Sun Belt Football

Florida International coach Mario Cristobal was kind enough to take a moment this Sunday morning to speak with me about the football program's current breakthrough. All quotes were obtained first-hand.

Q: Coming off the program's first Sun Belt title in 2010, you fell short last year due to what seemed like a resurgence among conference opponents. How will you get back to a championship-like caliber of play?

A: Every single year everybody is in it until like Week 10 or 11. We have to play great defense because there are a lot of high-powered, top-25 offenses...we're looking for complete games.

Q: What's the team atmosphere like so far in summer practice?

A: There's a tremendous buzz around here. Recruiting has really taken off to a high level, we've got a lot of pride and we believe in ourselves. There's something special going on here.

Q: What're your thoughts on yesterday's scrimmage? Did anyone stand out?

A: It was very physical on both sides of the ball. The defense did a great job on third down and had an edge. We had some great battles.

Q: Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette are both looking strong this year. Both are on the schedule, and both games could end up deciding the conference winner. What will your team have to do to come out on top?

A: Both teams have always been great. Arkansas State has arguably the best player in the conference with [quarterback] Ryan Aplin. Lafayette's quarterback is really tough to handle as a dual-threat guy. Both are gonna be real good, but they both have a short week coming to us. They can beat anybody, and that's how we feel about everybody in the conference.

Q: In my Sun Belt preview, I have FIU finishing 10-2 and unbeaten in the conference. However, wins over tough Central Florida and Louisville teams (who you beat in 2011) are not out of the question. Is an undefeated record something you've thought about?

A: We try to be 1-0 every week. We have a special team, and we're ready to play ball.

Q: T.Y. Hilton, arguably the best offensive player in FIU history, is gone. How do you replace him?

A: Collectively. With the play of the offensive line, quarterback, receivers, everybody. He's one of the most dynamic players in history and it's hard, but the moment is here and everybody is ready to step up. We have units that are capable of getting the job done.

Q: The defense did a pretty nice job last season, holding opponents to under 20 points per game and ranking 31st overall in yards allowed. You have much of the same unit back, including team leader in tackles Winston Frazier. How has the defense looked so far this offseason and how big of a role will it play in the success of FIU in 2012?

A: When we first got here the defense was the biggest hole. Now we're looking at a front seven that is a top-30 and a secondary that will help us become a top scoring defense. 

Q: When you took over the program, FIU had finished 0-12 the year before. It was considered the toughest job in the nation, but you've turned it into a consistent conference title contender in just a few short years. How were you able to do it?

A: On the surface, [the program] was awful. But it was a united effort by everybody that turned things around. We truly believed it could be done. There were some painful moments, but you have to get your butts kicked before you can take Texas A&M to the wire and get your victories. It's been a process from the beginning, but it's always been about the team—trainers, walk-ons, staff members, everybody.

To check out the feature story on coach Cristobal, click here.

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The long and winding college career of running back Michael Dyer took another turn on Sunday evening, as Arkansas State announced that the transfer from Auburn has been dismissed from the Red Wolves for violation of team rules.

Dyer's dismissal from Arkansas State likely stems from a March 10 traffic stop, when an officer pulled Dyer over for travelling at 96 miles per hour in a 70 miles-per-hour zone. During that stop, State Trooper Royce Denny discovered marijuana and a gun in Dyer's car, but let Dyer go with a $175 speeding ticket, according to ArkansasSports360.com.

During the conversation between Denney and Dyer, Denny is caught using some salty language towards Dyer: "Carrying a pistol around. Uncool. You’ve got a career ahead of you, but you’re being a total dumbass right now."

That's harsh, to say the least.

It's also accurate.

Dyer was on his second (or perhaps, third) chance as a college athlete, and he knew it. Despite that fact, he decided to speed at 24 mph over the speed limit with weed and gun in the car. That's not smart, and I have no problem with Denney pointing that out during the traffic stop.

If the trooper felt the need to explain that to him in the hopes that he changes, fine. Someone needed to.

I'm not fine with the fact that Dyer was let off with nary a mention of the marijuana or gun. Enabling a player to get away with things like this is exactly why some players never grow up. It's hypocritical.

Denney gave Dyer a stern talking to in the hopes of straightening him out, but his actions contradicted his entire argument. 

Arkansas State Police are conducting an internal investigation into the matter.

