2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team

Last updated

2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football
The Citadel Wordmark.png
Conference Southern Conference
Record7–4 (4–3 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBob Bodine (2nd season)
Offensive scheme Triple option
Defensive coordinatorDenny Doornbos (1st season)
Base defense 4–2–5
Home stadium Johnson Hagood Stadium
Seasons
  2011
2013  
2012 Southern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 6 Georgia Southern +^  6 2   10 4  
No. 9 Wofford +^  6 2   9 4  
No. 7 Appalachian State +^  6 2   8 4  
The Citadel  5 3   7 4  
Samford  5 3   7 4  
Chattanooga  5 3   6 5  
Furman  2 6   3 8  
Elon  1 7   3 8  
Western Carolina  0 8   1 10  
  • + Conference co-champions
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network Poll

The 2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team represented The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bulldogs were led by eighth year head coach Kevin Higgins and played their home games at Johnson Hagood Stadium. They are a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 4–3 in SoCon play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Contents

Preseason

Recruiting

College recruiting information
NameHometownSchoolHeightWeightCommit date
Harrison Davis
OG
Marietta, GAWalton High School6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)250 lb (110 kg)Oct 27, 2011 
Recruit ratings: (45)
Preston Durham
OLB
Inman, SCChapman High School6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)201 lb (91 kg) 
Recruit ratings: (NR)
Brent O'Neal
ATH
St. Petersburg, FLCanterbury School5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)180 lb (82 kg)Jan 22, 2012 
Recruit ratings: ESPN:  2 stars.svg    (74)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "ESPN – Citadel Football Recruiting 2012". ESPN. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  • "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved November 20, 2011.

Polls

The Citadel was picked eighth in the nine team Southern Conference by both the media and coaches. [1]

All-SoCon selections

Five Bulldogs were selected to the All-Conference teams by the coaches. C Mike Cellars, P Cass Couey, and DE Chris Billingslea were named to the first team while DT Derek Douglas and FB Darien Robinson were second team selections. [1]

Schedule

For the second year in a row, home games in September were scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff rather than the traditional 2:00 p.m. kickoff.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 16:00 pm Charleston Southern * BI W 49–1414,264
September 86:00 pmNo. 3 Georgia Southern
  • Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • Charleston, SC
BIW 23–2112,299
September 153:30 pmat No. 8 Appalachian State No. 21W 52–2824,137
September 226:00 pmat NC State *No. 10 ESPN3 L 14–5255,145
September 296:00 pm Chattanooga No. 11
  • Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • Charleston, SC
BIL 10–2813,878
October 63:00 pmat Samford No. 19L 7–385,872
October 132:00 pm Western Carolina
  • Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • Charleston, SC
BIW 45–3112,578
October 271:30 pmat No. 7 Wofford ESPN3L 21–249,658
November 32:00 pm Elon Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • Charleston, SC
BIW 38–2414,853
November 101:30 pmat VMI *W 27–247,863
November 171:30 pmat Furman ESPN3W 42–208,127

[2]

Game summaries

Charleston Southern

Team1234Total
Buccaneers0140014
Bulldogs7728749

The Citadel's season opened at home against Charleston Southern. The Bulldogs and Buccaneers met for the sixth time, with The Citadel holding a 4–1 advantage in the all-time series. The Citadel won the last meeting 35–14 in the 2007 opener. Charleston Southern claimed its only victory over the Bulldogs in 2006, a double–overtime win that is also the only home-opener loss for The Citadel under coach Kevin Higgins. The cross-town rivals have squared off to open the season three previous times, with The Citadel winning all three games. [3]

As a result of six fumbles, two lost, the teams were tied at halftime despite The Citadel dominating all phases of the game. After the half, the Bulldogs scored four touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. QB Ben Dupree rushed 17 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns, Rickey Anderson had 10 carries for 80 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Darien Robinson had 12 rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs passed just six times, completing three of them. QB Aaron Miller was 3 for 5 passing, completing passes to three different receivers. The Citadel did not punt in the game, missing one field goal. Charleston Southern QB Malcolm Dixon completed 6 of 14 passes for 123 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Chase Jones had two catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia Southern

