The Big South continues its daily preview of the 2008 football season leading up to the season opening games on Aug. 28 with a look at each school.  Today: VMI, which was predicted to finish sixth in the annual preseason poll.

2008 Season Outlook Courtesy of VMI Sports Information

VMI football fans may want to keep a roster by their side at all times when following the Keydets this fall.  With just four senior players and two-thirds of the roster listed as freshmen or sophomores eligibility-wise, there will be plenty of new faces to track on the Foster Stadium gridiron.  The Keydets will also feature plenty of experience, however, with 29 letterwinners and 16 starters returning on both sides of the ball.  First-year head coach Sparky Woods will be charged with assembling the new pieces together with the veteran components to improve and solidify VMI Football's fortunes in the Big South Conference.  

The Woods Era got its official hands-on start in April when the Keydets took to the practice field with improved roster numbers during spring drills.  The new VMI coach was pleased with the progress the team showed, and how it came together as a hard-working group during spring practice.

"Overall, we've probably made more progress than I thought we would at this time, so I'm encouraged by that," said Woods after the last scrimmage of spring practice.  "We have to continue to battle every day to make sure we get better."

The new Keydet coaching staff faces the challenge of maintaining the offensive momentum shown the last two years by the yard-churning and point-producing spread option attack, while recharging the Keydet defense that has been looking for consistency and identity.  The Keydet offense averaged 402.2 total yards per game in 2007, which was the highest such number in school history, surpassing the 390.0 mark established in 2003.  In addition, the 283.2 rushing yards per game last season was a Big South record and ranked fourth in the FCS.  VMI also produced four games of 500 yards or more of total offense in 2007, the most such performances in Keydet history.  The impressive efforts came against Robert Morris, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern.  VMI has also produced back-to-back Big South Conference leading rushers the last two seasons.  Howard Abegesah finished with 1,121 yards in 2007, the fourth-highest total in league history after Sean Mizzer ran up 1,022 yards in 2006.  VMI also led the Big South in rushing for the second consecutive season.

Headlining this year's offensive returnees are a trio of juniors who will be counted on to keep the offensive machine rolling - slotback Tim Maypray (Madisonville, Ky.), running back Howard Abegesah (Beltsville, Md.) and quarterback Kyle Hughes (Williamsburg, Va.).

Maypray has developed into one of the most dynamic performers to wear a VMI uniform and was named by Lindy's Magazine as the Big South Offensive Preseason Player of the Year.  Maypray followed his 2006 Big South Freshman of the Year season by earning All-Big South honors as both a receiver and kick return specialist in 2007.  The 5-8 slotback produced five games of 200+ all-purpose yards, including a school- and conference-record 346 yards against Charleston Southern.  The versatile Keydet standout also returned two kicks for touchdowns in 2007, tying a Big South record.

Abegesah will again spearhead the VMI ground attack after leading the Keydets in rushing in ten of 11 games last year.  He produced five 100-yard rushing games in 2007, the second-highest total in league history, and his 1,121 yards rushing was the eighth-best single-season output in school history.  Abegesah worked hard in the spring improving his blocking technique and ball control, and the Maryland native will look to repeat as an All-Conference pick, as well as take aim at another rushing title.

For the fifth-consecutive year, the Keydets will have an experienced signal caller to run the offense as junior Kyle Hughes returns for his third season of play at quarterback.  Hughes has shown great poise and presence in his first two years, and had a solid spring practice before a thumb injury sidelined him for the last scrimmage.  Hughes is expected back healthy in August camp, and will look to add to his Second Team All-Big South season of a year ago, a campaign during which he piled up over 1,500 yards of total offense.

Behind the three leaders at the skill positions, the Keydets will look to develop several youngsters.  At quarterback, redshirt-freshman Cameron Jones and Justin Hickman will vie for the back-up role behind Hughes.  Maypray will be backed up by fellow junior Zach Collins (Universal City, Texas) and sophomores Gabe Itoka (Reston, Va.) and Michael Rainey-Wiles (Pittsburgh, Pa.).  At the “B” back position, Chaz Jones (Cleveland, Ohio) will vie for playing time behind Abegesah.

The offensive line, despite injuries, was unquestionably a key to VMI's offensive successes last season, and the group returns three starters and another letterman who saw considerable playing time last season.  Returning to work in the trenches in front of Maypray, Abegesah and Hughes are center James Boatright (Grayson, Ga.), guard George Handler (Quinton, Va.) and guard Bo Wren (Gainesville, Ga.).  The trio combined for a combined 31 starts last year and will form a core of experience.  Redshirt junior tackle Frank Ellis (Reva, Va.) battled back from injury to gain valuable starting experience last year, and is projected in a starting role at right tackle.  The offensive line received a boost in spring practice when redshirt sophomore Ben Brandt (Forest, Va.) was moved to the O-line during the last two weeks of workouts.  Brandt immediately made an impact at left tackle and could develop into a force there with his strength, speed and athleticism. 

