Sun Belt Football

The University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks had a tough of go of it in 2011.

They finished 4-8 while playing in the Sun Belt, although they did take on Florida State, Iowa, TCU and Arkansas State all within their first five games of the year. And while a 4-8 record won’t earn you many accolades, despite the level of difficulty, there are no doubts that ULM has the state dominated on one particular front.

CGI Website intro videos.

Louisiana Tech? Not a chance. Tulane? Nope. The mighty LSU? Sorry, not even close.

ULM has this trophy (and we should award trophies for items like this) and I don’t see them being toppled for quite sometime. When you are the Warhawks, you need virtual sequence that accurately portrays you as such. Thank you to Valleyshook for pointing this out.

Perhaps they can bottle the momentum of this magnificent video and use it to somehow take down Arkansas in their first game of the season. Right? RIGHT?

Kelcie McCray is a good-sized, sure-tackling strong safety from Arkansas State.  At his pro day, he measured 6’1-3/4" and 202 pounds and ran an official 4.54 40-yard dash.

He can eat up space with his feet, especially at the safety position.  McCray is a solid player with very good coverage skills.

I talked with him after his pro day about his time at college.  We also talked about his future, looking toward the NFL.  He was invited to the combine, so I asked what the combine process was like.

“It was fun,'' he said. "It was a different experience getting to go up against other guys from different schools for the first time in a long time.  It was definitely a good experience.''

Like some of the others that we have talked to, he didn’t like the emphasis on medical exams at the combine. “The most frustrating part was in the things like that," he said. It reached a point where he just wanted to go show them what he could do.

I asked him what his favorite moment was as a college football player.  “This past season, we went 10-2 in the regular season, but we lost the bowl game.  It was the best season in Arkansas State history.  We had a lot of fan support and we did a lot of great things.”

I asked if there was an aspect of his game that he has been told needs to be worked on. He said that "being a more physical tackler at the point of contact” was something a few teams had mentioned. 

While he acknowledged that he needs to tackle better, perhaps look at technique, he says that he is a sure tackler and that he didn’t miss a lot of tackles. He played strong safety at Arkansas State.

I asked what he felt he could offer an NFL team.  “My experience, my athleticism, my knowledge of the game and my ability to make plays on the ball,” he said.

He said that being a playmaker in the secondary “is very valuable to any team, you know. Turnovers and interceptions are game-changers.”

We talked about his love for the game and how he watches football to learn things and pick up traits from the best.  He said he watches a lot of Ed Reed because Reed is his football role model. “I try to watch the things he does and take the little pieces and incorporate them into my game.” 

At 6’2”, McCray is tall and rangy.  I asked if he considers his size an advantage. “Definitely...not only with receivers, but my size allows me to match up against tight ends.''

I asked him what he would want the fans of the team that drafts him to know.  He told me “they are definitely getting a guy that's going to work, work his butt off, and that wants to win. I'm going go out every practice and work the hardest, just do whatever I'm asked; do whatever's asked of me.”

He said that there won’t be any reason to worry about off-the-filed issues with him.  .

McCray is a good football player, and a player who is going to surprise some people.  His ability to cover from the back end, especially in a league that wants to throw the ball at every opportunity, is going to help him.

He has been productive everywhere he has been. There is nothing preventing McCray from having success in the NFL.

Scott Bischoff is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials.

The Sun Belt held a press conference on Feb. 16 announcing Karl Benson as its new commissioner, replacing the retiring Wright Waters. 

Before Benson was introduced, the man doing the introduction, Dr. Jack Hawkins of Troy University, made it a point to showcase the Sun Belt's achievements.

One of 11 FBS conferences having only added football in 2001, Sun Belt teams have won 50 percent of their bowl games since 2005, better than five other FBS conferences.

The Sun Belt is the sixth best conference in baseball, 90 percent of Sun Belt teams have earned a multi-year academic progress rate of 925 or higher, and the stable foot print in the Southern United States has helped save traveling costs and developed strong natural rivalries.

As Karl Benson gave his opening statement, he pointed out the rapid growth and potential of the conference with the growth of the Sun Belt's student population, fan support, and alumni support over the past five years. 

The subject of expansion was the main focus for the question and answer segment, and Benson started off by stating that the Sun Belt will look at schools in their current footprint and that adding at least a 12th member would be good for the league. 

