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Wildcats Look to Finish the Decade on a Winning Note
8/13/2009 10:20:47 AM | Football
2009 Football Season Preview
Tripp Merritt and his Davidson football team want to get back to the standards they established with back-to-back winning campaigns in 2006 and 2007. The Wildcats – with the sour taste of last year's 4-7 record still fresh – have multiple goals, and players and coaches are determined to reach them.
“We are a hungry football team and eager to earn back some respect,” Merritt said.
Goal 1: If Davidson takes care of business and plays to its potential, which includes avoiding key injuries that crippled last year's defense, this could wrap up a 10-year stretch that would produce more victories than in any decade in the school's storied 113-year history of playing college football. The previous nine seasons have seen the Red and Black raise the victory flag 47 times, including the superb 2000 team that went 10-0. The Wildcats need three wins to break the record set in the decade of the 1990s. Of course, the goal is not just to break the record, but to obliterate it, build on it, set the bar high. It's a golden opportunity that Merritt and his staff look forward to with a high level of enthusiasm.
Goal 2: Davidson kicked off last season coming off two consecutive winning campaigns. The Wildcats expected to make it three in a row. Not getting the job done left coaches and players frustrated and unfulfilled and eager to make amends. Injuries to key players contributed to the lack of wins, but this program plays the cards dealt and doesn't deal in excuses or what-ifs.
Goal 3: This is Merritt's fifth season as Davidson's head coach. He believes he has the program on a solid foundation, and now he wants his team to challenge for league championships. It's certainly not an easy assignment, but he thinks it can be done. It's close to reality, he believes. For sure, Davidson football doesn't appear to be far away from attaining some lofty goals, but the proof comes on the field, not on a written page that previews the season. The Wildcats understand.
Before we look ahead to 2009, let's look back for just a moment. Davidson was as close as paint to a wall to a winning season. It was the only Pioneer League team to defeat conference champion Jacksonville. Its last three losses were by a cumulative 12 points. Agonizing losses, all of them. Had it not been for two or three misplayed snaps here or there, the season could have produced at least two more wins.
“We had more than our fair share of chances,” Merritt said.
Key injuries forced the defense to play seven freshmen in crucial situations. Instead of learning and making their mistakes in practice, circumstances put them in situations where those mistakes of inexperience came in games. Fate dealt those cards, and while it caused growing pains last year, those seven forced into early duty should be valuable contributors this season.
Davidson lost two defenders last season – one in the preseason and another in the first game – that it couldn't afford to be without. Free safety Matt Guerrieri, who was counted on to direct the defense the way a New York traffic cop moves cars from lane to lane, went down in the first game with a season-ending knee injury. And outside linebacker Kwame Som-Pimpong, who was the team's director of creating havoc for opposing offenses, didn't play a snap because of an injury to his Achilles tendon.
Meanwhile, Davidson's offense moved the ball spectacularly at times but shot itself in the foot too often with 19 pass interceptions. “We all take responsibility for those interceptions,” Merritt is quick to point out. “It wasn't just on the quarterback.”
The quarterback was veteran Ryan Alexander, a record-setter who despite the interceptions, had a sizzling passing efficiency rating of 123. Unfortunately, the 19 interceptions killed drives, often put the defense in tough spots and frustrated an offense that otherwise averaged a very respectable 350 yards a game.
But that's college football. Every team has a story, plays here or there that were costly. The line between winning and losing in this sport is often as thin as a razor's edge. Instead of whining about it, making excuses, or pointing fingers, Merritt, his coaches and players went back to work in the offseason. The players dedicated themselves to conditioning and getting faster and stronger. The coaches hit the recruiting trail and brought back 36 freshmen that are among the 100 players who reported to summer camp. That was up from 83 players that reported in the preseason last year and a stunning increase over the 69 that greeted Merritt's first Davidson team.
“We had an excellent spring practice,” Merritt said, “We had the numbers to get some valuable work done, and we took 121 snaps in our spring scrimmage. I was very encouraged about the work we got in and the attitude that we displayed.”
So that's where we are as the Wildcats embark on a new season. The table is set. It will be a different Davidson team, completely so. Two quarterbacks will compete for the starting job, neither of whom has thrown a pass in a college game. The defense has a stout front seven and some good talent in the secondary, but secondary players are mostly inexperienced. They will learn quickly how it feels to be on an island against some explosive offenses.
The 10-game schedule features eight games against Pioneer League opponents and out-of-conference games against powerful Elon, one of the strongest teams in the mighty Southern Conference, and ancient rival Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Wildcats have five games at home, five on the road. Fall is in the air; enthusiasm in the village is high. The Red and Black is ready. Let's examine where this season might take them. And let's begin with…
The offense
Are there serious question marks? You bet. But there is also plenty of good news, exciting possibilities as offensive coordinator Ryan Heasley begins his second season directing Davidson's offense after coming here from coaching at Washington University in St. Louis. Heasley knows his players and what makes them tick as well as the Davidson culture. Meanwhile, his players know him, too, as well as what to expect.
“Our players and I know each other well now, and we've cultivated trust in each other,” Heasley says. “The positive attitude of our players has been awesome.”
