Odds to Win Conference USA

HOUSTON COUGARS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 5
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
New head coach Tony Levine inherits a team without QB Case Keenum and most of the skill positions from the successful 2011 Cougars team. But QB David Piland is ready to fill Keenum’s record-breaking cleats, throwing for 2,641 yards and 24 TD in eight games in 2010 when Keenum was injured. Piland will lead the Air Raid offense that dictates the Cougars tossing the ball down the field nearly every possession. Leading rusher Charles Sims (821 rush yds, 7.5 YPC, 9 TD; 575 rec yds, 4 TD) returns behind an experienced o-line, but all of the receiving weapons Keenum had last year are gone. Defensively, Houston was a solid team last year, allowing just 22.4 PPG, and now they switch back to a 4-3 with new defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. They will be keeping most of this unit intact, including a group of dynamic linebackers. The Cougars’ strength will be in the middle of the field with their linebackers, but the secondary is also strong and experienced, led by senior CB D.J. Hayden (66 tackles, 11 PD, 5 FF).

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
Ellis Johnson has giant shoes to fill replacing former head coach Larry Fedora and the first thing he’ll have to do is find a reliable quarterback. Whoever emerges between Chris Campbell and Ricky Lloyd will have the chance to play behind a strong offensive line that will start four seniors. Desmond Johnson (5.7 YPC) is the guy who looks to get the most touches at tailback this season with the versatile Jeremy Hester also getting some carries. The strength of the Golden Eagles could be their wide receiving corps that includes the speedy and undersized Tracy Lampley (1,037 total yards, 7 total TD) and 6-foot-4 converted TE Markese Triplett. Former Memphis head man Tommy West takes over as defensive coordinator and has some talent on the defensive line and secondary. Southern Miss will have to rely on green players at the linebacker positions to round out a defense that could be strong again (20.8 PPG, 26th in nation) if recruits and transfers are ready to contribute.

TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
Tulsa is looking to repeat the success of last year’s team despite losing QB G.J. Kinne. This year, the guy under center looks to be Cody Green, who transferred from Nebraska. Green looks the part of an NFL quarterback as he is an athletic 6-foot-4, 247-pound physical specimen, and he’ll have WR Bryan Burnham (850 rec yds) to throw to. RBs Trey Watts and Ja’Terian Douglas, both of whom rushed for over 800 yards last season, will also make Green’s job a heck of a lot easier. However, the offensive line lost three starters and lacks depth. The defense for this team looks to be very promising in 2012 as they get back a few starters in every area of the defense. This includes S Dexter McCoil (13 INT in career). They have a lot of speed on their defense, so it’ll be very tough to move the ball on the Golden Hurricane, especially in a conference full of uncertainty at the quarterback position.

SMU MUSTANGS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 3
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
SMU’s success this season will rest upon the shoulders of the University of Texas outcast, Garrett Gilbert, who was once considered a phenomenal QB prospect, but he struggled in Big 12 play (13 TD, 23 INT). Gilbert’s best play will be handing off to RB Zach Line who has rushed for 2,718 yards and 27 TD in his past two seasons. The Mustangs are completely retooling their offensive line, but if Gilbert has time to throw, he’ll be targeting a legit star wideout in Darius Johnson (1,118 rec yds, 8 TD). June Jones may finally have the players to perfect his Run ‘n’ Shoot offense. The Mustangs will be returning six starters from a defensive unit that was second in C-USA last season (340 total YPG). They get back all of their linebackers, but must replace two talented defensive ends. The secondary will return a decent number of reliable starters, including CB Kenneth Acker (49 solo tackles, 4 PD) and S Ryan Smith (65 tackles, 4 PD).

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
The Pirates will be a much different team than they have been in past years, with the departure of QB Dominique Davis who threw for 7,192 yards and 62 TD in two seasons. Junior Rio Johnson (20-for-29, 157 yds, 1 INT in career) will take over under center for Ruffin McNeill’s pass-heavy offense. This team is loaded with talent at the WR position, led by Justin Hardy (658 rec yds, 6 TD) and WR/TE Justin Jones (3 TD in season finale). RB Torrance Hunt (489 rush yds) will likely get the bulk of carries. On the defensive side of the ball, this team is getting playmakers back in its front seven, as well as the linebacking corps. C-USA Freshman of the Year MLB Jeremy Grove (45 solo tackles, 77 assists) is the anchor of the unit. The defense will be a strong suit for East Carolina while the offense’s job will dramatically shift from airing out the football to cutting down mistakes after having the 2nd-worst turnover margin in FBS.

MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
The Thundering Herd will be a more exciting offense to watch this upcoming season. QB Rakeem Cato is returning after a solid freshman campaign (2,059 pass yds, 15 TD, 11 INT) and back with him is his super talented RB duo of Tron Martinez (649 rush yds, 3 TD) and Travon Van (551 rush yds, 3 TD), as well as NFL prospect WR Aaron Dobson (668 rec yds, 12 TD). The offensive line should stand tall, returning three starters and adding JUCO LT Gage Niemeyer who looked great in the spring. Defensively, Marshall loses its best pass rusher (Vinny Curry), but the secondary gets a boost from S D.J. Hunter (knee injury) coming back and Boston College transfers Dominick LeGrande and Okechukwu Okorha. With all this DB depth, Devin Arrington moves back to his linebacker position to give this unit more speed.

