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2012 ROSTER PREVIEW
-OFFENSE-
CHARLES DICKSON (QB) AND MAX DREW (HB) WILL LEAD THE OFFENSE IN 2012
QUARTERBACK
In the team's opening loss to Texas Tech last season, James Hartman left the game with a concussion. Backup Xavier Rouse entered the game after that, and completed just 5 of 19 passes for 28 yards and five interceptions in the most embarassing loss of the year for the Outlaws. Shortly after, Rouse was bumped down to third on the depth chart, and true freshman Charles Dickson took over the backup spot. In his limited playing time, Dickson performed admirably, completing 15 of 20 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, all but cementing his role as the team's new starter in 2012. Dickson also has the upper-hand in the speed department, which will be crucial in WTU's new offensive scheme that will rely heavily on a variety of runs, including the option.
RECRUITING: Walk-on Josh Merritt is essentially a placeholder on the depth chart, and is not expected to remain with the team long. The Outlaws will target at least two quarterbacks this season, all of whom must have quick feet to get offered a scholarship. Three-star prospects Darryl Rhodes of Monahans, TX and Alex Russ of Cloverleaf, TX are on the board, and are both seen as scrambling quarterbacks. With his imposing 6'5" height, Rhodes is likely seen as the top target at the position.
RUNNINGBACK
After taking over for Chaz Foreman as starter midway through the season, Max Drew became the workhorse of the offense, averaging 4.3 yards per carry as he rushed for 912 yards and nine touchdowns. As a senior, Drew now finds himself alone at the top of the depth chart, and will factor heavily into the offensive gameplan. Spelling him will be senior Jonathan Kaplan, who will also likely take the majority of the goal line snaps as he is considered more of a power back than the speedy Drew. Waiting in the wings is Kansas transfer DeShaun Sands, who may just be the most talented player on the roster. After a year on the Bench, Sands will likely be the offensive focal point as a senior in 2013. The Outlaws recruited three runningbacks last season: three-star prospect Andrew Brown, JUCO transfer Derrick Thomas, and one-star prospect Jason Young, all of whom will redshirt in 2012.
RECRUITING: With eight runningbacks on the roster and just two seniors, don't expect any recruiting action at this position. In fact, Young may be in danger on losing his roster spot next year if it's needed to fill a void somewhere else.
FULLBACK
In WTU's new pistol offense, the fullback will have a limited role, featured only in the Pistol train formation as a lead blocker and occassional passing target. JUCO transfer Joe Lilly will take that starting spot, while one-star prospect Martin Miller will redshirt in his first year with the team.
RERUITING: The limited use of the fullback in the team's offensive scheme makes it a low priority position for the Outlaws, so two players will likely be all the team will have. Barring any early graduations, West Texas should be set at the position for the next three years.
WIDE RECEIVER
Michael Maynard and C.J. Bellamy were the team's primary passing targets in 2011, combining for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. This year, they'll return to their starting spots as juniors, while third-year sophomore Cam Beach will occupy the slot receiver role. Kevin Irin, Derrick Myers, and Williams Tatum round out the depth chart at the position, and three-star prospect Van Sanders will redshirt.
RECRUITING: The majority of WTU's offensive formation will call for two or three wide receivers at most, so the team will likely only keep six players at the position. With seven on the roster, and just one set to graduate, don't expect any targets here.
TIGHT END
Out of the fifteen Pistol formations that the team will use, six of them call for one tight end, seven of them call for two tight ends, and one even calls for three tight ends. As such, it is a highly-valued position for the offense where the ability to effectively block for the run will be extremely important, as will the player's receiving skills in play action situations. Seniors Nathan Hills and Steven Nugent will be the go-to guys at the position, with the only change from a year ago being that Hills will take the starting spot over Nugent. They are followed by JUCO transfer Chad Clark in a limited role, and Marvin Watson rounding out the depth chart. Three-star prospect Van Ricks will be redshirted.
RECRUITING: Going forward, the team will likely keep four players on the roster at the position. With their top two tight ends graduating at the end of the season, the team has their eye on three-star prospect Jason Simmons out of Laredo, TX, who is the best blocking tight end showing interest in the team, and has the Outlaws second on his list right now behind TCU.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Adam O'Brien (LT) and Chris Pino (C) are the only players returning to the starting lineup from a year ago. Three-star prospect David Cox, the gem of the 2011 recruiting class, will take over at right tackle as a true freshman, replacing the recently graduated Joe Watts. JUCO transfer Terrence DeAngelis (LG) takes over for the departed Brian Caroll, and senior Shane Mayes is expected to get the nod at right guard, replacing 2011 starter Stephen Campbell, who will fall into a primary backup role for nearly every position on the line. Two-star prospect Luke Burks (G) will redshirt in 2012.
RECRUITING: The team will try and maintain thirteen players on the offensive line, allowing them to have a backup for every starter while also redshirting one guy at each position every year. With two starters graduating this season, that points to two players being recruited in 2012. Three-star prospect Tony Ward (T) played his high school ball just down the road from WTU's campus, and has shown a good amount of skill at blocking for the run. Two-star prospect Kelvin Gonzales (G) hails from Bedford, TX, and currently has the Outlaws at the top of his list.