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By now, you've likely seen the news. Arkansas State running back Michael Dyer, the former Auburn star and MVP of the 2010 season's BCS National Championship Game, has been dismissed from the Red Wolves football team. Tom Fornelli over at CBS Sports reports the head coach, Gus Malzahn, had to dump the running back who followed him from Auburn to Jonesboro. 

According to Yahoo!, the police are looking into the traffic stop that ultimately sunk Dyer. While they have completed their investigation, how it affects his standing, legally, remains to be seen. That said, Malzahn has already pulled the trigger on the running back, and he is on to the next leg of his journey.

If now is when you want to get in your "I told you so" about Dyer being a bad egg, spare me. If you are more focused on saying you're "glad he's out" with respect to playing ball, I don't really care.

The fact of the matter is that now, more so than ever, I'm rooting for the kid to find his way. This is not an appeal for you to do the same. I get that you're just a fan who sees a spoiled, entitled athlete who deserves to know what it's like to be thrown away for good.

For me, he's a person. Football was, at the start, a way for him to come up in the world. He's made bad decisions and things have not worked out well for him. Now, he's on the outside looking in, again. 

And I'm rooting for him.

Perhaps it is because my parents, with 50-some odd years in teaching and administration, were never in the business of throwing kids away. Perhaps it is because football is more than just something I enjoy on fall Saturdays. Perhaps it is because I actually like the players and root for them.

Ultimately, in Michael Dyer, I see my old teammates. Guys who got to college and made mistakes, and it cost them dearly. I see Adarius Bowman, a guy who screwed up time and again and ultimately cost himself a shot at that better life. I see Puff Thomas, a guy who left UNC, and most of us never heard from him again.

I see my old teammates in guys like Michael Dyer, and I'm hoping that they find a way out. I'm hoping that they find a way to get their degree and finally put it all together.

In other words, I'm hoping this is not the end of the road for Michael Dyer. I'm hoping that this is the start of him putting things together. That this is the final straw that makes the kid understand he has to do right. I've got no issue with second chances, none at all. Better for him to end up at school somewhere than to be back home in Little Rock. 

I'm not asking you to agree. I know you don't care. I know, for you, this is good riddance.

But me? I'll be rooting for the kid to find a positive through all of this. 

Some people simply do not take advantage of a second chance. 

Running back Michael Dyer was suspended indefinitely from Auburn following last season after violating team rules, but he was given another opportunity when he followed offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State.

Unfortunately, he did not take advantage of this chance as ESPN reports he was dismissed from the team for once again breaking team rules.

The problems stem from a traffic stop that took place in March. According to the Arkansas Times, Dyer was pulled over and received a $17 dollar ticket for going 26 mph over the speed limit. However, he should have received much more.

A video recording of the incident showed that the state trooper acknowledged the athlete had both marijuana and a gun in his possession. The officer then decided it best not to tell anyone to avoid any NCAA violations.

RedWolfReport.com states that the matter is still being investigated, but it is clear that Dyer was not completely following the law. As a result, a once promising football career is all but over.

Future athletes should take note of this situation and realize that talent alone will not get them too far in life if they make dumb decisions off the field.

Dyer's situation is very similar to former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett. Both players dazzled scouts as freshmen and helped lead their teams to national championships. Unfortunately, troubles with the law prematurely ended what should have been great collegiate careers.

Clarett is now long removed from football after many attempts to make the NFL.

Professional stars like Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress were able to return to the NFL after stints in jail, but not everyone will be able to continue a career after troubles with the law.

In this year's draft, cornerback Janoris Jenkins was a top-10 talent but slipped past the first round due to similar issues. His entire career will be held under a microscope as he tries to move past mistakes in college.

The message is that athletes must behave themselves in all aspects of their lives. School rules are not meant to be an inconvenience but to keep the athletes safe and out of trouble. If they choose not to follow them, no one is responsible for what happens but themselves.

If these young men can avoid mistakes off the field, people will only focus how good they are on it. This will make it much easier to start a successful career.

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Former Auburn standout Michael Dyer has reportedly been ruled ineligible for the 2012 college football season.

According to a report by the Associated Press (via RedWolfReport.com):

"The NCAA has denied former Auburn running back Michael Dyer's request to be immediately eligible to play this season at Arkansas State. Red Wolves coach Gus Malzahn disclosed the news Thursday."

