2013 Sac State Preview
Time to dust off the tailgate gear and get ready for another season of Hornet football. The Hornets will be looking to build off of a so-so 2012 campaign that featured a new spread no-huddle offense and an aggressive defense that ultimately resulted in a middle of the road finish of 6-5 (4-4 BSC). Coach Sperbeck enters his seventh season with the Hornets and will be looking to finally get this program over the hump and into a playoff berth. A lot of players are returning so the potential is there for a breakthrough season, the question is whether or not the Hornets can finally do it.
If anyone wants to review what the team did last season, feel free to read up on last season’s recaps as I won’t be reposting many 2012 stats in this preview:
2012 Overall Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1837
2012 Special Teams Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1847
2012 Offense Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1857
2012 Defense Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1866
2012 Stats: http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/fball/2012-13/teams/sacramentost
There are some areas to address and the coaches brought in a lot of players to meet those needs. There was also some turnover on the coaching staff and it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have. Not a whole lot needs to be said, its time for the program to breakthrough to the next level.
All projected starters listed below are based off of what I have seen in camp and the first scrimmage. The experience listed are career numbers, non-D1 experience is not included. The revamped Hornetsports website has the updated player classes listed but I also provide an abbreviations legend at the end of this preview for reference. As always everything is up for discussion so feel free to point out any errors or provide your opinions.
Offense
The offense will be looking to build off of a respectable showing last season as OC Peterson enters his second season with the Hornets. The offense seemed to play with more confidence as they became more familiar with the new system and with a lot of key players returning the hope will be to see increased production and scoring. The pressure is on here, the Hornets really need to hit the ground running on offense. Just as last season, I expect a bunch of different receivers to be targeted as well as touches by multiple running backs. The biggest improvement needs to be seen in the turnover category. Reduced turnovers coupled with modest production/scoring improvement should be more than enough for the Hornet offense to succeed.
Quarterback
I don’t anticipate a change at quarterback as Garrett Safron enters his fourth season with the Hornets and second as the starting QB. Depth was an issue in spring camp, however Marcus McDade transferred in from Fresno State to add depth behind Safron. Beyond those two it will all be about developing the young QBs for the future. Jihad Vercher is getting solid reps in during camp but it remains to be seen whether or not he is redshirted this season. With the recent departure of Nolan Sorensen, the coaches might be hard pressed to redshirt both freshmen.
Starter:
The receivers will be led by senior standout Morris Norrise, and have a host of other receivers returning. Last season this group lacked a playmaker that could go up and make the big play and the coaches brought in JC transfers Joey DePalma, Kyle Greenwood, and Dalton Hunkle to address this need. Someone will need to step up to complement Norrise. The offensive scheme calls for the ball to be distributed all over the field so there will be plenty of opportunities for someone to step up.
Starters:
There is some experience returning at tight end and more than likely will feature a constant rotation of players throughout the season. It appears that Chris Broadnax will be the starting tight end as he has seen the most reps with the first team in camp. Broadnax is the better receiver of the bunch while DJ Maciel is the better run blocker while some of the underclassmen may also see some action from time to time. Freshman recruit Stone Sander is getting significant reps in camp and may also be in the mix if he isn’t redshirted.
Starter:
A couple of talented running backs return and some newcomers are added to the mix as well. Ezekiel Graham is the clear cut favorite to start but everything else beyond that is fair game. De’Jon Coleman returns and he made some good plays last season. Much like all the other skilled positions, I anticipate that the RBs will be rotated in so there will be plenty of opportunities for different players to get touches both through the air and on the ground.
Starter:
The offensive line has a new coach with Bill Laveroni coming on board. The OL has been one of the more consistent units on the offense and hopefully things remain that way. The Hornets had some young linemen in Lars Hanson and Aleksandar Milanovic step up at the tackle spots last season and alongside seasoned veteran Tyler Worthley will look to have another solid season in the trenches. There were some voids due to graduation which will be filled by UMass transfer John Wallace as well as lineman Derek Stickney and Dan Stournaiuolo who are both returning from injury. The three returning linemen will most likely retain their starting roles from last season and Wallace and Nielsen have seen the most reps with the first team in camp. There is a hoard of linemen on the roster to add depth when needed.
Starters:
Coach Parker is entering his fourth season as the defensive coordinator (fifth season total). The defense is looking to improve from an up and down season. The front six was the strength of the defense last season and there are some open spots heading into this season. The defensive secondary was not very good and needs to drastically improve this season. The Hornets play an aggressive style of defense that features various blitz packages to pressure opposing quarterbacks and I don’t expect that to change. There are starting spots open at every level of the defense and filling them will be vital for a successful season.
Defensive Line
The defensive line has a lot returning. Nathan Castro will be anchoring this unit on the interior and there will be a platoon of Ben Cowger, Jaycee Totty, and Trent Eskew rotated in at the ends. The interior looked thin with the loss of some previously projected returners, but it looks like the coaches brought in some additional size and depth to fill that need. The coaches rotated in a lot of players along the line throughout last season and will probably do the same this season as well.
Starters:
Todd Davis returns at linebacker and will be one of the leaders of this defense. Davis is excellent on the blitz and is a solid run defender but struggles in coverage. Who lines up next to him remains to be seen. Henry Fernandez is the next most experienced returner but quite a few young talented players were brought in to shore up the depth. Given the struggles in pass defense, I hope to see better pass coverage packages rotated in to better compliment the secondary in passing situations.
Starters:
The secondary struggled mightily last season but quite a bit returns. I think every spot is up for grabs but I feel that some of the returners are favored to retain their starting roles. Osagie Odiase and Joshua Armstrong return at CB, Markell Williams returns at NB along with Dijon Washington and Robert Beale who both split time at FS last season. The SS spot is up for grabs and the coaches brought in transfers Robby Kendall, Tyrone Duckett and Mike Sellers to address that void. SS is the crucial component of the secondary. The player who fills that role needs to have the versatility to lineup in the box and stop the run as well as drop back into coverage. Tackling was a major issue last season and the Hornet secondary needs to drastically improve in that regard.
Starters:
Special Teams
The Hornets are essentially hitting the reset button on special teams. Former Hornet assistant coach Fred Kelley returns but will be taking on a new and unfamiliar role as special teams coach. Almost everything across the board is up for grabs, from long snapping to place kicking and kick returning. It’s safe to say most Hornet fans will be content with consistent and disciplined play every week. This program will not breakthrough to the next level without consistent and well disciplined special teams play.
Kickers
The kicking game found some stability last season but the Hornets will have to find a new place kicker. Fortunately the coaches brought in transfers Jesse Aguilar and Jonathan Leiva to compete with returning kicker Brad Cornish. The punting duties will be held down by Justin Weldon and I randomly selected Cornish as the starting kicker although Aguilar was one of the best kickers in the JC ranks last season. Cornish was used for kickoffs last season.
Starters:
The snapping duties will be handled by either returner Josh Latham or transfer Tim Hernandez. It’s a total coin flip but it looked like Hernandez received more reps in camp.
Starter:
The coverage teams had their ups and downs last season. Hopefully these units can be more consistent this season. All of these spots will be up open for the taking among the deep and talented Hornet roster.
Punt/Kick Return
The return game will need to be more effective this season. I think that all of the returner spots are open to competition. DeAndre Carter has some experience returning punts and kicks and should be a front runner to fill those roles. Morris Norrise was the primary punt returner last season and De’Jon Coleman had a couple or kick returns. Any player capable of providing an impact has a shot here. Coleman and Kyle Greenwood have been seeing some return reps during camp.
Returners
Schedule/Predictions
I’ve linked some previews below. The Hornets are pegged to finish in the middle of the pack and it’s hard to make an argument against those predictions. The Hornets do have the talent and experience to breakthrough into the playoffs but whether or not this program can make it to the next level under Sperbeck remains to be seen. I’ll post a game by game win-loss prediction prior to the first game; I was hoping to get one together but couldn’t find the time to include it here.
The Sports Network: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/...ork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/index.htm
College Sports Madness: http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/7020
Go Hornets!!!
Abbreviations:
Time to dust off the tailgate gear and get ready for another season of Hornet football. The Hornets will be looking to build off of a so-so 2012 campaign that featured a new spread no-huddle offense and an aggressive defense that ultimately resulted in a middle of the road finish of 6-5 (4-4 BSC). Coach Sperbeck enters his seventh season with the Hornets and will be looking to finally get this program over the hump and into a playoff berth. A lot of players are returning so the potential is there for a breakthrough season, the question is whether or not the Hornets can finally do it.
If anyone wants to review what the team did last season, feel free to read up on last season’s recaps as I won’t be reposting many 2012 stats in this preview:
2012 Overall Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1837
2012 Special Teams Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1847
2012 Offense Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1857
2012 Defense Recap: http://www.bigskyfans.com/hornets/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1866
2012 Stats: http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/fball/2012-13/teams/sacramentost
There are some areas to address and the coaches brought in a lot of players to meet those needs. There was also some turnover on the coaching staff and it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have. Not a whole lot needs to be said, its time for the program to breakthrough to the next level.
