Cowboys Set For Fall Camp

July 30, 2007

ABILENE, Texas - When a team loses 14 starters, including its all-time leading passer, from a playoff team there are going to be questions. Who is going to play quarterback? Who is going to play in the secondary? Where will the depth come from on the offensive line? Who will play alongside Eric Daniels at linebacker? Those are the questions. Here is the answer to all of them.

"We are going to be very good," said 18th year Hardin-Simmons head coach Jimmie Keeling.

"We have some really good quarterbacks that can be as good as any we have had here. We have some playmakers on offense. We are going to stretch the field and score points and defensively we can really run."

The biggest question in the preseason is who is going to be the quarterback. Whoever it is will be talented. It is a three person race heading into fall camp. Justin Feaster and Jordy Bernhard split time as the No. 2 quarterback last season. Feaster is one of the top athletes on the team and Bernhard has a solid grasp of the offense and has six career starts under his belt. Joining those two in the battle will be Clint Bricker, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin. He and Feaster both give the Cowboys tall quarterbacks and Bernhard brings the element of experience and being lefthanded.

"Obviously, for the last few years we knew going into the season that Jordan (Neal) was going to be our quarterback," said Keeling. "This year we don't know who it will be, but whoever it is will have earned the job and they are going to be talented, because they are three of the more talented kids we have had. I know they have worked hard, physically and mentally through the spring practice and have been around this summer getting better. They all want to be the quarterback of this team and they have created some great competition among themselves."

Whoever is the quarterback has hit the jackpot, because the Cowboys have receivers and backs that are as good as anyone.

Mychal Carrillo is back for his senior season as the slot receiver for the Cowboys. He lead the team with 64 catches for 877 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. He can handle the pounding over the middle with his 5-8, 195 pound frame. Secondary people take some punishment from his hard hitting style.

Matt Fields caught 34 balls for 571 yards and seven touchdowns and is a legitimate deep threat at all times. With the Cowboys expecting to throw the ball down the field more than the last few years, Fields could be one of the top receivers in the conference.

Jamaal Shurme, Tim Chandler, Justice Baker and ZaVious Robbins are all players that saw action last season that will see an expanded role. Chandler, Baker and Robbins are all sophomores that really stood out as freshmen. Adam Podzemeny and Travis Watson, a pair of Division I transfers from Texas-El Paso and the University of Connecticut, will also see time at receiver.

Ryan Meredith is a sophomore who played a lot as the second tight end for the Cowboys as a freshman. He is slated to step in and Jerrad Grisham a converted wide receiver will also battle for the position.

The Cowboys also return Quinton Jones, who is the fifth all-time leading rusher for the Cowboys with over 1,700 yards. He has averaged 6.8 yards per carry in his career. He is back for his senior season and could get as high as second on the Cowboy career record charts. He will be backed up by Josh Sepeda, Paul Tebeau and Sam Gray. All three have experience in the program and bring different elements.

"Quinton has some special abilities," said Keeling. "He is so tough and is hard to bring down and when he gets in the secondary he surprises people with his speed. Those other guys have worked hard for their chance as well and they will be very effective for us."

Blocking for the Cowboys is always a key and replacing Rimington trophy winner Josh Knox will be tough. Ryan Hunter (5-10, 270) will step into that center spot after serving as the backup last year. Jordan Daniel (6-3, 315) is moving from tackle to guard after starting two years outside. Brian Fitzgerald (6-3, 285) and James Arnold (6-1, 275) will likely be the starters at tackle and Glenn Revell (6-0, 260) will move up to starter at the other guard spot after seeing plenty of snaps last season.

The Cowboys will count on some newcomers to fill in the second unit. John Toben is a player that will miss the first few weeks of the season with an injury, but could contend for a starting job and Aaron Nolte and J.W. Pendelton have some experience, but a strong class of offensive lineman will be counted on early for depth.

"Our offensive line could be as good as we have had," said Keeling. "They are strong and physical and even a little bigger than what we have had in the past. We count on our lineman to be very mobile as well. Our first unit is really good, we just have to build some depth."