Three-year letterman Travis Ludden (Fredericksburg, Va.), who has also played interior line, returns to the tight end position and will be backed up by letterman Josh Favaro (Suwanee, Ga.).  The receiving corps returns Commonwealth natives Bryan Barnson and Mario Scott.  Barnson was one of the offense's biggest surprises of 2007, as the Chesapeake native was second on the team in receiving yardage (292) and catches (13).  Barnson helped stretch defenses as a deep threat, as did Staunton native Scott, who averaged 13.4 yards per catch with 10 receptions in 2007.

The defense will employ a new 3-4 alignment, transformed from a four-man front that was used the last two seasons.  Thirteen letterwinners and eight starters return from a unit looking to rebound from a long 2007 campaign.  The defensive front returns three starters in senior left end Andy Viola (Broadway, Va.), sophomore nose tackle Josh Wine (Fredericksburg, Va.), and redshirt sophomore Damiso Alexander (Richmond, Va.).  Viola will provide leadership on the defensive line as a returning two-year starter.  Wine played and started all 11 games at nose tackle last season, and was the only true freshman to start every game on defense last year.  He led the Keydet down linemen in tackles and fumble recoveries while also posting six tackles-for-loss.  Alexander showed promise at defensive end last season and is looking to establish himself as a full-time starter this fall.

The line could also have its best depth in years with a trio of redshirt freshmen - ends Aaron Blue (Suwanee, Ga.), Emilio Calvin (Woodbridge, Va.) and tackle Sam Palmer (Smyrna, Ga.) all appear to be ready to contribute after sitting out last year.

Redshirt junior linebacker Patrick McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) will move from inside to outside linebacker and will line up opposite redshirt sophomore Kyle Nikmard (Katy, Texas).  McKinney is a proven performer who has emerged as a leader on the team and has led the team in tackles for two consecutive years.  Last year, McKinney’s total of 78 tackles ranked seventh in the Big South Conference.  Nikmard will be looking to expand his role as a full-time starter after earning three mid-season starts last year.  Projected as possible starters at inside linebacker are senior Jacob Rochester (Dallas, Texas) and redshirt freshman A.J. Gross (Waldorf, Md.).  Rochester, a two-time FCS Academic All-Star, should see plenty of playing time at inside linebacker, while Gross could be an impact player with his quickness and play-making ability.  Also looking to get into the mix at inside linebacker will be redshirt sophomores Jack Curtis (Fairfax, Va.), Mike Hutchings (Lexington, Va.) and redshirt freshman Alex Ray (Roanoke, Va.).

The secondary two-deep will feature a combination of the familiar and new faces, as four lettermen will combine with a quartet of players who will be getting their first taste of action this year.  Veteran Levi Swindell (Elk Grove, Calif.) and redshirt freshman Byron Allen (Massaponax, Va.) are leading candidates to start at cornerback, but two-year letterman Bryant Youngblood (Youngstown, Ohio) will also push for playing time.  Swindell has 16 career starts and can also play strong safety, while Youngblood moved into the starting role at free safety at the mid-season mark in '07, and remained in that role for the remainder of the year.

The strong safety slot appears solid with redshirt sophomore Kris Ware (Chesapeake, Va.) returning to the field after a year's absence.  Ware emerged from spring drills as a projected starter, but three-year letterman Keith Taylor (Mechanicsville, Va.) will push for playing time as well.  The pair will combine to account for the deepest and most experienced position in the defensive backfield.  The free safety position will feature two speedsters who will be seeing their first collegiate action this season.  Tyler Reedy (Canton, Ga.) and Tracy Hairston (Martinsville, Va.) have both demonstrated they are capable of handling the responsibility of this crucial position, and the duo is expected to give the Keydet secondary some of its best athleticism in years.

Sophomore Patrick Sweeney (Richmond, Va.) who handled placekicking and kickoff chores last season, will concentrate on punting this fall as quarterback Kyle Hughes relinquishes his punting duties to focus on QB.  The placekicker role remained a question mark entering August camp and will have to be resolved prior to the opener.

If the Keydets can continue their offensive success and match it with improved defensive play, VMI could see a turnaround in its football fortunes faster than some would expect.  No doubt, the experience and veteran leadership at key positions throughout the squad bodes well for the future of the young, new-look VMI football squad.

Tomorrow's preview: Charleston Southern