The makeup of the 2013 Southern Conference football slate doesn’t change, but the landscape and the possibilities turned drastically March 26.
With SoCon powerhouses Appalachian State University and Georgia Southern University making the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level at the start of the 2014 season in the Sun Belt Conference, the two are not eligible to officially defend the conference title. The two teams have won at least a share of 15 of the last 16 SoCon titles.
Wofford College no longer has fullback Eric Breitenstein, who beat out Elon University receiver Aaron Mellette after the 2012 campaign for his second straight SoCon Player of the Year award after running for more than 100 yards in all but one game in 2012, and rushing for a SoCon record 321 yards against Elon Sept. 29. Now, the Southern Conference has seemingly become anybody’s to win.
“We knew this was coming,” said Conference Commissioner John Iamarino. “It stings, there’s no question about that. To their credit, both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have been very upfront with us. I do feel pretty good about the nine we have.”
With that in mind, Elon head football coach Jason Swepson and his staff started spring practices last week looking to solve some question marks and fill some major holes all over the field, starting with the signal caller.
For the second time in three years, Swepson and offensive coordinator Chris Pincince will have to replace a star quarterback with the departure of Thomas Wilson. Wilson took the reins from Scott Riddle in Swepson’s first season at Elon in 2011.
“It’s going to be a huge competition for us,” Swepson said. “We have to replace a guy who really stood out for us for two seasons.”
Junior Mike Quinn leads the inexperienced trio of quarterbacks into spring practice with the most regular season game time for the Phoenix. He hasn’t started a game, but he’s made seven appearances in two seasons at Elon, completing 24 of 36 pass attempts for 147 yards.
Redshirt freshman John Loughery starts his second season in the Elon system, but having redshirted last year, he has not played in a game since 2011.
Sophomore transfer quarterback Trevor Vasey stands 6 feet 6 inches tall, making him the tallest of the three, but he just arrived on campus this season, seemingly pitting him behind the other two quarterbacks.
“Of all three, ‘Quinny’ probably knows the most,” Swepson said. “But we had some good meetings in the winter time and it seems like all three of those kids have a good understanding of the playbook. Obviously Vasey just has to catch up a little bit with the playbook and the speed of practice, but overall it’s going to be a great competition and I don’t think the competition is going to be settled until 10 days before the opener.”
Graduating seniors Mellette and Jeremy Peterson were the No. 1 and 3 receivers last season. Behind them isn't a clear-cut playmaker like Mellette has been at the wideout spot for the last three seasons. Before Mellette, it was Terrell Hudgins starring at receiver.
“Here at Elon we’ve been spoiled for a while having a big-time wideout,” Swepson said.
Rasaun Rorie is the only senior practicing this spring. He figures to play a key role in the passing game this season as well as rising junior Kierre Brown.
“Rorie is trying to be a leader out here and trying to be the next playmaker here, but we have to find the best four or five wideouts,” Swepson said. “We can’t worry about the standard outside receiver and inside receiver like we’ve done in the past. We just have to find the best guys and go forward.”
In the backfield with whoever ends up winning the quarterback battle will be a trio of backs with limited experience, but they’ll get a boost from the third running back in the mix in redshirt freshman B.J. Bennett.
Bennett returns from a shoulder injury that kept him out all of last season. He, junior Karl Bostick and sophomore Tracey Coppedge will battle one another for the role of lead back.
“We really missed B.J. last year because of the shoulder injury,” Swepson said. “But he’s a big back that can do a lot of things and I’m anxious to see what he can do this spring. With him in the mix, he’s going to give us a lot more depth at the position, but we’re going to be older than we were last year, and a little bit more experienced. B.J. will be a big upgrade being added to the mix.”
Facing four option offenses this season — Georgia Tech in week one, Appalachian State the first SoCon game of the season, Wofford and Georgia Southern — the Phoenix needs to work on stopping the ground game, something that gashed them last season.
Former defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham took the same position at Western Michigan University in December.
“The emphasis is to stop the run,” Swepson said. “Especially in this league facing all the triple options and that’s something when we were hiring a new defensive coordinator was stopping the run.”
Selected to replace Pinkham is Brad Sherrod.
“When it comes down to it, football is still football,” Swepson said. “We’re starting a 4-3 front and we’re going to focus on that the entire spring. We’re going to try to let these guys be aggressive and take the thinking out of it a little bit.”
While Swepson called the defensive line the “best position on the football field right now,” he recognized their need to have to step up and stop the running game if the Phoenix is to have success in 2013.
One way he feels the team can improve before the season even starts has already happened.
“Last year we didn’t have a strength coach until late March, so we missed an entire winter,” Swepson said. “This year, he’s been with us the whole time so I felt like we got bigger and faster and stronger and all that we need to do in the offseason so I really feel like we had a true offseason this year.”
For what could be the final chance at beating Appalachian State, the Phoenix will open SoCon play Sept. 21 against the Mountaineers in Rhodes Stadium. The Phoenix will welcome Georgia Southern to Rhodes Stadium Nov. 16, looking for another chance to finish the upset the Phoenix almost pulled last season in Statesboro, Ga., when it lost on a late field goal 26-23.
The competition all around this season for the Phoenix could be a blessing in disguise, Swepson said. Without a clear starter at many positions, he said it adds to the player’s sense of urgency to produce and could give the Phoenix a chance to come away with a good season come November.
“Anytime you have competition on the football field you can only get better,” Swepson said. “Obviously we’re going to miss Wilson and Mellette’s leadership skills, but it’ll make us develop the run game and make us develop three or four other wideouts. Everyone’s excited about the challenge, but we have our work cut out for us.”
The Phoenix has two scrimmages leading up to the Spring Game May 3 at Rhodes Stadium.