Experience is invaluable, for coaches and players. The potential of Davidson's offensive line brings a smile to Heasley's face.
“We're looking at six or seven guys with the ability to start,” Heasley said, “and they are good football players, all of them. We're figuring out how they will all fit in, what their best positions are. Most of them can play multiple positions, which gives us more flexibility.”
The chief loss from last year's line was Will Nolte, a giant of a left tackle with many skills. Jason Perillo (6-4, 290, Sr.) played right tackle last season and has been moved to the all-important left tackle. He'll line up next to left guard Joe Tabler (6-3, 325, Sr.) while Shane Purvis (6-1, 290, Sr.) will be the center. That's a lot of size and strength on the left side of the line, which should help improve Davidson's running game and make the offense more multiple.
Mark Iafrate (6-1, 280, Sr.), an All-PFL Honorable Mention selection in 2008, will be the right guard. He is talented and experienced. The right tackle heading into summer camp is Marshall Ellis (6-3, 280, Jr.). Also very much in the picture at various line positions is Zenus Wilson (6-3, 295, Jr.), who had a great spring and has exceptional talent, strength and toughness. He will play a lot of snaps.
“We are happy to have quality of depth which will lead to competitive battles for playing time,” Heasley said. “We also think we have some excellent freshman prospects.”
“With this experienced offensive line, we expect to be able to run the ball more effectively and take pressure off our quarterbacks,” says head coach Merritt. “We have to be able to run the ball to be as good as we want to be.”
Tight ends and fullbacks in the Davidson scheme are expected to block efficiently and catch the ball in passing situations. Those positions require dedication and tough athletes who work mostly in the shadows, far away from the glory of newspaper headlines and television highlight shows.
“They are very important to us,” Heasley said. “With our philosophy of changing personnel groupings and moving our offensive guys around, our tight end and fullback have to be our smartest guys on the field.”
Davidson could look a long time and not find a better fullback candidate than Kirk Benedict (6-0, 235, Sr.), who played the last game of the season last year with a separated shoulder and never mentioned it to a soul until after the game was over. He is a throwback: tough, thick, a good blocker, catches the ball out of the backfield and then looks for a defender to punish. He's in the ROTC program and spent the summer training with the Army. “He loves football,” Heasley says.
The tight end position is expected to be filled by either Preston Eldridge (6-1, 220, Sr.) or Aaron Curley (6-3, 230, Sr.), who was moved from the defensive line.
Davidson likes what it has at wide receiver. “It's the deepest receiving corps that we've had in a while,” Merritt said.
The two atop the depth chart in summer camp are Andrew Aldrich (5-11, 190, Sr.) and Mark Hanabury (5-11, 180, Jr.). “They have good hands,” Heasley said, “they're tough, run good routes and are deceptively fast. They can make plays down the field.” Aldrich had 52 catches last season and Hanabury 35.
Jonathan Adams (6-0, 180, So.) is a speed guy who can stretch the field. Josh Yost (6-2, 210, So.) was slowed in the spring by a hip injury but has the ability to become an excellent possession receiver. Ben Sarver (6-0, 175, Jr.) backs up Aldrich and is a solid, consistent player. There are some excellent wide receiver prospects in the freshman class that will also get a chance to show their skills.
Davidson appears to have good reasons to be excited about its chances of running the ball effectively. The offensive line is big, strong and experienced. The fullback has an attacking mentality that runners love to have in front of them. The tight ends are good blockers. And the tailbacks are talented.
Heasley doesn't even attempt to temper his enthusiasm when talking about his tailbacks. “They are really good football players,” he said. “They have a chance to be special.”
They are Kenny Mantuo (5-10, 185, Jr.) and Justin Williams (5-9, 180, Jr.). They complement each other like peanut butter and jelly. Mantuo is a tough, zone type runner with good balance who runs hard while having good field vision. Once a defense finds a rhythm in defending Mantuo, Williams could change the entire pace of play. He is quick and fast, has the give and take to make defenders miss, and has big-play potential. Each catches the ball well.
“Justin is our Reggie Bush, a very versatile player. We have to find ways to get him the ball.” Merritt said. “We plan to have situations where both of our tailbacks are on the field at the same time.”
Playing behind the graduated Chad Barnes last season, Mantuo rushed 99 times for 418 yards and Williams 52 times for 291 yards.
“We have to get them more touches this season,” Heasley says of his tailback tandem. “We're going to hand it to them and throw it to them.”
Here's where it gets interesting, real interesting. The quarterbacks that will be handing off and throwing have never thrown a pass in a college game. Not a single pass. Last year's quarterback, Ryan Alexander, graduated. He owns the Davidson record book when it comes to passes completed, passing yardage, passing touchdowns.
Davidson's offense was somewhat predictable last season in that defenses knew with Alexander at quarterback the Wildcats were going to try to make crucial plays through the air. It was their strength. The running game was secondary and defenses treated it as such.
The quarterbacks this year are as different as they could possibly be. Like hands on the clock at 6 o'clock, they go their separate ways. Michael Blanchard (6-2, 220, Jr.) is strong, combative, hard to bring down and one of the most competitive players on the Davidson roster.
