2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football team

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.

2012 The Citadel Bulldogs football
Conference	Southern Conference
2012 record	7–4 (4–3 SoCon)
Head coach	Kevin Higgins (8th season)
Offensive coordinator	Bob Bodine (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Triple option
Defensive coordinator	Denny Doornbos (1st season)
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
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 FCS Poll

Preseason

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	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
	Recruiting star ratings: 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)
	Recruiting star ratings: 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
	Recruiting star ratings: 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	No. 3 Georgia Southern		Johnson Hagood Stadium Charleston, SC	BI	W 23–21	12,299
September 15	3:30 pm	at No. 8 Appalachian State	No. 21	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC		W 52–28	24,137
September 22	6:00 pm	at NC State*	No. 10	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	ESPN3	L 14–52	55,145
September 29	6:00 pm	Chattanooga	No. 11	Johnson Hagood Stadium Charleston, SC	BI	L 10–28	13,878
October 6	3:00 pm	at Samford	No. 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 No. 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 summaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Ben Dupree Jr WR 3 Domonic Jones Jr QB 4 Parker Gaston Sr WR 5 Matt Thompson Jr WR 6 Greg Adams Sr RB 8 Dalton Trevino So WR 11 Douglas German Sr QB 12 Aaron Miller So WR 14 Drew McCluskey Fr RB 16 Vinny Miller Fr QB 17 Trey White Fr RB 18 Dylan Busby Fr QB 19 Julian Walker Fr RB 20 Te'Myrick Mosley Fr RB 21 Rickey Anderson Sr FB 22 Darien Robinson Jr FB 23 Terrell Dallas Sr FB 24 Shaunn Middleton So RB 25 Terrance Martin Jr RB 26 Jake Stenson Jr WR 29 John Cyre So RB 32 Van Dyke Jones Sr OL 50 Mike Sellers Jr OL 51 Brooks Bonnette So OL 53 Sam Frye Fr OL 54 Charles Coleman So OL 55 Keith Carter Jr OL 56 Michael Mabry Fr OL 57 Kyle Weaver Fr OL 63 Emmet Howle Fr OL 65 Jim Knowles Jr OL 67 Victor Hill Jr OL 68 Nick Rudman So OL 71 Jack Taylor Fr SR 73 Neal Strange Sr OL 74 Robert Finke Jr OL 75 Harrison Davis Fr OL 76 Devin Bice Jr OL 78 Elliott Thomas So TE 81 Alex Glover So WR 82 Brandon Eakins Fr WR 83 Trent Butler Fr TE 84 Cullen Brown Jr TE 85 Capers Williamson So WR 87 Paul Brown Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 1 Sadath Jean-Pierre Jr DB 4 Akeem Garnett So DB 7 Keith Gamble Sr LB 9 Carson Smith So DB 10 Adrian Ranson Fr DB 13 Cody Richardson Fr DB 23 Mike Adams Jr LB 26 Yemi Oyengunle Sr DB 27 Nick Willis Fr DB 28 Julian Baxter So LB 29 Carl Robinson So LB 31 Hunter Shepherd Fr LB 33 Doyen Harris So LB 34 Preston Durham Fr LB 37 Joe Crochet Fr DB 38 Martin Fosberry Sr DB 39 Dondray Copeland Fr LB 40 Rah Muhammad So DB 41 Walker Smith So DB 42 Austin Boyle Sr DB 43 Davis Boyle Sr JR 44 Bay Amrhein Jr DB 45 Brandon McCladdie Jr LB 46 Ian Thompson So LB 47 Caleb Bennett Fr LB 48 Taylor Jurney Fr DB 48 Will Turner So LB 49 James Riley Fr LB 53 Isaac Minor So LB 55 Stephen Rohrlack So LB 58 Austin Harrell Fr DL 61 Edward Kim So DL 62 Mitchell Jeter Fr DL 72 Cameron Mobley So DL 77 Chris Billingslea Sr DL 87 Paul Brown Fr DL 88 Zach Carter Fr DL 90 Austin Knisley So DL 91 Derek Douglas Jr LB 92 Mark Thomas Fr DL 93 Sammy Ojjeh So LB 94 Aaron Perry Fr DL 95 Colin Parsons Fr DL 96 Justin Oxendine So DL 97 Joe Phillips Fr LB 98 Koty Allen Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 30 Thomas Warren Sr K 35 Mason Wachter So P 36 Cass Couey Sr LS 51 Stiles Monteith So LS 52 Thomas Oswald Sr LS 53 Austin Wiles Jr LS 60 Hunter Morris Fr P 86 Austin Jordan Fr K 99 Eric 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. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = 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. 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.