2011 FBS Independents Preview
While not a conference, there has been expansion in the ranks of the FBS Independents. In fact, it has expanded by 33.3%. Okay, that just means that one new team has been added to the ranks this year. Brigham Young has left the Mountain West Conference to go out on their own.
All four independents have bowl guarantees if they become bowl eligible, so it is not such a bad deal to be unaligned with a conference—for now. If for some reason, this group were to grow by one next year, and that team hails from Austin, Texas, then the Independents will have major relevance again. At one time, the best teams in the nation were independent. Remember Florida State, Miami, Syracuse, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame were all independents in the 1980’s, when they dominated nationally.
Notre Dame
Coach Brian Kelly has the Irish faithful “drinking the Kool-Aid.” After a 4-5 start last year, the Irish won their last four games against three bowl teams and a Southern Cal team that would have been eligible for a bowl by an average score of 27-10.
Now those fans are expecting a return to a BCS Bowl Game and a possible run to the big game. It isn’t impossible; Notre Dame is loaded and has only three tough games. They should be favored to beat two of them.
Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees are back to battle for the starting quarterback job. Crist has the stronger arm, but Rees has a more accurate arm. The two combined for 3,100+ yards and 27 touchdowns and should top those numbers this season. Rees started the final four games when the Irish went 4-0.
Most of the top receivers return from last year. Michael Floyd is one of the best in the nation. He caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, and with the rest of this unit having quickness and great hands, defenses will not be able to double up on him all that often. Theo Riddick is one of the best out of the slot; he finished second on the team last year with 40 receptions. Tight end Tyler Eifert should compete for the Mackey Award. He should top 30 receptions this season. T.J. Jones and John Goodman give the Irish more weapons at this position.
Notre Dame has not been a scary running team since Lou Holtz was the coach, but they started to show signs of returning to a more daunting ground team. In that four game winning streak to end the season, the Irish averaged 4.3 yards per rush and 156 yards per game. Cierre Wood may not be the next Allen Pinkett, but he could approach the 1,000 yard mark this season.
Making the offensive efficient and consistent is a strong and somewhat quick offensive line with four experienced starters returning as well as several quality backups. Center Braxton Cave, guard Trevor Robinson and tackle Zack Martin could all contend for some form of national honors.
Notre Dame scored just 26 points per game in 2010, and we can see that number jumping by as much as 10 points this year. Expect more than 400 total yards per game out of this offense.
Kelly’s biggest footprint on this team last year was the defensive improvement, as the Irish allowed just 20 points and 360 yards per game after giving up 26 points and 400 yards the year before. With most of the key players from last year returning this season, expect more improvement in those numbers. All three units are top notch.
The strongest of these strong units is the quartet of linebackers. Inside, the tandem of Manti Te’o and Carlo Calabrese have no equals from among the 3-4 defenses in college football. Te’o will be a high draft pick if he decides to come out after his junior season.
Up front, nose guard might be the only question mark in the defense. The 3-4 needs a big, beefy guy who can control two gaps, and this may be the only weakness in this defense. Teams with big beefy backs that can hit between the tackles may be able to find occasional success. Ends Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson both have the potential to become NFL draft choices.
The secondary is sound thanks to the return of three starters. Harrison Smith has few peers at the free safety position. He intercepted seven passes and knocked away seven others last year. Cornerback Gary Gray is a multi-talented defender. He covers well and provides an excellent force against the run.
The schedule should give the Irish their first route to a BCS bowl game in five years. Notre Dame plays no cupcakes this year, but most of the opponents are beatable. A road game with Michigan in week two should be interesting, and a road game in the season finale against Stanford could be another “Game of the Year.” Of course, there are the additional rivalry games with Michigan State, Purdue, and Southern Cal. We tend to believe Kelly’s heroes will prevail in most if not all of these games. In fact, we would not be surprised if the Irish were 11-0 when they head to Palo Alto.
Brigham Young
To many teams, winning seven games including a 52-24 bowl victory would be considered a successful season. In Provo, it is considered an off year. Relax Cougar fans; your team will improve this season as an independent. Your schedule is tough, but your offense will be explosive once again.
Every skill position player that contributed for more than a play or two will be back. Start at quarterback, where BYU has been known to produce a few good ones over the last 45 years. The current future NFL player is Jake Heaps. As a freshman, Heaps completed 57.2% of his passes for 2,300+ yards and 15 touchdowns. We believe his numbers will top 3,300 yards and maybe 3,500 yards with 25+ touchdowns in 2011.
On the other end of Heaps’ missiles, the Cougars have two specialists in getting open nine yards deep when it is 3rd and 8. Cody Hoffman and McKay Jacobson will not average 15 yards per reception, but they will convert a lot of third downs with receptions against pressure. Tight end Devin Mahina provides a mighty big target at 6-06, and he should top his totals of last year (11-118).