Benson also made sure to mention Arkansas-Little Rock by name as they are the only member without a football program (South Alabama will join the Sun Belt in football in 2013 after being an FCS independent last year and again next season). 

I believe this was to debunk any possible rumors of Little Rock being expelled from the conference in favor of another football school and to show that they have the same amount of say as the other schools in the conference. 

Benson stated that a committee will be formed to look at both current membership and future membership with targets being in both the FBS and FCS. 

However, the first matter of business will be to convince current members to stay.  Benson pointed out how the fact that Sun Belt schools are being listed as potential targets for expansion shows how the conference has moved up the non-AQ hierarchy and that the conference can continue to move up as more media and revenue opportunities open up for the Sun Belt. 

While most of the members appear to be content with staying put, a few schools have still had their name appear in the expansion rumor mill. 

North Texas seems to be on Benson's priority list, as he appears to have been head over heels in love with the school since his early days as WAC commissioner.

In an interview he did for North Texas, Benson has been keeping an eye on the Mean Green since 1999: 

"It goes all the way back to 1999, which was the first time that I was on the North Texas campus.  I was on the campus a year ago at this time, trying to convince North Texas to come to the WAC.  I've seen the new stadium, I've seen the unbelievable growth of the university. 

"To look at the University of North Texas today and to see the 30,000-plus students, the new stadium, the commitment that starts at the top with President Rawlins, the fact that there has been continuity with Rick Villarreal, and the fact that it is 35 miles from Dallas and Ft. Worth, those are all components that make it attractive. 

"As I said before, North Texas has been attractive to the WAC for the last 10 years and is currently on the radar for Conference USA.  It is one of the premiere programs in the Sun Belt and I'm looking forward to finally being able to work with Rick and President Rawlins and the outstanding group of coaches that are there. 

"Everyone always talks about 'Who is the next Boise State' and I can honestly say 'why not North Texas?'" 

Having graduated from Boise State and being the WAC commissioner for 18 years has allowed Benson the chance to witness the growth and success of the Broncos first hand, and he obviously sees enough similarities with North Texas for them to be a potential up-and-coming power.

North Texas was targeted numerous times by Benson in the WAC, and the Denton, Texas, school had rejected him on every occasion.  Now he has his chance to work with the Mean Green, but first he has to convince them to not leave for the newly formed conference.

Another school that has popped up in connection with the new merger is Florida International.  The Miami school is the 15th largest university in the country and only started its program in 2002. 

It quickly went from being only known for its brawl with the Hurricanes to back-to-back bowl games and it is a program on the rise. 

Their attendance growth has caused the school to expand the stadium for this coming season, as the north side of the stadium will become enclosed, with suites being built as well. 

The growing support of the program, combined with its size and location, makes FIU an appealing candidate for expansion, and convincing them to stay should be another priority for Karl Benson.

In an interview held during the Sun Belt tournament game between South Alabama and Troy, Benson had stated that several schools are being considered in case they lose some members and that they would like to expand to form two divisions to further help reduce traveling (and to create more attention to the conference in the form of televised championship games).

Schools that have been popping up as possible Sun Belt targets have been:  Louisiana Tech, Appalachian State (North Carolina), UNC-Charlotte, Texas State, UT-Arlington, UT-San Antonio, Lamar (Texas), Georgia Southern, and Georgia State.

Georgia Southern looks good on paper: in the Atlanta-Savannah area, very close vicinity to the Eastern schools, strong fan base, and a very successful athletics program. 

However, a feasibility report done by the school showed that while they would be able to make the leap from FCS to FBS successfully on an athletic level, the financial risks would be high and the alumni/boosters aren't backing the idea with nearly as much enthusiasm as the student body. 

Expect them to take the same route as Montana and remain FCS for a little while longer.

However, according to Russel Wright of Collegiate Consulting, Georgia State is primed and ready for a move, as they have the finances and the location (Atlanta) to make the leap.

“The quality of competition doesn't matter at all. The market drives it more than the on-the-field product.”

The school has an enrollment of 30,000 plus, similar to North Texas and FIU, and $16 million of the $22 million the school receives in revenues come from the students, according to the report.

Appalachian State have decided to pursue upgrading to FBS, based on similar positive reviews in their feasibility report and are already a nationally recognized brand due to the upset over 5th ranked Michigan en route to a third straight national title in 2007. However, they are also on the radar of the MWC/C-USA conference.

