After
last year’s incredible run to the conference championship,
SCAC Coach of the Year Mike DuBose and his troops will enter
the 2007 season with one word on their mind “REPEAT.” With
19 of 22 starters returning -- including 10 All-SCAC selections,
the SCAC Offensive Player of the Year and the entire defensive
unit -- the Majors are in good position to do so.
Scouting the Offense
Leading the offense will be record-setting quarterback and
reigning SCAC Offensive Player of the Year Juan Joseph. Joseph
became the first Major to be named Offensive
Player of the Year since Brad Madden (1996) and the first sophomore to earn the
honor in 15 years. The poised, Edgard, La., product rewrote the school’s
record book in 2006, setting single-season marks in completions (224), attempts
(374), yards (2,495) and touchdown passes (21) while setting single-game marks
in completions (28, twice), attempts (49) and TD passes (five).
Wide Receivers
Joseph will have plenty of targets at wideout, despite losing All-SCAC selection
Josh Hanna and last year’s receiving leader and 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers
free agent signee Chris Jackson. The Majors will return six different receivers
who caught at least one touchdown pass in 2006, including junior Eric McCarty.
McCarty was the team’s leading receiver after four games before he was
sidelined for most of the season with an injury. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native
hauled in 29 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2006, highlighted by
an eight catch, 120-yard performance in the third game of the season against
Huntingdon. Juniors Burt Pereira (20 catches, 296 yards, 2 TDs) and Donnie Epps
(20 catches, 296 yards, 2 TD) will also see significant action this season along
with seniors Kennedy Griffin (20 catches, 215 yards, TD), Louis Conley (14 catches,
137 yards, TD) and sophomore Tye Menist (6 catches, 107 yards, TD).
Running Backs
With the departure of three-time All-SCAC selection Tyson Roy, the running back
duties will most likely fall into the capable hands of junior Nick Namias. Prior
to a season-ending injury, Namias averaged 5.5 yards per carry, rushing for 302
yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries. Sophomore Kenny Metzger (50 carries,
172 yards) will also return, after taking the bulk of the carries in the final
two games against Trinity and Carnegie-Mellon. Senior Neil Woodall will return
to claim his starting position at fullback. A two-time All-SCAC Honorable Mention
and three-year starter, Woodall has primarily been used as a blocker but has
been effective in short yardage situations.
Offensive Line
In the trenches, the Majors will return three starting linemen and the starting
fullback from a crew that allowed only seven sacks in 2006 (1st in the league & 5th
in the nation) and boasted the highest yard-per-carry average (4.6) in the
conference. Absent from last year’s line is center Conell Phillips,
Jr., a three-time All-SCAC First Team selection who will start a career in
pharmaceutical sales in the fall. Junior Andres Wallace will take over the
snaps, with junior James Antonini, a Second Team All-SCAC selection and Santa
Rosa JC transfer from California last season, returning as well. They will
be the eldest on a young offensive line. Sophomores David Hardy and John
Shivers will rejoin Antonini on the front line after successful freshman
campaigns, while the final spots will be battled out in preseason practice
when the Majors report to camp August 10.
Scouting the Defense
The 11 returning starters are highlighted by three All-SCAC First Team selections
in Casey Younger, Shawn Gillenwater and Marcus Harris.
After getting off to a rocky start in the first three games, the Millsaps defense
finished off the season in dominant fashion. In league play, the Majors surrendered
a league-low 11.0 ppg., allowing just 10 TDs in six games -- three of which
came when the opponent started in Millsaps territory.
The Majors made their killing on turnovers, forcing a league-best 28, including
18 INTs. In the final six games of the regular season alone, the Majors forced
24 turnovers and picked off 16 passes while scoring on either a safety, fumble
return or an interception return.
Defensive Line
Up front for the Majors will be First Team All-SCAC
selection Casey Younger, All-SCAC Second Team selection Cedric Lawrence, junior
Honorable Mention Denarold Anderson and fourth man David Dale. Younger, a senior
defensive tackle who was named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week
in Week 6, finished second on the team with 65 tackles, including 10.5 tackles-for-loss.