In the past, BYU’s backs were noted for exceptional pass blocking and route running out of the backfield. Unlike most teams, the Cougars have kept a split back alignment to run the original West Coast Offense. The running game does not get the credit it deserves, but this team is capable of running the ball 50-60 times and gaining 300 yards. J.J. DiLuigi and Bryan Kariya combined for more than 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns last year, while Joshua Quezada added more than 500 yards and five touchdowns. All three return. DiLuigi caught 45 passes, and Kariya added 21, so the tradition continues in that respect.
Four starters return to a very capable offensive line that allowed just four sacks in the final six games. Tackle Matt Reynolds may be the best player on the team, and he could be starting in the NFL next year. Tackle Braden Brown and guard Braden Hansen were 2nd Team All-MWC choices last year.
Look for BYU to average more than 35 points and 425 yards per game this season. Don’t be surprised if there are games in which the Cougars top 200 yards on the ground and 300 through the air, or 250 both ways. It will be difficult if not impossible to stop them.
It is another story on the defensive side of the ball, where there is rebuilding to do. The top three tacklers will not be around, and six starters are missing. Coach Bronco Mendenhall took over the defensive coordinator duties last year, and he will remain in that position this year.
Mendenhall will need to work magic to come up with a championship-caliber secondary. The Cougars lost three starters including the number one and three tacklers, who accounted for 22 passes defended. After limiting opposing passers to a low 53% pass percentage and just 192 yards in a league where quarterbacks routinely pass for 250, BYU will give up more than 200 yards and allow as much as 60% completion percentages this season.
BYU is in better shape at linebacker. The return of a healthy Jordan Pendleton along with Brandon Ogletree gives the Cougars two quality players at this position. Uona Kaveinga began his career at USC, and he is eligible this year and could start from day one.
Another former Trojan, nose guard Hebron Fangupo is perfect for a 3-4 defense. He should control the A-gaps and give the linebackers the freedom to pursue aggressively. Ends Eathhyn Manumaleuna and Matt Putnam need to improve and provide more pass rushing to their repertoire, as the Cougars did not disrupt enemy quarterbacks enough last year.
BYU gave up 21 points per game last year, but it was a “Tale of Two Cities.” In the first seven games, they allowed 28 points and 400+ yards per game. In the final six games, they gave up 14 points and less than 250 yards per game. We have confidence in Mendenhall; he is a terrific defensive coordinator, and hiring himself for that position verifies he is a smart head coach. However, the Cougars will take a step backwards on this side of the ball in 2011. Call it 24-26 points allowed per game.
BYU’s schedule is tough. The Cougars keep Utah and TCU from their old conference. They go on the road to face Ole Miss, Texas, Oregon State and Hawaii. They should dominate all the other teams on the schedule. We believe they can win two or three of those tough games, so call it an 8-9 win season with a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl.
Navy
For a short time after the end of the 2010 season, it looked like Coach Ken Niumatalolo might be headed to an AQ school in a big conference, but in the end, he stayed in Annapolis. After winning 27 games in his three years at the Naval Academy, look for the Midshipmen to take a small step backward for Coach N.
When an option team loses an experienced quarterback, they almost always regress a little. Ricky Dobbs led Navy in rushing while passing for more than 1,500 yards as a senior. His replacement, Kriss Proctor, threw a total of five passes last year, but he will be a better runner than Dobbs. Proctor started against Central Michigan, a game in which Navy won 38-37. He rushed for 201 yards in that game. In 2009, he ran for 89 yards, including the decisive 40-yard touchdown jaunt to beat Wake Forest. Proctor could rush for more than 1,000 yards this year, but he may find it hard matching his rushing output with his passing output.
Two of the three starting backs return this year, led by fullback Alexander Teich. Teich is hard to bring down with just one defender, and that makes the spread option go. He averaged almost six yards a try in 2010 and rarely lost yardage. B-Back Gee Gee Greene rushed for almost 500 yards caught 18 passes at a 16-yard clip.
The receivers will be called on to block more than ever this season. Brandon Turner has big play potential, especially when the opposing safeties begin to think Navy will never pass. He averaged 28.2 yards on his four receptions last year. He could catch as many as 25 passes this year, and if he can average “just” 20 yards per catch, he could take enough pressure off the running game.
The offensive line should be a strength this year. In this offense, offensive lines do not need much time to gel. With center Brady DeMell and guard John Dowd, Navy has a couple of blockers that will open some holes for Teich. That will force an extra defender to cover inside, and that will allow Proctor more room to attack the perimeter.
Navy’s offense will be potent this year. Last year, they averaged 30 points and 405 yards per game. They may not equal those numbers this year, because the Midshipmen will try to control the clock more to keep a green defense off the field. We can see this team leading the nation in rushing with about 325-350 yards per game, while throwing for only 60-75 yards per game. It adds up to about 28 points per game. If the offense can control the ball for about 68 plays and allow only 60-64, Navy can go bowling yet again.
Now, for the defense. Navy’s best defense will be a ball-controlling offense, because the Midshipmen lost too much on this side of the ball. Eight key players used up their eligibility, including six of the top eight tacklers.
