2013 08 29

The

August 29, 2013

www.studentprintz.com

S tudent P rintz

Volume 98 Issue 3

Golden eagle FOOTBALL 2013 What happened last season Page 5

USM expects improvement in 2013 Page 6

Coach Todd Monken Page 9

Photo by Christopher Little

The Student Printz

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The

Student Printz Serving Southern Miss since 1927

Executive Editor Carly Tynes carly.tynes@eagles.usm.edu 601.266.4266 Managing Editor Kathryn Miller kathryn.miller@eagles.usm.edu Chief Copy Editor Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu Copy Editor Courtney McNichols courtney.mcnichols@eagles.usm.edu News Editor Monicia Warner monicia.warner@eagles.usm.edu Sports Editor Joshua Campbell joshua.m.campbell@eagles.usm.edu Design Editor Taylor Fesenmeier taylor.fesenmeier@eagles.usm.edu Art Director Christopher Little christopher.little@eagles.usm.edu Webmaster Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu Designers Joshua Byrd Gerri Ducksworth News Content Adviser Chuck Cook 601.266.4288 chuck.cook@usm.edu Ad Graphic Designer Katherine Frye katherine.frye@eagles.usm.edu Advertising Manager Lesley Sanders-Wood 601.266.5188 lesley.sanders@usm.edu Advertising e-mail printzad@usm.edu

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www.studentprintz.com The Student Printz is published every Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. Signature Offset of Hattiesburg provides printing services.

Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publications manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

2013 Football Home Schedule Saturday, August 31, Texas State, 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 5, Florida International, 3 p.m.

Saturday, October 26, North Texas, 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 16, Florida Atlantic, 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, November 23, Middle Tennessee State, 2:30 p.m.

The Eagle Walk Eagle Walk (the location) The Eagle Walk, located under the East Rock, has quickly become a must-see landmark when visiting the Rock. One will find memories of greatness captured and permanently displayed in a forum designed to promote the rich tradition and memorable accomplishments of Southern Miss Football. This avenue of greatness is annually painted and maintained as part of an incoming student tradition every fall.

Eagle Walk (the event) The other fastest growing tradition on campus, Eagle Walk (the event), is a procession of the ROTC cannon, the pride of Mississippi Marching Band, Dixie Darlings, Southern Miss Cheerleaders, and your Southern Miss Football Team. The Eagle Walk procession will begin two hours prior to kick-off of all six home games beginning at Bennett Auditorium making its way down East Memorial Drive to College Drive (behind the south endzone stadium expansion), turning left on to Eagle Walk and proceeding under the stadium.

Traditional Activities Friday Night at the Fountain, the Southern Miss pep Rally This campus and community-wide traditional event takes place on Friday evenings before all home games at Centennial Green near the fountain at Shoemaker Square. The tremendously popular, must-see event includes the Southern Miss Cheerleaders, the pride of Mississippi Marching Band, the Dixie Darlings, the Southern Misses, Seymour and plenty of Southern Miss revelry.

Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium gates early. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

Ticket Office Information Pat Ferlise Center (Ticket Office) The Pat Ferlise Center, located at the intersection of Fourth Street and Sunset Drive on the campus, is open on game days for ticket sales.

Contact the ticket office for opening hours on game days. The Ferlise Center closes 3½ hours prior to kickoff.

Stadium Ticket Office The Stadium Ticket Office is located at the southwest end of The Rock/M. M. Roberts Stadium (near gate 3). The Stadium Ticket Office opens on game days three hours prior to kickoff and remains open through halftime. Ticket sales, will call distribution, and fan assistance issues related to tickets are handled at the southwest ticket office location.

Will Call Ticket orders held at “will call” may be claimed on game day at the Stadium Ticket Office, located at the southwest end of The Rock/M. M. Roberts Stadium starting three hours before kickoff. Appropriate ID is required to claim tickets.

“Where to Find” at The Rock Stadium Ticket Office --- southwest end of The Rock/M. M. Roberts Stadium (Will Call is located at the southwest box office)

Ticket Information: 2013 Football Single Game Ticket prices (Home Games) $35 Lower Deck Sideline $30 End Zone ($20 Youth End Zone) $20 Top of the Rock Additional promotions as announced. Contact the ticket office for additional information.

Children’s’ Ticket policy Infants (under 2 years of age) in arms are admitted free with the understanding that they sit in a parent’s lap and do not occupy a seat.

Methods of payment The Southern Miss Ticket Office accepts cash, checks, MasterCard, AMEX, and Visa for ticket sales.

Parking Most parking in the immediate vicinity of The Rock/M. M. Roberts Stadium is assigned on a season basis to members of the Eagle Club.

Free Parking is available at the Lake Terrace Convention Center located on HWY 49. The City of Hattiesburg will offer Bus Shuttles to the stadium beginning 2 hours prior to kick off and concluding 1 hour after the end of the game.