“Michael has Tim Tebow-like qualities to his game,” said Merritt, referring to Florida's Heisman Trophy winner.
Matt Heavner (6-3, 190, So.) on the other hand, is a more traditional quarterback. Strong arm, runs well, should be a good passer with a good feel for the game.
Merritt makes no bones about it in discussing his offense. “Quarterback is the key,” he surmises. “I think we have some pretty good ones. Blanchard is an excellent all-around athlete while Heavner throws the ball well. Matt Mann and Tyler Hammet are in the mix. Somebody is going to emerge.”
The two young men do have one thing in common: scant experience in college football. They've taken very few snaps in college competition.
Heasley still likes them and appreciates the way they competed and approached their assignments in the spring practices. “They both had great springs and showed excellent knowledge of the game,” Heasley said. “Both are good leaders who bring different skills to the table.”
Heasley said the two quarterbacks went into summer camp pretty equal. “For our offense to excel, we need to play both of them,” he said.
Heasley hopes that the combination of a two-headed monster at quarterback and different personnel groupings will produce a lot of sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.
Because of its personnel, Davidson was pretty one dimensional on offense last season. For instance, when Alexander lined up in the shotgun it was fairly evident that the Wildcats were going to throw the ball. “We should be able to run the ball in any situation this year,” Heasley said. “We should be more multiple, which would take pressure off our passing game.”
Davidson did a lot of things well on offense last year. Make no mistake about that. Now the goal is to clean up the mistakes and become more consistent.
Heasley has his list of offensive goals for each game: He calls one of them the “Cat 60,” which means producing 60 good offensive plays a game. Number two, he wants Davidson to be plus two in the turnover category at game's end. The 19 interceptions were a killer last year, but on the plus side, the Davidson running backs fumbled only once all season. Heasley's final talking point is that he wants his team to come away with points once it reaches what he calls the “green zone.” Most coaches refer to the area inside the opponent's 20 yard line as the “red zone,” but red means stop and Heasley wants his offense playing downhill from whistle to whistle. Green means go. That's Heasley's goal for the offense.
The defense
It is not betraying trade secrets to say that Davidson's defense will move around, line up in all kind of different looks and bring pressure from all over the field out of its 3-4 alignment. It's what defensive coordinator Meade Clendaniel and associate head coach Brett Hayford believe in.
As noted, Davidson's defense was put in a bind early on last season due to injuries to defensive leaders Kwame Som-Pimpong and Matt Guerrieri. Seven freshmen played. Had to. When the roll was called at some positions, freshmen were the only ones available for duty. There was a lot of on-the-field learning, which is never what a defensive coordinator wants. Clendaniel and Hayford prefer to correct freshman mistakes on the practice field and then turn the Saturday afternoon chores over to defenders who have been in the fray.
If they can avoid injuries to key players, they believe this year's defense has a realistic chance to be good. Clendaniel has been on the Davidson football staff for 10 seasons and Hayford for 17, so they've seen enough to know when to be excited and when to be cautious. They're feeling pretty optimistic. But they're keeping their fingers crossed, because you never know what's around the corner in this game.
Clendaniel and Hayford study tapes together, scheme game plans together and view this year's defense through the same lens. Hayford coaches the defensive line and Clendaniel the secondary. How do they see it?
The defensive front three: The expected starters at defensive tackle are Daniel Hauffe (6-3, 240, Sr.) and Alex Griswold (6-2, 235, Sr.). The nose guard is Ellis Martin (6-1, 255, So.), who is the strongest player on the team. Those three guys should occupy the full attention of any offensive line and free up some linebackers and secondary defenders to come open on blitzes.
There's experienced depth up there, too, according to Hayford. Aaron Saltzman (6-3, 240, Sr.) backs up Hauffe and is an excellent player in his own right. So is Morgan Popham (6-2, 235, So.) who plays behind Griswold. Brandon Wright (5-11, 250, Sr.) will push Martin for playing time at nose guard.
“Hauffe, Griswold and Saltzman have played a lot of snaps and they're athletic, quick kids who can run and are physical,” Hayford said. “Popham is a sophomore who is going to be a good player. Wright is coming off a knee injury and could push for a starting role. Martin is our strongest player, a real workhorse in the weight room.”
Davidson must have good depth up front because Hayford likes to play six or seven down linemen during a game. He wants fresh athletes in the game to battle the huge offensive linemen.
Clendaniel knows that for Davidson to be effective on defense, the Wildcats must be able to offer a lot of different looks that make it hard for the offense to know where the pressure is coming from. And Clendaniel is going to bring pressure.
The linebackers: Behind the horses on the defensive line are four linebackers who are good, solid football players. Every football team needs a defensive player who will stir things up, who plays fast and maybe even a tad recklessly. Inside linebacker Tyler Lemons (5-10, 210, Sr.), who was a second-team All-PFL selection last season, is that guy for Davidson. He had a team-leading 91 tackles last season. “He is an excellent athlete who took on a leadership role in the spring,” Clendaniel said. “Though he may not be one of the biggest linebackers in the conference, he plays fast and brings a lot of enthusiasm with him to the field. He will hit you.”