Among the holdovers, end Jabaree Tuani is the one real star. He registered 15 ½ total tackles for loss last year. Navy was generous against the run last season, giving up 4.6 yards per attempt, and we cannot see any improvement here this year.
The four-man linebacker unit returns one starter and one top reserve. Max Blue is a little better against the pass than the run.
The secondary was not exactly terrific, as it gave up close to 70% completions. With only one starter returning, teams may pass Navy dizzy this year.
An easy schedule will give the Midshipmen enough sure thing wins to propel them back to a bowl, but this team will not win as many games as last year. If they should happen to lose to Delaware in the opener, then all bets are off. Navy’s nine-game winning streak over Army could be in jeopardy.
Army
Coach Rich Ellerson guided the Knights to a bowl game in just his second season in West Point. Army finished with a winning record for the first time in 14 years. In order for the Black Knights of the Hudson to go back to a bowl in 2011, the offense may have to ignite and look somewhat like it did in the days of Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. The defense is going to leak like a sieve this year.
Trent Steelman returns for his third year as a starter at quarterback. He rushed for more than 800 yards when you factor out sacks, and he scored 11 rushing touchdowns. While he was not called on to pass very often, he held his own as a passer, completing 53.4% of his passes for 995 yards and seven touchdowns against just three picks.
Fullback Jared Hassin is the best at his position from among the handful of teams that run the option. He rushed for 1,013 and nine touchdowns last year. At 6-3 and 235, he is a downhill runner with the ability to run for an extra yard or two after contact.
Malcolm Brown and Brian Cobbs will be dangerous open-field runners when Steelman is force to pitch. The two combined for 5.7 yards per rush and nine scores in 2010, and we expect more breakaway runs this season.
The two starting wide receivers from last year are back for more. Austin Barr and Davyd Brooks were the leading receivers, but their combined efforts only produced 29 receptions and 453 yards. Ellerson would probably like to use Brown and Cobbs more in the passing game.
Only one starter returns to the offensive line, but in the spread option, it is much easier to break in new linemen. While there could be a bump or two in the road early in the season, the line should perform fine by the third or fourth game.
Army scored 27 points per game last year, while rushing for more than 250 yards per game. They finished dead last in passing with just 78 yards per game. Army games take a lot less time to play, and the total number of scrimmage plays in their games last year was less than 125. That is how the Black Knights have to play to win—control the clock and use long drives to keep the defense on the sidelines. It worked for Vince Lombardi, and it works for Ellerson. Look for Army to take the air out of the ball even more this year. We could even see their games going for just 120 plays. Thus, we forecast Army to maybe score a couple points less this year but be just as efficient if not more so.
The defense is a major problem. To start off, only five starters return to the fold. Army runs the old “Desert Swarm” defense (Double Eagle Flex) used by Dick Tomey at Hawaii and Arizona (Ellerson was an assistant), and this defense requires more thinking than most NFL defenses. New players sometimes get confused themselves, and it only take one missed assignment to create a huge running lane or wide open receiver. We see this happening more this year than in Ellerson’s first two seasons.
Another major problem is the size of the defensive line. In this defense, size is not as important as quickness and intelligence, as the linemen almost always stunt and switch positions. However, this leads to a lot of lateral movement at the time of the snap. Smaller players moving laterally can be annihilated by larger offensive linemen moving north. One player who should shine is end Jarrett Mackey. Mackey recorded four sacks in 2010. Army will sorely miss Josh McNary, who led the team with 10 sacks.
The linebackers do a lot of blitzing in this defense. Middle linebacker Steven Erzinger finished second on the team with 76 tackles, but leading tackler Stephen Anderson is now a commissioned officer.
The secondary returns both starting cornerbacks in Richard King and Josh Jackson. King successfully defended seven passes with four interceptions.
Army gave up 24 points and just 338 yards per game last year. Although undersized, they were able to pester opposing offenses and cause a lot of confusion. This year, those opponents may not be quite so confused, and the Knights could have a difficult time stopping good running teams. We look for a step backward here. However, the schedule includes a bunch of teams that will not be able to exploit Army’s size liabilities. This will give the Black Knights a chance to challenge for another bowl game. It could come down to breaking the nine-game losing streak to that team with the goat.
Note: There is no official media poll for the FBS Independents. What we have included here is an average of seven different print magazines and online sources (ours not included).
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Average of 7 Online and Magazine Predictions
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Team |
Predicted Won-Loss
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| Notre Dame |
10-2
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| Brigham Young |
8-4
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| Navy |
6-6
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| Army |
6-6
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2011 Independents PiRate Ratings
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|
Team |
PiRate #
|
Prediction
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| Notre Dame |
123.9
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11-1
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| Brigham Young |
108.5
|
8-4
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| Navy |
96.1
|
7-5
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| Army |
86.3
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5-7
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Next: The Mountain West Conference Preview—Monday, August 22
The Pi-Rate Ratings 