Lawrence, the hard-hitting defensive end from South Panola seemed to do a little
of everything last season, tallying 45 tackles, three sacks, a league-leading
four fumbles recovered, one fumble forced and one blocked kick. Anderson quietly
put together his best season in a Majors uniform, leading the team in sacks
(four) while recording 7.0 tackles-for-loss, four pass break-ups and a forced
fumble. Dale stepped in and put together a solid freshman season in nine appearances,
recording 29 tackles (2.0 TFL), a forced fumble and a quarterback hit. Dale
tallied a season-high 11 tackles in the Majors’ first round playoff loss
at Carnegie Mellon.
Linebackers
The strength of the defense will be one of the deepest and most talented group
of linebackers in the country led by senior Shawn Gillenwater. Seemingly everywhere
on the field in 2006, Gillenwater not only recorded a team-leading 87 tackles
and 13 tackles for a loss, but also picked off two passes and recovered a fumble.
He is joined by two All-SCAC Second Team selections in Lee Klein and Ronnie
Wheat. In his freshman season, Klein totaled 64 tackles and forced two fumbles.
After missing the first three games of the season, Wheat recorded 40 tackles,
including 7.5 for a loss and three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns).
Senior Canaan Farris adds even more experience and depth at the position after
finishing among the team’s leading tacklers last season with 56.
Defensive Secondary
Junior Marcus Harris leads a group of defensive backs that each picked up at
least one interception and showed immense improvement over the course of
the 2006 season. An honorable mention selection to the Football Gazette All-American
Team, a three-time D3football.com National Team of the Week nod and a two-time
SCAC Defensive Player of the Week pick in 2006, Harris led the SCAC (3rd
in the country) in passes defended with 22, finished t-third on the team
in tackles (64) and t-second in the conference in interceptions with five.
The First Team All-SCAC selection is joined by senior Ray Kline who racked
up 56 tackles, as well as a season-high 13 against the Choctaws, last season
and juniors Michael Sims and Jacob Hanberry. In addition to gaining Second
Team All-SCAC recognition, Sims ranked second on the team and t-second in
the league in passes defended (11) and INTs (three) while picking up 4.5
tackles-for-loss and a sack. Hanberry added 31 tackles, four pass break-ups
and a 56-yard INT return in the Majors’ season opener. Junior Michael
Moore also returns after picking up 12 tackles in eight games, with a season-high
five against Huntingdon College.
Special Teams
Sophomore All-SCAC Second Team selection William Lawrimore will resume his
role as the Majors’ primary punter this season after ranking sixth
in the league in punting average in 2006. The Tampa, Fla., native booted
14 balls inside the opponents 20 yardline while recording a season-long 50
yard punt in the Majors’ season-opener. Adding depth to the chart is
incoming freshman Taylor Russolino from New Orleans, a possible role player.
Sam Herman will retain his starting spot as a kickoff specialist after taking
over for the departed D.J. Mello just three games into the 2006 season. Herman
recorded 41 kickoffs for a 53.3 average to go along with six touchbacks. He
also knocked down 2 of 3 field goal attempts, including a season-long 36 yarder.
Kicker Evan Bauer, a newcomer out of Corinth, Miss., will compete for
a starting spot with Herman in the PAT category.
Millsaps will be looking for an incoming player(s) to fill the void in the
return game after the departure of specialists Josh Hanna and ST Player of
the Year Chris Jackson. The Majors ranked No. 1 in the SCAC in kickoff returns
(36th in the country) and punt returns (25th in the country) last season, averaging
20.8 yards per kick return and 12.3 yards per punt return. Jackson was responsible
for all three returns for touchdowns, returning a kick 99 yards for a score
against Louisiana College and two punts (67, 51) against No. 14 Trinity University
in the SCAC Championship game. The speedy duo of Marcus Harris and Schuyler
Huff both saw action in spring workouts and will likely be the front runners
in the return game.
