2009 Football Preview: Prairie View A & M
SWAC.org
Aug. 27, 2009
Prairie View, Texas -
Prairie View A & M Panthers
2008 Finish: 9-1 overall (6-1 SWAC; 2nd place Western Division)
2009 Preseason Prediction: 3rd Place Western Division
Prairie View A&M head coach Henry Frazier III has done almost everything imaginable a coach could do during his six-year stint at Prairie View A&M University.
Since his arrival in 2004, Frazier has all but erased the stigma that hung over the program during the 1990s as the Panthers are coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 1966-67 campaigns with a combined record of 16-4. He has also made his mark on the national scene by earning several national coach of the year awards and respect in the national polls along with a host of other honors. As a result, the administration at Prairie View A&M made it a priority during the spring to make sure Frazier would remain as he recently signed on for another four years as Prairie View's head coach.
One thing the Panthers won't lack entering the season is experience as a total of 61 letterwinners and 14 starters return for the 2009 season. Offensively, Prairie View returns eight starters from last year's unit which averaged 355.8 yards per game en route to a second-place ranking among SWAC teams. On the defensive side of the ball, six starters return to a unit that finished atop the SWAC and third nationally among fellow Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs after yielding an average of 237.8 yards per game.
QUARTERBACK
When Prairie View hits the field against the Texas Southern Tigers on Sept. 5, it'll mark the first time since 2003 the team will field a quarterback making their first career start as a Panther as they look to replace Mark Spivey. Spivey, a longtime veteran, went out with a bang during the 2008 campaign as he passed for 1,855 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading Prairie View to a historic season.
With the departure of Spivey, six candidates battled throughout the spring campaign for the right to start. At the conclusion of spring, it appears the race has been narrowed to two as letterwinner Jay Bluford and Western Kentucky and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transfer K.J. Black emerged as the top two candidates.
RUNNING BACK
Unlike quarterback, there won't be any controversies as returning starter Donald Babers returns for his third season. Last season, Babers made history and became the first Panther running back since 1988 to record a 1,000-yard season after rushing for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his efforts, the Houston native earned First Team All-SWAC Honors and ranked 22nd nationally in rushing among FCS rushing leaders.
For a change of pace, Frazier and staff won't have to worry about depth as the position is arguably one of the deepest units on the team and the SWAC as several talented runners return behind Babers. If the staff wants to eat up valuable clock time and become physical, senior Calvin Harris and sophomore Michael Jason will be called on to do so the duo combined for four touchdowns and 300 yards in 2008. At fullback, the graduation of two-year starter Herman Bray was felt in the spring as several individuals who played other positions last year are currently making the transition to fullback. During the spring, converted offensive linemen Anthony Banks and Donlan Tanner both auditioned for the job.
WIDE RECEIVER
Whoever wins the quarterback battle won't have a shortage of wideouts to throw to as six of the top eight wide receivers from last season return in 2009. Gabriel Osaze-Ediae leads the way at the position after posting career highs in yards (508) and receptions (32) last season. By this being his final season at Prairie View, a lot will be expected from the Austin, Texas native as Frazier saw signs of him becoming a dominant player late last season and throughout the spring.
In addition to Ediae, Shaun Stephens and Brandon Bell return for the Panthers and will be expected to wreck havoc on opposing defensive backs as each player possesses enough speed to make defenders miss. Like Ediae, Stephens should have a strong season after catching 23 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns in 2008.
TIGHT END
The duo of Marlon Allen and Darrick Miles return for their senior seasons and will provide the Panthers a solid presence in the passing and running games. Allen came on strong last season with 8 receptions for 90 yards while Miles played a key role in helping Prairie View field the top rush offense in the SWAC last season. In addition to their on-field duties, the duo will also spend a considerable amount of time teaching as the coaching staff signed three freshmen tight ends during the signing period.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line should once again be a force as four starters return to a unit that only allowed 17 sacks while paving the way for the SWAC's best rush offense and No. 2 ranked offensive unit. With a new quarterback at the helm, the line's experience will be critical as the Panthers may be forced to rely on their ground game early on.
