2008 Record 11-1 .917 Overall 7-0 1.000 Conference Location: Jackson, MS Head Coach: Mike DuBose (Alabama '74) Stadium (cap.): Harper Davis (5000) Conference: SCAC Region: South 2009 Schedule

While the excitement of a school-record best 11-1 season, No. 12 final ranking by D3football.com and NCAA Second Round playoff appearance have come and gone, Millsaps will look to ride the wave of three-straight conference championships and the leadership of fourth-year head coach Mike DuBose to continue its improvement in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference as of late.

With a handful of offseason changes, including the loss of 20 seniors -- 12 of them starters -- and three assistant coaches, the Majors will have a different look on the field but with the same common goal, winning a fourth consecutive SCAC Championship and getting back to the playoffs for a second straight year.

Gone from last year's coaching staff are assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Aaron Pelch (Oakland Raiders), defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson (Charleston Southern) and wide receivers coach David Johnson (St. Augustine HS). The trio was instrumental in helping the Majors to three straight winning seasons for the first time since the 1991-93 seasons, coaching a combined 33 All-SCAC selections -- 15 first teamers -- during their stay.

Joining the staff in the offseason to replace the trio who left were receivers coach Adam Nelson from Southern University and defensive backs coach Bobby Willcox from New Mexico State University.

For the first time in the DuBose era, every spot is up for grabs. In year's past it was competition for playing time, now it's a competition for a starting spot. The Majors lose a total of 12 starters -- six apiece on offense and defense -- and 23 letterwinners but also return 39 letterwinners from last year's breakout season.

Scouting the Offense:
The Majors led the league and were fourth in the nation in scoring offense (42.8 ppg) a year ago, including 10th in passing offense (309.8 ypg), 11th in total offense (453.6 ypg) and 13th in passing efficiency (154.92).

Millsaps will return five starters on offense, including three on the offensive line, in addition to 2008 Newcomer of the Year Shane Bowser at the running back slot and Special Teams Player of the Year Michael Galatas at wide receiver.

Hands down the biggest loss on the field, the Majors will be without three-time SCAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-American QB Juan Joseph who sported a 26-7 overall record as a starter in three seasons. The Edgard, La., native graduated in May with an impressive 14 school records and five conference records, capping off his stellar career as the 2008 Cellular South Conerly Trophy recipient for the state's top player.

Senior QB Chris Graves, who has completed just 19-of-36 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown over his three-year career as a backup, is slated to take the snaps behind center. The spot is his to lose, as he's scheduled to make his first collegiate start at Mississippi College on Sept. 5. He'll have the luxury of three returning offensive lineman who allowed a conference best 14 sacks in 12 games, including junior Adam Williams, sophomore Oliver Galicki and senior All-American John Shivers.

At the running back spot, the Majors return sophomore Shane Bowser who combined for 11 touchdowns (second on the team in scoring), including six rushing and five receiving. Bowser averaged 6.1 yards-per-carry and ran for 389 yards and also caught 29 balls out of the backfield for 314 yards. Senior Kenny Metzger, who has rushed for 813 career yards (5.0 ypc) and 10 touchdowns, and junior Chris Skinner who rushed for 290 yards (5.8 ypc) and five scores, will provide a triple attack in the backfield for second-year offensive coordinator John David Caffey.

The wide receiver corps will be without its top four targets from the past three seasons, in three-time All-SCAC selection Eric McCarty (2,279 yards, 20 TDs) and two-time All-SCAC nods Raymece Savage (1,085 yards, five TDs), Donnie Epps (794 yards, 11 TDs) and Burt Pereira (979 yards, six TDs), however, they return three very talented receivers in seniors Tye Menist and John Milazzo and junior Michael Galatas.

Scouting the Defense:
The Majors led the league and were 25th in the nation in scoring defense (16.1 ppg) a year ago, giving up two touchdowns or less in 9 of 12 games, including a season-best two points to Rhodes in a 49-2 win in Memphis on Sept. 27. In all, Millsaps forced 42 total turnovers, including picking off 16 passes (three returned for TD), recovering 18 fumbles and forcing eight turnovers-on-downs.

The secondary took the biggest hit in the offseason, not only from a coaching standpoint, but from a player standpoint as well. In addition to the loss of coach Woodson, starting defensive backs Marcus Harris, Jonathan Brooks, Michael Sims and Jacob Hanberry were all lost to graduation. Between the foursome in their careers, they combined to pick off 32 passes and broke up 91 more. Mike Moore, another everyday performer in the secondary, added 60 tackles, six breakups and a pick.