Recommended parking for the general public and single game ticket buyers is located on the west side of campus. Recommended larger lots include Theatre and Dance Building, and Elam Arms Dormitory lots.

Important phone Numbers Southern Miss Ticket Office - (601) 266-5418 or 1-800-844-TICK Southern Miss Athletics - (601) 266-5017

Information courtesy of www.southernmiss.com

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Student Printz

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starting qb not announced Keatyn Ladner Sports Reporter The quarterback position is the most important in the game of football. More times than not, the quarterback is the leader who guides the team. The quarterback’s job is to execute plays, maintain composure and read the defense.

Every quarterback has a unique playing style. At the beginning of August, head coach Todd Monken described his quarterbacks’ play as inconsistent.

So, who will be the starting quarterback for the Golden Eagles this season?

We all have our suspicions of who will be taking the snaps on Saturday night, but the decision for quarterback is down to Cole Weeks, a redshirt junior, or Allan Bridgford, a redshirt senior. Head coach Todd Monken is not announcing who will be starting for USM Saturday against Texas State.

“Oh I’m comfortable with one guy, I’m just not going to announce it. We’re at that point. It does us no good to announce it. I don’t even know if it does us good to announce it. I can’t tell you if it’s good or bad. I’m just not going to do it. I don’t think (Texas State is) going to change what they do against us. I wouldn’t think so. But there is no sense in divulging who that is or what their

Christopher Little/Printz

As the search for the 2013 starting quarterback continues, head coach Todd Monken challenges the quarterbacks during his search to find a starter.

skill set may be,” Monken said.

There are many arrows that point to Weeks for the starting position. At the beginning of August, only two days into fall camp, Weeks was asked what his goal for the season was and he did not hesitate to say being the starting quarterback.

Weeks said his greatest asset will be his “underdog mentality.”

“Cole wants it so bad he can’t even

see straight. You know, he’s a feisty little competitor. He’s going to make it hard for those guys to beat him out, which he should,” Monken said.

Allan Bridgford, who transferred from the University of California, is also in the running for starting quarterback. Bridgford is 6 feet 3 inches, 210 pounds and did not arrive to campus until July. He has experience in big games as he started

three games for the Golden Bears last season when starter Zach Maynard went down due to injury.

Bridgford is from Mission Viejo, Calif. and is categorized as a “pro-style quarterback” by Rivals.com. Bridgford has stayed under the radar, but has put himself in the position to become the starting quarterback. Bridgford’s late arrival is likely the reason he has not already asserted himself as the starter.

“Allan’s behind just because he wasn’t here up until a couple of weeks ago, but I thought he picked it up well. He’s a smart guy,” Monken said.

Unfortunately for Bridgford all signs point to Cole Weeks for the starting position. After walking on the team as a freshman, Weeks was finally awarded an athletic scholarship over the summer.

Weeks said he has been preparing to take on the position for months.

“Right now I mean, I’m not doing much preparation as far as the mental side because right now it’s time to play and go win the job, but as far as the summer happening I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in my entire life as far as physically,” Weeks said.

Regardless of who will take the first snap at The Rock on Saturday, Monken knows which player will give Southern Miss the best chance to win.

The Student Printz

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

New era for southern miss Keatyn Ladner Sports Reporter The University of Southern Mississippi is turning over a new leaf. The Golden Eagle community was left with heavy hearts due to the devastating tornado in February and the unfortunate football season last year. However, the Golden Eagles are bouncing back with more enthusiasm than ever.

The University of Southern Mississippi President Rodney Bennett is beginning his first year with the support of students and local residents of Hattiesburg. Bennett was announced the tenth president and the first African American president of USM. Bennett has spoken about numerous issues for the future of our university.

“What you’re going to get from me is somebody asking those uncomfortable questions,” Bennett said.

He promised faculty members they would get a true voice in decisions and told them he would be an advocate and a supporter of shared governance.

USM has also welcomed a new head football coach, Todd Monken, and a new athletic director, Bill McGillis.

McGillis told The Kansas City Star, “Our expectation and aspiration is to win championships and be highly competitive at a conference and national level, I

Christopher Little/Printz

believe we can do that. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so.”

After a disappointing season, Southern Miss students and the community are coming back with passion and excitement for a new season.

The highly anticipated new head football coach Todd Monken, formerly the offensive coordinator of Oklahoma State, is excited and ready to tackle this season.

“You want high expectations,” Monken said. “You want to be at a place where winning is expected. And this is one of those places. This is a new era of Southern Miss

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football. You’ve had that history and tradition -- hit what I call a one-year speed bump -- but I’m looking with great confidence to the future and not looking back.”

To celebrate the new era, Southern Miss will be sporting new uniforms for the 2013-2014 season. Russell Athletic and Southern Miss agreed to a five year deal that will pay Southern Miss $2.75 million after their contract with Nike expired.