First Team All-SWAC lineman Cleveland Collie will be sorely missed on the line as offensive line coach Prince Pearson made it a priority to replace the redshirt senior during the spring. While Collie will be missed, Pearson will need 2008 All-SWAC lineman James Dekle to play at a high level once again along with returning starters Julius Blanton, Jesse Jones and Stoney Owens.
In most situations, an offensive line is only as good as its depth and Prairie View has done a fine job in assembling it as Randle Cole, Jomar Cauley, Chris Stanley, Tim Tussy, Anthony Wilson and Thaddeus Wesley received a host of repetitions during the spring and will receive a lot of action in 2009.
DEFENSIVE LINE
One area where Frazier and defensive coordinator Heishma Northern feels good about on the defensive side of the ball entering the 2009 season is the defensive line. The unit, which ranked third nationally in rush defense last season, returns nearly all of its players from last season as they set out for an encore performance.
A lot of was expected out of defensive end Quinton Spears entering last season and he didn't disappoint as the Montgomery, Texas native earned a spot on the All-SWAC Second Team after tallying 39 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and a team-leading 5 sacks. In the trenches, tackles Dalvin Nettles and Devin Boyd will be called on to provide leadership after combining for 24 tackles last season. As defensive line coach Miles Brandon prepares to set his rotation, he won't have to worry about finding individuals with game experience as a host of players are back such as Jamail Lavan, Charles Alston, Deon Jones and Ryan Love.
LINEBACKER
Outside of quarterback, linebacker is the most talked about area on the team entering the season as the Panthers have several major holes to replace. With the departure of two-time All-American zach East the most noticeable, the Panthers also lost top tacklers Gary Hicks and Kenneth zenon.
Renaldo Revuelta is the most experienced player back at the position as the senior will be counted on to play at a high level throughout the season after recording 21 tackles and two forced fumbles in 2009. Also expecting to receive increased playing time at the position after playing in a reserve role over the course of their career are Max Sencherey, Urariya Sykes, Joshua Mack, Courtland Marshall and Chris Ford. Redshirt freshman Elton Holmes is also projected to play a large role this season after catching the eye of the coaching staff during the spring.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Preseason All-American, 2008 All-SWAC defensive back and three-year letterwinner Anthony Beck headlines a unit that played a big role in the team's success last season. However, the unit lost three senior starters and will have to rely on a mix of reserves and talented newcomers entering the season.Beck, Prairie View's third-leading tackler last season, will serve as the quarterback of the secondary for the fourth consecutive year.
Also back for his fifth season after recording 16 tackles and 8 pass break-ups is cornerback Jason Fobbs. He'll be joined by Moses Ellis and Lester Butler in the secondary as they'll battle each other and several of the team's incoming signees for starting slots. Also back in the fold at safety is junior Chris Adingupu.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The trio of Brady Faggard, Pedro Ventura and Kyle Matthews will once again handle the team's kicking duties. Ventura, an All-SWAC selection at punter last season after averaging nearly 40 yards per punt, assumes the punting and kickoff duties once again along with serving as the long field goal specialist.
Faggard and Matthews enters camp once again locked in a battle for Prairie View's PAT and short field goal specialists. Matthews nailed 19-of-22 extra points and 3-of-6 field goals last season while Faggard went 13-of-17 on PATs and 2-of-4 on field goals. While the kicking duties remain up for grabs, the longsnapper position is solidified with the return of Ernesto Guerra.
The kick return unit is set as kick returner Joe Fontenot returns for his final season after averaging 31.5 yards per kickoff last season on eight returns. At punt returner, several newcomers will battle for the right to assume the position during fall camp. As of now, Michael Benson and Spencer Nelson have the inside track.
Courtesy Prairie View A & M sports information