ARKANSAS STATE
STRENGTHS:
This could be the most
balanced offense in the
conference as the Red
Wolves return the bulk
of their weapons from
a team that averaged more
than 200 yards rushing
and almost 200 passing.
The skill positions remain
stacked. It starts with
third year starting quarterback
Corey Leonard and continues
with senior running back
Reggie Arnold, who will
try to become only the
eighth ball carrier in
NCAA history to rush for
over 1,000 yards in four
seasons. The receivers
also are blessed with
talent and experience.
A stingy defense returns
eight starters including
end Alex Carrington who
returns after being named
the Sun Belt Defensive
Player of the Year. Kicker
Josh Arauco is a front-runner
for the Lou Groza Award.
CONCERNS:
Gone are a good number
of quality offensive linemen.
The Red Wolves are not
so efficient at throwing
the ball. If the running
game gets taken away,
Leonard has to do more
via the aerial route.
PROGNOSIS:
This team has all the
talent and experience
at key positions to challenge
Troy for the Sun Belt
title. The calling card
will be one of the league's
most dynamic offenses
led by senior quarterback
Corey Leonard and tailback
Reggie Arnold. The defense
too is a seasoned bunch.
Do not be surprised if
ASU makes one or more
of its monstrous non-conference
games against Nebraska,
Iowa or Louisville a nail
biter.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 7-5
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
STRENGTHS: Rusty
Smith already holds several
school passing records
and has thrown for over
7,000 yards and 56 touchdowns
the past two seasons.
His favorite target Cortez
Gent is back and so is
tight end Jamari Grant,
who after racking up 45
interceptions may not
even be the best tight
end on the team when Jason
Harmon returns from an
injury that sidelined
him in 2008.
CONCERNS:
The top two tailbacks
are gone and the Owls
have four new starters
on the offensive line.
Despite these losses,
the defense is what takes
the big hit all the way
across the board. The
entire front seven gets
rebuilt including all
three linebackers. One
of the best missing from
that lineup will be Frantz
Joseph; the leading tackler
in school history while
half of the secondary
is history.
PROGNOSIS:
The Owls actually have
won consecutive bowl games.
The league's No. 1 rated
aerial attack won't change
with quarterback Rusty
Smith and every piece
of his receiving arsenal
returning in tact. But
FAU is running the risk
of being too one-dimensional
with the retooling of
the line and ball carriers.
The defense is too short
on experience to hold
up its end of the bargain.
Expect some high scoring
affairs through the air.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
STRENGTHS:
The Panthers have their
top five pass catchers
back. One of them is Sun
Belt Freshman of The Year
T.Y. Hilton who averaged
a phenomenal 24.7 yards
per catch. Hilton also
is one of the better return
men in college football.
Senior Paul McCall has
progressed quite well
the past two seasons at
quarterback. Every single
starter is back on the
offensive line.
CONCERNS:
The defense has trouble
stopping the run and that
factor won't get much
better considering three
of the down linemen need
replaced. This also does
not bode well for the
pass rush capabilities.
PROGNOSIS:
FIU made significant progress
in 2008 after winning
just one game the year
before. The potential
on offense with a strong
line up front and a quality
pass/catch personnel package
should continue the strides
forward but unless the
defense can find a few
answers at the point of
attack, they will be hard
pressed to improve on
the five victories of
a year ago.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 4-8
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
STRENGTHS:
The best news is the Sun
Belt's best offensive
line returns in tact.
Behind a pair of First
Team All-Conference performers,
guard Brad Bustle and
center Chris Fisher, the
Ragin' Cajuns should be
able to continue running
with the ball as it has
in the past. Nine defensive
starters are back. However,
this group was abused
last season. Experience
will be their best aspect
and speed seems to be
available especially in
the back seven. Expect
an improvement.
CONCERNS:
The loss of the league's
top two rushers is a big
one. Gone is Tyrell Fenroy
(school's all-time leading
rusher) and quarterback
Michael Desormeaux (2008
Sun Belt Offensive POY)
and top receiver Jason
Chery. The competition
at quarterback will continue
into the season. The defense
as a whole better make
huge strides since the
rushing offense is not
there this time to keep
them off the field.
PROGNOSIS:
Though only three starters
are gone offensively,
they were the heart and
soul of the Ragin' Cajuns.
An improved defense should
be the facet most heavily
relied on but don't count
out the rushing attack
just yet. The offensive
line is big and experienced
which will give these
youngsters at the skill
positions a chance to
grow and compete. This
could be a 1-3 team heading
into October based on
the schedule toughness.
But they will regroup
to at least have a say
in who wins the league.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
LOUISIANA-MONROE
STRENGTHS:
The back seven on defense
is quick and very athletic,
which made the switch
to a 3-3-5 alignment seem
logical. All-Sun Belt
senior linebacker Cardia
Jackson, who could be
one of the conference’s
top draft prospects, leads
this group. The offensive
line returns four starters
anchored by 6'6, 331 pound
Doug Stroud at guard.
CONCERNS:
The Warhawks must find
a way to replace their
most dynamic threat, quarterback
Kinsmon Lancaster. The
loss of All-Conference
tight end Zeek Zacharie
is a huge blow as no one
on the roster at his position
caught a pass in 2008.
Three starters are back
to man the line of scrimmage
on defense but they are
extremely short on depth.
This was a sore issue
when stopping the run
a year ago.
PROGNOSIS:
The Warhawks have some
athletes and some experience.
