So is it a good thing or a bad thing that we have only two true freshmen (center Joe Townsend and guard Spencer Pulley) on our depth chart for the opening game against Elon?
Well, last season we had a whopping eight true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Northwestern, and we went 2-10.
In 2009, we had five true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Western Carolina, and we went 2-10.
And in 2008, we had zero true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Miami-Ohio, and we of course went 7-6 and beat Boston College to win the Music City Bowl.
Our only touchdown in that game, by the way, was scored by true freshman Sean Richardson, who was on the punt coverage team.
So maybe it's a good thing that we're not relying on a bunch of true freshmen to carry us in the first game.
Here's how many true freshmen played in each of those seasons:
• 2010: Thirteen — WR Jordan Matthews, WR Jonathan Krause, OL James Kittredge, OL Logan Stewart, S Kenny Ladler, S Andre Simmons, K Carey Spear, LB Chase Garnham, CB Andre Hal, CB Steven Clarke, S Karl Butler, DT Jared Morse and TE Fitz Lassing.
• 2009: Seven — RB Zac Stacy, RB Warren Norman, CB Eddie Foster, CB Trey Wilson, CB Eric Samuels, WR Collin Ashley, WR Brady Brown.
• 2008: Two — CB Casey Hayward and S Sean Richardson.
Being on the opening day roster doesn't ensure that a true freshman will play. Last season, Chase White was listed as a second-team tackle on opening day and through much of the season, but he never played and was redshirted. Meanwhile, the other two true freshmen offensive linemen on the roster, James Kittredge and Logan Stewart, both burned their redshirts playing center after starter Joey Bailey went down. Kittredge was thrown into the fire first, struggled, and was replaced by Stewart, who finished out the season.
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It would be a good thing if the offense could really make a statement by having a very strong showing against Elon. A strong running game and good decisions by LS in getting the ball to the WR's will give the defensive side of the ball some confidence that they will not have to carry the team the entire season. Yes its Elon, but we are in no position to take any win for granted. Would love to see the backup QB's get some snaps starting in the 3rd quarter if the situation / score dictates. Defensively, we really need something to build on as the Uconn game will be a much stiffer test. Here's hoping that LS can quiet his critics (and make the coaching staff look really good) by making some good decisions and having a really solid game. I think that CJF is making all the right decisions so far; however you must beat Elon by at leate 14-21 points to keep the "change" momentum going in the right direction.
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