Team1234Total
#3 Eagles770721
Bulldogs1433323
  • Date: September 8
  • Location: Johnson Hagood Stadium, Charleston, SC
  • Game start: 6:00 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 12,299
  • Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 83°
  • Referee: Duane Heydt

The Bulldogs hosted #3 Georgia Southern in the SoCon opener for both schools. The two teams return two of the top three rushing attacks in the country (and the conference as Wofford is the other) and run the same Triple Option scheme on offense. The Eagles entered with a commanding 174 record against The Citadel, including a pair of playoff victories over the Bulldogs in 1988 and 1990. Last year, Georgia Southern held off The Citadel 14–12 in Statesboro as the Bulldogs missed a field goal in a swirling wind with seconds remaining. The last Citadel victory in the series was a 24–21 win in Charleston in 2006. Georgia Southern had won five in a row, but four of those were by less than a touchdown. The Citadel had lost nine consecutive home conference games. [4]

The Citadel forced two turnovers in the first quarter, converting both fumbles into touchdowns for a quick 14–0 lead. Georgia Southern scored three touchdowns, while The Citadel kicked a pair of field goals to trail 21–20 late. Thomas Warren kicked a 37-yard field goal for a 23–21 lead with 35 seconds remaining, nearly the identical situation to the 2011 meeting when Warren missed a 37-yard attempt with 13 seconds left which would have won. Georgia Southern returned the ensuing kickoff into Bulldog territory, but missed their own 31-yard field goal attempt as time ran out, sealing The Citadel's win. The Bulldogs entered the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings for the first time since 2008.

Appalachian State

Team1234Total
#21 Bulldogs142414052
#8 Mountaineers0771428
  • Date: September 15
  • Location: Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
  • Game start: 3:30 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 24,137
  • Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 70°
  • Referee: Ted Pitts

The Citadel made its first road trip of the season to Boone, NC, where the Bulldogs had not won since their last SoCon championship season of 1992. The Mountaineers entered claiming eight victories in a row and 17 of 18 against The Citadel. This was the second game of a daunting three game stretch for The Citadel, playing the teams picked to finish first and second in the league followed by a trip to FBS NC State. Last season, Appalachian State raced to a 49–14 lead in the third quarter before The Citadel stormed back with four unanswered touchdowns led by QB Aaron Miller before running out of time, losing 49–14. [5]

The Bulldogs raced to an early 24–0 lead, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions before being limited to a field goal on their fourth while holding App State scoreless. The Mountaineers punted again on their fourth possession, but LB Carson Smith blocked the kick and returned it for a touchdown to extend The Citadel lead to 31–0. The Citadel added three more touchdowns before the end of the third quarter, while App State finally broke through against The Citadel's reserve defense late in the game, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Citadel amassed 618 yards of offense, its most ever in a regulation game and just 23 yards short of the all-time record in an overtime game against Furman. The Bulldogs option offense gained 463 yards on the ground, with three backs each recording over 100 yards and WR Matt Thompson adding 123 yards receiving. App State's home win streak of 18 games was snapped, and The Citadel won in Boone for the first time since 1992.

NC State

Team1234Total
#10 Bulldogs707014
Wolfpack212101052

The Bulldogs travel to Raleigh, NC for the fourth time, having once played NC State in Wilmington, NC. The Wolfpack has claimed victories in all four meetings between the schools, most recently a 1983 win by 45–0. The three previous meetings were all prior to World War II. The Citadel has not defeated an FBS opponent since 1992, when they stunned Arkansas and defeated Army. The Citadel has not defeated an Atlantic Coast Conference school since the conference was formed by seven Southern Conference schools in 1953. The Bulldogs have claimed seven wins over current ACC schools, with six of those wins coming against Clemson, most recently in 1931.