All projected starters listed below are based off of what I have seen in camp and the first scrimmage. The experience listed are career numbers, non-D1 experience is not included. The revamped Hornetsports website has the updated player classes listed but I also provide an abbreviations legend at the end of this preview for reference. As always everything is up for discussion so feel free to point out any errors or provide your opinions.
Offense
The offense will be looking to build off of a respectable showing last season as OC Peterson enters his second season with the Hornets. The offense seemed to play with more confidence as they became more familiar with the new system and with a lot of key players returning the hope will be to see increased production and scoring. The pressure is on here, the Hornets really need to hit the ground running on offense. Just as last season, I expect a bunch of different receivers to be targeted as well as touches by multiple running backs. The biggest improvement needs to be seen in the turnover category. Reduced turnovers coupled with modest production/scoring improvement should be more than enough for the Hornet offense to succeed.
Quarterback
I don’t anticipate a change at quarterback as Garrett Safron enters his fourth season with the Hornets and second as the starting QB. Depth was an issue in spring camp, however Marcus McDade transferred in from Fresno State to add depth behind Safron. Beyond those two it will all be about developing the young QBs for the future. Jihad Vercher is getting solid reps in during camp but it remains to be seen whether or not he is redshirted this season. With the recent departure of Nolan Sorensen, the coaches might be hard pressed to redshirt both freshmen.
Starter:
- • (#12) Garrett Safron, RJR (14 starts, 19 appearances)
- • (#14) Marcus McDade, T-RSO (2 appearances at Fresno State)
• (#6) Jihad Vercher, FR (possible redshirt)
• (#16) Daniel Kniffin, FR (probable redshirt)
The receivers will be led by senior standout Morris Norrise, and have a host of other receivers returning. Last season this group lacked a playmaker that could go up and make the big play and the coaches brought in JC transfers Joey DePalma, Kyle Greenwood, and Dalton Hunkle to address this need. Someone will need to step up to complement Norrise. The offensive scheme calls for the ball to be distributed all over the field so there will be plenty of opportunities for someone to step up.
Starters:
- • (#13) Morris Norrise, RSR (22 starts, 34 appearances, leading receiver last season, Preseason All-BSC Team)
• (#2) DeAndre Carter, JR (10 starts, 18 appearances)
• (#15) Shane Harrison, RSO (10 appearances)
- • (#81) Blake Robertson, RSO (11 starts)
• (#87) Justin Cox, RSO (1 start, 9 appearances, injured and out thru week 6)
• (#86) Nnamdi Agude, RSO (8 appearances)
• (#10) Austin Dotson, SR (6 appearances)
• (#11) Joey DePalma/ (#84) Kyle Greenwood/ (#5) Dalton Hunkle, all T-JR
• (#36) Devin Hardy, RSO
• (#19) JB Blackwell, (#82) Aaron Maher, (#86) Bakari Smith, all FR (probable redshirts)
There is some experience returning at tight end and more than likely will feature a constant rotation of players throughout the season. It appears that Chris Broadnax will be the starting tight end as he has seen the most reps with the first team in camp. Broadnax is the better receiver of the bunch while DJ Maciel is the better run blocker while some of the underclassmen may also see some action from time to time. Freshman recruit Stone Sander is getting significant reps in camp and may also be in the mix if he isn’t redshirted.
Starter:
- • (#80) Chris Broadnax, RJR (6 starts, 16 appearances)
- • (#47) DJ Maciel, RSR (8 starts, 28 appearances)
• (#89) Marcus Mosi, RSO
• (#85) Cole Hikutini, RFR
• (#41) Stone Sander, FR (probable redshirt)
A couple of talented running backs return and some newcomers are added to the mix as well. Ezekiel Graham is the clear cut favorite to start but everything else beyond that is fair game. De’Jon Coleman returns and he made some good plays last season. Much like all the other skilled positions, I anticipate that the RBs will be rotated in so there will be plenty of opportunities for different players to get touches both through the air and on the ground.
