After a disappointing 4-8 season last year, the Cowboys hired head coach David Christensen to get back to being a winning club. The defense last season put up respectable numbers as they ranked third in the conference in total defense and only gave up 189 yards through the air. The offense was not as successful and coach Christensen will have the tough task of turning around an offense that ranked dead last in the nation in scoring.
The Cowboys will be able to start new as they will have a new starting quarterback and running back in the 2009 season. As of now it looks like Karsten Sween will get the job at quarterback where he has been inconsistent in the past at times. He will have to continue to improve and stay focused to keep his job. Considered one of the best weapons on offense, Darius Terry will be getting the carries in the backfield. He didn’t get a lot of playing time last year due to the other talented backs, but this season he will be the man in the backfield.
The line did a decent job of protecting the quarterback last year as they only allowed 1.50 sacks per game, which was good for 4th in the conference. They are returning most of the line from last year including tackle Ryan Otterson and Clayton Kirvin, so with the added experience should turn into even better production up front.
Sween will have plenty of options at receiver to get the ball to. Greg Bolling returns as the leading receiver from last year with 271 yards. The young and speedy, Brandon Stewart, is another dangerous target for Sween who showcased his talents at the end of last season, after he came back from a shoulder injury.
The defense returns eight starters, most importantly defensive linemen, John Fletcher. He led the team with 4.5 sacks last season and his success on getting to the quarterback will be vital for the secondary and the rest of the defense. Brian Hendricks and Gabe Knapton will be in the middle where Knapton finished last season with 92 tackles.
The secondary is pretty much still intact, which is good news for a unit that allowed less then 200 yards passing per game. If the guys up front could apply more pressure then they did last season, it should make the secondary that much better. Also, it won’t hurt if they corner backs can turn some of their broken up passes into interceptions.
Prediction: 4-8