This will be vital since
a huge shake up with head
coach Charlie Weatherbie's
staff occurred during
the off-season. ULM switched
to a 3-3-5 scheme under
new coordinator Troy Reffett,
who came from New Mexico
where he learned from
Rocky Long, one of the
best at coaching this
system. The rushing game
will likely decrease unless
one of the new quarterbacks
can take over where Lancaster
took off. This team won't
be winning the conference,
but they won't be on the
poor side either.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 4-8
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
STRENGTHS:
The offense returns all
but one starter. The Blue
Raiders are deeper than
most any team at receiver
where five players who
combined for 188 catches
last fall are all back.
A set of blockers that
showed good progress in
2008 should continue to
improve with every starter
back. The defensive strengths
will be one of the leagues
better pass rushes and
a veteran secondary. Opponents
should stick with the
ground game against this
crew.
CONCERNS:
Two key players have departed
at linebacker so there
will be a premium on finding
performers in this front
seven on defense when
it comes to stuffing the
run. Unfortunately, the
one player Middle Tennessee
loses offensively is quarterback
Joe Craddock, who made
this one of the more formidable
passing offenses in the
league a year ago.
PROGNOSIS:
Dwight Dasher's leadership
role in this spread offense
while taking over at quarterback
will be the biggest factor.
With ten starters back
on offense, he can afford
to play manager while
using his nimble feet
first. The receivers and
blockers are fully stacked.
This is still a young
ball club where 50 of
the 85 scholarship players
are freshmen or sophomores.
The run defense will get
put to the test with a
new set of linebackers
but the pass defense should
be more than solid. This
team can compete with
anyone in the league.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
NORTH TEXAS
STRENGTHS:
Senior running back Cam
Montgomery just missed
on going over the 1,000-yard
mark last fall. He will
keep opponents weary with
a dangerous ground game.
He also has an offensive
line that returns every
starter paving the way.
Riley Dodge, the coach's
son, takes over at quarterback
for Giovanni Vizza who
transferred. Dodge is
a former Texas recruit
that brings an athletic
aspect behind center.
CONCERNS:
Is there any doubt the
nation's worst defense
is a major reason the
Mean Green are also one
of the nation's worst
teams? To sum up the problem,
North Texas had ten punt
returns all of last season.
The defensive line is
not much better than many
FCS level teams and the
secondary is not far behind.
Position switches and
JUCO transfers are the
only hope to slow the
scoring pace for now.
PROGNOSIS:
There's nowhere to go
but up after winning one
game last season. The
primary goal has to be
to get UNT out of the
conference basement and
show some form of defensive
improvement in head coach
Todd Dodge's third season.
This team could be very
solid offensively with
a potent ground game.
Hopes are it will be enough
to keep moving the sticks
so an anemic defense can
stay off the field.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 2-10
TROY
STRENGTHS:
The Trojans finished 27th
nationally in total offense
last season and should
approach similar numbers
with a star-studded cast
of skill players. Quarterback
Levi Brown was the Sun
Belt Newcomer of the Year
after throwing for over
2,000 yards with only
three interceptions. DuJuan
Harris is a 1,000-yard
rusher that makes the
ground game go. The spread
offense also can make
use of a very talented
set of receivers led by
Jerrel Jernigan. Senior
defensive end Brandon
Lang is putting up All-American
numbers. DE Cameron Sheffield,
LB Boris Lee, LB Bear
Woods and Lang may be
the top four defenders
in the Sun Belt. The special
teams are extraordinary
in most every single aspect.
CONCERNS:
The only losses on offense
were on the line where
both tackles need replaced.
The losses on defense
were much heavier where
All-Conference First Team
players moved on such
as defensive backs Sherrod
Martin and Terence Moore.
Needless to say, the secondary
will go through a rebuilding
phase. Both tackles need
replaced on the defensive
line too.
PROGNOSIS:
The Trojans continue to
field some of the nation's
most underrated defensive
talents and this year
will be no exception with
Brandon Lang and Boris
Lee. This spread offense
has a chance to be better
than any head coach Larry
Blakeney has worked with
in his 18 seasons. They
are loaded at the skill
positions and have three
signal callers that could
start for most any other
Sun Belt team. They will
be highly expected to
defend their conference
crown and could even win
three of their four non-conference
games.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 9-3
WESTERN KENTUCKY
STRENGTHS:
The Hilltoppers return
eight starters as line
coach Walter Wells enters
his first year as coordinator.
His blockers welcome back
four starters, the top
three rushers are back
and senior Jake Gaebler
will lead a receiving
cast that returns four
of its top five pass catchers.
Gaebler is just 25 receptions
short of the school's
career record. Outside
senior linebacker Blake
Boyd has been a starter
since 2006 when he transferred
from Louisville.
CONCERNS:
Underclassmen
will garner the most minutes
on the field. WKU's biggest
weakness will be along
the defensive line where
depth and talent are rare.
Only one player saw significant
snaps with this unit in
2008. The middle of the
defense has its share
of problems at linebacker
too. The quarterback position
has almost no experience
where a trio of players
fights for top honors.
PROGNOSIS:
This will be WKU's first
season as a full-fledged
member of the Sun Belt
Conference and the Hilltoppers
are not quite ready to
make their debut a huge
splash as depth and experience
is slim. Not to mention
this squad went 0-5 against
Sun Belt teams last season.
The recruiting class was
ranked as the best in
the league last February
so better times may be
ahead. The team is already
loaded with underclassmen
playing major roles and
the lack of a proven quarterback
makes 2009 a season for
taking lumps while operating
under construction.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 2-10
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