Season Preview
Season Preview
Jesse Burleson Takes Over Cowboy Football
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Jesse Burleson, a former Cowboy All-Conference player and assistant coach, takes over the keys of the HSU program. He is had installed an intense demeanor to the Cowboys since taking over in December to replace the 21-year face of the program Jimmie Keeling. With 16 returning starters and a bevy of experienced players the Cowboys are expecting more from themselves than maybe anyone outside of the program are expecting. While preseason projections don’t mean a whole lot, the Cowboys were picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to finish fourth in the American Southwest Conference. The preseason ASC poll has the Cowboys picked in third place, behind Mary Hardin-Baylor and McMurry. The Cowboys have never lost to McMurry in 23 games since restarting the program in 1990. Those predictions have inspired fuel around the Cowboy locker room. The Cowboys do have to replace all-time leading passer Justin Feaster, big time playmaker ZaVious Robbins and ASC Defensive player of the year Hank Hornsby. Replacing great players is something the Cowboys have traditionally been able to do. The Offense Burleson will continue to coach the offensive line. Jeff Whitehead will take over the reins at offensive coordinator after the highly successful Alan Wartes retired. Mike Salinas will coach the wide receivers and be the special teams coordinator. Quarterbacks The quarterback race will be the highlight of fall camp. Five players go in competing for the job. Senior Taylor Byrd has the most experience. He went 5-3 as a starter in 2009 when Feaster suffered a season-ending injury. He won his last five starts and knows the offense inside and out. Josh Christian and Dillon Chafin are a pair of sophomores that have been in the program and have shown signs of being able to compete for the job. Zach Stewart is a transfer from Abilene Christian. Stewart, who was a star at Abilene Cooper, and was a part-time starter
at ACU has a powerful arm and is a threat in the passing game. J.P. Tillman is another transfer with great potential. He is 6-5 and 270 pounds and has had pervious stops at Missouri and Grambling. “We have some guys that we think will continue the tradition of excellence at quarterback,” said Burleson. “It will be interesting in fall camp to see which one can come in and take over the job. We don’t know who it will be yet, but with his experience Taylor Byrd would probably have the slight edge at this point. The good thing is whoever gets the job will be working behind an experience offensive line and have capable weapons on that side of the ball.” Running Backs The Cowboys may take on more of a run-oriented approach this season with three battle-tested running backs on the roster. Derrick Grant and Steven Rockwell are back and will get a lot of the carries. Grant took more of a feature role last season when Rockwell was hurt for three games in the middle of the year. Grant ran for a career best 739 yards and seven touchdowns. He has 1,914 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first three seasons. Rockwell is a punishing runner and has 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career. The two have combined for 11 100-yard rushing efforts in their career (seven for Grant and four for Rockwell. Junior Devin Carver has shown explosiveness in the running game and kickoff return game. Carver had 317 yards and four TDs last season. Alex Thomas had 120 yards and two touchdowns in 2010 and also gives the Cowboys some depth. “We know what we have in the running game,” said Burleson. “We have no problem giving them the ball 20 or 30 times a game and we know they will make plays. We have made some changes to some of our run schemes and we expect our running game to be one of our strengths.” Wide Receivers The Cowboys will have some experience on the outside, but with its top three slot backs from a year ago now gone it is now
HSU Returns Four Starters On the Offensive Line time for someone else to step up and take on what has been the featured role of the passing game. “We have some talent at receiver,” said Burleson. “We just have to have some younger guys step up, especially at the slot. Having Tatsch back gives us someone that can stretch the field on the outside.” Senior Travis Tatsch is back after missing most of last year with an injury. He is a big speedy target that can stretch the field. He had 13 catches and 215 in three and a half games last year. Colton Brewer started all 10 games last year and had 21 catches for 295 yards. Logan Gunter and Corey Jones have both been reliable receivers on the outside. In the slot, Darius Jones is the only returner with a varsity catch. Taylor Huff is a speedster that had a strong season on the junior varsity and had a late-season call up to varsity. Joseph Limon is a transfer that was here in the spring and had his moments. Offensive Line Any good offense is anchored by the offensive line and that is no doubt the case for the Cowboys. HSU led the nation in offense last year and HSU returns four starters up front, led by All-American Koby Parker. Parker was a consensus All-American last season and has earned several preseason All-American nods. At 6-3, 320 he is a big intimidating force at tackle. Lining up with him across the front will be four experienced players. Senior Ross Hutchinson has 14 career starts at quick tackle including all 10 last year. Travis Sugar started all 10 games at center, Koby Kendrick started the first eight at strong guard before an injury. The only spot really up for grabs in the preseason is quick guard and veterans Jeff Hay and Charlie North will battle for that job. The Cowboys second unit also has experience as well. Ivan Shellnut and Brandon “Mojo” Mikolajczyk at tackle. Whoever is
not the starter and Zion Fraysier at guard and Robert Stevens at center. Pat Flanagin, Josh Davis and a host of others will fight for the tight end spot. “We think that we will be very strong up front,” said Burleson. “We have 10 guys with experience and they have worked extremely hard. They are a cohesive unit and good football teams are built up front and we have one of the most experienced units we have had in a while.” Defense There will be some changes on defense with co-coordinator Jay Niemann leaving for Northern Illlinois. Steve Barrows will go from co-coordinator to coordinator. Veteran secondary coach Bob Fello has been added and Chris Jones is back coaching the defensive line. They coaching staff will have an experienced group to work with. Defensive Line The Cowboys must replace ASC Defensive Player of the Year Hank Hornsby, but have plenty of veterans to help do that. Seniors Garrison Hardin, Pat Flaherty and Matt Gordon have all played significant snaps at defensive and all have been starters at one point or another. Hardin has 21.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his career. He also has started 15 games. Gordon has two career sacks and started five games last year. Flaherty, had eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season. The inside returns five veteran guys. Tawo Agbor was the starter at nose. Undra Hendrix, James Morgan-Hadnot, Tim Maskill and Trenton Washington. “We have a lot of returning experience up front,” said Burleson. “We have to continue to do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback and containing the running game. Those guys have paid the price in the weight room and we think that will pay off for us. We are bigger and stronger.” Linebackers Last year the Cowboys went into the season with many questions at linebacker, but youth was served and a potential superstar was found. This year they have to build on the progress.
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