TOTAL RECRUITING TARGETS: 5Comment
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2012 ROSTER PREVIEW
-DEFENSE-
CHRIS KINIRY (OLB), THE TEAM'S LEADING TACKLER IN 2011, RETURNS TO SPEARHEAD THE DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE END
Defensive ends Jason Guidry and Lawrence Castillo combined for 133 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery last season, and return as the team's starters at defensive end in 2012. Backing them up will be sophomores Ryan Downs and Michael Higdon, as well as senior Mike Fleming. While Guidry and Castillo have the experience of starting, they will be thrust into new roles in the 3-3-5 defense as run stoppers on the three-man line instead of pass rushers.
RECRUITING: Going forward, the team will seek out big bodies who can plug up the running holes of opposing offenses. Three-star prospect Rodney Anderson weighs in at a hefty 297 lbs., and currently has WTU at the top of his list. Three-star prospect Reggie Lacey is a good deal lighter at 237 lbs., but still possesses a healthy amount of power.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
The change from 4-3 to 3-3-5 reduces the number of starting defensive tackles to just one, and that spot will be occupied by sophomore Sam Browning, who was redshirted last year when the top three defensive tackles on the roster were all seniors. Senior Tavarious McConnell moved over from defensive end in the offseason, and will back him up. Sophomore Jamaal Jack and James Smith round out the depth chart.
RECRUITING: With McConnell graduating at the end of the season, the team has their eyes set of Arkansas' three-star prospect Chad Nelson, who has the Outlaws #2 on his list behind the Razorbacks.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
As a true sophomore last season, Kiniry led the defense with 83 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He'll be joined in the starting lineup by senior Luke Pace, who takes over for the recently graduated Kevin Abrams. It's no secret that the success of the defense will rely on the play of Kiniry, who must wear many hats as a starting linebacker in the new 3-3-5 defense. Kiniry will be expected to rush the passer, assist in stopping the run, and also drop back into coverage. Senior Travis Logan and JUCO transfer Brian Anderson will play backup, while two-star prospect Clay Miller will redshirt.
RECRUITING: The team is graduating two players at the position in the spring, so they will try to bring two more in to replace them. Three-star prospects Thomas Robinson and Justin Davis, both of whom hail from Texas, have both shown excellent play recognition and coverage skills in high school.
MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Junior Tom Terry returns in 2012 as the team's starter at middle linebacker after recording 52 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season. He will be backed up by sophomores Anthony Harley and Jared Welsh. Two-star prospect Antoine Pitts will be redshirted.
RERUITING: With just one starting middle linebacker, the team feels good with four players on the roster at this position. Don't look for any recruiting targets here for the next two years.
CORNERBACK
After playing in limited roles last season, seniors Jared Ingram and Cameron Dykes will occupy the starting roles at cornerback in 2012, replacing the graduated Mike McDaniel and Greg Rawlins. The new defensive scheme relies heavily on the two starting cornerbacks being adept at man-to-man coverage with a free safety helping over the top, a task which the coaches hope Ingram and Dykes are up for. Scott Nolan will play nickelback, and Willie Hayward and James Porter will round out the depth chart. Three-star prospect Thomas Bray will redshirt in anticipation of becoming a starter next season.
RERUITING: Five of the team's six cornerbacks will graduate in the spring, leaving the Outlaws seriously depleted at the position. Three-star prospects Lance Bailey, Joey King, Brian Clemons, Reggie Jones, and Nate Williams will be high on the priority list for the coaches during the regular season.
SAFETY
Junior A.J. Smart returns as the team's starting free safety, and will be backed up by Aaron Gibbons. As for strong safety, the team will start two in the new 3-3-5 defense. Junior Alfred Billings takes the top spot on the depth chart after backing up senior Matt Dunbar last season, while senior Caleb Conley has moved from free safety to strong safety to take the other starting spot. One-star prospect Justin Williams will be redshirted.
RECRUITING: Three-star prospect Taylor Bentley out of San Antonio, TX will be recruited to take the empty spot at free safety. As for strong safety, the team will try and keep five players at the position with two of them starting in most defensive sets. With Conley graduating at the end of the year, that leaves three open spots. JUCO transfer Brandon Ferwerda from Franklinton, LA, three-star prospect Travis Washington from The Colony, TX, and two-star prospect Lawrence Carlson from DeSoto, TX are likely the top players on WTU's board.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior Caleb Reynolds returns as the team's kicker, one-star prospect Clint Weaver takes over for the recently graduated Jason Joseph at punter, and JUCO transfer Vernon Weaver will be redshirted in anticipation of taking over for Reynolds at kicker in 2014. Starting cornerback Jared Ingram will be the team's primary return man, taking over for cornerback Mike McDaniel, who graduated last spring.
RECRUITING: With three kickers on the roster, the team is set at this position for the next two years.
TOTAL RECRUITING TARGETS: 14Comment
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2012 TEAM SCHEDULE
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2012 TEAM ROSTER
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2012 PRESEASON PREVIEW
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Just as a quick reminder, here is the revised conference set-up for 2012:
PAC-16
SEC
BIG XII
BIG TEN
ACC
BIG EAST
C-USA
SUN BELT
MAC
WAC
GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE (GAC)
INDEPENDENTS
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Nice work here. Been reading, but not commenting.
Excited to see what's in store for 2012 and the Outlaws.
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sweetness...I'm following :D
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK ONE-
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One of my major complaints with the game is the lack of control I have in sim stats. Doesn't seem to matter what I set my run/pass slider to, I never really get the amount of runs I want. So, with that in mind, I'll be trying out Sydeburnz's AA coach mode sliders from over at OS for the first few games. First game against Texas Tech is coming up shortly.Comment
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WEEK TWO
-RIVALRY GAME-
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (0-0, 0-0)
VS.
WEST TEXAS OUTLAWS (0-0, 0-0)
It seems as though Xavier Rouse is destined to face off against the Red Raiders.
In last year's season opener, starting quarterback James Hartman left the game early in the first quarter with a concussion. Rouse took over, completing just 5 of 19 passes for 28 yards and five interceptions, and never saw the field again in 2011. Fast forward to this year, with newly-crowned starter Charles Dickson running the offense. Five plays into the game, Dickson suffered a strained back from a nasty hit, sidelining him for the remainder of the contest. And so it was once again Rouse who got the call, and while he did perform better than last year, he still completed just 48% of his passes, committed two turnovers, and was sacked six times in a lopsided 41-7 loss to open up the year.
Considering the lack of protection he received, Rouse performed decently, completing 15 of 31 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also fumbled the ball in the redzone in the closing minutes of the game, killing what could have been the team's second touchdown of the day. Where he most certainly did not excel was in the running game, where Rouse was held to negative 49 yards on nine carries, proving to be completely inept at running the team's new option-driven offense. But the team did have a few bright spots on the day, like Michael Maynard leading the receiving corps with four catches for 87 yards. Also, Max Drew managed to grind out 99 yards off 32 carries against an impressive Texas Tech defense who was in the backfield before Drew could even get started more often than not. Defensively, junior A.J. Smart (FS) led the team with 11 tackles and a sack, while strong safety Alfred Billings recorded the team's only interception.
As for the Red Raiders, they put their high-flying offense on display Saturday, firing on all cylinders. Senior quarterback Seth Doege completed 26 of 47 passes for 390 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. His go-to man was senior Austin Zouzalik, who had nine catches for 173 yards and a score. But the biggest offensive contribution came on the ground, where senior runningback Eric Stephens rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns off just eleven carries, and also had four receptions for 15 yards and another score. Texas Tech's defense must be applauded as well after racking up six sacks, two turnovers, and limiting the Outlaws to 252 yards of total offense. They were led by junior Dennell Wesley (DT), who had six tackles and 2.5 sacks.
With their season opener in the bag, the Red Raiders will take the next two weeks off before opening up their PAC-16 schedule at home against Washington in week five. As for the Outlaws, they'll hit the road to face off against New Mexico (1-0, 0-0), whom they beat 7-6 last year for the first victory in school history.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at West Texas Outlaws Sep 1, 2012 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH SCORE Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0, 0-0) 10 17 14 0 41 West Texas Outlaws (0-1, 0-0) 0 7 0 0 7 Team Stats Comparison TTU WTU Total Offense 529 252 Rushing Yards 139 53 Passing Yards 390 199 First Downs 16 15 Punt Return Yards 50 4 Kick Return Yards 54 158 Total Yards 633 414 Turnovers 1 2 3rd Down Converstion 7-16 (43%) 8-22 (36%) 4th Down Conversion 1-3 (33%) 2-3 (66%) 2-Point Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-0 (0%) Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals 5-2-2 (80%) 2-1-0 (50%) Penalties 4-30 4-44 Posession Time 22:30 21:48 Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING TTU WTU 7:10 (TTU) FG: Daryl Britt, 30 yard kick 3 0 2:09 (TTU) TD: Eric Stephens, 12 yd pass from Seth Doege 10 0 SECOND QUARTER SCORING TTU WTU 8:14 (TTU) TD: Eric Stephens, 64 yard run 17 0 5:51 (TTU) FG: Daryl Britt, 25 yard kick 20 0 2:08 (WTU) TD: C.J. Bellamy, 9 yard pass from Xavier Rouse 20 7 1:28 (TTU) TD: Alexander Torres, 59 yard pass from Seth Doege 27 7 THIRD QUARTER SCORING TTU WTU 6:40 (TTU) TD: Austin Zouzalik, 42 yard pass from Seth Doege 34 7 4:55 (TTU) TD: Eric Stephens, 8 yard run 41 7 Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK TWO-
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Man that sucks for a rivalry game! You'd think a "rivalry" team would be a little more closely rated to your team.Comment
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