Senior linebackers Lee Klein, Sam Herman, Jaren Bowser and Miles Sager are all back to lead the outside linebacker corps after the loss of the team's second-leading tackler a year ago and inside linebacker, Cap White. Klein had a team and career-high 89 tackles (40 solo), 11.0 tackles-for-loss and a 15-yard fumble recovery for a score, while Herman had both a 64-yard interception for a score and a 17-yard blocked punt for a score. A year removed from a season-ending knee injury, inside linebacker Colby Langston started in all 12 games and had 43 tackles in 2008 and will be joined by fellow inside linebacker Nick Dubuisson.

Up-and-coming junior inside linebacker Will Hawkins will also be a player to watch in 2009. The two-sport athlete is coming off All-American honors, team-leading .406 average and 11 home runs with the Majors' NCAA Tournament baseball team and also has 81 tackles (40 solo) in two seasons with the football team.

In the trenches, Denarold Anderson will no doubt be the biggest loss. Anderson racked up 157 tackles, 32.0 tackles-for-loss, 18.0 sacks (sixth all-time at Millsaps) and forced a pair of fumbles in 39 career games played, earning First Team All-SCAC honors twice and D3football.com All-South Region recognition as a senior. Returning up front will be seniors David Dale and Mason Burrell and junior Kyle Hughes. The trio combined for 64 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2008.

Scouting Special Teams:
In the kicking game, Millsaps returns a pair of All-SCAC First Team selections in junior kicker Taylor Russolino and senior punter William Lawrimore who each had breakout seasons in 2008. Russolino led the SCAC in scoring with 97 points, connecting on a school record 64 of 69 PATs and 11 of 13 field goals (second in a single season).

Lawrimore averaged a career and league-best 39.5 yards-per-punt, including a game-changing and school record 77-yard boot against Belhaven. The senior from Tampa, Fla., also netted 36.2 yards-per-punt (sixth in the nation), landed 16 punts inside the 20 and had four punts of 50 plus yards.

For a third-straight season, Millsaps returns the SCAC Special Teams Player of the Year. This time it's Galatas, as the junior averaged 23.6 yards per kick return (17th in Division III) and 15.2 yards per punt return. The speedster returned both a kick and punt for a score on the season and had two punt returns called back (vs. Colorado, vs. Trinity) on block in the back penalties. Milazzo, the 2007 Special Teams Player of the Year, will also likely return kicks (23.8 avg) and punts (5.0 avg) alongside Galatas despite having troubles late in the year.

The Schedule:
Rated the 13th toughest schedule in all of Division III last season with a combined opponents win percentage of .604 (58-38), the 2009 schedule doesn't get any easier.

Millsaps will play five home and five away contests, beginning on the road with cross-town rival Mississippi College on Sept. 5 in the annual "Backyard Brawl." The Choctaws will welcome back All-American QB Adam Shaffer after a second season-ending injury and will no doubt be a contender again for the American Southwest Conference title. This year's meeting will mark the 48th all-time between the two schools, with MS College owning a 28-13-6 series lead.

Belhaven will make the short trip across Riverside Drive to Harper Davis Field on Sept. 12 for the Majors' home-opener, as the teams will square off for the fifth time. Millsaps knocked off Belhaven for the first time last season, 34-14, thanks in large part to Lawrimore's 77-yard punt that completely changed momentum in the game.

The conference slate opens the following week at Austin College on Sept. 19, as DuBose will try and stay perfect on the road in SCAC play during his career. DuBose is 10-0 on the road since his arrival to the league, with the average margin of victory a lopsided 28.7 ppg. Millsaps' last conference loss on the road came by way of Trinity University, 41-0, on Nov. 5, 2005.

A rare early season matchup with Trinity on Sept. 26, thanks to a scheduling change around the SCAC, opens SCAC play at Harper Davis Field. The Tigers will look to avenge an embarassing 56-27 loss to Millsaps last year in San Antonio and trail the all-time series 17-15.

Back-to-back road games at DePauw (Oct. 3) and Huntingdon College (Oct. 10) will provide a tough mid-season test, before the Majors have the luxury of closing the year with three home games out of their last four. Millsaps is 0-2 all-time vs Huntingdon, picking up the Hawks on the schedule after the sudden announcement that Colorado College was dropping its football program.

Homecoming will be on Oct. 24 against Centre College, with the season finale against Birmingham-Southern on Nov. 14 after a two-week break.