Defensive Outlook

            Defensive Line: The team was hit by graduation on the defensive line as well but senior nose tackle Nick Garcia returns after starting all 11 games last year, while junior end Cody Larsen was a part-time starter who appeared in all 11 games. In addition to those two, ends Jeff Tukuafu and Trent Barney and tackle Cody Heinreich all return after making contributions last year. Garcia did a great job plugging the middle and finished with 22 tackles, including 2.5 for losses, while Larsen had 30 stops, co-led the team with 3.5 sacks, and tallied a total 5.5 TFLs, which was second on the team. Tukuafu, Barney and Heinreich each had nine tackles last year. A welcome addition to the team this season is tackle Nick Witzmann, who was sidelined by an injury on the first day of camp last year. Brad Meyer, who signed with the T-Birds in 2007 before serving an LDS church mission, will be counted on to contribute, while fellow true freshmen Kouri Jones, Nick Nissen, K.J. Boyer, Tracey Fitzgerald and Trevor Everett will look for their opportunities as they mature in the system.

            "Our defensive line is very talented, particularly if they can play to their potential," defensive coordinator Justin Ena says. "We have two seniors, Nick Garcia and Trent Barney, who are excited about their senior seasons and they'll both do a good job for us. In addition to those two, Cody Heinrich and Cody Larsen both have great potential, they're fast and strong with good upside. Jeff Tukuafu did a good job for us last year and he can play all four spots, he's a solid player with a good deal of talent.

            "We've also got a good group of young players coming in that we're excited about."

            Linebacker: Two-time all-conference safety Akeem Anifowoshe moves to WILL linebacker this season to try to fill the shoes of three-time all-GWC performer Rob Takeno, who has graduated. Anifowoshe has been among the team's top tacklers the last two seasons, ranking second with 76 stops in 10 games in 2008 and tallying 68 tackles last year despite missing a pair of games. He recovered a team-high four fumbles in 2009, taking one a school-record 99 yards for a touchdown, and he was also in on 2.5 TFLs. A pair of 2009 starters Drew Willard (SAM, 60 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 int, 2 FF) and Troy Bunting (54 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack) return and enter the season vying for the starting nod in the middle after the coaches moved Willard inside during spring ball. Junior Blake Fenn, who has played both safety and linebacker the past two seasons, looks to start at SAM, with sophomore Chad Hansen, a transfer from Mt. San Jacinto College, entering the season as the primary reserve at that spot. Junior Herman Sword and Rickey Clark, a redshirt sophomore, provide depth behind Anifowoshe, while sophomore Eddie Mailoto, juniors Tyler Osborne and Brady Arnold and redshirt fresman Randall Nygren will vie for playing time. Freshmen Trevor Everett and Connor Stephens will provide additional depth as they learn the system.

            "I'm excited about Akeem moving to linebacker," Ena notes. "He's been a vocal leader of this team, he has good experience and he knows how to play the game.

            "On the other side Blake Fenn has been a contributor all over the field the last couple of years and he did a good job in the spring, he's bigger than Akeem and he moves very well.

            "MIKE is open right now, with Bunting and Willard fighting to see who will emerge as the starter, but the good thing is they are both experienced players," Ena goes on to say.

            As far as depth goes, "we've got a couple of JC transfers who we expect to contribute, in Chad Hansen and Tyler Osborne," Ena points out. "Herman Sword, Rickey Clark and Eddie Mialoto are guys who have been in the system and have contributed on special teams. We expect them to continue to contribute there as well as be ready to step in when called upon."

            Cornerback: Some of the team's greatest strength lies in its cornerbacks, where three-time all-GWC performer Colin Pretlow returns for his senior season. Pretlow was second on the team in tackles last year with 83 and he led the squad with four interceptions and seven passes broken up. He also had 3.5 TFLs, forced three fumbles, recovered another and served as a defensive captain. He is joined by three more players with good experience: juniors Dion Turner and Myles Crawford-Harris and sophomore Cameron Morgan. Turner moved to corner in the spring after playing strong safety last year, while Crawford-Harris was a starter last year and Morgan was Pretlow's primary backup. Turner finished the season fifth on the team with 61 tackles, had an interception, broke up a pass, forced one fumble and recovered another. Crawford-Harris had 29 stops in 10 games and has built a reputation as a very good cover corner, while Morgan had nine stops in a limited role. Marlon Hogains, who was the team's primary nickel back last season, also returns while redshirt freshman Tyree Mills will look to get in on the action.

            "The back end is the strength of our defense," Ena says. "All have great playing experience, and they're all players who want to win. We have a couple of good lock-down corners and some good safeties as well. Colin is a three-time all-conference guy and Dion will do a good job for us there. They're both smart with a lot of football sense. Myles [Crawford-Harris] can play anywhere in the secondary and he has a lot of experience as well. Myles, Marlon [Hogains], and Cameron Morgan give us good depth at corner."

            Safety: Safety may be the position of greatest depth on the defensive side of the ball, which is why Anifowoshe and Turner were able to move to other positions. Matt Holley made a name for himself as a true freshman last year, landing some big hits and emerging as a starter midway through the year, while Erron Vonner, a walk-on in 2008, also had a big year. Vonner, who also played corner and nickel back in '09, finished third on the team with 68 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and he also had an interception, broke up two passes, forced a fumble and recovered two more. Holley had 26 tackles, an interception, a pass break-up and recovered a fumble. Tyson Turley will move to free safety after splitting the starts with Turner on the strong side last year and finishing with 28 tackles, while senior D.J. Lucchesi, last year's dime back, will provide depth at both safety spots. Redshirt freshman Anthony Fagans and true freshmen Tommy Collett and Tyrone Blake will also provide depth at the safety position.

            "Matt Holley emerged last year as one of the most talented players on the team," Ena points out. "He's good good size and speed and good instincts. Erron Vonner is a good natural defensive back, he's a good cover guy and he loves to hit. We've also got Tyson Turley, who can play both safety positions, and D.J. Lucchesi, another experienced guy back there, along with some young guys to give us depth."

Special Teams Outlook

            The Thunderbirds lost all-American punter Trevor Ward and placekicker Ryan Griffith from last year's squad but return the rest of the specialists, including Sitake and Ursua, who handled the majority of the return work. Sitake was the seventh-best punt returner in the country last year with a 14.79 ypr average (and was 78th in all-purpose yards with 96.64), while Ursua averaged 19.6 yards per kickoff return. Who will handle the kicking duties heading into the season is still in question, but JC transfer Ryan McNamara as well as redshirt freshman Brock Miller will vie for the position. Punter is another question, with a handful of players, including both kickers, vying for the position heading into the season.

Summing Up The 2010 Thunderbirds

            When asked what he thinks will push the team to the next level, something the team, staff and community all look forward too, Lamb says the key is toughness.

            "We've been talking a lot about toughness [the past two years] in terms of actual toughness," he points out. "We've strived to be tougher and better-conditioned than our opponents, and in doing that we have confused hard work in the weight room and on the field with toughness, but toughness is a mental trait.

            "By all standards we had a good enough team to win the [Great West Conference] championship last year, but we didn't," he went on to say. "The difference was mental toughness. When it came down to winning the games that mattered we weren't mentally tough, and that's what we want to strive for this year, to be mentally tough in addition to physically tough and well-conditioned."