The senior class helped Russell Athletic design the new uniforms. The uniforms are definitely something different that will take some getting used to, but should

grow on the fan base. The best part of the new look is the helmets that have yellow flakes in the black paint.

Major improvements have been made to M.M. Roberts Stadium during the months following the last football season. The Rock received new turf and a new state-ofthe-art LED scoreboard for the upcoming season. Both needed to be repaired after the tornado tore through campus.

This football season will mark a turning point for our beloved university as the product on the field should improve dramatically.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Student Printz

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What Happened Last Season Alan Rawls Sports Reporter To say that last season’s version of Southern Miss football wasn’t good would be a huge understatement.

In 2011, Southern Miss had a 12-2 season capped by a dramatic Conference USA championship and a Hawaii Bowl win.

In 2012, Southern Miss Golden Eagles went 0-12 under first-year coach Ellis Johnson. It was USM’s first losing season in 18 years and the only winless season in school history. To make it worse, Southern Miss was the only Football Bowl Subdivision school without a win.

When all was said and done, fans were left wondering one thing: What happened?

Johnson’s take on the subject

Many people think Ellis Johnson is mostly at fault for USM’s problems last year. Truth be told, Johnson thinks so too.

“I chose not to run the defense or the offense as a head coach,” Johnson told AL.com this summer. “I felt like I wanted to be a head coach of everybody and not just one side of the ball.”

It was a decision he says he regrets. But according to Johnson, the biggest problem Southern Miss faced was injury.

“We were a capable team and still the injury bug started happening,” Johnson said.

His offensive playbook was supposed to include a big role for the tight ends. But all four tight ends were lost to injury. Even worse, Johnson could never find one quarterback to lead the offense.

Chris Campbell injured his neck and shoulder while Ricky Lloyd tore his ACL. Due to these and other injuries, as well as inconsistency, Johnson ended the season having played five different quarterbacks, including four starters.

Overall, Johnson believed his team never improved.

“By the time we got through the front part of the schedule, and hit the part of the schedule we really had a chance to make a run, we just weren’t a very good football team,” Johnson said.

Vague answers from those who want to forget

There was a variety of problems that plagued the USM’s football program last season. The defense lost six starters. Fouryear starting quarterback Austin Davis graduated and went to the NFL. The staff was entirely new, the quarterbacks were inexperienced or injured and the Golden Eagles just could not find a solution.

Was there anything being done to solve these problems? How were these issues addressed, or not addressed? Why, in the course of 12 weeks, could nothing be done to win just one game?

At Football Media Day on Aug. 3, The Student Printz asked veterans of the 2012 team to explain what happened.

“You can’t really pinpoint what exactly went wrong because coaches had something to do with it, (and) players had something to do with it,” said Alan Howze, a starting linebacker.

For wide receiver Dominique Sullivan: “We weren’t together as a team.”

For cornerback Deron Wilson: “We lost our confidence.”

In general, everyone agreed with Howze’s statement. According to these players, it is hard to tell precisely what happened.

“As much as we blame it on the coaching,

Christopher Little/Printz

Disapointed students and a sad Seymour look on as the USM Golden Eagles fall to the Thundering Heard of Marshall under the previous head coach Ellis Johnson.

the players didn’t play,” said potential starting quarterback Cole Weeks.

“We may have not produced, the coaches may not have done a certain thing to help us out, but it was a group effort. A lot of things went wrong, so you can’t really narrow it down to one.”

The Printz made a few calls to some important 2012 players: wide receiver Tracy Lampley and offensive lineman Joe Duhon. According to them, of the numerous things that went wrong last season, the four biggest were staff problems, the quarterback situation, miscommunication and the Golden Eagles’ game plans.

“

could run the ball against anybody,” Duhon said. “But (in 2012) once everybody figured out we could only run the ball, and we can’t pass the ball, then they stuffed us every time.”

Lampley took into account the injuries USM’s quarterbacks received. “Every time we got a rhythm we wanted, something would happen, then someone else would have to come in,” Lampley said.

“Then if something else happened we’d have to rotate in another quarterback, so we just never really found a good rhythm with a quarterback that could really take charge of the offense.”

“If we had a definite quarterback who could really pass the ball, then we would’ve been fine,” Duhon said. Lampley was in agreement, but added, “We did the best we could with what we had.”

We tried to win every game with a sh-tty game plan.

”

Joe Duhon

The staff changes

“Well it all started out with the coaches change,” Lampley began. “Once they came in and we got the new coaching staff and everything, we were trying to get the feel and know the coaches … And I think it all happened kind of fast for everybody.”

Worse than that, Lampley said, “I don’t think everybody as a team really bought into the new coaching staff. That’s just being honest.”

Joe Duhon agreed with Lampley’s remark. “At first everybody was all for it,” Duhon said. “Then after a while, everybody was like, ‘It’s not right!’’

According to Duhon, the primary problem with the coaching staff was lack of conditioning.

