Texas Lutheran Football

Bryan Marmion has been chosen as head coach to lead a new football program at Texas Lutheran University. Marmion was defensive coordinator at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks since Dec. 1992. He also served as director of athletic recruiting at the California school which, like Texas Lutheran, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

"Although Texas Lutheran has not had an intercollegiate football program since 1987, it has a proud football tradition," said Marmion. "I'm looking forward to establishing a new generation of excellence in Bulldog football, drawing from the history and tradition, and combining that with the outstanding opportunity that exists at the university today as one of the top regional liberal arts schools in the western United States."

Marmion's TLU employment began June 1, 1997. His first duties include organizing and implementing the new nonscholarship football program which will begin in the fall of 1998. In football, Texas Lutheran plans to compete as an associate member of the American Southwest Conference.

A significant part of Marmion's time during the 1997-1998 school year has been spent recruiting quality students who are interested in playing nonscholarship football. In addition, he has been involved in promoting Texas Lutheran's new football program among alumni, friends of the university, coaching colleagues, and others in the region.

A native of Houston, Marmion is a 1989 graduate of Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore., with a bachelor of science degree in business. He earned a master of science degree in physical education (motor learning and neuromuscular control) at the University of Oregon in 1991.

At Linfield, Marmion was a threeyear letterman and starting linebacker. He was a member of the 1985 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II semifinalist team and the 1986 NAIA Division II championship team.

Marmion joined the California Lutheran football staff as assistant football coach in August 1991. Prior to that, he served his alma mater as assistant football coach from March 1988 to June 1991.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Marmion served as that group's advisor at California Lutheran from 19931994. Marmion believes that the college years are critical in the development and internalization of an individual's value system, and contends that coaches can positively influence student athletes during this important period of maturation.
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Teaching is the top priority for the Texas Lutheran football coaches as they welcome approximately 110 student-athletes to the world of college football. As other universities start the season with some continuity in place on offense and defense, the 1998 Bulldogs start from scratch.

The TLU coaches spent the past year scouring the state of Texas for the best available high school and college transfer talent. The team, at present, is made up of 95 percent first-year players. And although the staff is pleased with the recruiting result, the coaches won't know exactly how their recruiting fared until the players hit the practice field for a series of evaluations and practices.

Evaluations aside, Marmion is upbeat about the skill positions (quarterbacks, receivers, running backs) in general. The Bulldogs received playing commitments from promising quarterbacks Robbie Bozeman (5-9, 175, Fr. 3A Player of the Year from Sealy, Texas), Robby Brosius (6-3, 185, Fr., Burleson/Southwest Christian) and Brandon Cabe (6-0, 215, Fr., Schertz/Samuel Clemens). Wide receivers John Corbin (6-0, 170, Fr., San Antonio/Brackenridge) and Mike Walters (5-10, 170, Fr., Ft. Worth/Riverside) and running backs David Lyons (5-7, 180, Fr., Ingleside/Ingleside) and Jerry Barbee (5-9, 200, Fr., New Braunfels/New Braunfels Canyon) are slated as potential options in the offense. Kansas University transfer Brandon Parrott (6-0, 178, Jr.), a former standout at Smithson Valley High School, could also see considerable time at wide receiver.

As for the defense, Marmion notes the secondary as a team strong point with its overall speed in the defensive backfield. At the cornerback and safety positions, look for the Bulldogs to use former prep stars on offense at their more natural defensive spots in the secondary.

The offensive and defensive lines and linebacker positions are question-mark areas since conceivably on every down TLU will have a majority of 18-year-olds up against players in their early 20s. "Sometimes it is just a matter of strength and force and the 18-year-old will lose," said Marmion. To work around the inexperience, age and strength factors, the Bulldogs will use a variety of schemes. Look for the 'Dogs to do a good deal of shifting and stunting. Travis Illian (6-1, 220, Fr., Lake Havasu, AZ/Lake Havasu) may occupy one of the starting linebacker spots. The linebacking core also includes Chris Kohleffel (5-11, 212, Jr., Comfort/Comfort) and Nathan Thigpen (5-10, 200, Fr., Barbers Hill/Barbers Hill).

The defense will be a 4-3 base, but it will be fairly multiple, depending on down and distance and the tendencies of the offense. Marmion sees the offense as a two-back base with the backs very involved in the passing game. (top of page)

1998 Results & Upcoming Games

RECORD:                OVERALL      HOME        AWAY       NEUTRAL  
ALL GAMES...........   (4-6-0)     (3-2-0)     (1-4-0)     (0-0-0)  
CONFERENCE..........   (2-5-0)     (2-1-0)     (0-4-0)     (0-0-0)  
NON-CONFERENCE......   (2-1-0)     (1-1-0)     (1-0-0)     (0-0-0)  

  DATE            OPPONENT             W/L    SCORE  ATTEND
  ------------    -------------------- ---    -----  ------
  Sep 05, 1998    LANGSTON UNIVERSITY    L    17-43       -
  Sep 12, 1998 at McPherson College    W      50-34     800
  Sep 19, 1998    SW ASSEMBLIES OF GOD W      74-20    2500
 *Oct 3, 1998  at Austin College         L     0-34    2134
 *Oct 10, 1998    MCMURRY UNIVERSITY     L     0-55       -
 *Oct 17, 1998 at Howard Payne           L     0-39       -
 *Oct.24, 1998    SUL ROSS STATE       W      29-27    3200
 *Oct 31, 1998 at Hardin-Simmons         L     6-83       -
 *Nov 07, 1998    MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE  W      23-21    1200
 *Nov 14, 1998 at Mary Hardin-Baylor     L     3-27       -
 * Denotes ASC Game

1998 Team Statistics

 TEAM STATISTICS                     TEXLUTH          OPP
 --------------------------------------------------------
 SCORING.......................          202          383
   Points Per Game.............         20.2         38.3
 FIRST DOWNS...................          159          212
   Rushing.....................           66          104
   Passing.....................           72           81
   Penalty.....................           21           27
 RUSHING YARDAGE...............         1176         2493
   Yards gained rushing........         1577         2779
   Yards lost rushing..........          401          286
   Rushing Attempts............          346          478
   Average Per Rush............          3.4          5.2
   Average Per Game............        117.6        249.3
   TDs Rushing.................           14           27
 PASSING YARDAGE...............         1638         1999
   Att-Comp-Int................   341-141-21    254-120-8
   Average Per Pass............          4.8          7.9
   Average Per Catch...........         11.6         16.7
   Average Per Game............        163.8        199.9
   TDs Passing.................           13           24
 TOTAL OFFENSE.................         2814         4492
   Total Plays.................          687          732
   Average Per Play............          4.1          6.1
   Average Per Game............        281.4        449.2
 KICKOFF RETURNS: #-YARDS......       46-635       37-730
 PUNT RETURNS: #-YARDS.........       24-236       39-279
 INT RETURNS: #-YARDS..........        8-110       21-166
 KICKOFF RETURN AVERAGE........         13.8         19.7
 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE...........          9.8          7.2
 INT RETURN AVERAGE............         13.8          7.9
 FUMBLES-LOST..................         19-7        39-26
 PENALTIES-YARDS...............       83-775       84-848
   Average Per Game............         77.5         84.8
 PUNTS-YARDS...................      72-2422      47-1646
   Average Per Punt............         33.6         35.0
   Net punt average............         29.8         30.0
 TIME OF POSSESSION/GAME.......        28:19        33:06
 3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS..........       34/133       46/128
   3rd-Down Pct................          26%          36%
 4TH-DOWN CONVERSIONS..........         7/23        12/20
   4th-Down Pct................          30%          60%
 SACKS BY-YARDS................       25-164       17-127
 MISC YARDS....................           47           48
 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED.............           28           53
 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS..........          3-5          5-7
 PAT KICKS-ATTEMPTS............        21-22        34-45
 ATTENDANCE....................         6900         2934
   Games/Avg Per Game..........       5/1380        5/587
 
 BY QUARTER    1st  2nd  3rd  4th    Total
 ------------  ---  ---  ---  ---      ---
 Team........   20   68   46   68  -   202
 Opponents...  108  107   70   98  -   383

1998 Individual Leaders

1998 Defensive Leaders