Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 24) ConferenCe Sun Belt fiVE to WAtCH Rusty Smith, QB, fAU. Just a junior, and with a league title under his belt, not to mention last year’s league Player of the Year award and New Orleans Bowl MVP. His 3,688 yards passing last year shattered the Sun Belt single-season mark. Cortez Gent, Wr, fAU. Somebody has to catch Smith’s tosses, and Gent is at least one dependable target. He had nine TD receptions last year. He ranked 19th nationally in receiving yardage. Corey Leonard, QB, A-State. When he’s healthy, there may be no one better in the league as a passing and running threat. He worked some magic a few times last year, against Corey Leonard Memphis and North Texas. Boris Lee, LB, Troy. The guy has looked the part since his freshman year, and now as a 6-foot, 212-pound junior he’s on the Rotary Lombardi Award watch. Sherrod Martin, DB, Troy. How important is Martin to the Trojans? When he returned for the final eight games in 2007 after being injured, Troy’s points-allowed average dropped from 39.8 to 12.6. Coincidence? We think not. FAU Arrives Ahead of Schedule Panthers Making Noise in Sun Belt Quicker Than Expected By Jim Harris Frantz Joseph, LB, FAU; Jason Harmon, TE, FAU; Tavious Polo, DB, FAU; Charles Pierre, RB, FAU; Scott Bryant, LB, FIU; Jeremiah Weatherspoon, S, FIU; A’mod Ned, RB, FIU; Anthony Gaitor, DB, FIU; Michael Desormeaux, QB, La-Lafayette; Tyrell Fenroy, RB, La.-Laf.; Chris Fisher, C, La-Laf.; Antwyne Zanders, LB, La-Laf.; Greg James, DB., ULM; Zeek Zacharie, TE, ULM; Kinsmon Lancaster, QB, ULM; Frank Goodin, RB, ULM; Alex Suber, DB, Middle Tenn.; Giovanni Vizza, QB, North Matt Mandich Texas; Craig Robertson, LB, North Texas; Dion Small, OL, Troy; Matt Mandich, OL, ASU; Reggie Arnold, RB, ASU. m Rest of the SBC Best THE OLD AND OFTEN QUOTED Darrell Royal saying “if a dog’s gonna bite, he’ll bite as a pup” played true in 2007 for Florida Atlantic. Veteran coach Howard Schnellenberger’s program was scheduled to arrive in a big way in 2008 but came through the door a year earlier, beating Troy for the Sun Belt Conference championship and then winning the New Orleans Bowl in a rout over Memphis. Speaking of FAU rocking Memphis, it should be noted that while the rest of the nation may think ConferenceUSA has some edge over the Sun Belt, the SBC actually handed it to several C-USA foes in nonconference matchups last year and over the past two years holds an 8-7 advantage. And FAU also earned the league a Big Ten scalp by beating Minnesota. Remember, too, that Louisiana-Monroe shocked Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide 21-14 in November. Schnellenberger, who restored Miami (Fla.) to greatness in the early 1980s then tried his hand at Louisville and Oklahoma around professional stops, seemed to have bitten off too much when he took over the Florida Atlantic program a decade ago. instead, he’s patiently turned them into the Sun Belt’s best bet for national exposure in 2008, especially with passing sensation Rusty Smith putting up big numbers. Troy and coach Larry Blakeney upset Oklahoma State at home, butted heads impressively in a close loss to Georgia and generally may have overscheduled itself, running out of gas by the end of the season in losing at home to FAU. The loss knocked Troy, which was unbeaten in the SBC going in, out of what most expected was a certain postseason appearance. That failure alone may be able to spark the Trojans back into the top spot of the league, now sporting nine teams. (Western Kentucky, however, is not eligible for the crown as it transitions from Football Championship Subdivision status.) While FAU and Troy figure to battle it out again for league supremacy and could have that determined on Tuesday, Oct. 7 — anything for TV coverage — the third through eighth spots could feature any sort of combination by season’s end. Middle Tennessee has recruited well. LouisianaMonroe has shown it can compete with quality foes (read: beating Alabama) and returns 15 starters. Arkansas State July 2008 arkansas state university taleNt: asu’s Matt Mandich is among the sun Belt Conference’s best players. may have the league’s best all-around Out of eight lost starters, Troy’s biggest quarterback and competed well until void is replacing versatile strong-armed quarterback Omar Hoogabook. FAU, injuries hit last year. on the other hand, Louisiana-Lafayette is has 18 starters back expecting improvement but will hope to in coach Rickey Bustle’s survive a brutal nonseventh year. Florida conference lineup with road international is trying games to Texas, Michigan State to work its way up the and Minnesota before conlatter like its neighbor ference play starts. from Boca Raton, FAU. Predicted The September killer of North Texas may just a schedule is what partly find a defense to help head order of finish coach Todd Dodge’s spread 1. Fla. Atlantic did in Arkansas State in 2. Troy offensive attack this year. ’07; this year, at least the Dodge, who was something 3. Arkansas State Red Wolves (get used to of a prep football wunderkind 4. Middle Tennessee the name) moved one in leading South Lake 5. Louisiana-Monroe of those non-conference Central, Texas, to national 6. Louisiana-Lafayette bruiser games, Alabama, acclaim, seemed at times like 7. North Texas to November, while they a fish out of water in directing 8. Fla. International open at Texas A&M. FiU, the Mean Green last season, which ended the nation’s but at least he had the smarts to hire a longest losing streak with a seasonnew defensive coordinator. When you ending victory over North Texas, could score 62 points and lose, as the Mean take a lesson; the Golden Panthers Green did to Navy, it’s time to re-evaluate start out with Kansas, iowa and South the defense. Florida. m 24 ArkansasSports360.com http://ArkansasSports360.com
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