Starter:
- • (#8) Ezekiel Graham, SR (5 starts, 11 appearances, leading rusher last season)
- • (#9) De’Jon Coleman, SO (9 appearances)
• (#4) Demetrius Warren, RFR
• (#40) Brandon Kellermann, T-JR (fullback)
• (#25) Jordan Robinson, FR (probable redshirt)
The offensive line has a new coach with Bill Laveroni coming on board. The OL has been one of the more consistent units on the offense and hopefully things remain that way. The Hornets had some young linemen in Lars Hanson and Aleksandar Milanovic step up at the tackle spots last season and alongside seasoned veteran Tyler Worthley will look to have another solid season in the trenches. There were some voids due to graduation which will be filled by UMass transfer John Wallace as well as lineman Derek Stickney and Dan Stournaiuolo who are both returning from injury. The three returning linemen will most likely retain their starting roles from last season and Wallace and Nielsen have seen the most reps with the first team in camp. There is a hoard of linemen on the roster to add depth when needed.
Starters:
- • LT: (#76) Lars Hanson, RSO (7 starts, 10 appearances)
• LG: (#50) Derek Nielsen, T-RJR (2 starts, 10 appearances at Oregon State)
• C: (#51) John Wallace, T-RSO (4 starts, 10 appearances at UMass)
• RG: (#73) Tyler Worthley, RSR (33 straight starts, Preseason All-BSC Team)
• RT: (#61) Aleksandar Milanovic, RSO (10 starts, 11 appearances)
- • (#74) Derek Stickney, RJR (8 starts, 10 appearances)
• (#79) Dan Stornaiuolo, RSO
• (#75) Adam Murray, T-RSR
• (#70) Casey Dakin, RFR
• (#72) Andrew Admire, (#65) Pailake Bade, (#68) Jonathan Bade, (#77) Kyle Evanski, (#67) Rajaee Jordan, (#62) Justin Maxwell, (#71) Pu’e Togia, all FR (most are probable redshirts)
Coach Parker is entering his fourth season as the defensive coordinator (fifth season total). The defense is looking to improve from an up and down season. The front six was the strength of the defense last season and there are some open spots heading into this season. The defensive secondary was not very good and needs to drastically improve this season. The Hornets play an aggressive style of defense that features various blitz packages to pressure opposing quarterbacks and I don’t expect that to change. There are starting spots open at every level of the defense and filling them will be vital for a successful season.
Defensive Line
The defensive line has a lot returning. Nathan Castro will be anchoring this unit on the interior and there will be a platoon of Ben Cowger, Jaycee Totty, and Trent Eskew rotated in at the ends. The interior looked thin with the loss of some previously projected returners, but it looks like the coaches brought in some additional size and depth to fill that need. The coaches rotated in a lot of players along the line throughout last season and will probably do the same this season as well.
Starters:
- • DE: (#44) Darnell Sankey, SO (11 appearances)
• NT: (#97) Nathan Castro, JR (6 starts, 20 appearances)
• DT: (#91) Nicholas Mazza, RSO (9 appearances)
• DE: (#94) Trent Eskew, SR (6 starts, 31 appearances)
- • (#35) Jaycee Totty, JR (4 starts, 10 appearances, DE, injured?)
• (#90) Ben Cowger, RJR (5 starts, 21 appearances, DE)
• (#56) Ronald Ussery, T-RSO (1 appearance at Fresno State, DE)
• (#59) JJ Castillo, T-RJR (DT)
• (#92) Antonio Hayes, T-SO (DT)
• (#93) Noah Johnson, (#95) Nehemiah Mitchell, both RFR (DTs)
• (#98) Ben Sorensen, (#52) Taka Umufuke, (#96) Jordan Vinson, (#78) Josh Winters, all FR (probable redshirts)
Todd Davis returns at linebacker and will be one of the leaders of this defense. Davis is excellent on the blitz and is a solid run defender but struggles in coverage. Who lines up next to him remains to be seen. Henry Fernandez is the next most experienced returner but quite a few young talented players were brought in to shore up the depth. Given the struggles in pass defense, I hope to see better pass coverage packages rotated in to better compliment the secondary in passing situations.
Starters:
- • WLB: (#53) Todd Davis, SR (22 straight starts, 33 appearances, leading tackler last 2 seasons)
• MLB: (#48) Henry Fernandez, SR (30 appearances)
- • (#17) Ofa Fifita, T-RJR (12 appearances at Fresno State)
• (#55) Max Mathews, RFR
• (#49) Allen Alvaro, (#54) Cole Hannum, (#27) Russell Smith, all FR (some are probable redshirts)
The secondary struggled mightily last season but quite a bit returns. I think every spot is up for grabs but I feel that some of the returners are favored to retain their starting roles. Osagie Odiase and Joshua Armstrong return at CB, Markell Williams returns at NB along with Dijon Washington and Robert Beale who both split time at FS last season. The SS spot is up for grabs and the coaches brought in transfers Robby Kendall, Tyrone Duckett and Mike Sellers to address that void. SS is the crucial component of the secondary. The player who fills that role needs to have the versatility to lineup in the box and stop the run as well as drop back into coverage. Tackling was a major issue last season and the Hornet secondary needs to drastically improve in that regard.
