2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team

2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football
Conference	Southern Conference
2012 record	7–4 (4–3 SoCon)
Head coach	Kevin Higgins (8th year)
Offensive coordinator	Bob Bodine
Offensive scheme	Triple Option
Defensive coordinator	Denny Doornbos
Base defense	4-2-5
Home stadium	Johnson Hagood Stadium (Capacity: 21,000)

2012 Southern Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
#6 Georgia Southern +^		6	–	2					10	–	4
#9 Wofford +^		6	–	2					9	–	4
#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 FCS 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.

Preseason

Recruiting

Name	Home town	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Harrison Davis OG	Marietta, GA	Walton High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Oct 27, 2011
	Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 45
Preston Durham OLB	Inman, SC	Chapman High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	201 lb (91 kg)
	Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Brent O'Neal ATH	St. Petersburg, FL	Canterbury School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jan 22, 2012
	Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 74
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, 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.com. Retrieved November 20, 2011. "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. 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 are scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff rather than the traditional 2:00 p.m. kickoff.

Date	Time	Opponent^#	Rank^#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 PM	Charleston Southern*		Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC	BI	W 49–14	14,264
September 8	6:00 PM	#3 Georgia Southern		Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC	BI	W 23–21	12,299
September 15	3:30 PM	at #8 Appalachian State	#21	Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC		W 52–28	24,137
September 22	6:00 PM	at NC State*	#10	Carter-Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC	ESPN3	L 14–52	55,145
September 29	6:00 PM	Chattanooga	#11	Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC	BI	L 10–28	13,878
October 6	3:00 PM	at Samford	#19	Seibert Stadium • Homewood, AL		L 7–38	5,872
October 13	2:00 PM	Western Carolina		Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC	BI	W 45–31	12,578
October 27	1:30 PM	at #7 Wofford		Gibbs Stadium • Spartanburg, SC	ESPN3	L 21–24	9,658
November 3	2:00 PM	Elon		Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC	BI	W 38–24	14,853
November 10	1:30 PM	at VMI*		Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA (Military Classic of the South)		W 27–24	7,863
November 17	1:30 PM	at Furman		Paladin Stadium • Greenville, NC (Rivalry)	ESPN3	W 42–20	8,127
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

^[2]

Game notes

Charleston Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Buccaneers 0 14 0 0 14 • Bulldogs 7 7 28 7 49 Date: September 1 Location: Johnson Hagood Stadium, Charleston, SC Game start: 6:00 PM EST Game attendance: 14,264 Game weather: Sunny, 86° Referee: Thomas Graham

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–1	2007	W 35–14

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

1 2 3 4 Total #3 Eagles 7 7 0 7 21 • Bulldogs 14 3 3 3 23 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–17	2011	L 12–14

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

1 2 3 4 Total • #21 Bulldogs 14 24 14 0 52 #8 Mountaineers 0 7 7 14 28 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
11–29	2011	L 42–49

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

1 2 3 4 Total #10 Bulldogs 7 0 7 0 14 • Wolfpack 21 21 0 10 52 Date: September 22 Location: Carter–Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC Game start: 6:00 PM EST Game attendance: 55,145 Game weather: Sunny, 82° Referee: Jerry Magallene TV announcers (ESPN3): Mike Gleason, Paul Maguire, Sarah Stankavage

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–4	1983	L 0–45

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

1 2 3 4 Total • Mocs 0 14 7 7 28 #11 Bulldogs 3 0 7 0 10 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
17–26–2	2011	W 28–27

Samford

1 2 3 4 Total #19 Bulldogs (Cit) 0 0 7 0 7 • Bulldogs (Sam) 7 7 10 14 38 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
3–2	2011	L 14–19

Western Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total Catamounts 0 17 7 7 31 • Bulldogs 7 10 7 21 45 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
20–15–1	2011	W 35–7

Wofford

1 2 3 4 Total Bulldogs 7 7 0 7 21 • #7 Terriers 14 10 0 0 24 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
40–23–1	2011	L 14–43

Elon

1 2 3 4 Total Phoenix 3 3 11 7 24 • Bulldogs 14 10 7 7 38 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–5	2011	L 15–18 (OT)

VMI

1 2 3 4 Total • Bulldogs 7 10 7 3 27 Keydets 3 0 7 14 24 Date: November 10 Location: Alumni Memorial Field, Lexington, VA Game start: 1:30 PM EST Game attendance: 7,863 Game weather: Mostly sunny, 67° Referee: Jeff Flanagan

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
35–30–2	2011	W 41–14

Furman

1 2 3 4 Total • Bulldogs 14 7 7 14 42 Paladins 14 3 3 0 20 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

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
31–57–3	2011	L 6–16

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.

