2014 Men’s Basketball
Championship
| Electrifying Playmakers |
|---|
|
In his first season as a full-time starter and in a tough role having to replace Armanti Edwards at quarterback for the Mountaineers, all Presley did was become only the fourth player in FCS history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season — joining Edwards in the exclusive club. He also finished third in voting for the Walter Payton Award, became ASU’s sixth Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in seven seasons and led the Mountaineers to their record-tying sixth consecutive SoCon championship and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Nate Eachus Key Notes: |
Andrew Pierce Key Notes: |
Brad Sorensen Key Notes: |
Casey Therriault Key Notes: |
Chris Summers Key Notes: |
DeAndre Presley
| In the Trenches |
|---|
|
On the preseason watch list for the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award, Pall finished second in the voting a year ago to mark the highest finish by a Wofford player. The senior finished eighth in the nation in sacks per game (0.96) and was also eighth in tackles for loss per game (1.73), while leading the Southern Conference in sacks with 12.5 and tackles for loss with 22.5. The 2011 SoCon Preseason Defensive Player of the Year will look to move up the Terriers’ record book as he sits third in school history in career sacks and fifth in career tackles for loss. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Mario Kurn Key Notes: |
Renard Williams Key Notes: |
Zack Nash Key Notes: |
Gino Gradkowski Key Notes: |
Sanford Banks Key Notes: |
Ameet Pall
| Defending Interests |
|---|
|
A team captain for the Bengals in 2010, Storms was one of the best defensive players in the nation. He played all 11 games at outside linebacker and led the nation in total tackles with 146, including 63 unassisted and 83 assisted tackles. Storms also recorded 10.0 tackles for loss and had three pass breakups. He was first-team All-Big Sky Conference and named to The Sport Network’s FCS All-America second-team. Storms had double-digit tackles in all but three games, including a career-high of 20 tackles at Utah State and Montana. In the Bengals’ highest profile game of 2010, he recorded 16 tackles at Georgia. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Torez Jones Key Notes: |
Jordan Ridley Key Notes: |
Matt Evans Key Notes: |
Tylor Brock Key Notes: |
Kadarron Anderson Key Notes: |
A.J. Storms
| The Special Ones |
|---|
|
Crawford made a name for himself in 2010 as one of the best kickoff return specialists in the nation. A third-team All-American selection last season, he returned 37 kicks for 1,038 yards (most in the nation) and three touchdowns while bringing back 23 punts for 183 yards and a score. The three kickoff return touchdowns tied for the most in the country. Against Albany, Crawford returned a kick 92 yards for a score, and returned three punts for 86 yards and one touchdown. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
David Harrington
Key Notes: |
Shawn Abuhoff
Key Notes: |
Jason Cunningham
Key Notes: |
Matt Bevins
Key Notes: |
Jeremy Caldwell
Key Notes: |
Gralyn Crawford
| Keep an Eye on These Programs |
|---|
|
Noting the Eagles: After its stunning comeback victory to win the FCS national championship, the hero returns for Eastern Washington. Bo Levi Mitchell was one of the most prolific passers in all of college football a year ago, and in order for the Eagles to repeat, he’ll need to do it again. The Eagles averaged 397.07 total offense yards per game a year ago en route to the title, which was 22nd in the nation. Look for more of the same from EWU in 2011. Noting the Mountaineers: The Mountaineers saw their 2010 season come to a disappointing end after entering the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. Dual-threat QB DeAndre Presley was one of the best in the country, throwing for more than 2,000 yards and rushing for more than 1,000 yards. ASU will need to replace some key figures from last year’s defense with leading tackler D.J. Smith gone, in addition to Mark LeGree, who led the team in interceptions.
Noting the Eagles: Defending the triple-option is never easy, just ask the Eagles’ opponents in 2010. Georgia Southern finished fourth in the nation in rushing with 261.2 yards per game and notching 40 touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Jaybo Shaw is back to lead the attack, a season after throwing only five touchdown passes but rushing for 16. The Eagles return all but three starters from last year’s squad which reached the national semifinals.
Noting the Tribe: Playing in arguably the best conference in the nation, there’s never an off week in the CAA. With 3,110 career rushing yards, running back Jonathan Grimes enters the 2011 season ranked second among all active FCS players and needs just 635 more yards to eclipse the school record of 3,744 established by Derek Fitzgerald. The Tribe will open the season with a tough test, stepping up to play FBS in-state foe Virginia.
Noting the Blue Hens: After falling one win short of a national championship last season, the Blue Hens return in 2011 with one of the best running backs in the nation leading the way in Anthony Pierce. Following a freshman season in which he burst onto the scene with 1,655 rushing yards, Pierce may be needed to shoulder an even heavier load now that quarterback Pat Devlin has graduated. Once again, the Blue Hens will have to weather a brutal CAA schedule to try and make it back to Frisco. |
Delaware
| Top Contests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
@ |
 |
Sept. 24 — No. 6 Montana State at No. 1 Eastern Washington – The defending national champs face Montana the week before on the road and it gets no easier the week after as the Eagles face the Bobcats. |
 |
@ |
 |
Oct. 1 — No. 2 Appalachian State at No. 8 Wofford – Mountaineers won 2010 meeting by 30 points, but that was in Boone. |
 |
@ |
 |
Oct. 8 — No. 4 William & Mary at No. 5 Delaware – One of the top meetings on the CAA slate every year, the Tribe won last season’s matchup 17-16 in what was one of the best games of the year. |
 |
@ |
 |
Oct. 8 – No. 13 Villanova at No. 10 New Hampshire – UNH stunned Villanova in 2010 with a 31-24 in Philladelphia. Will the boys from Philly return the favor? |
 |
@ |
|
Oct. 29 — No. 3 Georgia Southern at No. 2 Appalachian State – Top two teams in the SoCon meet later in the year with plenty on the line, including FCS playoff seeding. |
All photos courtesy of respective school athletic departments.
Advertisement
- Kiffin eager to put past problems to rest
- Frazier, Wuerffel to meet again in Hall of Fame
- Spring is crucial for new Pac-12 coaches
- Manziel taking smart approach to doing things he likes
- Michigan's Hoke says Irish 'chickening out'
- Auburn confident it can make athletic fixes
- Fulmer helping restart program at ETSU
- FCS Championship Inside Access Part 1
- North Dakota State earns second FCS title
- Advantageous Bison ground out victory
- Kennesaw State names Bohannon first head coach
- Ejections for hits on defenseless players?
The countdown to the college football season is on... happy? #CFB
18 hours ago