Chattanooga

Team1234Total
Mocs0147728
#11 Bulldogs307010
  • Date: September 29
  • Location: Johnson Hagood Stadium, Charleston, SC
  • Game start: 6:00 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 13,878
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, humid, 82°
  • Referee: Ed Rhodes

Samford

Team1234Total
#19 Bulldogs (Cit)00707
Bulldogs (Sam)77101438
  • Date: October 6
  • Location: Seibert Stadium, Homewood, AL
  • Game start: 3:00 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 5,872
  • Game weather: Overcast, 65°
  • Referee: Thomas Graham

Western Carolina

Team1234Total
Catamounts0177731
Bulldogs71072145
  • Date: October 15
  • Location: Johnson Hagood Stadium, Charleston, SC
  • Game start: 2:00 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 12,578
  • Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 75°
  • Referee: Ted Pitts

Wofford

Team1234Total
Bulldogs770721
#7 Terriers14100024
  • Date: October 27
  • Location: Gibbs Stadium, Spartanburg, SC
  • Game start: 1:30 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 9,658
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 72°
  • Referee: Larry Saunders
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Darren Goldwater, Paul Maguire

Elon

Team1234Total
Phoenix3311724
Bulldogs14107738
  • Date: November 3
  • Location: Johnson Hagood Stadium, Charleston, SC
  • Game start: 2:00 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 14,853
  • Game weather: Sunny, 65°
  • Referee: Ed Rhodes

VMI

Team1234Total
Bulldogs7107327
Keydets3071424

Furman

Team1234Total
Bulldogs14771442
Paladins1433020
  • Date: November 17
  • Location: Paladin Stadium, Greenville, SC
  • Game start: 1:30 PM EST
  • Game attendance: 8,127
  • Game weather: Sunny, 57°
  • Referee: Thomas Graham
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Darren Goldwater, Doug Chapman

Coaches

The Bulldogs saw two coaches depart in the offseason, with Defensive Coordinator/safeties coach Josh Conklin departing for Tennessee [6] and Tight Ends coach Raleigh Jackson accepting the linebackers coach position at Division II Slippery Rock. [7] The Bulldogs added John Hauser from Wayne State to coach safeties. [8] Defensive line coach Denny Doornbos added Defensive Coordinator responsibilities.

NamePositionAlma MaterYear
Kevin Higgins Head Coach West Chester 8th
Denny DoornbosAssistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Western Michigan 3rd
Bob BodineOffensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Tulane 3rd
Aashon LarkinsSpecial Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Lehigh 7th
Craig Candeto Quarterbacks/Defensive Backs United States Naval Academy 2nd
Bill MottolaSlot Backs Springfield College 2nd
J.P. GunterWide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator Lenoir–Rhyne 3rd
Scott YieldingTight Ends The Citadel 1st
Gerald DixonCornerbacks Alabama 5th
John HauserSafeties Wittenberg 1st
Chad WheelerAssistant Defensive Coach Florida State 2nd
Cody WorleyOffensive Quality Control Furman 2nd
Jesse JohnsonDefensive Quality Control Michigan State 1st
Mickey McDermottSpecial Teams Quality Control Charleston Southern 2nd
Eli CrawfordAssistant Special Teams Quality Control Valparaiso 1st
Donnell BoucherStrength & Conditioning Worcester State 6th

