2014 Team Previews: Houston Baptist

STORYLINES
• This season will be Houston Baptist football’s first official season as a member of the Southland Conference and FCS. The Huskies went 3-4 during their developmental season in 2013.
 
• After playing off campus last season, HBU will open its new on-campus stadium this fall. Husky Stadium will initially seat 5,000 and HBU will host McMurry in the venue’s first game on Sept. 6.
 
• All players who were members of the HBU football team last season were considered redshirts, but the season did count toward their NCAA five-year clock. Therefore, the Huskies have no returning or lost letterwinners and return 21 of 22 starters.
 
• HBU head coach Vic Shealy has a career record of 27-14-1 over four seasons. He led Azusa Pacific to the NAIA National Championship in 1998.
 
• HBU signed 22 student-athletes on National Signing Day and will welcome a total of 36 newcomers to camp in August. The Huskies will also have six FBS transfers on the roster this season.
 
OFFENSE
• Redshirt freshman running back B.J. Kelly was the Huskies’ leading rusher with 551 yards per game, a 5.7 yards per carry average, and tied for the team lead with five touchdowns. Kelly has been named to the CFPA Running Back Award Watch List.
 
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Ka’Darius Baker started the final six games for HBU last season. He completed 93-of-161 passes for 1,083 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
 
• HBU had four players with at least 15 receptions last season. Senior Darian Lazard led the Huskies with 22 catches for 256 yards, while redshirt freshman Wesley Lewis led the team with three touchdown receptions.
 
DEFENSE
• Redshirt freshman linebacker Garrett Dolan led HBU with 68 tackles, including four for losses, two sacks, and returned his lone interceptions 80 yards for a touchdown. Redshirt freshman linebacker Terrell Brown III recorded 61 tackles, three for losses, including a pair of sacks, and a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown.
 
• Redshirt freshman safeties Taylor Thompson made 43 tackles and led the team with four interceptions, including two in the red zone and one he returned for a touchdown. Thompson earned CFPA National Defensive Back of the Week on Nov. 4 and he is on the organization’s watch list for this year’s Defensive Back Award.
 
• Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Kafo Tuha tied for the team lead with five tackles for losses. Redshirt freshman defensive end Kameron Lecoq led the team with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt freshman punter David Dunkin averaged 38.9 yards on 38 punts last season with a long of 56 yards, seven punts of 50 yards or more and nine inside the 20. Dunkin earned CFPA weekly honorable mention on Oct. 28 with six punts averaging 48.0 yards and four of them inside the 20 at Incarnate Word.
 
• Junior kicker Travis Shinn was perfect during the 2013 campaign. He made all three of his field goal attempts and was 18-for-18 on extra point attempts.
 
• Redshirt freshman running back B.J. Kelly also led HBU with 782 all-purpose yards, an average of 130.3 yards per game, adding 216 yards on kickoff returns. Redshirt freshman safety Taylor Thompson averaged 22.0 yards on 10 kickoff returns.

 

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