The other starting inside linebacker is Daniel Astrop (6-1, 210, Jr.). He played inside linebacker as a freshman before being moved to the outside last year because of the injury to Som-Pimpong. He played in 10 games, starting six, and was in on 39 tackles. Clendaniel says Astrop seems more at home on the inside. He and free safety Guerrieri make sure the defense is lined up properly. They're both excellent leaders. Astrop studies the game like few players. He takes notes when he's talking to Clendaniel just as he does in classrooms across campus. He is a student of the game plus a whole lot more. He watches film in Clendaniel's office and becomes so engrossed in what he sees that the coach sometimes has to run him out.
The starting backers on the outside are Patrick Hunt (6-1, 205, So.) and Will Pickens (6-0, 225, Sr.). “Hunt started six games as a freshman last season and is a good football player who is only going to get better in time,” Clendaniel said. “This is the second year starting for Pickens, who is a strong, physical player.” Pickens was involved in 31 tackles last year and Hunt in 20.
Brandon Yeargan (6-1, 225, Jr.) “had a great sophomore season,” according to Clendaniel and will see considerable playing time at outside linebacker.
“I think we have the potential to be as good as we've been since I've been here with our down linemen and linebackers,” Clendaniel said.
Said head coach Merritt: “I think our veteran defensive line has the ability to be among the best in the Pioneer League. Our philosophy is to put speed on the field before size, and our linebackers can run.”
Which brings us to …
The secondary: If you want the short version, here it is: Good talent, excellent potential, very little game experience. Faster and more athletic than last season. Still, the place that inexperience scares a defensive coordinator to death is the secondary. No one in the secondary has played more than two games as a starter at their current position.
The starting cornerbacks are expected to be Brandon Sykes (6-1, 195, Jr.) and Harvey Kee (5-8, 185, Jr.). “Sykes has started but has played more strong safety than cornerback,” Clendaniel said. “Kee has never started a game for us.” Adding depth on the corners will be Rodney Lasher (6-1, 205, Jr.) and Clem Butler (5-10, 185, So.).
The free safety is Guerrieri (5-11, 195, Jr.). He comes back from the knee injury that made him miss just about the entire season a year ago. He's anxious to get back on the field, and he's a leader, a cerebral player who knows how to make plays. Behind him at free safety is Peter Kidwell (6-0, 205, So.). “Kidwell is a good football player who we need to get on the field in different situations,” Clendaniel said.
The strong safety is John Behm (6-1, 205, So.), one of the seven freshmen to play on the defense last year. He played in all 11 games, was in on 28 tackles, broke up four passes and recovered a fumble. “He came here as a wide receiver,” Clendaniel said. “We moved him to the secondary last year, and he played a lot in nickel situations. He's a very good athlete.”
Backing up Behm is Malcolm Moses-Hampton (5-10, 190, So.). Clendaniel says he's similar to Behm and might well be the fifth defensive back in nickel situations this season. Also in the mix is Logan Cannon (5-10, 190, Jr.), who played in 10 games in 2008.
“In addition to quarterback, a key for us this season will be our secondary,” Merritt said. “We have talent back there, but they haven't seen many reps. As a whole, they have the potential to be really good.”
The key losses from the defense of 2008 were inside linebacker Peter Bakke, who was in on 88 tackles, and nose guard Will Funderburg who often had two offensive linemen assigned to him. The defense last year gave up 342 yards a game. It had 10 interceptions and recovered 13 fumbles. Clendaniel and Hayford are looking for more.
Especially more consistency.
“If we can stay healthy, I believe our front seven are good enough to give our secondary a chance to be successful,” Clendaniel said. “Each man in our starting front seven has started at least six college games.”
Everything else being equal, Clendaniel comes down hard on the side of experienced players. The fact that Davidson has 19 seniors on this year's team gives him some comfort. Playing seven freshmen, as he was forced to do last season, is an anomaly for him. If his secondary grows up in a hurry, the Wildcats could be formidable defensively.
Special teams
One would be hard pressed to find a football coach who puts more emphasis on special teams play than Merritt, who heads up coaching the special units.. He believes in using his special teams to put pressure on opponents and wants them to spend time having to prepare for Davidson's special teams.
Merritt's philosophy on special teams is, “Offense sells tickets, defense wins games and special teams win championships.” Each year, he looks to establish a group of players, which he calls “The Unit,” who play on all the special teams. They are a group of go-getters, who love being out there, take pride in it, and are expected to be the nucleus of the special teams. Returning members of the “The Unit” are Yeargan, Seyi Ayorinde (6-1, 215, Sr.), Moses-Hampton, Kidwell, Lasher, Butler and Elliott Campbell (5-11, 205, Jr.).
“We want our special teams to win some games for us,” Merritt said. “We expect it. Last season was up and down for us. We'd do something great and turn around and do something poorly. For instance, we returned the opening kickoff against San Diego for a touchdown but later had a punt blocked. We shanked some punts, had some kickoffs go out of bounds and dropped some balls. We did some nice things but we need to be much more consistent this season.”