Roster

2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 2Ben DupreeJr
WR 3Domonic JonesJr
QB 4Parker GastonSr
WR 5Matt ThompsonJr
WR 6Greg AdamsSr
RB 8Dalton TrevinoSo
WR 11Douglas GermanSr
QB 12Aaron MillerSo
WR 14Drew McCluskeyFr
RB 16Vinny MillerFr
QB 17Trey WhiteFr
RB 18Dylan BusbyFr
QB 19Julian WalkerFr
RB 20Te'Myrick MosleyFr
RB 21Rickey AndersonSr
FB 22Darien RobinsonJr
FB 23Terrell DallasSr
FB 24Shaunn MiddletonSo
RB 25Terrance MartinJr
RB 26Jake StensonJr
WR 29John CyreSo
RB 32Van Dyke JonesSr
OL 50Mike SellersJr
OL 51Brooks BonnetteSo
OL 53Sam FryeFr
OL 54Charles ColemanSo
OL 55Keith CarterJr
OL 56Michael MabryFr
OL 57Kyle WeaverFr
OL 63Emmet HowleFr
OL 65Jim KnowlesJr
OL 67Victor HillJr
OL 68Nick RudmanSo
OL 71Jack TaylorFr
SR 73Neal StrangeSr
OL 74Robert FinkeJr
OL 75Harrison DavisFr
OL 76Devin BiceJr
OL 78Elliott ThomasSo
TE 81Alex GloverSo
WR 82Brandon EakinsFr
WR 83Trent ButlerFr
TE 84Cullen BrownJr
TE 85Capers WilliamsonSo
WR 87Paul BrownFr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DB 1Sadath Jean-PierreJr
DB 4Akeem GarnettSo
DB 7Keith GambleSr
LB 9Carson SmithSo
DB 10Adrian RansonFr
DB 13Cody RichardsonFr
DB 23Mike AdamsJr
LB 26Yemi OyengunleSr
DB 27Nick WillisFr
DB 28Julian BaxterSo
LB 29Carl RobinsonSo
LB 31Hunter ShepherdFr
LB 33Doyen HarrisSo
LB 34Preston DurhamFr
LB 37Joe CrochetFr
DB 38Martin FosberrySr
DB 39Dondray CopelandFr
LB 40Rah MuhammadSo
DB 41Walker SmithSo
DB 42Austin BoyleSr
DB 43Davis BoyleSr
JR 44Bay AmrheinJr
DB 45Brandon McCladdieJr
LB 46Ian ThompsonSo
LB 47Caleb BennettFr
LB 48Taylor JurneyFr
DB 48Will TurnerSo
LB 49James RileyFr
LB 53Isaac MinorSo
LB 55Stephen RohrlackSo
LB 58Austin HarrellFr
DL 61Edward KimSo
DL 62Mitchell JeterFr
DL 72Cameron MobleySo
DL 77Chris BillingsleaSr
DL 87Paul BrownFr
DL 88Zach CarterFr
DL 90Austin KnisleySo
DL 91Derek DouglasJr
LB 92Mark ThomasFr
DL 93Sammy OjjehSo
LB 94Aaron PerryFr
DL 95Colin ParsonsFr
DL 96Justin OxendineSo
DL 97Joe PhillipsFr
LB 98Koty AllenFr
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 30Thomas WarrenSr
K 35Mason WachterSo
P 36Cass CoueySr
LS 51Stiles MonteithSo
LS 52Thomas OswaldSr
LS 53Austin WilesJr
LS 60Hunter MorrisFr
P 86Austin JordanFr
K 99Eric GoinsFr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Denny Doornboos (DC)
  • Bob Bodine (OC)
  • Aashon Larkins (ST)
  • Craig Candeto (QB)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 15, 2012

Awards and honors

SoCon Players of the Week

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

All-Americans

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
Sports Network RVRV21101119RVRVRV
Coaches 23141522RVRVRV

References

  1. 1 2 Hartsell, Jeff (July 27, 2012). "Picked 8th in SoCon, Citadel Seeks Breakthrough Football Season". The Post and Courier . Charleston. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  2. "2012 Football Schedule". The Citadel Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  3. "The Citadel Kicks Off 2012 Season Saturday Against Charleston Southern" (PDF). The Citadel Department of Athletics. August 30, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  4. "The Citadel Hosts Nationally-Ranked Georgia Southern in SoCon Opener". The Citadel Department of Athletics. September 6, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  5. "Bulldogs Hit the Road for Tough Test at Appalachian State". The Citadel Department of Athletics. September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  6. "Josh Conklin Accepts Position on University of Tennessee Coaching Staff". The Citadel Department of Athletics. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  7. "Raleigh Jackson Accepts Coaching Position at Slippery Rock". The Citadel Department of Athletics. March 27, 2012. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  8. "John Hauser Joins Citadel Football Coaching Staff". The Citadel Department of Athletics. April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.