Name	Position	Alma Mater	Year
Kevin Higgins	Head Coach	West Chester	8th
Denny Doornbos	Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line	Western Michigan	3rd
Bob Bodine	Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line	Tulane	3rd
Aashon Larkins	Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers	Lehigh	7th
Craig Candeto	Quarterbacks/Defensive Backs	United States Naval Academy	2nd
Bill Mottola	Slot Backs	Springfield College	2nd
J.P. Gunter	Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator	Lenoir–Rhyne	3rd
Scott Yielding	Tight Ends	The Citadel	1st
Gerald Dixon	Cornerbacks	Alabama	5th
John Hauser	Safeties	Wittenberg	1st
Chad Wheeler	Assistant Defensive Coach	Florida State	2nd
Cody Worley	Offensive Quality Control	Furman	2nd
Jesse Johnson	Defensive Quality Control	Michigan State	1st
Mickey McDermott	Special Teams Quality Control	Charleston Southern	2nd
Eli Crawford	Assistant Special Teams Quality Control	Valparaiso	1st
Donnell Boucher	Strength & Conditioning	Worcester State	6th

Roster

2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 2 Dupree, BenBen Dupree Jr WR 3 Jones, DomonicDomonic Jones Jr QB 4 Gaston, ParkerParker Gaston Sr WR 5 Thompson, MattMatt Thompson Jr WR 6 Adams, GregGreg Adams Sr RB 8 Trevino, DaltonDalton Trevino So WR 11 German, DouglasDouglas German Sr QB 12 Miller, AaronAaron Miller So WR 14 McCluskey, DrewDrew McCluskey Fr RB 16 Miller, VinnyVinny Miller Fr QB 17 White, TreyTrey White Fr RB 18 Busby, DylanDylan Busby Fr QB 19 Walker, JulianJulian Walker Fr RB 20 Mosley, Te'MyrickTe'Myrick Mosley Fr RB 21 Anderson, RickeyRickey Anderson Sr FB 22 Robinson, DarienDarien Robinson Jr FB 23 Dallas, TerrellTerrell Dallas Sr FB 24 Middleton, ShaunnShaunn Middleton So RB 25 Martin, TerranceTerrance Martin Jr RB 26 Stenson, JakeJake Stenson Jr WR 29 Cyre, JohnJohn Cyre So RB 32 Jones, Van DykeVan Dyke Jones Sr OL 50 Sellers, MikeMike Sellers Jr OL 51 Bonnette, BrooksBrooks Bonnette So OL 53 Frye, SamSam Frye Fr OL 54 Coleman, CharlesCharles Coleman So OL 55 Carter, KeithKeith Carter Jr OL 56 Mabry, MichaelMichael Mabry Fr OL 57 Weaver, KyleKyle Weaver Fr OL 63 Howle, EmmetEmmet Howle Fr OL 65 Knowles, JimJim Knowles Jr OL 67 Hill, VictorVictor Hill Jr OL 68 Rudman, NickNick Rudman So OL 71 Taylor, JackJack Taylor Fr SR 73 Strange, NealNeal Strange Sr OL 74 Finke, RobertRobert Finke Jr OL 75 Davis, HarrisonHarrison Davis Fr OL 76 Bice, DevinDevin Bice Jr OL 78 Thomas, ElliottElliott Thomas So TE 81 Glover, AlexAlex Glover So WR 82 Eakins, BrandonBrandon Eakins Fr WR 83 Butler, TrentTrent Butler Fr TE 84 Brown, CullenCullen Brown Jr TE 85 Williamson, CapersCapers Williamson So WR 87 Brown, PaulPaul Brown Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 1 Jean-Pierre, SadathSadath Jean-Pierre Jr DB 4 Garnett, AkeemAkeem Garnett So DB 7 Gamble, KeithKeith Gamble Sr LB 9 Smith, CarsonCarson Smith So DB 10 Ranson, AdrianAdrian Ranson Fr DB 13 Richardson, CodyCody Richardson Fr DB 23 Adams, MikeMike Adams Jr LB 26 