This shocking news is devastating to Red Wolves fans who were hoping that the 2011 BCS National Championship Game MVP would rejuvenate their football program.

Dyer was an absolute monster during his first two seasons at Auburn, rushing for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns in 2010 in his true freshman year and then improved those impressive numbers to the tune of 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011.

However, an undisclosed incident took place between the Tigers regular season game and their 2011 Chik-Fil-A bowl appearance that led to Dyer being indefinitely suspended and subsequently released on January 6th of this year.

Dyer, an Arkansas native, had reportedly applied for a waiver that would give him the right to immediately transfer and be eligible to play in his true junior year. The NCAA denied the request, and now the running back will have to sit for one season before he can join Arkansas State.

It’s unfortunate, but the NCAA often isn’t a fair institution. Hopefully Dyer can keep his fledgling career on track and get back on the field in 2013.

Keep it tuned to Bleacher Report for the latest news, information, opinions and analysis on Michael Dyer being denied immediate eligibility to play football at Arkansas State. 

Every day here at Your Best 11, we are counting down to the start of the regular season with our top 150 players for the 2012 season.

No. 87: Ryan Aplin, No. 16, Arkansas State, Quarterback

Strengths

No offense to the dynamic TY Hilton of a season ago, but Ryan Aplin was the best player the Sun Belt has seen in quite some time.

The rising senior has quite the arm, throwing for over 3,500 yards, and he has enough wiggle to lead the Red Wolves in rushing as well. He really is a treat to watch on the screen, as he can evade the rush and is capable of getting his passes off under tremendous duress. The rising senior is also pretty slippery when he gets into the open field. He can break tackles, but he's at his best weaving through defenders and picking up that extra few yards for his team.

Weaknesses

For all of his skills, decision-making is the biggest downfall of Ryan Aplin. The senior has to get better at protecting the football; his 19:16 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the most unimpressive portion of his game.

With a new system coming in from first-year head coach Gus Malzahn, Aplin's choices will be paramount, as he looks to run and throw his team to their second straight Sun Belt championship.

2012 Predictions

Gus Malzahn and Hugh Freeze are not terribly different as far as offensive systems go; that is a positive for Aplin. However, losing Derek Lawson and Dwayne Frampton will be a major blow, especially with transfer running back Michael Dyer unlikely to be cleared for action in 2012.

Aplin will have to improve upon his decision-making, but Gus Malzahn is going to further push the tempo and help create mismatches for the senior to take advantage of in both the run and the pass game. Look for Aplin to not only be the first-team All-Sun Belt quarterback, but to repeat as the conference's Player of the Year. 

Photo courtesy The Sports Seer.

T.Y. Hilton stands at 5'10", and is only 183 pounds, but he's big enough to carry two football teams on his back.

The former FIU Panther was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts during the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He'll be expected to help stretch the field for the Colts, a team that is basically rebuilding on the offensive side of the ball and desperately looking to surround their new quarterback, Andrew Luck, with playmakers.

Hilton has the potential to really stand out. In four seasons at Florida International, he caught a total of 229 passes for 3,531 yards and 24 touchdowns. Keep in mind those numbers are from playing on a team that had a run-first offense.

Hilton is the main reason the Panthers won their first bowl game ever in 2010 against Toledo. It was his hook and lateral play on 4th-and-17 that kept the drive alive and eventually led to a victory.

He also holds pretty much every FIU receiving record there is, and is the first player in the program to catch a touchdown, rush for a touchdown, pass a touchdown and return a kick and punt for a touchdown in the same season. He did everything for that school.

But even with him no longer playing for the Panthers, he may end up having a bigger impact on the school than when he was playing.

Florida International is still a very young school, a baby pretty much. Their first season was in 2002 and they've been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since 2004. Although the last two seasons they've reached a bowl game under head coach Mario Cristobal, and they believe they can eventually become another big-time school in the state of Florida.

That next step will start with the help from Hilton.

The small wide receiver from Miami, FL is now the highest draft pick in school history and only the fourth Panther to have a shot to step foot on an NFL field. The only player from FIU that has become something at the next level is linebacker Antwan Barnes, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2007. (He finished last season with 11 sacks playing for the San Diego Chargers)

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson believes they have found a diamond in the rough with Hilton and hopes he'll become the playmaker for Indianapolis, the way he was for that small school in Miami.

