Football coaches, media: Bulldogs sixth best in SoCon

GREENVILLE — As preseason polls have rolled out over the summer, The Citadel football team has been a consensus Top 25 pick, even ranking as high as No. 16 among the nation's FCS teams in one poll.

That's why senior Bulldogs safety Jonathan Vest widened his eyes just a bit Wednesday morning when he got a look at the Southern Conference coaches' preseason poll, where The Citadel was picked to finish sixth. The SoCon media poll also pegged the Bulldogs, coming off a 7-4 season and 4-3 finish in the league, in sixth place.

"It's a little surprising," Vest said at the SoCon's preseason rouser. "But we have a lot of holes to fill on offense and defense. It might be a little surprising to some of us, but for me, it's kind of what I was expecting.

"But it doesn't bother me one bit. It gives us something to look at to make us work a little harder. It's a little guideline for us."

Of course, ranking 16th in the nation and sixth in your own league offers an indication of just where the SoCon stands in FCS football.

"It's a very competitive conference," said senior tight end Taylor Cornett. "But that's where we stand now, and I'm looking forward to getting on the field and showing where we stand."

Citadel coach Kevin Higgins, entering his fourth season, indicated that it was more surprising that a team which lost its top quarterback, running back and three of its top four pass-catchers — along with its three top tacklers — would be ranked as high as 16th in the nation.

"I look at our team through the eyes of the coaches," Higgins said. "They see us losing what amounted to a four-year starter at quarterback (Duran Lawson) who is in The Citadel record books; a running back (Tory Cooper) who was a two-year starter and a 1,000-yard rusher both years; and our second, third and fourth receivers. That's a lot of offense right there.

"And then with the three we lost on defense, all three and four-year starters, they leave huge voids. You look at all that, and you look at what other teams have coming back, and I can see how coaches picked us sixth in the league."

Three-time defending national champion Appalachian State returns the preseason offensive player of the year in quarterback Armanti Edwards and defensive player of the year in linebacker Pierre Banks, two big reasons the Mountaineers were runaway picks to win the league title by coaches and media.

But the big surprise in the polls was the rise of Elon, picked by both coaches and media to finish second behind App State. The Phoenix had been picked to finish last every year since entering the SoCon in 2003 before being voted sixth last year. The Phoenix was 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the SoCon last year, including a 42-31 loss to The Citadel, and return the record-setting duo of QB Scott Riddle and receiver Terrell Hudgins.

"It's exciting," said third-year Elon coach Pete Lembo. , who coached under and then succeeded Higgins at Lehigh. "Our kids believe they can win now. But at the same time, the challenge we face is that we will see everyone at their best, and we won't be able to sneak up on anyone as we've done the last two years."

The voting broke the SoCon into roughly three divisions with App State at the top; a five-team scrum among Elon, Wofford, Georgia Southern, Furman and The Citadel in the middle; and Chattanooga, Western Carolina and SoCon newcomer Samford bringing up the rear.