Oyengunle, YemiYemi Oyengunle Sr DB 27 Willis, NickNick Willis Fr DB 28 Baxter, JulianJulian Baxter So LB 29 Robinson, CarlCarl Robinson So LB 31 Shepherd, HunterHunter Shepherd Fr LB 33 Harris, DoyenDoyen Harris So LB 34 Durham, PrestonPreston Durham Fr LB 37 Crochet, JoeJoe Crochet Fr DB 38 Fosberry, MartinMartin Fosberry Sr DB 39 Copeland, DondrayDondray Copeland Fr LB 40 Muhammad, RahRah Muhammad So DB 41 Smith, WalkerWalker Smith So DB 42 Boyle, AustinAustin Boyle Sr DB 43 Boyle, DavisDavis Boyle Sr JR 44 Amrhein, BayBay Amrhein Jr DB 45 McCladdie, BrandonBrandon McCladdie Jr LB 46 Thompson, IanIan Thompson So LB 47 Bennett, CalebCaleb Bennett Fr LB 48 Jurney, TaylorTaylor Jurney Fr DB 48 Turner, WillWill Turner So LB 49 Riley, JamesJames Riley Fr LB 53 Minor, IsaacIsaac Minor So LB 55 Rohrlack, StephenStephen Rohrlack So LB 58 Harrell, AustinAustin Harrell Fr DL 61 Kim, EdwardEdward Kim So DL 62 Jeter, MitchellMitchell Jeter Fr DL 72 Mobley, CameronCameron Mobley So DL 77 Billingslea, ChrisChris Billingslea Sr DL 87 Brown, PaulPaul Brown Fr DL 88 Carter, ZachZach Carter Fr DL 90 Knisley, AustinAustin Knisley So DL 91 Douglas, DerekDerek Douglas Jr LB 92 Thomas, MarkMark Thomas Fr DL 93 Ojjeh, SammySammy Ojjeh So LB 94 Perry, AaronAaron Perry Fr DL 95 Parsons, ColinColin Parsons Fr DL 96 Oxendine, JustinJustin Oxendine So DL 97 Phillips, JoeJoe Phillips Fr LB 98 Allen, KotyKoty Allen Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 30 Warren, ThomasThomas Warren Sr K 35 Wachter, MasonMason Wachter So P 36 Couey, CassCass Couey Sr LS 51 Monteith, StilesStiles Monteith So LS 52 Oswald, ThomasThomas Oswald Sr LS 53 Wiles, AustinAustin Wiles Jr LS 60 Morris, HunterHunter Morris Fr P 86 Jordan, AustinAustin Jordan Fr K 99 Goins, EricEric Goins Fr	Head coach Kevin Higgins Coordinators/assistant coaches Denny Doornboos (DC) Bob Bodine (OC) Aashon Larkins (ST) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: August 15, 2012

Awards and honors

SoCon Players of the Week

Week One

• Chris Billingslea, Defense

Week Two

• Thomas Warren, Freshman

Week Three

• Ben Dupree, Offense
• Carson Smith, Defense

All-Americans

• AFCA - Mike Sellers, C

Ranking Movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
Sports Network	RV	RV	21	10	11	19	RV	RV	RV
Coaches	NR	NR	23	14	15	22	RV	RV	RV

References

1. 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. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
3. "The Citadel Kicks Off 2012 Season Saturday Against Charleston Southern" (PDF). The Citadel Department of Athletics. August 30, 2012. 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. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
7. "Raleigh Jackson Accepts Coaching Position at Slippery Rock". The Citadel Department of Athletics. March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
8. "John Hauser Joins Citadel Football Coaching Staff". The Citadel Department of Athletics. April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.