"When you get a great player who electric like that, that's fun," Grigson said via CBS Sports.  "Sometimes you have to go up and grab those guys. He's a little bit undersized, but I'm ecstatic about getting him."

The Panthers' recruiting classes are slowly getting better each year, as players around the country are beginning to realize you don't always have to go to a big school to have success. Hilton can be another example to come out of the university that will continue to help this program grow.

For every big play or touchdown he makes for the Colts, he is basically still making one for the Panthers.

Hilton may not be a big wide receiver by NFL standards, but he's big enough to carry two teams on his back.

The Georgia State Panthers football team took disciplinary action Friday against three players involved in a fight outside an Atlanta bar early Thursday morning.  Backup quarterback Bo Schlechter was kicked off the team, while kicker Christian Benvenuto and linebacker Dexter Moody were suspended indefinitely.

According to witnesses, a group of Georgia State students including the three football players confronted a group of patrons at the bar.  As it escalated, Schlechter then attacked one of the men, according to witnesses. 

After police arrived on the scene, six men were taken away in handcuffs.  Among those six were Schlechter, Benvenuto, and Moody.

The loss of Schlechter is not expected to affect the Panthers much, as he was projected to be the third-string QB this upcoming season.  He was also used as a secondary punter last season for the Panthers.

More concerning to Georgia State fans are the suspensions of Benvenuto and Moody.  On a team that scored more than 30 points in a game only once last season, Benvenuto was the second-leading scorer, providing a total of 46 points on PATs and field goals.

Moody was the leading tackler for the Panthers last season, providing 65 tackles from his outside linebacker spot.  He was already on suspension for unspecified reasons, and will remain suspended for his role in the fight.  His future with the team is unclear, especially in light of his detainment by the police Thursday morning. 

Moody was a highly recruited Under Armour All-American coming out of high school, but a series of disciplinary issues led to his offer from nearby Georgia being pulled, and he eventually wound up at Georgia State.

Georgia State recently announced their move from the FCS level to the FBS level, joining the Sun Belt Conference.

The offseason has only started, but the CAA and its teams are already hard at work.

As Drexel is renovating the DAC, while Towson is building the new Tiger Arena and Georgia State plans to leave the Colonial Athletic Association, CBS Sports has reported that the GSU Panthers will leave for the Sun Belt Conference starting in 2013.

The move is no surprise to CAA fans, as the Panthers had two legitimate reasons to leave. The CAA is voting to raise the league's exit fee from $250,000 to as much as $1 million, so Georgia State was basically forced to make up its mind. Secondly, GSU wants to move to Division I FBS football, where the Sun Belt plays.

Georgia State's football program started in 2010, and has yet to compete in the CAA. The plan was to join the CAA this upcoming season, and play non-conference football for 2010 and 2011. Those two years have been rough, going 9-13 against bottom-tier schools. However, starting a football program is not easy. The Panthers have now gotten three recruiting classes, and are poised for the 2012 CAA football season.

The move would take place in 2013, so all of GSU's fall sports would have one final season in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The move for football will be obviously difficult, as the Sun Belt has experienced programs competing against the nation's best. As basketball is concerned, I believe the move will turn out well.

The team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament two times, most recently in 2011.

In 2011-12, the Panthers went 22-12 overall (18-9 in regular season), and 11-7 in CAA regular season play. Georgia State has always been the average above-average team.

GSU has a brief history with the Sun Belt Conference, being a member for five seasons. They then moved on to the Atlantic Sun, before joining the CAA in 2005.

This is just another move for the Panthers, as they will compete with top-tier schools in the Sun Belt Conference beginning next year.

The announcement is slated for Monday at 2 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome where the football team competes.

A replacement will most likely be from the Southern Conference. The College of Charleston could be a good replacement.

As college football fans, we are divided.

Some of us find excitement in all the reconfiguring of conferences and feel the change of venue for some teams will make for a more interesting football season.

Others will miss the traditional rivalries that are disappearing for at least the near future.

Regardless of which side of the aisle you sit, the change is real, and there is a feeling in the air that we are far from seeing the end of realignment.

The major players in the shuffling of conference arsenals have been the BCS leagues. All six automatic qualifiers have seen some form of change in their lineup.

