Football Preview Week on GoDutchmen.com rolls on with a look at the LVC offense. With nine starters returning from the 2008 team, including five all-MAC players, the future looks bright for the Dutchmen.
The Goals
Produce in the Red Zone: How was it that LVC had the MAC's top-ranked offense last year, but was 6-4? Red zone production. Inside the 20, LVC scored just 59 percent of the time; opponents scored 70 percent of the time. With a consistent field goal kicker inside 30 in
Brittany Ryan, that should improve, but red zone turnovers were also costly.
Sustain Drives: While LVC actually punted the second-fewest times in the MAC last year, their conversion rates were not great: 38 percent on third down and 39 percent on fourth downs. Sustaining drives - and controlling possession - will be key.
Offense By the Numbers
1 - MAC rank of LVC's offense in 2008 in the total and rushing offense categories.
1.67 - Touchdown-to-interception ratio for
Caleb Fick in 2008, compared to just 0.54 in his rookie year of 2007.
5 - Returning All-MAC selections on offense, including three first-teamers
10 - Offensive starters returning, including 2007 starting wide receiver
Sean Donovan, who missed 2008 due to injury
12 - Sacks allowed by the o-line in 2008, fewest in the MAC
81.3 - Yard receiving per game by
Joe Brennan, the best in the MAC
375 - Yards needed by
Charlie Parker to become LVC's all-time leading rusher (he currently has 2,741)
Positional Breakdown
QUARTERBACK
2008 Starter:
Caleb Fick
2009 Preseason:
Caleb Fick
Well, maybe it should be
Caleb Fick (1,782 yds, 15 TDs) with an asterisk. Fick will start and get most of the snaps - that much is for sure. But, Head Coach
Jim Monos says, one guy who will play and see significant time under center is
Colt Zarilla. Fick, a two-year starter who is only a junior, had a greatly improved sophomore year in which he threw for 1,782 yards and 15 TDs while paring down his biggest issue from 2007, interceptions, with just nine. And with an outstanding crop of skill players around him, his numbers should be even better in '09. So why Zarilla? He's more of a mobile quarterback, and there's the possibility of using him in some formations LVC fans haven't seen before in Annville.
Coach Monos: "Fick is the starter, but Zarilla is going to play. I think that'll be a great battle in camp, but what we're envisioning is a package for Fick and a package for Zarilla. I'm not a two-quarterback guy, but they both bring something to the table so we can change the pace of the game. As a coach, the ability to say you have two quarterbacks you can win with is a nice feature."
RUNNING BACKS
2008 Starters:
Charlie Parker (TB) /
Bryan Lynch (FB)
2009 Preseason:
Charlie Parker (TB) /
Bryan Lynch (FB)
The MAC's best rushing offense is back as first-team all-MAC picks
Charlie Parker and
Bryan Lynch continue their ground assault. Parker, in an injury-shortened 2008, still managed 936 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games, and will be chasing the LVC all-time records for rushing yardage and touchdowns this year (for the record, he needs a single TD and 375 rushing yards to claim them). When he wasn't blocking, Lynch averaged 6.7 yards per carry in critical short-yardage situations, and senior
Andrew Norton will back him up. With Parker missing two games and change last year, an entire cast of backs did a spectacular job filling in, including
Ben Guiles, who had an electric freshman year with 380 yards and two touchdowns (including the game-winner in OT against Widener). According to Monos, there is the possibility of seeing Parker and Guiles set together in a "Thunder & Lightning" type package. Behind them are Mike Scott,
Cruz Mannherz, and
Blair Ransom, all of whom got significant touches last year and rose to the occasion.
Coach Monos: "Charlie is the starter, but we have a slew of quality football players. Guiles, Scott, Mannherz, and Ransom, all bring different things to the table. Last year, Ransom became our short-yardage guy and he's a good mudder. Guiles and Mannherz have coast-to-coast ability, they can go the distance. In this offense, we need two solid fullbacks because we ask them to block so much. We have Lynch, a proven guy, but we need Norton to come along."
RECEIVERS/
TIGHT ENDS
2008 Starters:
Joe Brennan and
Matt Donley (WR) / Scott Klein (TE)
2009 Preseason:
Joe Brennan and
Sean Donovan (WR) /
Matt Mankiewicz (TE)
How does a wide receiving corps that lost no one get even better? Bring back 2007 starter
Sean Donovan for a fifth year. Donovan missed all of 2008 with an injury, but has a semester of eligibility and some unfinished business left as he pairs with second-team all-MAC pick
Joe Brennan (813 yards, 9 TDs) and 2008 starter
Matt Donley (573 yards, 4 TDs). With the explosive speed and vertical ability of Brennan (who was the MAC's receiving yardage leader last year) combined with the physical route-running of Donovan and Donley, LVC should have plenty of targets anywhere on the field. Add senior
Matt Harmon and junior
Mike Withington to the mix along with sophomore
Tim Picerno, and LVC could have the deepest wide-out unit in the MAC. Meanwhile, at tight end, LVC loses Scott Klein to graduation, but 6-1, 235-pound
Matt Mankiewicz is ready to fill in as a sophomore, with
Brendan Riley behind him.
Coach Monos: "I think that corps can be as good as anybody in the league. One thing we weren't able to do last year that I think we can do this year - Brennan was our vertical push and Donley was an outstanding route-runner, so people were flipping their best corner on Brennan. But with Donovan back on the other side, and Donley in the middle - holy mackerel. We can spread it, or we can smash it."
OFFENSIVE LINE
2008 Starters:
Sean Tetreault (LT) / Anthony Smoker (LG) /
Clint Surgeoner (C) /
Andrew Scott (RG) /
Jason Sneeringer (RT)
2009 Preseason:
Sean Tetreault (LT) /
Tyler Veverka or
Brendon Myer (LG) /
Clint Surgeoner (C) /
Andrew Scott (RG) /
Jason Sneeringer (RT)
One of the top offensive lines in the MAC last year, LVC brings back four starters including all-MAC tackles
Sean Tetreault and
Jason Sneeringer, center
Clint Surgeoner, and right guard
Andrew Scott. Last year, the unit helped LVC to the MAC's best rushing offense while allowing just 12 sacks in 10 games, the fewest in the conference. Sneeringer (6-4, 278 lbs.) stepped in to protect southpaw Fick's blindside on the right, while Tetreault (6-3, 308 lbs.) is highly mobile and one of the region's top left tackles.
Andrew Scott (6-0, 278 lbs.) split time at right guard last year with the graduated Mike Lamberton, and Clint Surgoner (6-3, 274 lbs.), a junior, has started since his freshman year at center. The main position battle in camp will be at left guard, where junior
Tyler Veverka (5-11, 285 lbs.) and sophomore
Brendon Myer (6-1, 252 lbs.) will be in the mix. Depth could be an issue here, with junior tackle
TJ Giovarelli (6-1, 245 lbs.) the only other lineman with significant game experience.
Coach Monos: "These guys are legit. Tetreault is the big name, but you look at Sneeringer - an all-conference guy -
Andrew Scott, and
Clint Surgeoner, and we'll have a battle at guard with Veverka and Myer. I feel like physically, we match up with anybody in the league up front, and we've got some firepower."
