Jacksonville Dolphins
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Coach: Ian Shields (14-7), 3rd season
Stadium: D.B. Milne Field (Capacity: 5,000)
CSJ Projections:
10th: Pioneer League
11th: Florida
123rd: FCS
253rd: Division I
2018 In A Sentence: A somewhat promising season crashed and burned to a disappointing 2-8 record. In eight games, including one of their victories, the Dolphin defense gave up more than thirty points.
Biggest Shoes to Fill: 6’2, 300 lb Jake Dempsey was a three-year starter on the offensive line and a central part of the Dolphin offense. The Dolphins carved out 345 yards on the ground per game with head coach Ian Shields‘ triple-option attack.
Key Player: In the very last game of the year, QB Calvin Turner Jr., Jacksonville’s 1,431 yard rusher and dynamic near-record breaker, suffered a terrible leg injury that required an air cast as he left the field. It’s unclear when he’ll be healthy enough to take the field, but the Dolphins really need him back to power their offense.
Fearless Prediction: Shields really needs to fix Jacksonville’s sieve-like defense if he hopes to propel the Dolphins to the top of the PFL once again, and if Turner Jr. isn’t ready by opening day that job will be even more difficult.
Chuck has been writing about Lehigh football since the dawn of the internet, or perhaps it only seems like it. He’s executive editor of the College Sports Journal and has also written a book, The Rivalry: How Two Schools Started the Most Played College Football Series.
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