And really, there isn’t much more to be said in reference to those leagues that hasn't already been said, aside from continued speculation about expansion.

What I have been curious about, however, has been the non-automatic qualifying conferences.

The Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and Conference USA (CUSA) were all pretty much decimated by other conferences.

Where do they turn after losing so many of their top programs?

That is what I am here to address.

These leagues will never be direct competition with the BCS leagues. They field quality teams and place a few teams here-and-there in the Top 25 rankings, but they will always be the second tier to the “Big Leagues.”

Now before I receive hate mail from East Carolina fans, being second tier is not intended to be an insult.

For the teams in those leagues, the point of the games really is about the play on the field. The teams and fans know that it is unrealistic to dream about national titles, so their games, to a large degree, are more “pure” in essence.

The best option for the remaining conferences is to focus on becoming, or in some cases, remaining a more regional amalgamation, as opposed to attempting the cross-continent conglomeration the Big East has created.

By remaining regional, travel expenses will be reduced, which helps the schools compete better against more national powers. It also develops better rivalries and increases attendance.

So with that said, let us get down to the point of what I am talking about.

First, we shall bid a fond adieu to the Western Athletic Conference, at least as far as football is concerned. Oh WAC, you made a good run of things and you produced some great high-scoring games in the old days.

But, your time has come and gone, and it would be the best for all concerned if you devoted your efforts to basketball. Thanks for playing.

Which brings us to the MWC.

After the losses of Utah, BYU, TCU and San Diego State, they are in dire need of restocking. If losing all those teams wasn't bad enough, the league announced this past week that they are shutting down their cable network.

Things looked so bad that the conference decided to partner with Conference USA for pure survival purposes.

Still, rumors swirled that the MWC was on the verge of adding Utah State and San Jose State. And one cannot forget about the additions this fall of Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii.

The Mountain West may be down, but it is far from out.

And looking at what the MWC has and then adding other regional teams, the conference could easily find its way to 12 full-time members and a strong alliance among member teams.

An updated Mountain West Conference would look something like this:

Note: Teams with an (*) in front of their name are not a current conference member but have been proposed.

The Mountain West Conference

Air Force

Colorado State

Fresno State

Hawaii

Nevada

New Mexico

UNLV

Wyoming

*Idaho (From the WAC)

*New Mexico State (From the WAC)

*San Jose State (From the WAC)

*Utah State (From the WAC)

Since Conference USA is based in Texas, they should focus on teams from the region to rebuild their coffers. Allowing some more eastern-based teams to leave for other options without penalty would serve CUSA well.

A newer version of Conference CUSA could look something like this:

Conference USA

Rice

Southern Miss

Tulane

Tulsa

UTEP

*Arkansas State (From the Sun Belt)

*North Texas (From the Sun Belt)

*UL-Lafayette (From the Sun Belt)

*UL-Monroe (From the Sun Belt)

*Louisiana Tech (From the WAC)

*Texas State (From the WAC)

*UT-San Antonio (From the WAC)

As for the Sun Belt Conference, they would actually come out stronger than before the conference shuffling, and their lineup would be enhanced by the additions of some former CUSA teams.

South Alabama is set to join the football conference in 2012, as they move up from FCS/1AA football.

Other additions that are former FCS programs or that have made public proclamations of their desire to move up to FBS/1A football are Massachusetts (set to join the MAC in 2012) and Appalachian State (looking for a conference to join so they can move up from FCS).

With Navy joining the Big East and Air Force choosing to remain in the MWC, Army could probably be persuaded to join a more manageable lineup of teams like one would see in the new Sun Belt.

The newly configured Sun Belt Conference might look something like this:

Sun Belt Conference

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Middle Tennessee State

South Alabama

Troy

Western Kentucky

*Army (From Independent Status)

*Appalachian State (From FCS)

*Alabama-Birmingham (From CUSA)

*East Carolina (From CUSA)

*Marshall (From CUSA)

*UMass (From the MAC)

Even after losing Temple to the Big East and UMass to the Sun Belt, the Mid-American Conference would have 12 committed members. That provides for six BCS conferences and four 12-team regional non-automatic qualifying conferences.

More importantly, it creates stability where there has been very little over the last few years. And for college football fans, having an attractive lineup of games is what we all really want in the first place.