Two players top the depth chart at punter. They are Brenton Goodman (5-11, 185, So.) and Andrew Wohler (6-3, 200, Jr.). Wohler punted 11 times last season and averaged 40.2 yards a kick, so his potential is outstanding. He had four kicks inside the 20 and had one punt blocked. Wohler was a linebacker, a very good one, in fact, until a shoulder injury forced him to give it up. He took on the punting job to stay with the football team.
Coach Merritt says Goodman has excellent potential as a punter but needs more consistency.
The place-kickers are Ben Behrendt (5-9, 175, Jr.) and Bo Swanson (6-3, 195, So.).
“Behrendt is accurate on short and medium range kicks,” Merritt said. “We need to see him improve from long range. His leg strength needs to improve so he can hit the field goal from 40 yards and a little longer.”
Behrendt made five of nine field goal attempts last season with his longest being from 47 yards. Swanson handled most of the kickoff duties last season. Lasher also demonstrated a strong leg in kicking off five times last season.
Freshmen punters and place-kickers always get a look, which will be the case this year.
Wide receiver Andrew Aldrich will be the holder on field goals and extra points and defensive back John Behm will be the long snapper.
The main return man on punts and kickoffs will be Williams. “Justin needs to improve on catching the ball in certain situations,” Merritt said. “If he gets that corrected, he could be the best returner in the league. He can be scary.”
“We are a hungry football team and eager to earn back some respect,” Merritt said.
Goal 1: If Davidson takes care of business and plays to its potential, which includes avoiding key injuries that crippled last year's defense, this could wrap up a 10-year stretch that would produce more victories than in any decade in the school's storied 113-year history of playing college football. The previous nine seasons have seen the Red and Black raise the victory flag 47 times, including the superb 2000 team that went 10-0. The Wildcats need three wins to break the record set in the decade of the 1990s. Of course, the goal is not just to break the record, but to obliterate it, build on it, set the bar high. It's a golden opportunity that Merritt and his staff look forward to with a high level of enthusiasm.
Goal 2: Davidson kicked off last season coming off two consecutive winning campaigns. The Wildcats expected to make it three in a row. Not getting the job done left coaches and players frustrated and unfulfilled and eager to make amends. Injuries to key players contributed to the lack of wins, but this program plays the cards dealt and doesn't deal in excuses or what-ifs.
Goal 3: This is Merritt's fifth season as Davidson's head coach. He believes he has the program on a solid foundation, and now he wants his team to challenge for league championships. It's certainly not an easy assignment, but he thinks it can be done. It's close to reality, he believes. For sure, Davidson football doesn't appear to be far away from attaining some lofty goals, but the proof comes on the field, not on a written page that previews the season. The Wildcats understand.
Before we look ahead to 2009, let's look back for just a moment. Davidson was as close as paint to a wall to a winning season. It was the only Pioneer League team to defeat conference champion Jacksonville. Its last three losses were by a cumulative 12 points. Agonizing losses, all of them. Had it not been for two or three misplayed snaps here or there, the season could have produced at least two more wins.
“We had more than our fair share of chances,” Merritt said.
Key injuries forced the defense to play seven freshmen in crucial situations. Instead of learning and making their mistakes in practice, circumstances put them in situations where those mistakes of inexperience came in games. Fate dealt those cards, and while it caused growing pains last year, those seven forced into early duty should be valuable contributors this season.
Davidson lost two defenders last season – one in the preseason and another in the first game – that it couldn't afford to be without. Free safety Matt Guerrieri, who was counted on to direct the defense the way a New York traffic cop moves cars from lane to lane, went down in the first game with a season-ending knee injury. And outside linebacker Kwame Som-Pimpong, who was the team's director of creating havoc for opposing offenses, didn't play a snap because of an injury to his Achilles tendon.
The quarterback was veteran Ryan Alexander, a record-setter who despite the interceptions, had a sizzling passing efficiency rating of 123. Unfortunately, the 19 interceptions killed drives, often put the defense in tough spots and frustrated an offense that otherwise averaged a very respectable 350 yards a game.
But that's college football. Every team has a story, plays here or there that were costly. The line between winning and losing in this sport is often as thin as a razor's edge. Instead of whining about it, making excuses, or pointing fingers, Merritt, his coaches and players went back to work in the offseason. The players dedicated themselves to conditioning and getting faster and stronger. The coaches hit the recruiting trail and brought back 36 freshmen that are among the 100 players who reported to summer camp. That was up from 83 players that reported in the preseason last year and a stunning increase over the 69 that greeted Merritt's first Davidson team.
“We had an excellent spring practice,” Merritt said, “We had the numbers to get some valuable work done, and we took 121 snaps in our spring scrimmage. I was very encouraged about the work we got in and the attitude that we displayed.”
So that's where we are as the Wildcats embark on a new season. The table is set. It will be a different Davidson team, completely so. Two quarterbacks will compete for the starting job, neither of whom has thrown a pass in a college game. The defense has a stout front seven and some good talent in the secondary, but secondary players are mostly inexperienced. They will learn quickly how it feels to be on an island against some explosive offenses.
The 10-game schedule features eight games against Pioneer League opponents and out-of-conference games against powerful Elon, one of the strongest teams in the mighty Southern Conference, and ancient rival Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Wildcats have five games at home, five on the road. Fall is in the air; enthusiasm in the village is high. The Red and Black is ready. Let's examine where this season might take them. And let's begin with…
The offense
Are there serious question marks? You bet. But there is also plenty of good news, exciting possibilities as offensive coordinator Ryan Heasley begins his second season directing Davidson's offense after coming here from coaching at Washington University in St. Louis. Heasley knows his players and what makes them tick as well as the Davidson culture. Meanwhile, his players know him, too, as well as what to expect.
“Our players and I know each other well now, and we've cultivated trust in each other,” Heasley says. “The positive attitude of our players has been awesome.”
Experience is invaluable, for coaches and players. The potential of Davidson's offensive line brings a smile to Heasley's face.
“We're looking at six or seven guys with the ability to start,” Heasley said, “and they are good football players, all of them. We're figuring out how they will all fit in, what their best positions are. Most of them can play multiple positions, which gives us more flexibility.”
The chief loss from last year's line was Will Nolte, a giant of a left tackle with many skills. Jason Perillo (6-4, 290, Sr.) played right tackle last season and has been moved to the all-important left tackle. He'll line up next to left guard Joe Tabler (6-3, 325, Sr.) while Shane Purvis (6-1, 290, Sr.) will be the center. That's a lot of size and strength on the left side of the line, which should help improve Davidson's running game and make the offense more multiple.
“We are happy to have quality of depth which will lead to competitive battles for playing time,” Heasley said. “We also think we have some excellent freshman prospects.”
“With this experienced offensive line, we expect to be able to run the ball more effectively and take pressure off our quarterbacks,” says head coach Merritt. “We have to be able to run the ball to be as good as we want to be.”
Tight ends and fullbacks in the Davidson scheme are expected to block efficiently and catch the ball in passing situations. Those positions require dedication and tough athletes who work mostly in the shadows, far away from the glory of newspaper headlines and television highlight shows.
“They are very important to us,” Heasley said. “With our philosophy of changing personnel groupings and moving our offensive guys around, our tight end and fullback have to be our smartest guys on the field.”
Davidson could look a long time and not find a better fullback candidate than Kirk Benedict (6-0, 235, Sr.), who played the last game of the season last year with a separated shoulder and never mentioned it to a soul until after the game was over. He is a throwback: tough, thick, a good blocker, catches the ball out of the backfield and then looks for a defender to punish. He's in the ROTC program and spent the summer training with the Army. “He loves football,” Heasley says.
The tight end position is expected to be filled by either Preston Eldridge (6-1, 220, Sr.) or Aaron Curley (6-3, 230, Sr.), who was moved from the defensive line.
Davidson likes what it has at wide receiver. “It's the deepest receiving corps that we've had in a while,” Merritt said.
The two atop the depth chart in summer camp are Andrew Aldrich (5-11, 190, Sr.) and Mark Hanabury (5-11, 180, Jr.). “They have good hands,” Heasley said, “they're tough, run good routes and are deceptively fast. They can make plays down the field.” Aldrich had 52 catches last season and Hanabury 35.
Jonathan Adams (6-0, 180, So.) is a speed guy who can stretch the field. Josh Yost (6-2, 210, So.) was slowed in the spring by a hip injury but has the ability to become an excellent possession receiver. Ben Sarver (6-0, 175, Jr.) backs up Aldrich and is a solid, consistent player. There are some excellent wide receiver prospects in the freshman class that will also get a chance to show their skills.
Davidson appears to have good reasons to be excited about its chances of running the ball effectively. The offensive line is big, strong and experienced. The fullback has an attacking mentality that runners love to have in front of them. The tight ends are good blockers. And the tailbacks are talented.
Heasley doesn't even attempt to temper his enthusiasm when talking about his tailbacks. “They are really good football players,” he said. “They have a chance to be special.”
“Justin is our Reggie Bush, a very versatile player. We have to find ways to get him the ball.” Merritt said. “We plan to have situations where both of our tailbacks are on the field at the same time.”
Playing behind the graduated Chad Barnes last season, Mantuo rushed 99 times for 418 yards and Williams 52 times for 291 yards.
“We have to get them more touches this season,” Heasley says of his tailback tandem. “We're going to hand it to them and throw it to them.”
Here's where it gets interesting, real interesting. The quarterbacks that will be handing off and throwing have never thrown a pass in a college game. Not a single pass. Last year's quarterback, Ryan Alexander, graduated. He owns the Davidson record book when it comes to passes completed, passing yardage, passing touchdowns.
Davidson's offense was somewhat predictable last season in that defenses knew with Alexander at quarterback the Wildcats were going to try to make crucial plays through the air. It was their strength. The running game was secondary and defenses treated it as such.
