subject: Louisiana-Monroe Football Predictions [print this page] The Warhawks finished the 2009 Season with a record of 6-6 (5-3 in conference) and once again failed to secure a their first bowl bid in school history. The turn of bad luck cost former coach Charlie Weatherbie his job after closing out the 2009 season with a second half record of 2-4. In to take over is former Army coach Todd Berry who has raised a few eyebrows amongst the fans, coming in with a 5-36 record overall.
But the school believes it's the perfect time to bring in a new coach, as the Warhawks will likely spend most of the upcoming season looking to rebuild. Berry who also spent three years as an offensive coordinator for UNLV, retained respected defensive coordinator Tony Reffett after a solid showing where Monroe was 3rd in the conference in points allowed. This seems to be the foundation that Berry will use to build a team around.
Berry will need standout performances and leadership from the teams' few upperclassman as the team heads into the 2010 season without twelve starters from last season's 3rd place finisher.
The Warhawks will be tested early playing a tough schedule of twelve straight games, only five of which are at home. They will face non-conference teams including Arkansas, Auburn and LSU in what may be one of the toughest schedules in the Sunbelt this year.
Here's a closer look at the 2010 Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks to help make your College Football wagers winners.
Offense:
Last season the Warhawks averaged nearly 26 points per game, and the good news is that the offense is not fully decimated as five out of 11 starters will return including QB Trey Revell who was solid, throwing for 1,700 yards with 12 touchdowns for a rating of 134.6.
The one weakness that Revell must reverse this coming season will be his tendency to throw the ball to the guys in opposite colored jerseys. He tossed 12 picks last season. In the meantime, Berry has made a bold move to create competition for the position by indicating he will give the starting role to redshirt freshman Kolton Browning who was a high school standout but has yet to really be tested at this level. If not another freshman patrolling the sideline is Cody Wells.
While the Warhawks may come up short in the pivot position, they will remain solid with senior tailback Frank Goodin in the backfield. The 5-9, 219-pounder rushed for over 1,100 yards and 13 TDs in 2009 and was the driving force behind UL-Monroe's best offensive output in the last 10 years. If Revelle can get back in form, his presence as a dual threat QB along with Goodin could create a formidable combination.
Meanwhile, ULM did lose two of its top receivers from last year's squad but junior WR Luther Ambrose will return on the heels of a mediocre 2009 season. He will be flanked by WR Darrell McNeal who scored six TDs during last year's campaign. Further on the depth chart are mostly underclassmen with no playing experience.
Finally, the offensive line is also very inexperienced with only two returning starters leaving the majority of work to be shouldered by the some eager youngsters. This will be a big concern for Berry as he is likely to rely heavily on the running game. Goodwin's opportunities will be limited, so expecting this offense to score more than 26 points per game is doubtful.
Defense:
Of the two sides the defense appears to be much more anemic with just four starters returning from 2009's stellar unit. Losing seven starters in a group of seniors that produced four All-Sunbelt selections will be a big deficit to overcome if the Warhawks are going to make a top finish in 2010.
On the line of scrimmage will be junior DE Troy Evans who posted 32 tackles and six sacks last season and will look to step up his leadership. The 6-2, 252-pound senior is a threat on the edge and earned First-Team All-Sun Belt Honors in 2009 for his outstanding play.
The second line is the weakest link in the chain as the all four linebacker spots in the Warhawks favored 3-4 formation will be filled by a very inexperienced group that will be led by senior Theo Smith (57 tackles, 3.5 sacks in 2009), the only returning starter. While the secondary has a bit more experience, ULM did lose a First-Team All-Sun Belt corner but will return lockdown CB Darius Prelow who registered 62 tackles with 12 pass breakups.
2010 Prediction: Third in the Sun Belt: Overall the ULM offense will be the more effective weapon despite a few big question marks, but is likely to struggle to maintain or best last year's total points per game. In the meantime, the defense has many problems that will need fixing and will be nowhere close to their third in the conference 347 yards per game. They key to any success for the Warhawks will be contingent on the few seniors being able to accept and adapt while providing leadership for a very inexperienced squad. . Warhawks fans can expect 2010 to be a tough one, and will have to look forward to 2011.
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