Better Know the Opponent, Week 10: North Greenville
August 18, 2015

Better Know the Opponent, Week 10: North Greenville

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - This is the 10th part in an 11-part series breaking down each of Carson-Newman football's opponents for the 2015 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' final nonconference game of 2015, a matchup versus North Greenville.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - This is the 10th part in an 11-part series breaking down each of Carson-Newman football's opponents for the 2015 season.  This feature breaks down the Eagles' final nonconference game of 2015, a matchup versus North Greenville.

Carson-Newman got past North Greenville by the skin of its teeth in 2014.  The Eagles needed to rally from three scores down to escape with a 35-34 victory on homecoming. 

That's not great news for the Eagles facing a team that returns 17 total starters and typically builds steam toward the back half of the year. 

North Greenville will continue to utilize a multiple offense with a base 3-4 defense under third-year head coach Jeff Farrington. 

Offensively, the Crusaders say farewell to both tackles, Armani Delaney and Charles Coleman, as well as a wide receiver in Thomas Weeks.  However, NGU returns plenty of pop offensively.  It begins with senior quarterback Nelson Hughes. 

Hughes was highly efficient last season completing 64 percent of his passes (he finished the season 16th in the nation). Additionally, his 3,150 passing yards and 146.2 efficiency rating were 21st and 27th best in the nation last season. 

Although Weeks is gone, Hughes still has plenty of targets to toss to.  Robbie Brown was the program's leading receiver last season, catching 80 passes for 1,166 yards and eight touchdowns.  Those numbers put him in the top 20 nationally for most receiving categories. 

While no other returning wide receiver for  the Crusaders has Brown's gaudy numbers, the Crusaders do return four other wideouts who all grabbed at least 200 yards worth off passes.  That quartet is comprised of Tyreous Garrett, Mason Sanders, Ricki DeLos Santos and Tyrell Hillary.  Garrett, Sanders and Hillary all also grabbed a trio of touchdown passes last season. 

Hughes also has options as to whom to hand off the pigskin.  Trey  Walker and Semeon Byrd combined for  more than 1,000 yards  rushing and 11 touchdowns last season.  Both players averaged more than 5.25 yards per carry. 

Defensively, NGU loses two players in the secondary, corner Ceejay Thomas and safety Quantel Mack.  The linebacking corps was the Crusaders' strength last year, with Quan Weeks, Sam Houston and Taylor Anderson all finishing the year with at least 100 tackles last season. 

That linebacking corps will be the key to improving on a defense that ranked in the bottom 10 in the country in rushing yards allowed (248.9). 

Carson-Newman's Better Know The Opponent series concludes Thursday with a preview of the second oldest rivalry game in the state of Tennessee – Carson-Newman v. Tusculum.