2003 Statistics

Quarterback
It all starts with junior Brad Smith, who is of the best in the nation at QB. Elusive and versatile, Smith is best known as a runner (1,310 yards, 17 TDs last fall). But his arm is underrated (completed 60.6%, with an INT rate of only 2%), and coach Gary Pinkel wants him to display more of that passing gift this fall. With an inexperienced offensive line, Smith could find it tougher to run. But, regardless, in Smith this team has a Mike Vick-type athlete who can change a game by himself, and he should only be better this fall.

Running Back
Despite the graduation of the school's all-time leading rusher Zack Abron, this position will continue to be productive with Damien Nash. Some fans thought Nash, a finesse juco-transfer (third-rated juco RB), was better than the pulverizing Abron anyway. He's certainly quicker (10.3 seconds in the 100 meters) and more slippery, and he's a potential play-maker in the passing game - oh, and he is well-sized. Nash and Smith make for an exciting running duo that will stretch out defenses and, in turn, open up room for Smith to throw.

Wide Receiver
Much of the reason for the slide in the passing game was Smith's thin stable of receivers. Most of that group is back. Leading receiver Thomson Omboga is a nice possession guy, but shouldn't be expected to carry the air attack. Sean Coffey, who returns at the 'Z,' is a decent mid-range receiver. But there's no proven deep threat here. Soph Brad Ekwerekwu, the new starter at the 'H' spot, has the 4.3 speed to fill that role. Redshirt freshman Greg Bracey has been clocked in the 4.2s. The Tigers, though, had a season-longest reception of only 48-yards in '03, and we know if coaches send guys even further than that, Smith can get it there, so…

Tight End
Smith likes to throw to his tight ends, and senior Victor Sesay is a big target. He only started twice last fall, but was still second on the team with three receiving TDs and sixth with 15 grabs. Clint Matthews, another senior, will get plenty of time but is used primarily to open holes. If they throw to the TE so much, then LBs and safeties are occupied, and that means deeper stuff should work.

Offensive Line
This unit is an even bigger area of concern than the receiving corps, with 45 of last year's 65 total starts gone. Weakside guard Tony Palmer is the most experienced returnee and will be the leader up front. He'll be joined on by returnee Scott Paffrath, who moves from strongside to weakside tackle, and veteran guard Joe Gianino has been switched to center. But for all the concern, there's plenty of young talent here with soph Mike Cook and two redshirt freshmen. Offensive coordinator Dave Christensen is also the line coach, and two years ago, he faced a similar situation. He responded by putting together a surprisingly strong group that keyed Smith's big freshman year. This unit will be better than people think, but maybe not quite on par with the '03 unit's 5.6 yards per carry average and 19 sacks allowed.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Pinkel's offensive philosophy is balance, but he got away from that last year as Mizzu ran 502 times and passed 344, with the average pass catch being for only 9.6 yards. The only balance we saw was an offense ranked first in the Big 12 in rushing and 11th in passing. With talented runners like Smith and Nash and an unproven receiving corps, it's easy to see how that happened. Expect more equilibrium this time, though, with so much inexperience up front. That can only be good for a team that can't afford to lose Smith to an injury by letting him run too much. And if his receivers step up and manage to open up the field a little, there will be less defenders in his path. The offense has to become more "ball control" - how could this team with such a great, leaned-upon running game in Smith not win the time-of-possession battle? Scoring too efficiently can be a downfall when the team has a marginal defense that the opposing offense can rule through ball control, and Mizzu fell pray to such in their last campaign.

Linebacker
Second-team all-Big 12 pick James Kinney is the focal point of the defense. He's a fast, physical run-stopper who can also stop receivers in the short-passing game. Pinkel has moved in several talented guys to plug the holes. Dedrick Harrington, the starter at rover last fall, is a nice fit. He's big, athletic and the hardest hitter on the squad. Former Michigan State RB David Richard also joins the unit, giving the group another athlete. A better group up front means these guys will be freed up, and with the collective athleticism here don't expect many opponents to have success running or throwing short.

Defensive Back
Pinkel's D is a classified as a 4-4, but it's really more of a nickel look with five DBs. There's more than enough talent here to improve on the mere nine picks compiled last fall (LB Barnes had two of those). The key will be replacing top cover corner Michael Hardin and Harrington. Former JUCO All-American Nino Williams will once again anchor from the free safety spot (strong run-stopper), and junior corner Calvin Washington has the size and speed to lock down top receivers. Physical junior Jason Simpson wreaked havoc on blitzes from the Whip position, and he'll do more of that from Harrington's rover spot. Senior corner Shirdonya Mitchell, the D's fastest player at 4.29 in the 40, is an excellent replacement for Hardin. There will be improvement here, which is needed for a unit that allowed big games to such mighty air arsenals as Texas A&M, Illinois and Middle Tennessee State.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The defense has steadily improved since Pinkel took over in '01, and with nine starters back, we figure it will improve some more this fall. The question marks are on the other side of the ball, meaning the defense will be counted on to carry the way, at least in the early going, and that could prove to be a problem. More big plays are a must here, even though they ranked 10th in TO-margin. The guys Mizzu fields all know how to bend but not break, which means keeping the play in front of them again will occur. Look for the defense to accordingly shift, stunt, and blitz their way to better and more consistent results.