INSIDE SLANT
Second-year Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora said the excitement of last year's season-ending five-game winning streak carried over to the start of spring practice on March 9.
"It was a great first day as the guys were eager to get out there," he said. "The recall was there and the guys who have been in the system really understand it. We are a year ahead of where we were at this time last season. The new guys have already started to pick it up from the guys who have experience. It was a good day, a really good day."
The Golden Eagles also maintained continuity by retaining most of their position coaches. New members on the staff include Pat Washington (running back), Travaris Robinson (cornerbacks) and Deke Adams (defensive linemen).
Two of the team's biggest stars are not on the field this spring. Running back Damion Fletcher, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher, is dealing with legal issues and receiver DeAndre Brown is still recovering from the broken leg he suffered in the New Orleans Bowl.
Brown led the nation's freshmen last year with 1,117 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He is schedule to begin light running workouts when spring drills conclude with the Black and Gold game on April 18.
"The MRI shows healing is ahead of schedule and we anticipate him being ready for the middle of the summer," Fedora told the Biloxi Sun Herald. "Once he is back, he will be able to catch up pretty quick. We hope he will be at the level he was when he left off. Then, we go from there. Had he been in spring drills, he would be light years ahead of where he was."
NOTES, QUOTESSPRING OBJECTIVES: The goal here is to maintain the momentum of last season's second-half surge. After starting 2-6, the Golden Eagles won five straight to finish the season, capping it with an overtime defeat of Troy in the New Orleans Bowl. A second spring spent refining head coach Larry Fedora's offense should help them avoid another slow start.
BUILDING BLOCKS: The offensive line returns three starters and some experienced backups after helping the Golden Eagles set school marks for total offense, passing yards and first downs in 2008. The defense returns seven starters from a unit that allowed just 35 total points in four must-win November games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We understand who the players are and what we have this year, where as last year we were trying to figure it all out. Throughout the season we tailored the offense to our guys and what they can do. Now, we can just help them get better and better." -- Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNELSTARS OF 2009:
QB Austin Davis -- The MVP of the New Orleans Bowl passed for a school-record 3,128 yards with 23 touchdowns and just eight interceptions as a redshirt freshman. He set more than a dozen school records, including his 461 passing yards against Rice.
RB Damion Fletcher -- The former C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and the school's career rushing leader (4,287 yards) is being held out this spring. He pleaded guilty to firing a handgun within city limits, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced in March to six months probation and 40 hours of community service.
FS Eddie Hicks -- The second-team all-conference honoree was fourth on the team in tackles (64) and tied for the team lead with four interceptions. The three-year starter has eight career picks. Hicks recorded a career-high 13 tackles at Auburn.
TOP NEWCOMERS:
WR Justin Jordan -- The four-star Rivals.com recruit and first-team JUCO All-American had originally committed to UAB after catching 55 passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns and leading Blinn (Texas) College to a conference championship in 2008.
RB Kendrick Hardy -- Despite the late push from, the Golden Eagles landed the 6-0, 215-pound prospect as the jewel of their 2009 class. The four-star Rivals.com recruit rushed for 1,762 yards and 17 touchdowns on 177 carries in 2008 at Lawrence County (Miss.) High.
LB Hendrick Leverette -- The 6-2, 225-pound junior took a redshirt season at Auburn in 2006 before transferring to Pearl River (Miss.) Community College. He received NJCAA All-Region honors last fall after leading the team with 97 tackles (40 solos).
ROSTER REPORT:
--Reserve offensive lineman Brennan Houston was suspended for spring practice following his Feb. 15 arrest for marijuana possession.
--The spring competition to replace kicker Britt Barefoot is between junior Justin Estes and sophomore Dylan Lanphere. Estes kicked 15-of-22 field goals in 2007 and 4-of-7 in 2008, but he missed some chip shots early in the season. "It's a level field," head coach Larry Fedora told the Clarion-Ledger. "That's a major emphasis this spring. We were terrible in the kicking game last year, in all phases We can't allow ourselves to play below average."
Previous Report: 02/06/2009
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