Charlotte is an intriguing candidate as they have a very successful basketball and baseball program.  They will begin playing football in 2013, a sport they haven't supported since 1948.  Charlotte also has a past history with the Sun Belt (members from 1976-1991) and C-USA (1995-2005).

Expect to hear this school get considered by the Sun Belt, the new merged conference, and possibly even the Big East. Being located in the 17th largest city in the country is also a bit of a perk.

Lamar is an FCS school based in Beaumont, Texas, and has been rather aggressive in trying to move up to FBS.  Benson has stated that he would like to expand further into Texas to give North Texas a traveling partner. 

Should Texas State, San Antonio, and Arlington decide to stay in the WAC, Lamar could be considered as the next Texas school in the Sun Belt.

Louisiana Tech seems to have been in contact with the MWC/C-USA but have otherwise adopted a wait-and-see approach to realignment.  Where they go is anyone's guess.

"Today is the beginning of the message that the Sun Belt Conference is going to be a player on the college landscape...the Sun Belt is now 10-plus years old (in football) and has established itself, It no longer needs to be considered the lowest rung."

Benson has big plans for the Sun Belt and he has the experience to make those plans bear fruit.  However, the WAC's fast fall was under his watch, and the sudden departure from the conference has raised a few questions and eyebrows.

Things won't be the same for the Sun Belt once Benson get rolling, but will he be able point the conference in a positive direction and keep them going?

Hugh Freeze recently left Arkansas State after one season for the supposed greener pastures and fatter pocket books of Oxford, Mississippi.  While the departure of a head coach is usually followed by a period of recovery and rebuilding, this will not be the case in Jonesboro. 

What may be one of the strangest coaching "trades" in college football turned out to be one of the luckiest moments in the history of Arkansas State Athletics, and perhaps the university itself.  

The SEC, and Ole Miss specifically, gained a heck of a football coach in Hugh Freeze, who replaces the troubled Houston Nutt as head of the Rebels.  This left the Sun Belt Champion Red Wolves without a head football coach.  

What was originally an unforeseen problem ended up becoming one of the biggest surprises of the 2011-12 coaching carousel when Auburn's national championship-winning offensive genius, Gus Malzahn, accepted a position back home in The Natural State.  

The decision to accept a position that had paid Hugh Freeze around $152,000, which is even less than half of the Sun Belt average, was not totally driven by monetary reasons it seems.

It was no secret that Malzahn wanted to someday return closer to home, where he had once run a highly successful high school program, and the beneficiary of those desires is Arkansas State.

Coach Malzahn steps into an ideal situation in Jonesboro.  Hugh Freeze walked into a program as offensive coordinator in 2010 that was nothing to brag about.  Arkansas State had played second fiddle to the Razorbacks on the opposite side of the state for...well, forever.  Freeze made an instant impact, and in 2011 was given the head job.  

The Red Wolves won the Sun Belt, got a bowl bid and gained a ton of national attention for their program.  Enough attention to make Hugh Freeze a household name and a popular head coaching candidate.  When his chance came to make ten times the paycheck, he took it.

Now Arkansas State has one of the premier offensive play-callers in all of college football, and he brings with him a running back in Michael Dyer, who, like his coach, is coming home.  

The Red Wolves will dominate the Sun Belt, and they will do it immediately.  State has a solid roster left behind by coach Freeze, and with Gus Malzahn in charge they will shine.  

Look for big things out of Jonesboro in 2012 and beyond.   

As if Auburn needed any more bad news this season. Well, they got it anyway.

Auburn was in rebuilding mode this season and finished the year with an 8-5 record. They were absolutely unwatchable on both sides of the ball and finished in the 70s in points scored and points allowed. Sure, every game they lost came at the hands of a ranked opponent, but every game they won was sloppy and unconvincing. 

They already lost offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn who went ahead and left for his first head coaching job at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves were also able to land a top quality running back in Michael Dyer, as the Tigers released him last week.

If you're an Arkansas State team, you have to be pinching yourself right now. These type of things don't happen to little teams in the Sun Belt Conference. Not only did you land one of the brightest offensive minds for a head coach, but you got a running back who's rushed for over 1,000 yards his first two seasons.

The Red Wolves will win a lot of games next season.