“Spring came, summer came, and it was horrible…” Duhon said. “The players felt that the strength conditioning was horrible, and we knew it. And bam! We had ten hamstring pulls, ACL injuries after ACL injuries, we had just no conditioning and it was bad.”

Quarterback situation

“We had four starting offensive linemen from the last season when we went 12-2. We

Miscommunication

“I don’t really think the players and the coaches were on the same page a lot of the time,” Lampley recalled. “We had to teach ourselves things on the go.”

The lack of communication between players and coaches was something Coach Johnson needed to work on, according to Duhon.

“He (Johnson) has got to listen to his players,” Duhon said. “The staff was too old school, and, it’s not the ‘80s. You can’t win doing old school right now, unless you’re Alabama.”

Lampley believes the players could have done their part too, of course. “I think the communication could’ve been better, for the coaches and for the players,” Lampley said.

USM’s game plans

For the most part, Joe Duhon did not think Southern Miss’ game plans and strategies were up to par and he was very outspoken about his opinions.

In regards to the Nebraska game and games thereafter, Duhon said, “When Alford was in the game, we were gonna run

the ball. When Chris Campbell was in the game, we were gonna pass the ball. My little nephew could figure that out, and he’s eight.”

Duhon respected Nebraska’s play-calling, saying that the Cornhuskers simply outcoached Southern Miss. But throughout all 12 games the game plan never improved.

“We tried to win every game with a sh-tty game plan,” Duhon said.

2012’s impact

The 2012 season was nothing short of disastrous. All of these factors created what current athletic director Bill McGillis calls “the perfect storm.”

2012 was something different for everyone. For last year’s coaches, it’s a blemish on their resumes. For current players, it’s something to try to forget about and move forward. For fans, it’s a disappointing season that will hopefully fade into history.

But for last year’s seniors, it was something entirely different.

“I took it as a life lesson,” said Duhon. “Me being at Southern Miss, we won every year for the past four years I was there. It actually humbled me, gave me a life lesson that you can’t win everything that you come up to. You gotta take some losses. And in 2012, we took 12 losses.”

“After going 0-12 I think it made us get closer with each other, because you figured out who was with you through that rough time,” Lampley said. “And during that time we still had support. But through it all we came together as one. It really humbled us down.”

In closing their interviews, Duhon and Lampley spoke emotionally about the upcoming season.

“I’m just ready for the new season right now. Getting back to the old Southern Miss tradition,” Duhon said.

“I really want to just give an apology to the fans of The University of Southern Miss on going 0-12,” Lampley said. “I know that was something we were not expecting, but at the same time we can’t hang our heads low about it. That’s what’s gonna make the next program so much better because nobody’s gonna want to go 0-12 anymore… I hope they get back on the right track and have a winning season.”

The Student Printz

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Page 7

USM expects improvement in 2013 Joshua Campbell Sports Editor

The Southern Miss football program faces an uphill battle to return to its rightful place in college football. The pieces are already in place for the Golden Eagles to continue their tradition as a fixture in January bowl games.

No one needs to be reminded about the disastrous 2012 season. With a new athletic director, head coach and quarterback, Southern Miss will attempt to start a new streak of winning seasons and re-establish a winning culture. That battle begins Saturday, Aug. 31 when the Golden Eagles play host to the Texas State Bobcats at 6 p.m.

Texas State is entering their second season as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Bobcats held their own last season, finishing 4-8 with an impressive win against Houston. The team barely lost to Louisiana Tech who finished the season ranked 20th in the nation.

The Bobcats are virtually unknown to many college football fans, but may not be an easy team to beat. Head coach Dennis Franchione will have his team more than ready to play Saturday night. However, after losing last year’s star quarterback, Shaun Rutherford, the team could struggle against the talented Golden Eagles.

After Saturday, the Eagles will play their next three games on the road against perennial powerhouses, Nebraska, Arkansas and Boise State. With so much uncertainty surrounding USM’s starters, the Golden Eagles could struggle in all three contests.

Nebraska quarterback and Heisman hopeful Taylor Martinez could have another field day against USM. Martinez threw for 354 yards and five touchdowns against the Golden Eagles’ defense to open the season last year.

Arkansas had a down season a year ago, but they still have plenty of top tier SEC talent that will be tough for USM to match up with. Expect more rushing attempts from the Razorback offense with new head coach Bret Bielema. His Wisconsin teams were known for a physical running game.

Boise State head coach Gary Petersen has made a name for himself over his seven-year tenure. In his time as head coach, the Broncos have lost a total of eight games. Petersen has his guys ready to play every game, every year.

USM should provide great competition in these games. First-year head coach Todd Monken has a plan in place for the Eagles, even though he won’t comment on what the starting roster will look like.

After three tough games on the road, the Golden Eagles will start their conference schedule Oct. 5 against Florida International. FIU had a rough year in 2012, stum-

Christopher Little/Printz

Coach Monken demonstrates where he wants the football to be thrown during a preseason practice.

bling to a 3-9 record. This will be the first meeting for FIU and USM as the Panthers are new to Conference USA. This could be the first time this season that the Southern Miss football program will be able to see where they stand moving forward.

