Norfolk State University
· Key Notes:
o Seven starters are back from a defensive unit which ranked second in the MEAC and sixth in the nation last year in yardage allowed (265.6).
o Norfolk State boasted one of the more productive offenses in the MEAC last season, ranking third in the conference in both scoring (26.6 ppg) and total offense (348.4 ypg)
· 2008 Statistics
o NSU 26.6 ppg
o Opp- 19.8 ppg
· Last 3 Games:
o Norfolk 28 – Winston Salem State 21
o Norfolk 21 – Delaware St. 16
o Norfolk 31 – Morgan St. 23
· Key Players:
o Offense - RB DeAngelo Branch. Branch is a two-time All-MEAC second-team pick. Now a senior, Branche is already fourth in school history in rushing yardage, and has recorded 1,977 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground in his two seasons as a starter
o Defense - NT Josh Turner. Turner is back after earning first-team All-MEAC honors. Turned amassed 46 tackles, eight for loss.
· Summer Camp Impressions:
o The defense dominated the intrasquad summer scrimmages; Branch did not play in the last scrimmage and the offense was limited to 1 TD by reserve RB Takeem Hedgeman. Overall, it seems the senior-laden defense along with Branch will be relied upon heavily for the 2010 season.
141st season
· Key Notes
o The Scarlet Knights return 6 starters on offense and 6 starters on defense.
o RU returns promising sophomore signal caller Tom Savage, WR Mohammed Sanu, and leading rusher Joe Martinek.
· 2009 Statistics
o RU – 28.8 ppg
o Opponents – 17.9 ppg
· Last 3 Games
o RU 45 – UCF 24 - St. Petersburg Bowl
o WVU 24 – RU 21
o RU 34 – Louisville 14
· Key Players:
o Offense – WR/QB Mohammed Sanu. As a true freshman in 2009, Sanu, a jack of all trades, caught 51 passes for 639 yards & 3 TDs. In addition, Sanu rushed for 342 yards & 5 TDs. Sanu has the rare ability to take over a game from the WR or QB position.
o Defense – MLB Steve Beauharnais. As a true freshman in 2009, Beauharnais had 36 tackes & 1 forced fumble as a reserve. Beauharnais will be counted on heavily by the Knights defense taking over the “QB” of the defense role.
· Team Strength:
o Defensive Line: The Knights will be able to rotate 7 Big East caliber players. The Knights defensive line will be lead by anchor DT Scott Vallone and sack specialist DE Jonathan Freeny.
· Team Weakness:
o Offensive Line: The Knights are returning only 2 offensive lineman from an underachieving line in 2009. The returning starters include Art Forst who has moved over to right tackle from guard and Howard Barbieri at center. Desmond Stapleton, Caleb Ruch, and Desmon Wynn will fill out the rest of the offensive line. Look for early season difficulty.
· Summer Camp Impressions:
o The injury bug hit the Scarlet Knights WRs throughout training camp. The Knights lost three WRs including Quron Pratt, Tim Wright, and J.T. Tartacoff. In addition the Knights will be without RB Casey Turner.
o The Knights defense dominated the first scrimmage, however the offense had improved results in the second scrimmage. Freshman RB Jordan Thomas and freshman WR Jeremey Deering had impressive showings elevating them to the 2 deep.
The Bottom Line:
· I expect the Rutgers defense to run blitz until Norfolk proves they can throw for a first down. On the other side of the ball, I don't believe NSU has the level of playmakers that Rutgers has in its arsenal. Even though RU's makeshift offensive line scares me, I don't think they'll truly be tested until week 2 versus Florida International.
Prediction: Rutgers 34 - NSU 13
LETS GO LIONS!!! BIG TEN CHAMPS!!
ReplyDeleteFOR THE GLORY OF OLD STATE!!!!
R U BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWS!