Freshmen Contribute Early To Mean Green Football

[MeanGreen61]

Freshmen contribute early to Mean Green football

Shawn Edwards

Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: SPORTS

Instead of upperclassmen leading the Mean Green football team this season, the freshmen have taken over.

The 1-7 record may be a result of a lack of experience but the underclassmen have shown that they can play and could be an intricate part of the football team's success in the future.

Leading the freshmen this year is starting quarterback Giovanni Vizza. In six games this season, Vizza has passed for 1,295 yards, thrown eight touchdowns, rushed for 118 yards and has two rushing touchdowns. Vizza has already set the school record for most passing yards in a season by a freshman quarterback with four games left to play.

"[Vizza] has done everything that I would think a freshman could do," said Assistant Coach Chuck Peterson. "I love his competitiveness; I love his toughness and his leadership."

Peterson is an assistant safeties coach and recruiting coordinator for NT, who joined head football coach Todd Dodge at NT after spending 17 years coaching at Air Force and has helped bring in this years group of freshman players.

One freshman who has also had a major role in the offense all season is running back Micah Mosley. Mosley has played in all eight games, splitting carries with senior running back Jamario Thomas, who has been hampered with injuries throughout the season. The Nederland native has carried the ball 59 times for 271 yards and two touchdowns, as well as catching a 30-yard touchdown pass in the loss to Troy University.

"It's exciting, especially for the future, to see freshmen contributing in the way that we are trying to," Mosley said.

With former Mean Green running back Patrick Cobbs and Thomas as his predecessors, Mosley said that he plans to work as hard as they have and said he is shooting to be as successful as they have been as a running back.

Dodge has also added kick returns to the list of Mosley's responsibilities as he continues to tinker with the special teams unit.

Freshman wide receiver Sam Dibrell has displayed why he deserved to be named a starting wide receiver as of late by getting his first 100-yard receiving game and his first touchdown of his career against Middle Tennessee State University. Catching touchdown passes from Vizza may seem familiar for Dibrell, who played in high school with Vizza at San Antonio-Alamo Heights, but the level of play has been much different.

"It's crazy," Dibrell said. "College football is a lot different than high school. The speed of the game is so much faster and everyone is so much stronger. You can't get away with the things you used to be able to. I wasn't really used to people trying to push me off routes, but I think I have adapted pretty well to it and hopefully I can keep on doing everything right."

Dibrell made his way into the starting lineup, filling in at outside receiver as junior Casey Fitzgerald moved to the inside slot position. Eight of Dibrell's 10 total receptions came Saturday against MT, along with 121 yards receiving and a score.

Freshmen have also seen action on the offensive line throughout the season. Red-shirt freshmen left tackle Matt Menard and right guard Esteban Santiago have started since game one of the season against the University of Oklahoma.

"They are doing great," Peterson said. "We aren't disappointed in the least with any of them."

Defensively, freshmen have been less involved in games this season. The exception is red-shirt freshman

Craig Robertson, a starter at outside linebacker. Robertson has amassed 28 tackles, three for losses and has three interceptions.