It’s a true make or break game for the Golden Eagles as they could earn their first conference win.

USM will continue their conference schedule when they travel to take on the East Carolina Pirates. They’ll have their hands full with an impressive ECU team who only had one conference loss last season.

The Pirates are returning a lot of talent and their passing game could cause some major headaches for the USM secondary. The attack will be led by junior quarterback Shane Carden, who progressed over the 2012 season. Carden averaged 298 passing yards per game along with throwing for 21 touchdowns over the Pirates’ final nine games.

With USM’s revamped offense, this matchup could easily turn into an entertaining shootout.

The following week, USM will host North Texas. They are another newcomer to C-USA after previously being a member of the Sun Belt conference.

The Mean Green had a 4-8 record last season and are under the direction of third-year head coach Dan McCarney.

The Mean Green won’t be a cakewalk for USM as they possess two talented running backs in Brandin Byrd and Antoine Jimmerson. Southern Miss could generate some momentum going into the heart of their schedule if they can hold down the Mean Green rushing attack.

The following week, the Eagles will travel to West Virginia to take on Marshall. The Thundering Herd have given Southern Miss trouble over the past two years and possessed the best passing attack in the FBS last season.

Prolific quarterback Rakeem Cato will be entering his third season as the starter and if last season was any indication, he will shred defenses all year.

Marshall’s defense is shaky to say the least. Marshall ranked 123rd among 124 FBS teams in points allowed per game in 2012.

The USM offense runs ball-carrying drills during a preseason practice. Offensive coaches are stressing ball security to the inexperienced running backs.

With two offenses that love to throw the football, expect another shootout.

With points at a premium in today’s While their passing game may suffer, the been decided by a total of six points, with fense, but lost their leading receiver Anthony The Blue Raiders’ defense could have a hard game, there is only so much a defense can Bulldogs have a special runner who put up USM winning all three.

Amos. He was able to take the top off the de- time with USM’s up-tempo offense considerdo to slow down an offense to keep them huge numbers as a true freshman a year The following week, USM will return fense time and time again last season with his ing they lost many of their starters from last from putting points on the board. Whoever ago. Sophomore Kenneth Dixon ran for home to take on another new conference elite speed. Amos’ proseason. It’ll most is lining up at quarterback for USM should 1,197 yards and 27 touchdowns during his opponent, Florida Atlantic. The Owls had a duction will be hard to relikely be a close be able to produce some eye-popping num- first year on campus. The Bulldogs would rough season last year, finishing 3-9. FAU place and MTSU doesn’t game and most There will be some bers in this game. It could come down to be smart to make the Arkansas native their didn’t really have a strength in any level on have a lot of proven reclose games in colwhich team has the ball last. growing pains for workhorse this season as they move for- either side of the ball. If the Golden Ea- ceivers to replace him. lege football go to The Golden Eagles will then travel to Rus- ward with a new quarterback. gles have hopes for a bowl game, this is a If the Golden Eagles’ home team.

Southern Miss, but look theUSM ton, La. to face a Louisiana Tech team who are The “Rivalry in Dixie” should produce must-win game. By this point in the season, defense is able to key in will finish also new to C-USA. La Tech finished 20th in another great game regardless of what USM’s offense should be firing on all cylin- on the running game, the regular season for them to rebound in the nation last season, but lost dynamic duo the two teams look like. The South- ders and won’t let this one get away. they should be able to get on the road against a big way.

Colby Cameron and Quinton Patton to the ern Miss and La Tech rivalry has been Southern Miss will have their hands full another conference win.

UAB. The BlazNFL along with head coach Sonny Dykes. around since 1935. The Golden Eagles again when they host Middle Tennessee State It won’t be an easy task ers struggled last This will be a season of firsts for the Bull- have dominated the series, winning 31 Nov. 23. The Blue Raiders posted an 8-4 re- with MTSU leading rushseason and ended dogs. They are in a new conference, have a of the 44 matchups, though the games cord a year ago, but did not participate in a er Jordan Parker returning. Parker rushed for with a 3-9 record. Their offense was able to new head coach in Skip Holtz and have a new have come much closer recently. The bowl game despite being more than qualified. an impressive 851 yards last season as a true move the ball between the 20’s, but struggled starting quarterback in Scotty Young. last three games between the teams have MTSU are returning some key pieces on of- freshman and will get the bulk of the carries. scoring much-needed touchdowns. Their

Christopher Little/Printz

biggest hurdle was not scoring points.

The Blazers’ defense allowed the 11th most points in the country last season. Most of that came by passing. It’s what USM should be able to do against UAB. Points could be plentiful on both sides, but the Golden Eagles should be able to put up more.

