July 27, 2011
LAKE CHARLES - Simply put, Lamar University's team is the Rodney Daingerfield of the Southland Conference.
As the legendary comedian/actor would have so aptly said it, the Cardinals got no respect in the 2011 Preseason SLC Polls released Wednesday at the league's annual Football Media Day. Also, the Cardinals had no player named to the first or second-team offensive or defensive units as voted upon by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
Coach Ray Woodard's Cardinals, who will be competing for the SLC football championship this season for the first time since 1986 (Lamar played as a Division 1-AA independent for three seasons before dropping the program after the 1989 season), finished dead last in both of the preseason polls, garnering nine points in the coaches' poll and the minimum of eight points in the SIDs' poll. In fact, the Cards attracted only one seventh-place vote, that being in the coaches' poll.
This came about despite the Cardinals compiling a 5-6 record and setting 15 individual or team records in 2010, their first year to field a football team since 1989. Among the Cardinals' victims last season was Southeastern Louisiana, 29-28 in Hammond, La., and the Cards also played then 11th-ranked McNeese State down to the wire in a 30-27 road loss in their season opener.
Southeastern Louisiana, which again host the Cardinals this season, finished in seventh place in both polls, while McNeese State was the top choice of the coaches and fellow defending league co-champion Stephen F. Austin headed up the SIDs' poll. The voting was tight, however, as McNeese accumulated three first-places and 44 points to SFA's three and 43 in the coaches' poll, while SFA had four and 44 to McNeese's two and 43 in the SIDs' poll.
"This is my fourth time here at Media Day, but it will be our first full-fledged season as a contending member of the league," said Woodard, who will greet 22 returning starters when team members report for fall training camp on Aug. 2. "Of course, we're tremendously excited about that, but, hopefully, it won't be like that (in reference to the eighth-place predictions) when the season is over.
"Having played four of our first five games against schools from the conference last season (SFA and Sam Houston State were the others) gave us a good idea of what we're getting into this year."
McNeese head coach Matt Viator stressed the overall strength of the conference in giving his assessment of the two polls, as did Northwestern State boss Bradley Dale Peveto, son of the late Ed Peveto, who played his college football at Lamar in the late 1950s before becoming a longtime Southeast Texas high school coach.
"We're happy to be picked first in one poll and second in the other, but look at the two teams that finished at the bottom of the polls (SLU and Lamar)," said Viator. "We barely won our games against those teams last year, edging each one of them by a field goal."
"You're not going to get an easy game in this league, and you're not going to outcoach anyone," said Peveto. "You had better be prepared to get it on every week. We'll have our hands full in every game.
"I hate to make my picks in this poll every year. It's going to be anybody's league to win this year. The league is talented and strong from top to bottom."
Southland Preseason Polls
Coaches
Pl. School (First-place votes) Points
1. McNeese State (3) 44
2. Stephen F. Austin (3) 43
3. Central Arkansas (1) 37
4. Sam Houston State (1) 36
5. Northwestern State 24
6. Nicholls State 16
7. Southeastern Louisiana 15
8. Lamar 9
Sports Information Directors
Pl. School (First-place votes) Points
1. Stephen F. Austin (4) 44
2. McNeese State (2) 43
3. Central Arkansas (1) 35
4. Northwestern State (1) 33
5. Sam Houston State 30
6. Nicholls State 16
7. Southeastern Louisiana 15
8. Lamar 8
2011 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
First Team Offense
Pos Name University Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
QB Nathan Dick Central Arkansas 6-4 214 Sr. Allen, Texas
RB Tim Flanders Sam Houston State 5-9 208 So. Midwest City, Okla.
RB Andre Anderson McNeese State 5-9 190 Sr. Barrington, Ill.
F/HB Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-10 175 Jr. Palestine, Texas
WR Cordell Roberson Stephen F. Austin 6-3 192 Jr. Jefferson, Texas
WR Simmie Yarborough Southeastern La. 6-1 205 Sr. Brookhaven, Miss.
TE Justin Aldredge Northwestern State 5-11 211 Sr. Ruston, La.