The quarterbacks this year are as different as they could possibly be. Like hands on the clock at 6 o'clock, they go their separate ways. Michael Blanchard (6-2, 220, Jr.) is strong, combative, hard to bring down and one of the most competitive players on the Davidson roster.
“Michael has Tim Tebow-like qualities to his game,” said Merritt, referring to Florida's Heisman Trophy winner.
Matt Heavner (6-3, 190, So.) on the other hand, is a more traditional quarterback. Strong arm, runs well, should be a good passer with a good feel for the game.
The two young men do have one thing in common: scant experience in college football. They've taken very few snaps in college competition.
Heasley still likes them and appreciates the way they competed and approached their assignments in the spring practices. “They both had great springs and showed excellent knowledge of the game,” Heasley said. “Both are good leaders who bring different skills to the table.”
Heasley said the two quarterbacks went into summer camp pretty equal. “For our offense to excel, we need to play both of them,” he said.
Heasley hopes that the combination of a two-headed monster at quarterback and different personnel groupings will produce a lot of sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.
Because of its personnel, Davidson was pretty one dimensional on offense last season. For instance, when Alexander lined up in the shotgun it was fairly evident that the Wildcats were going to throw the ball. “We should be able to run the ball in any situation this year,” Heasley said. “We should be more multiple, which would take pressure off our passing game.”
Davidson did a lot of things well on offense last year. Make no mistake about that. Now the goal is to clean up the mistakes and become more consistent.
Heasley has his list of offensive goals for each game: He calls one of them the “Cat 60,” which means producing 60 good offensive plays a game. Number two, he wants Davidson to be plus two in the turnover category at game's end. The 19 interceptions were a killer last year, but on the plus side, the Davidson running backs fumbled only once all season. Heasley's final talking point is that he wants his team to come away with points once it reaches what he calls the “green zone.” Most coaches refer to the area inside the opponent's 20 yard line as the “red zone,” but red means stop and Heasley wants his offense playing downhill from whistle to whistle. Green means go. That's Heasley's goal for the offense.
The defense
It is not betraying trade secrets to say that Davidson's defense will move around, line up in all kind of different looks and bring pressure from all over the field out of its 3-4 alignment. It's what defensive coordinator Meade Clendaniel and associate head coach Brett Hayford believe in.
As noted, Davidson's defense was put in a bind early on last season due to injuries to defensive leaders Kwame Som-Pimpong and Matt Guerrieri. Seven freshmen played. Had to. When the roll was called at some positions, freshmen were the only ones available for duty. There was a lot of on-the-field learning, which is never what a defensive coordinator wants. Clendaniel and Hayford prefer to correct freshman mistakes on the practice field and then turn the Saturday afternoon chores over to defenders who have been in the fray.
Clendaniel and Hayford study tapes together, scheme game plans together and view this year's defense through the same lens. Hayford coaches the defensive line and Clendaniel the secondary. How do they see it?
The defensive front three: The expected starters at defensive tackle are Daniel Hauffe (6-3, 240, Sr.) and Alex Griswold (6-2, 235, Sr.). The nose guard is Ellis Martin (6-1, 255, So.), who is the strongest player on the team. Those three guys should occupy the full attention of any offensive line and free up some linebackers and secondary defenders to come open on blitzes.
There's experienced depth up there, too, according to Hayford. Aaron Saltzman (6-3, 240, Sr.) backs up Hauffe and is an excellent player in his own right. So is Morgan Popham (6-2, 235, So.) who plays behind Griswold. Brandon Wright (5-11, 250, Sr.) will push Martin for playing time at nose guard.
“Hauffe, Griswold and Saltzman have played a lot of snaps and they're athletic, quick kids who can run and are physical,” Hayford said. “Popham is a sophomore who is going to be a good player. Wright is coming off a knee injury and could push for a starting role. Martin is our strongest player, a real workhorse in the weight room.”
Davidson must have good depth up front because Hayford likes to play six or seven down linemen during a game. He wants fresh athletes in the game to battle the huge offensive linemen.
Clendaniel knows that for Davidson to be effective on defense, the Wildcats must be able to offer a lot of different looks that make it hard for the offense to know where the pressure is coming from. And Clendaniel is going to bring pressure.
The other starting inside linebacker is Daniel Astrop (6-1, 210, Jr.). He played inside linebacker as a freshman before being moved to the outside last year because of the injury to Som-Pimpong. He played in 10 games, starting six, and was in on 39 tackles. Clendaniel says Astrop seems more at home on the inside. He and free safety Guerrieri make sure the defense is lined up properly. They're both excellent leaders. Astrop studies the game like few players. He takes notes when he's talking to Clendaniel just as he does in classrooms across campus. He is a student of the game plus a whole lot more. He watches film in Clendaniel's office and becomes so engrossed in what he sees that the coach sometimes has to run him out.
The starting backers on the outside are Patrick Hunt (6-1, 205, So.) and Will Pickens (6-0, 225, Sr.). “Hunt started six games as a freshman last season and is a good football player who is only going to get better in time,” Clendaniel said. “This is the second year starting for Pickens, who is a strong, physical player.” Pickens was involved in 31 tackles last year and Hunt in 20.
