I've stayed rather quiet about the football team because after the last 2 seasons anything more positive than a "wait and see" type approach is not really warranted. However, I just can't keep from looking at the roster and feeling so much better about the product that should show up on Saturdays.
Defense: We know the story here. Mason is one of the best defensive play-callers in the game. He will be in year 3 of his system with a very experienced defensive unit. The starters have some legit upper-echelon SEC type guys with Cunningham, Bowden, Butler, and McGaster.
What makes this defense have a chance to be special are the improving role player/depth guys. Lealao and Agee flashed great things up front near the end of last season. Then, the guy I am most excited about seeing other than Cunningham is Landon Stokes. He became a man during the last half of 2015. I also like our depth at corner with Wiley, Ferguson, Sheffield, and Williams all there behind McGaster and Herndon.
Offense: Just be serviceable. They don't have to great or even good but just don't screw things up. Eliminate the turnovers that take points off the board or give points to the other team directly. Learn how to push the teams around up front that you should - MTSU, WKU, and TSU. Then, get just enough playmaking and separation at WR to give Shurmur a chance.
The return of CJ Ducan and a year more for Sherfield and Scott to improve give me some hope that WR can be much better. The X factors will be Nathan Marcus and Jared Pinkney. Both of these guys have ability to get open, but both have obvious work to do with catching the football.
Special teams: We can't be worse. If we punted the ball out of bounds for 30 yards every single time, it would be much better than last year's unmitigated disaster.
Defense: We know the story here. Mason is one of the best defensive play-callers in the game. He will be in year 3 of his system with a very experienced defensive unit. The starters have some legit upper-echelon SEC type guys with Cunningham, Bowden, Butler, and McGaster.
What makes this defense have a chance to be special are the improving role player/depth guys. Lealao and Agee flashed great things up front near the end of last season. Then, the guy I am most excited about seeing other than Cunningham is Landon Stokes. He became a man during the last half of 2015. I also like our depth at corner with Wiley, Ferguson, Sheffield, and Williams all there behind McGaster and Herndon.
Offense: Just be serviceable. They don't have to great or even good but just don't screw things up. Eliminate the turnovers that take points off the board or give points to the other team directly. Learn how to push the teams around up front that you should - MTSU, WKU, and TSU. Then, get just enough playmaking and separation at WR to give Shurmur a chance.
The return of CJ Ducan and a year more for Sherfield and Scott to improve give me some hope that WR can be much better. The X factors will be Nathan Marcus and Jared Pinkney. Both of these guys have ability to get open, but both have obvious work to do with catching the football.
Special teams: We can't be worse. If we punted the ball out of bounds for 30 yards every single time, it would be much better than last year's unmitigated disaster.