UTEP MINERS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
Head coach Mike Price needs to deliver a winning season in 2012. The pressure will be on QB Nick Lamaison (1,718 pass yds, 12 TD, 10 INT) who unfortunately was derailed by a few injuries. This year he’ll get back his two top targets in WRs Mike Edwards (657 rec yds, 3 TD) and Jordan Leslie (430 rec yds, 2 TD), as well as multiple pass-catching tight ends. RB Nathan Jeffery averaged 6.4 YPC last season and shows a lot of promise, especially with four starting OLs returning. The Miners defense struggled last year, allowing 442 YPG (104th in nation) and 49+ points three times. But the defensive line returns three quality starters and their linebackers will get a boost from Jamie Irving, who missed last season with shoulder injuries. The secondary could also be better with CB Drew Thomas (42 tackles, 5 PD) and S DeShawn Grayson (67 tackles, 2 INT) returning.

RICE OWLS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 5
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
Since going 10-3 in 2008, the Owls are a combined 10-26 in the past three years. For them to get back to respectability, junior QB Taylor McHargue (1,072 pass yds, 8 TD, 5 INT) needs to play better. He does have weapons in WR Vance McDonald (532 rec yds, 5 TD) and TE Luke Wilson (313 yds, 3 TD), both of whom are legitimate targets. Rice will also get back playmaking RB/WR Sam McGuffie after his season was cut short by an ankle injury. On defense, two stars return in CB Bryce Callahan (6 INT) and LB Cameron Nwosu (108 tackles). Outside of those two, they’ll be full of young, inexperienced players. Former CB coach Chris Thurmond will take over as defensive coordinator after a year in which the secondary allowed 279 passing YPG (9th-most in FBS).

UAB BLAZERS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
UAB enters the season with a new head coach in Garrick McGee, who learned how to run the offense under Bobby Petrino. McGee, who replaces Neil Callaway, has a great offensive mind and both he and offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm should be able to make the most out of QB Jonathan Perry (2,042 pass yds, 10 TD, 8 INT). Perry had a rocky start to his freshman year for the Blazers, but played much better down the stretch with 7 TD and 1 INT in his final three games. The offensive line has lost four starters, so McGee’s toughest job will be finding somebody to block for his QB. The Blazers have the talent and depth at WR and RB to do damage in the C-USA. Defensively, this team will be getting back impact players at the linebacker position and on the defensive line, where they struggled a year ago with the fewest sacks in FBS (eight). An improvement will really help the secondary, which lacks experience.

TULANE GREEN WAVE

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
The good news for new Tulane head coach Curtis Johnson is that he will get back most of his starters to help erase the sting of losing their final 10 games. The offensive line is a question mark this season, but if they can block, this Tulane team will be solid offensively. Johnson loves QB Ryan Griffin (2,502 pass yds, 13 TD, 10 INT), and expects much bigger things from him. The Green Wave will also get back their star RB, Orleans Darkwa (924 rush yds, 13 TD). The offense looks promising, but it will mean nothing if their defense doesn’t improve drastically after letting up 37.5 PPG (6th-most in FBS) and 410 total YPG. A lot of individually skilled players are back on defense, it’s just a matter of when or if they come together. LB Trent Mackey (145 tackles) is a monster within an improving linebacking corps and the secondary should also be better with experience.

MEMPHIS TIGERS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
The Tigers are returning a decent number of starters on the offensive end, but none of those are quarterbacks. But new head coach Justin Fuente will run his up-tempo offense through QB Jacob Karam, a transfer from Texas Tech. Karam’s No. 1 target will be sophomore WR Kevin Wright (36 rec, 398 yds), who is an athletic specimen at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. The broken running game from last season will again lean on the oft-injured Jerrell Rhodes (152 yds, 2 TD in 3 games). Defensively, this team can’t get much worse (491 YPG, 4th-most in FBS) despite the loss of first round NFL draft pick, DT Dontari Poe. The front seven performed very well this spring and shows promise of being a better run-stopping unit, and hopefully eclipsing 14 sacks from last year. Fortunately, almost every member of the secondary is back from last year and that experience can only help a unit that finished dead last in the nation in passing yards allowed (299.4 YPG).

UCF GOLDEN KNIGHTS

2012 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
Sophomore QB Blake Borles will start under center for UCF in 2012 after a superb finish to his 2011 freshman campaign (6 TD, 3 INT, 68.2% completions). Receivers Quincy McDuffie and Josh Reese are also looking to build upon impressive freshman years to make this offense something truly special. The Knights should have an excellent running game this season with Brynn Harvey (2,202 rush yds, 18 TD in career) and Latavius Murray (233 rush yds vs. UTEP) operating behind a solid offensive line. On the other side of the ball, eight starters are coming back on a defense that showed signs of dominance last year (18.3 PPG, 303 YPG, both 9th in FBS), before being offset by injuries. If this team can stay healthy and get consistent play from its linebackers, its defense is good enough to give this team the best record in Conference USA.

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