If USM can manage to win against weak conference opponents, they should be bowl eligible with six or seven wins. One win would be an improvement over last season, but this team is easily capable of restoring its tradition. There will be some growing pains for Southern Miss, but look for them to rebound in a big way.

The Student Printz

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Offense to Make Major Improvement Judge Lucas Sports Reporter The University of Southern Mississippi hired offensive specialist Todd Monken as head football coach in an attempt to change the culture of a Golden Eagles’ offense that settled at the bottom of Conference USA in many categories. Out of 12 teams, the Eagles were 10th in total yards per game, 11th in yards passing per game and last in points scored per game.

Monken would like to sport a high-tempo offense, one similar to the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ scheme that garnered so much success as one of college football’s most electric offenses. The Cowboys’ offense had the ability to strike from anywhere on the field and put points on the scoreboard in bunches.

The first-year coach is in need of a versatile quarterback to make this possible.

Anthony Alford and Arsenio Favor, the top two passers from last year’s offense, transferred and left a three-man battle between spring starter Cole Weeks and California transfer Allan Bridgford. The duel hasn’t produced a clear favorite and Monken said that a starter will not be named before the season opener against Texas State Aug. 31.

“The sample size is going to be small,” Monken said when asked to describe the quarterback situation. “There’s no guarantee you’re going to make the right decision.

Go with what you think, shrink the percentage of error and go with it.”

Monken may have to rely on last year’s offensive backbone early in the season: the running game. In 2012, the Eagles ranked fifth in yards rushing per game and total yards rushing for the season in C-USA. The former OSU coordinator is no stranger to the running game; under his leadership, the OSU squad of 2012 accumulated 215.3 yards per game.

Three of the 2012 season’s top six rushers will not return. However, Monken will inherit the talents of Jalen Richard, Kendrick Hardy, Jeremy Hester and Tyre Bracken. If Monken’s Cowboys offense of the past is any indication of what the future holds for Southern Miss’ running game, the unit will likely feature a one-two punch rather than a running back by committee.

The running backs will follow a young, unproven offensive line that will return only one

Christopher Little/Printz

The USM Golden Eagle offensive line makes their pre-snap reads during a preseason practice against the scout team defense.

full-time starter. Senior guard Ed Preston and senior tackle Vincent Brown will play alongside the new faces of junior guard Frederick Moore and sophomore tackle Rashod Hill.

Like the vacant starting quarterback spot on the depth chart, the fifth offensive lineman slot remains a mystery. The starting center spot is up for grabs between sophomores Jordan Greene and Garrett Clark.

Last year’s offensive line yielded a dismal 30 sacks, two-thirds coming in conference play.

Offensive line coach Pete Perot will likely have his hands full melding the group together to help protect the revamped offensive scheme.

Senior fullback Bruce Johnson will help lighten the load for the offensive line as he has proven to be a reliable lead blocker over the years.

Like the offensive line, the receivers are

a raw unit. As a result of injuries in camp, many freshman receivers were gifted with extra reps in practice.

The corps will be led by last year’s leading receiver Domonique Sullivan. The 6 feet 3 inches tall wideout caught 19 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

“Golden Eagles are back,” Sullivan said at the media event. “I’m most looking forward to getting this tradition back.”

Joining him will be seniors Justin Sims and Francisco Llanos along with junior Markese Triplett. With receivers playing a large role in the new offense, a breakout season is possible for one or two of the younger talents.

The offense will be challenged early in the season.

Three of the first four games will feature No. 18 Nebraska, unranked Arkansas and No. 19 Boise State,

ranking 58th, 83rd and 8th in fewest points allowed in the country respectively. While those rankings may not suggest stout defenses, each of these teams are elite programs with loads of talent.

The stage is set for the Golden Eagles offense to have a massive rebound from last year.

Although inexperienced, the offensive unit is talented. With the correct coaching from the staff and determination from the team, Southern Miss could be a force in C-USA once again.

Whenever it happens, that first offensive touchdown will be an incredible moment for Hattiesburg’s faithful at The Rock as the old page will turn to reveal a new story for Southern Miss football.

“They didn’t forget how to win,” Monken said about his team. “They’re eager to turn the page.”

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Student Printz

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head coach Todd Monken Judge Lucas Sports Reporter After spending all of his career as a football coordinator or position coach, Todd Monken never seemed to get the recognition he deserved for the successes of his former teams.

After 22 years of dissecting defenses on film and developing young talent, Monken will finally have the opportunity to call all the shots.

University President, Rodney Bennett, hired Monken on Dec. 11, 2012 to replace former head football coach Ellis Johnson following a dismal 2012-2013 season.

“It’s an honor and a privilege today to be the head football coach at Southern Miss,” Monken said at his introductory press conference. “You want high expectations; you want to be in a place where winning is expected, and this is one of those places.”

The winless Golden Eagles are in need

of change, and Monken believes he can provide that.

