Sun Belt Week 12 Preview
Florida International @ Florida - Saturday, 12:30 ET, ESPN360.com
It’s late November, the time when college football title contenders are supposed to be tested in their pursuit of gridiron glory. When the chill of Autumn deepens and the shadows grow longer on Saturday afternoons, the top teams in the United States are confronted with the crucible all champions must pass through, in order to lift the crystal trophy in early January.
Well, so much for romantic notions of what college football is supposed to offer. None of those soaring statements apply to this contest in Gainesville, Fla.
Instead of playing a legitimate opponent, Florida’s traveling the paycheck route, as the Gators are offering Florida International a hefty six-figure sum to come into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, receive a butt-kicking, and depart with a better athletic department budget in tow. The only drama in this Swamp slaughter will be the length of time Urban Meyer gives to Tim Tebow. Will the Florida coach try to prop up Tebow’s Heisman campaign and fatten up the stat sheet for No. 15, or will Meyer quickly go to backup John Brantley with an eye toward 2010?
Army @ North Texas - Saturday, 4 ET, no TV
This game will offer a fascinating contrast in styles. The Black Knights, under coach Rich Ellerson, will travel to Denton, Tex., with their triple option offense, a staple of modern-day service academy football in some form or fashion. (Navy runs the triple option, while Air Force has run the wishbone for decades and still uses a predominantly run-first approach.) North Texas counters with a pass-happy attack brought to you by the Dodge Gang of Todd (the head coach/father) and Riley (the quarterback/son). Many more significant games will be played across the United States on Saturday, but few might be as entertaining as this particular tussle.
Florida Atlantic @ Troy - Saturday, 4:15 ET, ESPN360.com, GamePlan
Many teams who have just endured a 36-point shellacking might hang their heads the following weekend. Not so for the Troy Trojans and head coach Larry Blakeney. If “the other Troy” can turn back Howard Schnellenberger’s Owls at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium, the pride of Southeastern Alabama will return to the New Orleans Bowl and repeat as Sun Belt champions. Troy was overwhelmed by Arkansas’s SEC speed and power last weekend in the Ozarks, but now, against an FAU team that’s been plucky but inconsistent over the course of this season, the Trojans and quarterback Levi Brown should find smoother sledding. If Troy shrugs off the 56-20 loss to Arkansas and rolls up its sleeves this Saturday, Blakeney’s boys should be holding Sun Belt hardware when the day is ultimately done.
Arkansas State @ Middle Tennessee State - Saturday, 4:30 ET, ESPN360.com
This game shapes up as a mismatch in all respects: physically, tactically and emotionally. Middle Tennessee has generally outflanked and outworked opponents in 2009, with quarterback Dwight Dasher proving to be equally adept as both a runner and passer. Rick Stockstill’s Blue Raiders are hard to defend, and their defense - which registered five sacks against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 14 - is attacking opposing quarterbacks with conviction. MTSU is clearly the second-best team in the Belt behind the leaders from Troy, and unless the home team stumbles this weekend at Floyd Stadium, the Men of Murfreesboro (Tenn.) should frolic against the Red Wolves, who limp into town after suffering a 17-point setback against Florida Atlantic. Unless Arkansas State can rally and improve across the board, coach Steve Roberts’s team will have a very tough time being competitive for four full quarters in a daunting road environment.
Louisiana-Monroe @ Louisiana-Lafayette - Saturday, 7 ET, no TV
The two Louisiana hyphen schools will have at it in Lafayette, La. Coach Charlie Weatherbie leads his Monroe roster against Ricky Bustle’s collection of competitors at Cajun Field. One of the noteworthy details surrounding this Bayou battle is that it’s Lafayette’s first home game in four weeks; the last time ULL played in its own ballpark was Oct. 24 against Florida Atlantic. A weary group of Cajun road warriors got knocked around on a three-game road trip that produced a 1-2 record, but if Bustle’s boys can refuel thanks to the wonders of home cooking, ULL could knock ULM out of a second-place Sun Belt tie with Middle Tennessee State.
Monroe might be 5-1 in the league, but after barely beating 0-10 Western Kentucky at home last weekend, the Warhawks aren’t flashing their finest football. They’re distinctly vulnerable as they head into Lafayette’s corner of Louisiana. ULM quarterback Trey Revell has been markedly inconsistent since his return from an injury; if ULL can hound Revell into mistakes and contain ULM running back Frank Goodin, the Ragin’ Cajuns could become all the rage… and will receive a thank-you card from the Middle Tennessee football family.
By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer