Aug. 10, 2004

Charleston, SC - As John Zernhelt enters his first season as The Citadel's head coach, here are some of the questions he will be seeking answers for when fall practice opens today:

1. How healthy is Nemo?

With a young offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback, the Bulldogs need a healthy Nehemiah Broughton -- the 6-0, 240-pound "Nemo-sapien" from North Charleston High School -- to carry the ball 20 to 30 times a game.

Broughton, slowed by injury early last season, came on to rush for 778 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games before injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Chattanooga. Broughton underwent reconstructive surgery late last year and has been rehabbing the knee during the offseason.

Broughton had a partially torn ACL when he arrived at The Citadel, and still rushed for 1,038 yards and 11 TDs as a sophomore. He has experienced backup in seniors Ern Mills and Chris Gibbs, but they have yet to dominate a game the way Broughton, projected by some as a first-day NFL draft pick, can and has. "Does he have the physical ability to do it? Yes, he does," Zernhelt said. "I'll be interested to see if his stride length and running ability has changed any since he had his leg repaired."

2. Can a young offensive line come together?

The words "fifth-year offensive lineman" are magic at The Citadel. The Bulldogs had a group of those guys when they won the Southern Conference title in 1992, and had a core of four last year, when they went 6-6 and beat the SoCon's Big Three of App State, Furman and Georgia Southern. This year's group is much younger, with three sophomores and two juniors with a total of 15 career starts projected as the starters.

Sophomore tackles Caleb and Cliff Conant played sparingly last year. Sophomore guard Dusty Benefield started nine games and center Jason Thomas was the short snapper. Junior guard Adam Hastings started six games.

"I asked our coaches, how do these guys compare with last year's linemen at the same point in their careers?" said Zernhelt, himself an offensive lineman at Maryland back in the day. "We feel that athletically, this group is a little bit further along. They did some good things in the spring, they just have to finish things a little bit better. The good news is they were here all summer, and that means an awful lot."

3. Can Justin Hardin get the job done at quarterback?

Citadel men or not, grad-student transfers Jeff Klein and Willie Simmons gave the Bulldogs some of the best quarterbacking in the SoCon the last two years. Each had the athletic ability -- Klein with his arm and Simmons with his arm and quick feet -- to bail out the Bulldogs when a play went awry.

Hardin (5-11, 180), a fifth-year senior who has thrown eight passes in four years, all of them last season as Simmons' backup, doesn't have quite the same physical gifts. But he did not throw an interception in all of spring practice and after four years should know the offense inside and out. If he struggles, freshmen Justin Knox, Duran Lawson or Steve Tumbleston could get a look.

"I'm confident," Hardin said. "I feel like I made all the throws in the spring, and the coaches have confidence in me. I felt like I was able to do everything required of me in the spring, and I felt comfortable doing it."

4. How good can the Bulldogs' defense be?

With the offense depending on a young line and a first-year starter at quarterback, The Citadel's defense needs to be pretty darn good. The Bulldogs return eight starters on defense, including all-conference candidates in end Michael Ballentine and linebackers James Greene and Shawn Grant. The only area lacking returning starters is safety, where juniors Avery Dingle and Brandon Hawkins replace T.J. Rose and Anthony Roberts.

This season, Ballentine and sophomore James Wilson will line up at either end instead of sharing a position, giving the Bulldogs more speed off the edge. And new defensive coordinator Dick Hopkins has simplified the Bulldogs' 4-3 scheme, which should boost aggressiveness. Last year, they were seventh in the SoCon in scoring defense, allowing 25.9 points per game.

"They were freed up this spring to go to the football, and they played extremely hard," Zernhelt said. "I'm excited to see what they do when they come back."

5. Can two guys replace Travis Zobel?

Zobel, the Bulldogs' departed placekicker and punter, was a valuable weapon last season. He made 10 of 16 field goals -- including a game-winning 26-yarder with 1:16 left in a 24-21 win over App State -- and averaged 40.2 yards on 69 punts, often changing field position during a game.

Sophomore Blake Vandiver is slated to handle placekicking duties. Last year, he made 25 of 27 extra-point attempts and missed his only field goal try. Redshirt freshman Mike Adams emerged from spring practice as the starting punter. He kicked 12 field goals during his senior year of high school in Orlando.

"Blake and Mike will be counted on heavily to produce early in their young careers," Zernhelt said.