Football Preview: Alabama State
SWAC.org
ALABAMA STATE
2012 RECORD: 7-4 (7-2 SWAC) / 2nd East Division
Head Coach: Reggie Barlow
KEY LOSSES:
Greg Jenkins - QB
Kaderius Lacey - RB
T.C. McWilliams - WR
Terren Jones - OL
Jimmy Daniels - DL
Brandon Roberts - LB
Kejuan Riley - DB
Saeed Lee - DB
STARTERS RETURNING:
Offense: 6
Defense: 5
Special Teams: 2
Alabama State generated impressive runs the past three seasons. They tied for the best record in the East Division each of those years. In lieu of their success in recent years is one appearance in the conference championship game, an 11-6 loss to Texas Southern in 2010.
Coach Reggie Barlow is optimistic that his team’s fortunes will change this season.
The Hornets fate will hinge in a large degree on how successful Barlow is in replacing quarterback Greg Jenkins, a two-year starter who signed a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders.
Redshirt sophomore Daniel Duhart and junior transfer Arsenio Favor, who played two seasons at Southern Mississippi, are the leading candidates for the quarterback position.
Duhart played in seven games last year and completed 29-of-42 passes for 288 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He threw a touchdown pass on his first collegiate drive and earned SWAC Newcomer of the Week honors after passing for 192 yards (22-of-31) with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a come-from-behind win at Prairie View A&M.
Favor played in 12 games over two seasons at Southern Mississippi. Last season he played in five games with three starts and completed 37-of-67 passes for 650 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Whomever the starter is under center, he will handoff to one of the conference’s top running backs, Isaiah Crowell.
After transferring from Georgia and carrying the 2011 title of SEC Freshman of the Year, Crowell rushed for 842 yards and closed out 2012 as the SWAC Newcomer of the Year. Crowell and tight end Justin Robinson were named to the CFPA Watch List to open 2013. Joining Crowell in the backfield is Malcolm Cyrus who registered 459 yards last season.
The Hornets defense will have a different look; complements of first-year coordinator Kevin Ramsey, who spent the previous four seasons at Texas Southern. Ramsey is known for his attack-style of defenses that puts heavy pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Defensive ends, Carlton Jones and Chris Terry, with nose guard Derrick Billups, give the Hornets pressure up front. ASU is deep at the linebacker spots with Brandon Slater, Leland Baker and DeMarques Taylor. However, safety Deandre Rashada is the only returning starter in the secondary.
The kicking game should not be a concern for the Hornets with Bobby Wenzig pulling double duty as the punter and kicker. He gathered more All-America honors at the end of 2012 in academics and his play on the field more than any other SWAC football player.
For the preseason, he was added to the CFPA Watch List as a punter and kicker while receiving the title of preseason FCS All-American by the Sports Network. He averaged a league best with 45.6 yards per punt and was named to the All-SWAC First Team as a punter after winning the SWAC Specialist of the Week award on six occasions. His postseason accolades in 2012 include: BoxtoRow, Academic, SBN Sports Black College and FCS All-America honors.
Last year, Wenzig finished second on the team in scoring with 62 points. He connected 38-of-42 PATs and finished 8-for-14 in field goal attempts. He averaged more than 61 yards per kickoff, resulting in 14 touchbacks, helping the Hornets limit opponents to only 19 yards per kick return.
Preview Courtesy of Roscoe Nance
2013 PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Isaiah Crowell - RB
Daniel Duhart - QB
DeMario Bell - WR
Edmund Davis - OL
Justin Robinson - TE
Bobby Wenzig - P/K
Leland Baker - LB
Brandon Slater - LB
Carlton Jones - DL
DeMarques Taylor - LB