Adam Amato Emerald
Kerry Carter hopes to lead Stanford back to a bowl game after the 2002 season.
Predictions
continued from page 3
in rushing as a sophomore (1,229
yards), and reliable quarterback Ja
son Johnson has a good receiving
target in Bobby Wade. But they
probably won’t be able to make up
for what the defense lacks.
10. California (1-10)
(0-8 conference)
Gal’s new head coach, Jeff Ted
ford, has gone from Joey Harrington
to Kyle Boiler. It’s hard not to feel
sorry for Tedford, the former Ore
gon offensive co
ordinator who in
9^ *. herits a program
that is banned
from bowl games
this year (not
that it really mat
ters). Another
one-win season is not out of the
question for the Bears.
Contact the senior sports reporter
at adamjude@dailyemerald.com.
MSU
continued from page 2
it into bowl status.
“I feel like we can be one of the
best groups in the conference if we
play up to our potential,” Grindle
told The Clarion (Miss.) Ledger.
“We’ve got the athletic ability and
the talent, but we have to come out
this year making big plays. We’ve got
to go into games having people
afraid of us, having that attitude that
we can’t be stopped. That was the
attitude that worked for us at the
end of last season.”
While the offense is still a
mixed bag for Mississippi State,
one thing is for sure about its de
fense. While talent abounds on
the squad, the lack of physical
prowess in the secondary will hin
der it, especially in a conference
with offensive powerhouses like
Louisiana State and Tennessee.
However, the consensus among
those around the MSU program is
that the defensive line, not the de
fensive backs, may be its Achilles
heel. The team has had to deal with
losses of four significant players on
the line — two transferred for aca
demic reasons and two others for
medical reasons.
“I’m a realist,” assistant coach
John Hendrick told The Ledger.
“You can’t do any more than you’re
dealt with. I’m pleased with the guys
I have now. I don’t have as many as I
had then, but I think I’ve got some
guys who can help this team be sue
cessful. Hopefully, we’ll put together
a plan where we’re able to rest our
starters but still stay as good as we
can defensively.”
Senior Mario Haggan is the an
chor of the defensive group at mid
dle linebacker and is expected to
contend for a first-team All-SEC
honor. An All-American, Haggan has
been named to the 2002 Butkus
Award Watch List, set to be award
ed to the nation’s top linebacker on
Dec. 13.
“When we moved him back to
linebacker (last year), he averaged
over 10 tackles a game,” Sherrill
said. “There is no reason that he
won’t do that again this year.”
Haggan will have to be strong, as
the team’s underachieving second
ary could be porous. Senior corner
backs Korey Banks and Demetric
Wright both need to step up their
coverage in order for the Bulldog de
fense to put any kind of pressure on
opposing quarterbacks.
And with a balanced offense like
Oregon’s taking on the Bulldog de
fense to start the season, it will be a
good indicator of where the Missis
sippi State season may be headed.
After the Bulldogs invade Autzen
Stadium, they host Jacksonville
State. But after that, with Auburn,
LSU and South Carolina on the
schedule in consecutive weeks, it
could be another long year for Sher
rill and Company.
Contact the sports reporter
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
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