OL George Bias Stephen F. Austin 6-3 304 Sr. Houston, Texas
OL Miguel Gauthreaux McNeese State 6-1 291 Sr. Plaquemine, La.
OL John Steel Stephen F. Austin 6-4 273 Jr. Boyd, Texas
OL Matt Dickerson Central Arkansas 6-5 278 Sr. Monroe, La.
OL Corey Dickerson Stephen F. Austin 6-10 320 Jr. Livingston, Texas
PK Josh Lewis McNeese State 6-0 190 Jr. Denham Springs, La.
First Team Defense
DL Desmund Lighten McNeese State 6-0 250 Sr. Monroe, La.
DL J.T. Cleveland Sam Houston State 6-0 290 Sr. Baytown, Texas
DL Preston Sanders Sam Houston State 6-4 255 So. Red Oak, Texas
DL Devan Walker Southeastern La. 6-3 245 Jr. Baton Rouge, La.
LB Derek Rose Northwestern State 5-11 225 Jr. New Orleans, La.
LB Will Henry Sam Houston State 5-10 210 Sr. Waco, Texas
DB Malcolm Bronson McNeese State 5-11 188 Jr. Jasper, Texas
DB Bobby Felder Nicholls State 5-11 200 Sr. McComb, Miss.
DB Kenneth Jenkins Sam Houston State 5-10 195 Jr. Galveston, Texas
DB Josh Aubrey Stephen F. Austin 5-11 191 Jr. Tyler, Texas
DB Jamaal White Northwestern State 6-0 193 Jr. Garland, Texas
P Drew Nelson Stephen F. Austin 6-1 193 Sr. Livingston, Texas
RS Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-10 175 Jr. Palestine, Texas
Second Team Offense
QB Paul Harris Northwestern State 6-1 196 Jr. Baton Rouge, La.
RB Jesse Turner Nicholls State 5-8 180 Jr. Houma, La.
RB Terence Bobo Central Arkansas 6-0 210 Jr. Atkins, Ark.
F/HB Isaiah Jackson Central Arkansas 5-10 187 Sr. Conway, Ark.
WR Dominique Croom Central Arkansas 6-3 191 Jr. Cherokee, Ala.
WR Anthony Foster Stephen F. Austin 6-2 200 Jr. Schertz, Texas
TE Brennan Rushing Central Arkansas 6-2 237 Sr. Tempe, Ariz.
OL Travis Watson Sam Houston State 6-4 295 Sr. Norman, Okla.
OL Jonathan Landry McNeese State 6-4 295 Jr. Lafayette, La.
OL Zach Case Northwestern State 6-2 308 Sr. Morgan City, La.
OL Caleb Hopson Sam Houston State 6-6 300 Jr. Early, Texas
OL Joe LeHocky Central Arkansas 6-4 286 Sr. Albuquerque, N.M.
PK Miguel Antonio Sam Houston State 5-10 170 Jr. Lovelady, Texas
Second Team Defense
DL Darren Robinson Stephen F. Austin 5-11 235 So. Dallas, Texas
DL Larry Duvall Central Arkansas 6-3 274 Jr. Marianna, Ark.
DL Pat Williams McNeese State 6-3 275 Jr. Plaquemine, La.
DL Edet Udoh Nicholls State 6-1 315 Jr. Houston, Texas
LB Frank Newsome Central Arkansas 6-2 232 Sr. Petal, Miss.
LB Devin Ducote Stephen F. Austin 5-11 200 Sr. Baton Rouge, La.
DB Jestin Love Central Arkansas 6-0 195 So. West Memphis, Ark.
DB Darrell Jenkins McNeese State 5-10 205 Sr. Bon Weir, Texas
DB Darnell Taylor Sam Houston State 6-0 200 Jr. Mesquite, Texas
DB Caleb Nelson Stephen F. Austin 5-11 190 So. Apopka, Fla.
DB Brashard Booker Northwestern State 6-1 183 Jr. Terrell, Texas
P Matt Foster Sam Houston State 6-5 200 Sr. Melbourne, Australia
RS Brandon Closner Sam Houston State 5-10 170 Sr. Arlington, Texas
LAMAR