Brandon Yeargan (6-1, 225, Jr.) “had a great sophomore season,” according to Clendaniel and will see considerable playing time at outside linebacker.
“I think we have the potential to be as good as we've been since I've been here with our down linemen and linebackers,” Clendaniel said.
Said head coach Merritt: “I think our veteran defensive line has the ability to be among the best in the Pioneer League. Our philosophy is to put speed on the field before size, and our linebackers can run.”
Which brings us to …
The starting cornerbacks are expected to be Brandon Sykes (6-1, 195, Jr.) and Harvey Kee (5-8, 185, Jr.). “Sykes has started but has played more strong safety than cornerback,” Clendaniel said. “Kee has never started a game for us.” Adding depth on the corners will be Rodney Lasher (6-1, 205, Jr.) and Clem Butler (5-10, 185, So.).
The free safety is Guerrieri (5-11, 195, Jr.). He comes back from the knee injury that made him miss just about the entire season a year ago. He's anxious to get back on the field, and he's a leader, a cerebral player who knows how to make plays. Behind him at free safety is Peter Kidwell (6-0, 205, So.). “Kidwell is a good football player who we need to get on the field in different situations,” Clendaniel said.
The strong safety is John Behm (6-1, 205, So.), one of the seven freshmen to play on the defense last year. He played in all 11 games, was in on 28 tackles, broke up four passes and recovered a fumble. “He came here as a wide receiver,” Clendaniel said. “We moved him to the secondary last year, and he played a lot in nickel situations. He's a very good athlete.”
Backing up Behm is Malcolm Moses-Hampton (5-10, 190, So.). Clendaniel says he's similar to Behm and might well be the fifth defensive back in nickel situations this season. Also in the mix is Logan Cannon (5-10, 190, Jr.), who played in 10 games in 2008.
“In addition to quarterback, a key for us this season will be our secondary,” Merritt said. “We have talent back there, but they haven't seen many reps. As a whole, they have the potential to be really good.”
The key losses from the defense of 2008 were inside linebacker Peter Bakke, who was in on 88 tackles, and nose guard Will Funderburg who often had two offensive linemen assigned to him. The defense last year gave up 342 yards a game. It had 10 interceptions and recovered 13 fumbles. Clendaniel and Hayford are looking for more.
Especially more consistency.
“If we can stay healthy, I believe our front seven are good enough to give our secondary a chance to be successful,” Clendaniel said. “Each man in our starting front seven has started at least six college games.”
Everything else being equal, Clendaniel comes down hard on the side of experienced players. The fact that Davidson has 19 seniors on this year's team gives him some comfort. Playing seven freshmen, as he was forced to do last season, is an anomaly for him. If his secondary grows up in a hurry, the Wildcats could be formidable defensively.
Special teams
One would be hard pressed to find a football coach who puts more emphasis on special teams play than Merritt, who heads up coaching the special units.. He believes in using his special teams to put pressure on opponents and wants them to spend time having to prepare for Davidson's special teams.
Merritt's philosophy on special teams is, “Offense sells tickets, defense wins games and special teams win championships.” Each year, he looks to establish a group of players, which he calls “The Unit,” who play on all the special teams. They are a group of go-getters, who love being out there, take pride in it, and are expected to be the nucleus of the special teams. Returning members of the “The Unit” are Yeargan, Seyi Ayorinde (6-1, 215, Sr.), Moses-Hampton, Kidwell, Lasher, Butler and Elliott Campbell (5-11, 205, Jr.).
“We want our special teams to win some games for us,” Merritt said. “We expect it. Last season was up and down for us. We'd do something great and turn around and do something poorly. For instance, we returned the opening kickoff against San Diego for a touchdown but later had a punt blocked. We shanked some punts, had some kickoffs go out of bounds and dropped some balls. We did some nice things but we need to be much more consistent this season.”
Coach Merritt says Goodman has excellent potential as a punter but needs more consistency.
The place-kickers are Ben Behrendt (5-9, 175, Jr.) and Bo Swanson (6-3, 195, So.).
“Behrendt is accurate on short and medium range kicks,” Merritt said. “We need to see him improve from long range. His leg strength needs to improve so he can hit the field goal from 40 yards and a little longer.”
Behrendt made five of nine field goal attempts last season with his longest being from 47 yards. Swanson handled most of the kickoff duties last season. Lasher also demonstrated a strong leg in kicking off five times last season.
Freshmen punters and place-kickers always get a look, which will be the case this year.
Wide receiver Andrew Aldrich will be the holder on field goals and extra points and defensive back John Behm will be the long snapper.
The main return man on punts and kickoffs will be Williams. “Justin needs to improve on catching the ball in certain situations,” Merritt said. “If he gets that corrected, he could be the best returner in the league. He can be scary.”
WEEK 12: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Tuesday, November 18
WEEK 11: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Tuesday, November 11
DC Football The Final Push, A Gridiron Club Check (11-04-25)
Friday, November 07
WEEK 10: Coaches Corner with Head Coach Saj Thakkar presented by Atrium Health.
Wednesday, November 05