Starters:
- • CB: (#1) Osagie Odiase, RSR (26 starts, 29 appearances)
• NB: (#31) Markell Williams, RSR (13 starts, 33 appearances)
• SS: (#21) Robbie Kendall, T-JR
• FS: (#3) Dijon Washington, RSR (4 starts, 25 career appearances )
• CB: (#7) Joshua Armstrong, RSO (10 starts)
- • (#29) Robert Beale, RSR (7 starts, 9 appearances)
• (#22) Mike Sellers, T-JR (23 appearances at Hawaii)
• (#32) Tyrone Duckett, T-RJR (11 appearances at Washington State)
• (#20) Nicholas Payne, RSO (1 start, 9 appearances)
• (#28) Dexter Alcala, RJR (13 appearances)
• (#23) Randy Peterson, RJR (18 career appearances)
• (#24) Anthony Payne, (#37) Tyler Charrette, (#39) Jacob Bowman , all RFR
• (#33) Nick Crouch, (#38) Cedric Franklin, (#34) Marcus Green, (#46) Aman Jaigat, all FR (some are probable redshirts)
Special Teams
The Hornets are essentially hitting the reset button on special teams. Former Hornet assistant coach Fred Kelley returns but will be taking on a new and unfamiliar role as special teams coach. Almost everything across the board is up for grabs, from long snapping to place kicking and kick returning. It’s safe to say most Hornet fans will be content with consistent and disciplined play every week. This program will not breakthrough to the next level without consistent and well disciplined special teams play.
Kickers
The kicking game found some stability last season but the Hornets will have to find a new place kicker. Fortunately the coaches brought in transfers Jesse Aguilar and Jonathan Leiva to compete with returning kicker Brad Cornish. The punting duties will be held down by Justin Weldon and I randomly selected Cornish as the starting kicker although Aguilar was one of the best kickers in the JC ranks last season. Cornish was used for kickoffs last season.
Starters:
- • K: (#60) Jesse Aguilar, T-JR
• P: (#45) Justin Weldon, SR (9 appearances)
- • K: (#58) Brad Cornish, SO (4 appearances)
• K: (#63) Jonathan Leiva, T-JR
• P: (#57) Smith Heath, JR (6 appearances)
The snapping duties will be handled by either returner Josh Latham or transfer Tim Hernandez. It’s a total coin flip but it looked like Hernandez received more reps in camp.
Starter:
- • (#64) Tim Hernandez, T-JR
- • (#66) Josh Latham, RSO
The coverage teams had their ups and downs last season. Hopefully these units can be more consistent this season. All of these spots will be up open for the taking among the deep and talented Hornet roster.
Punt/Kick Return
The return game will need to be more effective this season. I think that all of the returner spots are open to competition. DeAndre Carter has some experience returning punts and kicks and should be a front runner to fill those roles. Morris Norrise was the primary punt returner last season and De’Jon Coleman had a couple or kick returns. Any player capable of providing an impact has a shot here. Coleman and Kyle Greenwood have been seeing some return reps during camp.
Returners
- • PR/KR: (#2) DeAndre Carter, JR (6 punt returns, 15 kick returns)
• PR: (#13) Morris Norrise, RSR (13 punt returns)
• KR: (#9) De’Jon Coleman, SO (2 kick returns)
• PR/KR: (#84) Kyle Greenwood, T-JR
Schedule/Predictions
I’ve linked some previews below. The Hornets are pegged to finish in the middle of the pack and it’s hard to make an argument against those predictions. The Hornets do have the talent and experience to breakthrough into the playoffs but whether or not this program can make it to the next level under Sperbeck remains to be seen. I’ll post a game by game win-loss prediction prior to the first game; I was hoping to get one together but couldn’t find the time to include it here.
The Sports Network: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/...ork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/index.htm
College Sports Madness: http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/7020
Go Hornets!!!
Abbreviations:
- • T – Incoming Transfer
• R – Redshirt Already Used
• G – Grayshirt
• SR – Senior
• JR – Junior
• SO – Sophomore
• FR - Freshman
