Buccaneers unfazed by pick to finish fifth

Ronen Zilberman
AP

Charleston Southern defensive end Jacob Killeen (left) is one of four Buccaneers picked for the preseason All-Big South team.

CHARLOTTE — Charleston Southern was selected to finish fifth in the six-team Big South in a preseason poll of the league's coaches and selected media, but Bucs' coach Jay Mills isn't fazed by the prediction.

"It's not where you start, it's where you finish," Mills said Friday at the Big South Football Kickoff Media Luncheon. "I think Charleston Southern is accustomed to being in the underdog role and there are some advantages to that, too."

Maybe it's an omen. The Bucs were picked to finish fifth in 2005 and wound up winning the league.

Defending champion Liberty was picked to once again win the Big South. Coastal Carolina was selected second, followed by Gardner-Webb, Stony Brook, Charleston Southern and VMI.

Bucs receive honors

Charleston Southern had four players selected to the preseason All-Conference team.

Wide receiver Dee Brown and offensive lineman Alex Bragg were selected on offense, while defensive end Jake Killeen and linebacker Josh Mitchell were selected on defense.

Liberty led the way with eight selections on the team — four on offense, three on defense and one on special teams.

Liberty running back Rashad Jennings was selected the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Gardner-Webb linebacker Mario Brown was selected the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Sparky's back

Former South Carolina coach Sparky Woods is in his first season as head coach at VMI.

In addition to head coaching stints with the Gamecocks and Appalachian State, the well-traveled Woods has worked as an assistant coach at Tennessee, Kansas, North Alabama, Iowa State, Memphis, Virginia, Mississippi State, Alabama and the New York Jets.

However, this is Woods' first experience coaching at a military school.

"I was in the Boy Scouts for about two days," Woods said. "That's as close as I've come until now."

Ambitious scheduling

Charleston Southern opens the season at Miami, but the Bucs aren't the only team taking on a big-name opponent this season.

Coastal Carolina opens at Penn State, while Gardner-Webb plays at Georgia Tech.

Reach Charles Bennett at cbennett@postandcourier.com.