New defensive coordinator Dennis Dicamillo will have to rely heavily on his 20 years of coaching experience to succeed in what might be his most challenging season yet.By shuffling key players Sacramento State hopes to makeover a defense that ranked 110 out of 123 teams in Division I-AA last season.Senior Camron Mbewa, a two-time Big Sky all-conference selection, moves from strong safety to outside linebacker.

“It’s a more natural position for him,” DiCamillo said. “He’s a big play guy and he can run.”

Mbewa joins fellow seniors Park McAllister and Ryan Kroeker at linebacker to give the Hornets a trio the coaching staff hopes will utilize size and speed to become the team’s play makers.

Kroeker — who is the starting middle linebacker – collected 10 or more tackles in six games last year, earning him an all-conference honorable mention.The 6-foot-5 McAllister is back in the starting lineup after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. His height can cause problems for opposing quarterbacks when he drops back in coverage, something the Hornets lacked last season.

“Mbewa and McCallister bring a lot of speed and they’re good cover guys,” DiCamillo said. “Kroeker will be the leader. He knows the game plan well and he could call it if I wasn’t there.”

With Mbewa moving to outside linebacker, senior transfer Chris Meyer will help fill the vacancy left at strong safety. Meyer spent last season at the University of Connecticut where he led the Huskies in tackles and interceptions.

“He brings a lot of experience, great instincts, and a strong work ethic,” DiCamillo said. “He’s not shy. He’s a solid tackler, with real toughness who knows how to deal with playing in pain.”

Meyer looked comfortable in his new home with seven tackles and an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 69-19 victory over Saint Mary’s on Sept. 6., but was forced to sit out the second half of Saturday’s game at Cal Poly due to an injury.

Junior Zeph Payne will see significant downs at strong safety playing alongside hard hitting starting free safety Kevin Tennerson.

Jeremy Johnson and Ramon Payne both get the starting nod at cornerback.”Jeremy is playing very well. He’s not flashy, but he’s solid,” DiCamillo said. Johnson finished third on the team in tackles with 59 last season, but insists that’s a trend he doesn’t want to continue.

Johnson had seven tackles, five solo , two assisted and second most on the team, in the Hornets’ 31-17 loss to the Mustangs.

“Last season missed tackles occurred and I was just making those plays,” Johnson said, owing last season’s numbers to his teammates mistakes. “Now we have the right personnel in the right situations. I don’t want to have that many tackles because if I do there’s something wrong.”

Payne has moved over to cornerback after starting last season at free safety.”I love it. It’s a lot easier to make my reads and it’s just more natural for me,” Payne said of his new position.

Several newcomers including nine freshmen will fight for playing time in the secondary. James Bogetti and Stephone Paige are two freshmen likely to get significant minutes this season.

At 6-foot-3 Paige has the size that coaches hope will make him a top cornerback and his pass catching skills could get him some time at wide reciever.

“Paige has the right genes,” DiCamillo said referring to Paige’s father who spent nine seasons as a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The defensive backfield came up with four interceptions in the home opener against Saint Mary’s tying the school record since moving to Div. I-AA.

“Guys know they will do pushups in practice if they don’t intercept a ball coming to them,” Dicamillo said.

Last season the Hornets finished near the bottom of the Big Sky Conference in passing yards allowed. When asked about the remedy for that statistic and sustaining it for a full season, DiCamillo had a very simple answer.

“It’s scoring defense,” he says simply. “I’m not a stats guy. We’re going to move guys around to where they help the team the most.”

Three games into the season, the Hornet defense has given up 536 yards in the air and 546 yards on the ground. The defensive backs have intercepted five passes for one touchdown and 164 yards.