“I could see it in their eyes; they didn’t forget how to win, how to work and how to compete and they’re eager to turn the page,” Monken said. “We just have to change the mindset a little bit.”

After inheriting a Golden Eagles offense that posted only 168.3 yards passing per game and 19.7 points scored per game, the first-year head coach will need to focus on offense.

Like former head coach Larry Fedora, Monken previously coached at Oklahoma State University. In 2011, his tenure as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach led to a record-setting season.

The Cowboys set single-season records for points scored, touchdowns scored, first downs, pass completions, pass attempts, touchdown passes, completion percentage, yards per play and third-down conversions.

OSU also led the Big 12 conference and

ranked second in the country in scoring and passing offense and third in total offense.

Two days into camp, Monken realized he had a difficult situation with the team’s quarterback. Following a recent media event, the new coach could only describe the quarterback duel as “inconsistent.”

Luckily, Monken knows how to develop a quarterback.

As a quarterback coach in 2011, Monken guided OSU’s starting quarterback Brandon Weeden to single-season school records for passing yards, passes completed, completion percentage and touchdown passes. Weeden also posted single-game school records for passing yards and total offense. Weeden was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Weeden would not be the only draftee of OSU’s 2012 class. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon was also selected in the first round. The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Blackmon following his stellar season under Monken’s coordination. In 2011, Blackmon caught 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns, only 30 fewer catches than the entire Eagles receiving corps in 2012.

“We have enough talent there,” Monken said after being questioned about his young receiving corps. “We have really good coaches and really good players; we just got to coach them up.”

The young group of receivers will benefit from Monken’s experience at both the collegiate and professional level of coaching wide receivers.

As an NFL wide-receivers coach with the Jaguars, Monken coached the trio of Mike Thomas, Mercedes Lewis and Mike Sims-Walker. Lewis earned a ProBowl selection in 2010.

Monken will also work with his coaching staff in developing a consistent defense to balance the team. The firstyear coach believes practice will be key to this season’s success.

“Put the pressure on them in practice.

That’s what we try to do every day,” Monken said. “If they can ignore us getting after them every day, they’ve got to be able to ignore fans when they’re screaming at them or when they’re in a hostile environment.”

“That’s what absence of fear is,” he said.

With games against Arkansas, Boise St. and Nebraska making up three of the first four games of 2013, that statement will be put to the test early.

Monken has wanted this opportunity for a long time. With his new visions of offense and inheriting a selection of talent at defense and special teams, the first-year head coach will have the chance to revive Southern Miss football and create a team capable of returning to the pinnacle of Conference USA once again.

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First-year head coach Todd Monken aims to restore Southern Miss’ winning tradition.

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The Student Printz

Page 10

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Return of the Nasty Bunch Alan Rawls Sports Reporter Last year Southern Miss’ defense allowed 207.5 rushing yards per game, 219.0 passing yards per game and a whopping 37.8 points per game. Those statistics aren’t encouraging. The 2013 defense will look better and that’s because of David Duggan.

Duggan has returned to Hattiesburg as the Golden Eagles defensive coordinator after spending last season as outside linebackers and special teams coach at North Carolina. He spent four years coaching at Southern Miss as a linebackers coach and some of his pupils include Korey Williams, Ronnie Thornton and Jamie Collins.

He spent the 2011-2012 football season as a co-defensive coordinator under former Golden Eagles head coach Larry Fedora. He helped lead the team to a 12-2 record and a Conference USA championship due to timely takeaways by the defense.

Duggan is already accustomed to using a 4-2-5 formation, the Eagles base defense. Since linebackers are probably the most important part of this formation, and Duggan’s specialty, the defense is set to be significantly better than last year.

Duggan has already worked with USM’s two starting linebackers, Alan Howze and Dylan Reda.

“I was pumped,” Howze said when he found out Duggan was returning. “He brought me in, he recruited me [and] he enabled my scholarship to happen.”

“He was the one that taught me everything about being a linebacker,” he added.

“Dylan and Alan have been the leaders of our defense this summer,” Duggan said. “They’re constantly in the film room and constantly working on the field.”

Howze recorded 66 total tackles last season, with 5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His stats were second only to linebacker Jamie Collins, who was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL draft. Reda had 55 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and two forced fumbles.

Both linebackers played in all 12 games last season. The rest of the defense seems to be solid as well.

Redshirt senior Octavius Thomas will play at the bandit position, meaning he can be a fourth defensive lineman, or step back and be a third linebacker. He’ll have big shoes to fill as a replacement for Collins. Collins started all 12 games last season, achieving 92 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, ten sacks and four forced fumbles.

Head coach Todd Monken believes the safety position will be a strength.

This year, the safeties are led by junior Emmanuel Johnson, who had 48 tackles last year, 30 of which were solo.

At the spur position is senior defensive back Jerrion Johnson. He had five pass breakups and five deflected passes, but also

recorded 3.5 tackles for loss. As a hybrid position, the spur will be fairly important by allowing the USM defense to consistently counter and attack any offense.

