Oct. 21, 2003

Charleston, SC - Ellis Johnson's favorite statistic is points allowed. No surprise from a guy who's made his living coaching defense.

"I've always believed that's the most reliable, consistent statistic you can look at," The Citadel football coach says.

By that measure, The Citadel's defense might be the most improved in the Southern Conference this season, and a major reason that the Bulldogs ñ 3-13 in SoCon games over the previous two seasons ñ are in the hunt for a league championship this season at 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

After last week's 10-9 victory over Furman, The Citadel even received some votes in The Sports Network's Division I-AA Top 25 poll released Monday.

"Our defense did not allow any big plays, and really kept Furman from doing anything offensively that would turn the momentum their way," Johnson said at his weekly news conference Monday. "That was a major factor in the game."

Through four SoCon games this season, the Bulldogs are allowing 16.2 points and 258.8 total yards per game. That's dramatic improvement over the beleaguered unit that gave up 28.8 points and 401.5 yards in league games last season.

Since the first half of a 28-21 loss at Western Carolina Sept. 20, the Bulldogs have allowed 44 points in 14 quarters. That's about a field goal per quarter.

Johnson points to several factors in the defensive surge:

-- Defensive coordinator Les Herrin's unit lost only three starters from last year's team, and a year's experience has done a lot for sophomore starters such as linemen Shaun Palmer, Antwuan Hill and Fred Townsend, linebacker Shawn Grant and cornerback Brandon Hawkins.

-- Older players such as senior linebacker Travis Hodge and senior strong safety T.J. Rose have filled a leadership void that existed last year, when ex-basketball standout Cliff Washburn, playing his first and only year of college football, was the only senior starter on defense.

"We've got three or four leaders out there that we did not have last year," Johnson said. "Travis and T.J. have been the main guys, and they've sort of infected some of our younger guys. Those two senior leaders have really made a difference."

-- The development of freshmen linemen such as Lukas Gleissner, Joseph Freeman and Deon Douglas has allowed the Bulldogs to rotate eight players on the line.

"There is not a real dominant player up there, but they are all doing a good job of taking care of their responsibilities and playing to a winning grade," Johnson said. "They've held their own and allowed our linebackers to play a lot better."

-- Finally, a switch from a 3-man front to a 4-3 look this season has allowed rover ends Michael Ballentine and James Wilson (four sacks each) to flourish. "It put some players in a little better position to use their abilities, and they've done a lot better," Johnson said.

The defense faces its biggest challenge the next two weeks ñ games against No. 19 Georgia Southern and No. 6 Wofford, wishbone teams that rank first and second in the SoCon in scoring and rushing offense.

-- The Citadel received enough votes in The Sports Network Division I-AA Top 25 poll to finish 30th in the voting. Wofford went up two spots to No. 6, Furman dropped from No. 13 to No. 22, and Georgia Southern fell nine spots to No. 19. App State finished just out of the poll at No. 26.

-- Senior linebacker Travis Hodge (8 tackles, 1 interception) was The Citadel's player of the game vs. Furman; Bulldog of the week was tackle Lew Dawson; offensive player--TB Nehemiah Broughton (28 carries, 159 yards); defensive player: CB Brandon Hawkins (6 tackles); kicking game--P Travis Zobel (33-yard FG, 39.0 yards per punt).

-- Hodge has strep throat, and WR Bud Pough and DT Antwuan Hill have injured ankles. All should be ready to practice by Wednesday, Johnson said.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

The Citadel's defense has improved dramatically in SoCon games compared with last year:

Avg. per game 2002 2003

Points allowed 28.8 16.2

Rushing yards 220.6 132.0

Passing yards 180.9 126.8

Total yards 401.5 258.8