The Buffet Busters

From The Student Printz

Meet the Southern Miss buffet busters
Golden Eagle offensive line ready for upcoming season

By Alan Wheat


Second-year head coach Larry Fedora and his coaching staff are banking on another big year rushing the football, and with a bevy of talent at the running back position, the sky could be the limit.

The Golden Eagles return the school’s all-time leading rusher Damion Fletcher, as well as V.J. Floyd, Tori Harrison and Desmond Johnson from a team last year that rushed for over 192 yards a game. As if that wasn’t enough, his coaching staff recruited two of the highest-rated runners in the state, Tracey Lampley and Kendrick Hardy.

But Fedora knows somebody has to block, and that’s where offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic comes in.

With four returning starters on the his offensive line, there is an enviable level of stability. Kyle Burkhart returns at left tackle, Micah Brown at left guard, Ryan Hebert at right guard, and junior Cameron Zipp will anchor the line at center.

But the unit also has some solid developing talent, including right tackle Brennan Houston, who Fedora mentioned specifically.

“We’ve thrown Brennan Houston in the mix, who’s come on really well this Fall,” Fedora said. “So I think they’re going to be pretty solid in that front five.”

The 6-foot-4 310-pound Houston rebounded from a summer marred by a marijuana-related arrest to have an outstanding fall camp.

“Ain’t I a special one, huh?” Houston laughed. “It’s coming along, but you just have to be humble about it.”

Houston said he knows he has some tough shoes to fill. Ryan McKee, last year’s starter at right tackle, is currently fighting for a roster spot with the NFL’s New York Jets.

“I knew coming in I was going to have to work hard,” Houston said. “I have four veterans on my left side; they expect a lot from me and I expect a lot from myself.”

Kapilovic said the head coach and retuning starters have confidence in Houston developing into a valuable asset at right tackle.

“We’ve progressed a lot,” Zipp said. “It’s all about getting a feel for the guy next to you and being on the same page.”

Zipp also expressed his pride in blocking for Damion Fletcher and the rest of the backfield. “It’s great,” he said. “That’s our pride and joy, having a great run game. It’s what we strive for.”

Kapilovic said that he’s still looking for depth on the line, but this season Southern Miss has plenty of developing talent at the position.

With the progression of Brennan Houston and many of the other new additions to the line such as freshmen Jonathon Guerry, Ed Preston, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Ben Schoenberger, Kapilovic is feeling more comfortable than he was at this point last year.

“Ed Preston is a guy that’s, right now, as strong as or stronger than anybody we have; we just have to refine his technique,” Kapilovic said. “Ben Schoenberger is battling and getting better every day, and we just have to continue to work with him.”