Cornerbacks Ed Wilkins and Kalan Reed will start on Saturday. Though Wilkins is a redshirt sophomore and Reed a true sophomore, their talent and speed make up for what they lack in experience.

Senior Deron Wilson provides great depth at this position, having had a 20-yard interception return, nine pass breakups and ten pass deflections last year.

The defensive line will be a strong unit.

Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Khyri Thornton and Michael Smith will head up this position group. These three defensive linemen started in at least ten games last season, combining for 22.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception.

In spite of all the statistics and all the talk, it comes down to whether or not the Golden Eagle defense is ready for the Texas State offense. The Bobcats will

enter Saturday’s game without knowing who their starting quarterback will be.

As of now, it’s a toss-up between Tyler Arndt and Jordan Moore. Arndt was 22 for 56 last year with one touchdown and three interceptions and Moore is a true freshman who has only played in the spring game.

If Arndt starts, the Golden Eagle defense might find Saturday’s game a little easy. If Moore plays, the defense will have their hands full with Texas State starting five talented receivers who combined for 1,382 yards last year. In the spring game, Moore flashed his dual-threat ability that is an aspect Arndt cannot match.

If the defense is really as good as the coaches have indicated, there will be nothing to worry about.

Southern Miss fans, get yourselves ready for the revival of “the Nasty Bunch.”

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The Nasty Bunch runs defensive drills during a preseason practice in an effort to get extra nasty at The Rock against Texas State on Saturday August 31.

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Student Printz

Page 11

2013 SOUTHERN MISS TAILGATING GUIDE Your Guide to Game Day Etiquette Kathryn Miller Managing Editor The first Southern Miss home football game kicks off this Saturday and it’s time to show those Texas State fans how tailgating is really done. Every new football season brings new ways to improve your tailgating tactics. Whether you are dressed to the nines or jamming out to the perfect game day playlist, there are specific do’s and don’ts for a stress-free tailgating experience in USM’s District.

Do’s:

Remember the food

Make a shopping list of the food you need for your tailgate before you go to the store. From the hamburger buns to the paper plates, make sure everything is included. Nothing is worse than when you run out of ketchup to go on that hot-off-the-grill burger.

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Pack a tent and chairs for your tailgating spot. Remember to bring enough for your family and friends. As tailgating can sometimes be an all day affair, sitting under your tent can be a great way to get out of the sun and relax.

Announce your arrival in style

The best way to show off your tailgating tent is to make it stand out from the rest of the ordinary tents. A Golden Eagle flag, decorated wreaths or fancy curtains will make your tent look tailgating savvy.

Have classy game day attire

Just one rule: Always look your best and be comfortable. Tailgating is all about catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

Guys: wear your favorite button down and slacks or your favorite Southern Miss polo.

Girls: Clothing options could be a gold dress or black leggings with a gold tunic along with sparkly accessories. Remember to express your own style through your black and gold attire. And please, heels should be prohibited. How can you have a good time when you are hobbling around in the District and then climbing up the stadium stairs? Ladies, this is not Ole Miss. You can still impress the gentlemen at the game while still feeling comfortable.

Charge your cell phone

Your cell phone dying in the middle or at the end of the game is not good. Remember to charge your phone before a game to avoid not finding your seat partner or people to go out with after the game.

Create the ultimate game day playlist

Playing great tailgate music is an awesome way for you and your friends to get pumped for the game. Make a playlist with a mix of Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney for a chill game-day vibe. You could even play old rock or oldies music as well. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is always a crowd pleaser. However, Dub-step should only be played once. Good music at your tent means a guaranteed good time for everyone tailgating around you.

Bathroom awareness

For the guys: be aware of bathroom spots including a group of trees, a porta-potty and a bathroom if you get lucky. Make sure you plan ahead before you break into that six-pack and eventually break the seal. Bike cops and campus police will be lurking around everywhere on game day.

Don’ts: Attract the campus police

Keep your party drinks in a cup and be discreet. Have a good time, but don’t harass people.

Play favorites

Sure, we all love our Golden Eagles. Our morale is even stronger now because our new football season is beginning with a

new head coach. But if we do lose (which has happened before), don’t be a sore loser and sulk after the game. Brush it off and go out for post-game drinks and have a good time with your friends.

Be ‘that person’ at the tailgate

You know the person I’m talking about.

The one who drinks way too many Bud Lights and tells everyone about it. The one who ends up stumbling home before the game starts. Have a good time, but be classy. Just think: alumni of your Greek chapter, professors and USM administration could all be there.

Paint your body

Like I said before, wear normal clothes to a game. We know a lot of students like to do this to show off their school spirit.

Well that’s what painted signs are for. Paint is messy and hard to clean off anyways. If you absolutely want to do this and scratch it off your bucket list, that’s fine. But only do it once.

We Hope to See You at the Game!

SMTTT!