will be redshirted outside linebacker Roberto Young and inside backer Ross Estes, who played football at Hargrave Military Academy in 1997. Estes has the size and speed to be a real asset at inside backer. Bailey and Hall both had limited action during the 1998 season.
The Secondary: The secondary returns two starters from last year's team and will have several young lettermen and newcomers to use for support roles.
Back for 1999 are veteran starters Reginald Howard, Idrees Bashir and Glenn Sumter, as well as lettermen Kosha Irby, Michael Stone, Freddie Powell and Keydrin Ward. Providing depth will be Andrew Hardin and Marcus Smith, as well as walk-on candidates Ben Grear and Brad Britt.
Reginald Howard, a transfer who earned a scholarship before last year's Ole Miss game, started every game for the Tigers at cornerback. The Memphis native finished the season as the fourth leading tackler logging 69 tackles. Bashir, a redshirt freshman, took over at cat (strong) safety to begin the season but was moved to the starter at free safety. Despite breaking his arm in the Cincinnati game, he recorded 51 tackles for the season and was ranked sixth among all tacklers. Sumter, a true freshman last year, became the starter at strong safety at midseason but a severe knee injury and surgery ended his year. Sumter had 26 tackles before his injury and tied for the team lead in pass interceptions with two. He rehabilitated his knee in the spring and appears ready to return to the lineup this fall.
Making a major move up the depth chart were sophomore lettermen Keydrin Ward and Michael Stone, senior part-time starter Kosha Irby and junior letter winner Freddie Powell. Ward, a true freshman in 1998, played in every game and had 14 tackles. Stone, one of the fastest members of the Tiger football team, came to Memphis as a walk-on and could start this fall at corner. He had eight tackles last year. Powell, an all-round athlete, worked as both a running back and defensive back in 1997 but spent all of his time in the secondary last season. He registered 12 tackles in 1998. Irby, who has started at safety logged 17 hits in '98. He is expected to work at safety again this fall.
Marcus Smith and Anthony Hardin were both impressive in practice last season and should fit into the defensive scheme this fall. The speedy pair could be regulars as special teams members.
The Tigers signed five defensive backs for the 1999 campaign. The group includes Antoine Hardin, the brother of Tigers Andrew and Anthony Hardin, Jason Brown, Bo Arnold, Emery Bell and DeMarquis "Coot" Terry. Bell and Arnold, both Georgia natives, have tremendous speed and could see playing time early next season.
Special Teams: The Tigers return all of their specialists for the fall of 1999. Included in the group are the punter, kicker, holder and deep snapper.
Returning for fall drills are 1998 kicker Ryan White, punters Jim Cande and Ben Graves, holder Michael Harris and deep snapper Joe Rocconi.
Cande, a former walk-on that earned a scholarship prior to the 1997 season opener against Mississippi State, finished the season as the team's leading punter in 1998. He punted 30 times for a 41.6 yard average and had four punts downed inside the opponents' 20 yard line. Graves worked as a part time starter at punter and had 40 kicks for a 38.8 yard average. Rocconi, who also plays linebacker, has lettered for three years as the deep snapper.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan White exploded on the collegiate scene in 1998. The soccer-styled kicker finished the season as the nation's only perfect kicker. He connected on 16-of-16 field goals and 22-of-22 PATs. He led the team in scoring with 70 points and had four multiple field goal games. He tied the Tiger record for the most field goals in a game with four made against Cincinnati. He also tied the Memphis record for the longest field goal made when he kicked a 52-yarder against the Bearcats. White was named the All-Conference USA kicker, the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year and was named to the Football News All-America Team.
Harris worked as the holder in all 11 games in 1998 and completed his lone pass attempt for a first down in the win over ASU. He is expected to return to the position and will be backed-up by quarterback Scott Scherer.
Damien Dodson will be the kick returner this fall. He will receive pressure from tailback Dernice Wherry and wide receiver Derrick Harmon.
