HERO Sports welcomes you to "Two-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 125 FCS programs, with two being released each day from June 18 to August 18 (with the final day having three in one day). Today we give you … Texas Southern.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Compare Any Two FCS Teams [divider]
FCS TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW: The countdown
FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The teams
TEXAS SOUTHERN (2-9)
The SWAC (4th in SWAC West)
COACH: Michael Haywood – 3rd year (6-16 record)
2017 OFFENSE: 16.5 ppg (107th in FCS)
2017 DEFENSE: 29.3 ppg (88th in FCS)
SUM IT UP: Texas Southern wants to climb out of the pit it has been in since 2010, when the program went 8-3 and won the SWAC Title game. The team will try to spark exactly that with key transfer additions on the defensive line and at quarterback (namely, former Tulane starter Glen Cuiellette) and some major changes within the coaching staff should help too. There is optimism that the Tigers can find themselves, and early. This program was within a touchdown of three other wins in 2017 — including one against SWAC East Champion Alcorn State. The Tigers need to turn those near misses into victories, and start to push the upper echelon of the SWAC West Division (Grambling, Southern, Prairie View).
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: If the talented transfers are able to mesh well with the young returnees, this could be an interesting program to watch — and it could reach up and ruin a top program's Saturday. We'll put the ceiling at 4 wins for this group, but if it finds that bond, this could set things up for a really big 2019 as well. Chemistry is the key here, as it is with any program.
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BEST FCS PLAYER BY NUMBER: We count down, No. 99 through No. 1[divider]
TOP RETURNEE: RB Brad Woodard (leading rusher – 536 yards, 4 TDs)
THE NEXT BEST: OL Jimmy Williams (Preseason 2nd Team All SWAC); DB/QB Elijah Odum (415 yards passing, 3 TDs; 333 rushing yards, 5 TDs – good athlete moving to DB this year); LB Julian Marcantel (leading tackler – 92 tackles, 9 TFL); LB Patrick Howell (48 tackles, 3.5 TFL); DL Ike Onwuasoanya (5 TFLs, 4 hurries, 22 tackles, 3 sacks).
TOP NEWCOMER: QB Glen Cuiellette (Tulane transfer started 10 games for Green Wave in 2016 – 1,309 passing yards, 10 TDs)
DID YOU KNOW?: NFL Hall of Famer and TV personality Michael Strahan played his college football at Texas Southern. In his final year at TSU, he recorded 19 sacks and 32 tackles for loss and went on to be drafted in the second round — playing for 14 years for the New York Giants, with 7 Pro Bowl seasons and one Super Bowl.
THE QUOTE: "I thought we improved in our running game and our play action passing game. I thought the new additions to our staff did a great job coaching. Coach Morris Watts has done a great job preparing our quarterbacks and Coach Michael Slater has done a tremendous job with our defensive lineman." — said head coach Michael Haywood summing up the spring
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SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
THE HASHTAG: #TigerTakeDown
FOOTBALL TWITTER: @TSUFootball
Tony Wyllie Washington Redskins: Welcoming fellow TSU Tiger Darvin Kidsy to rookie mini camp. #Gotigers pic.twitter.com/qkuid5SOwv
— Michael Haywood (@CoachMHaywood) May 10, 2018
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FCS QB TRANSFERS: Who Tops The List?
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PREVIEWS: The Rest Of The SWAC
Alabama A&M | Alabama State | Alcorn State
Arkansas Pine-Bluff | Grambling | Jackson State
Miss. Valley State | Prairie View A&M | Southern U. | Texas Southern
