Cougar High Preview

[RumpleForeskin]

Exit Art Briles, enter Kevin Sumlin.

Sumlin comes from a great program in OU as their offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Last I checked, OU drilled out some impressive offenses while he was there.

Sumlin has some talent to work with at the QB position. I wasn't a huge fan of Briles switching Case Keenum and Blake Joseph out every game, but when I saw it live and on a couple of CSTV games I understood why he did it. Both QBs bring something different to the table.

Keenum's arm is decent and he can make throws, but sometimes he has trouble reading the routes and he will make silly mistakes. But when the play looks busted or a receiver runs a bad route, dude is so good at turning nothing into something with his legs. I love that about him.

Blake Joseph is more of a conventional QB, but he has a thunderbolt of an arm and passes with better accuracy than Keenum. He reads defenses well and when he is on his game, dude will not miss a target.

I think Sumlin is going to name one guy a starter, but I don't think he will hesitate to pull the starter if the offense isn't clicking.

As for the running backs, well there isn't a guy out there that is going to replace "Quick Six" Anthony Alridge. We take a step back as far as playmaking abilities, but what I do like is the tandem of Andre Kohn and Terrance Ganaway as a good 1-2 combination. Ganaway has the body to give Houston 20 carries a game and rack up 80 yards. He can control the tempo and maintain posession for the Coogs if they are winning. Kohn is a fast, undersized back like Alridge but does not posess the speed or experience, but he showed he can catch the ball out of the backfield and make a play on a big stage when he had that 67 yard reception against TCU in the Texas Bowl. These two guys will get the job done, but we definitely take a step back in the backfield department.

The wideouts is a huge questions mark. No Donnie Avery and no Jeron Harvey. Who steps up as the playmaking receiver and who steps up as the posession receiver? Mark Hafner will replace Harvey, but he lacks the leaping abilities on fade routes in the redzone and doesn't posess the speed of Harvey. However, he has sure hands and will break more tackles.

Best hands on the team belongs to LJ Castile. He has size, but isn't a burner. However, dude will catch it if you throw it in his vicinity. The blazing wideout we do have reminds me of Vincent Marshall. Patrick Edwards is super quick and fast but really small (5-9, 165). He is such a little guy, but he can make plays with his quickness and speed IF the QBs can get him the ball. We'll see.

Overall the offense is not going to be what it was last year unless Joseph and Keenum play out of their minds. With the coaching staff loaded with former great Wide Receivers coaches in Sumlin, Holgorsen, and Jason Phillips, these young players have the tools to learn and gain skill fast to make plays on offense.

The Defense:

If this team is going to make a run at the C-USA this season they need to step it up defensively. They have no excuses this season. They return the entire defensive line including standout end Phillip Hunt. He is a stud and will gain national recognition come time when they are handing out awards. Tate Stewart, I've heard, has been conditioning and training like a mad man this offseason and shed 30 pounds to become a much quicker DT on the inside. The d-line is probably the best and most poised unit on this entire team. They need to step it up and act like it or the Coogs are looking at a 7-5 season.

Linebackers are a concern, but Houston did get Arkansas transfer Tyrell Graham who is super fast and will be a great fit for a team who features a lot of blitz packages. Other than that, its a big question mark wether this guys can make plays or not. We'll see.

The defensive backs return all 4 starters this season. They were good for the most part last season except for a terrible showing against Tulsa. They can't afford to have a lapse like they did last year. The DBs need to play like they are returning starters and I think they will.

This team has a great schedule laid out to make a run at a one loss season with Ok State being their biggest challenge on the road. The Coogs get both Tulsa and UTEP at home this year and don't play Souther Miss. I don't think its out of the question this team can win the C-USA conference and go to the Liberty Bowl.

My prediction: 10-2

Liberty Bowl

[RumpleForeskin]

Great first game by the Coogs, albeit against Southern.

The Coogs have a shot to take Ok State next week in Stillwater. They need to protect the ball though. That is key. NO TURNOVERS.

Keenum is the real deal.

[King Crimson]

since this is back up top, it's not entirely accurate to say Sumlin was OU's OC. he was co-coordinator with Kevin Wilson pretty much in name only. Wilson calls the plays and is "the guy". this is not to say Sumlin is not a talented O guy (he is) and many Sooner fans would like to have seen Wilson move on and KS take the reigns.

[Left Seater]

Keenum is the real deal.

He may be but no way you can say that in the definitive based on his performance against Southern. This week will tell you a ton about the Cougs, but hold off a few weeks before you gloss him the next Ware.

[RumpleForeskin]

Gees, UofH's defense fucking forgot there were two halfs in a football game. What a terrible 3rd quarter. That was the difference of the game against Ok State.

Oh well, this is one of the games they were supposed to lose.

[Left Seater]

Keenum couldn't get them moving in the second half either.