The Cowboys must replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball, but it is not like they are devoid of talent or experience. The frontline will be anchored by a foursome that have played a lot of snaps for the Cowboys. Randy Snyder has 18 career starts at defensive end and has 4.5 career sacks and Derek Lewis has mainly been a backup, but has been in the rotation that the Cowboys use for two seasons and has 35 tackles, 10.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Shawn Woods, who started all 10 games last year at tackle and had 23 stops, including five for loss, is a force at defensive tackle and he will line up next to Jacob Morrison, who had 19 tackles and two sacks as a true freshman last year. He gives the Cowboys a 300-pounder in the middle.

Depth along the defensive line will come from Sid Gutierrez and Adam Rogers a pair of tackles that have been in the rotation. Juston Brown has speed on the outside and Aaron Clough, Andrew Wilkins and Kenneth DeWitt are guys that have been in the program that will fill some reserve roles.

"We have some experience guys up front, but we also have some untested guys that we need to come through. I think we have the ability to stop the run and also get to the passer with our front four," said Keeling.

The linebacking corps returns seven players that played for the Cowboys last season and they all bring something that their new linebacker coach Jared Sanderson brought as an All-American linebacker for the Cowboys - the ability to run and make plays.

Jarryd Taylor came on strong late in the year last season and played a big role in the playoff game with Mary Hardin-Baylor. Chad Pomietlo played on special teams for the Cowboys and he also runs well at Sam linebacker. Joe Bob Rattliff a transfer from Texas Tech, will also compete for time and Andrew Holloway, who missed most of the year with a foot injury was second on the depth chart when he went down.

In the middle, Eric Daniels returns after playing all of last season with a torn knee ligament. He is fully healed and is faster and ready to be the leader of the defense. He was an All-ASC selection last year after leading the Cowboys with 62 tackles. Brice Johnson is his primary backup after playing a lot last season. Johnson had 11 tackles in reserve duty.

At weakside linebacker the Cowboys return Lance Bryan and David Joseph. Both played linebacker as reserves, but were also exceptional special teams players a year ago.

"We have got a bunch of linebackers that can run and pursue the ball," said Keeling. "They have been around this summer working hard in the weight room."

The secondary will be all new starters, but it will not be an unfamiliar group. Chris Surratt is back after sitting out last season and will fight for his corner job. He started all 10 games in 2005 and is one of the better corners in the conference. Jevin Bell, Brentdrick Walker, Teddy Morgan Nathan Lowry and Cameron Cox will all battle with Surratt for the two corner spots. Cox has moved over from slot back and is expected to be an impact player in the secondary.

Michael Tracy and Charles Hasley are back at strong and free safety. Both rotated in last year at safety and Tracy led the non-starters with 25 tackles. Hasley had 13 tackles on the year. Matt Gonzales is also expected to fight for playing time at safety.

"We have moved some guys around and I think we will be athletic in the secondary," said Keeling. "Any time you replace a whole unit there will be an adjustment period, but we have guys that know what they are doing back there so that gives us a chance."

The Cowboys have always excelled in the kicking game and 2007 figures to be the same. Carrillo averaged 22 yards on kickoff returns a year and is expected to return punts as well. ZaVious Robbins and Tim Chandler also will see some time as return men.

Feaster returns as the punter after averaging 35.4 yards per kick last season. He nailed 10 of his 28 punts inside the 10 yard line and opponents only had 11 punt returns all season. Fields was a kickoff specialist a year ago, but can also handle extra points and field goals. The Cowboys also recruited a couple of kickers that could step in right away.

As mentioned before the Cowboys have some questions to answer, but it will not take long to find out if they have the right answer. HSU opens what may be the toughest schedule in the country on Sept. 7 against UW-La Crosse. La Crosse went 9-2 and made the playoffs last season and they open the season at No. 7 in the D3football.com poll.

After an off week the Cowboys head to Oregon to play No. 14 Linfield College, and after that they open conference play at home against Louisiana College. After that, the Cowboys get the two teams picked right next to them in the preseason ASC poll. The Cowboys play at super-talented Mississippi College the pick for third in the league and then home for the annual tilt with No. 4 ranked and preseason ASC favorite Mary Hardin-Baylor. The winner of the game has won or shared the conference title every year since 1998.

"We probably have the toughest schedule in the country, but we are ready for the test," said Keeling. "We want to get better and you get better by playing good people."