Malzahn is an offensive genius who is known for his work on that side of the ball. He knows how to put his players in the best position to succeed and will get the most out of those results. He's now taking over a Arkansas State team that went 10-2 this year. They were first in the Sun Belt in points scored, passing offense and total offense.

The only thing they were second in was rushing offense, and that's where Dyer comes in.

Dyer was a top running back coming out of high school and was fantastic his first two years at Auburn. Often overshadowed his freshmen year by Cam Newton, he still rushed for 1,093 yards, averaged six yards a carry and rushed for 143 yards in the national championship victory. If he was able to put up these numbers against SEC defenses, the Sun Belt should be a cakewalk. 

Arkansas State also returns their starting quarterback and three of their four top wide receivers. In a conference where more than half had losing records this season, Malzahn doesn't need much to succeed.

The college football season may have just ended, but you can already pencil in Arkansas State as Sun Belt Champions for next year.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

Less than a week after he was granted his release from Auburn University, running back Michael Dyer is poised to transfer to Arkansas State.

According to a report from the Associated Press, a person with knowledge of the situation claims Dyer will transfer to Arkansas State in the near future, where he will join up with former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

Last Thursday, The Birmingham News reported that Dyer had been granted a conditional release that would allow him to transfer to a limited number of schools. Arkansas State was believed to be on the list.

Rumors of Dyer's transfer have been circulating for several days at this point. Last Wednesday, NationalFootballAuthority.com claimed Dyer had already filed paperwork with Arkansas State with plans to request a medical hardship that would allow him to play in 2012.

This ran contrary to what Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had to say on Dec. 29:

In the middle of December, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik suspended Dyer for undisclosed reasons, and he did not play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia.

Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News noted that only Dyer's stats were featured in Auburn's media guide for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and he wasn't featured at all in the team's video highlight reel.

And Dyer would have been featured. He rushed for over 1,200 yards during the regular season. He also boasts the distinction of having been the Offensive Player of the Game in Auburn's win over Oregon in last year's BCS National Championship Game.

Dyer is also the only running back in Auburn history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.

Right around the time Dyer was suspended by Chizik, Malzahn was stepping down from his post as Auburn's OC, a position he'd had since 2009. 

The Arkansas State Red Wolves have had a breakout season, compiling a record of 10-2 and winning the Sun Belt Conference. First-year head coach Hugh Freeze did an absolutely incredible job of taking a program with little history of success and turning them into conference champions with double-digit wins.

Since transitioning to the FBS level from Division I-AA about two decades ago, the Red Wolves had never managed more than six wins in a season, and they had only managed that feat a couple times.  This year's Arkansas State team shattered the futility surrounding the programing, reaching heights monumental for a team with little history of success.

The GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday presents the Red Wolves with a shot at truly changing the program into a successful one, and shaping a future far more successful than Arkansas State football's past.

Coach Freeze is gone, leaving to coach his home-state team of Ole Miss after impressing the nation with the Red Wolves' turnaround this season. Now is the chance for the Red Wolves to prove that they weren't just a one-and-done product of a terrific coach.

The Red Wolves won't have Coach Freeze when they face off against Northern Illinois this Sunday.  Instead, they will be led by interim coach David Gunn. Winning without Freeze would prove to recruits, fans and the nation as a whole that the program is here to stay.

Freeze's long-term replacement will be highly touted Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who has plenty of name recognition and who will most likely be able to put together some pretty good recruiting classes based on that recognition. Winning the bowl would give a jump start to Malzahn's tenure, as Malzahn chose to retain Gunn on his staff for next season, so success would carry over to next year.

There's also the fact that Arkansas State has never won a bowl game at the FBS level. The first bowl win is always monumental, as evidenced by the national frenzy that followed fellow Sun Belt team Louisiana-Lafayette's first-ever bowl victory last month.

A victory in the GoDaddy.com bowl would also give Arkansas State an outside shot at becoming the first-ever Sun Belt team to reach the top 25 in the polls. It's hard to snub a team that has 11 victories an a bowl win, after all.

The GoDaddy.com Bowl may not capture national attention as much as some of the higher-profile bowls on the days surrounding it, but it carries a world of significance for the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

The Florida International Golden Panthers are set to battle the Marshall Thundering Herd in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl  on Tuesday night, and it's a game the young program cannot afford to lose. 

Last year, the Golden Panthers won their first ever bowl game, and winning in postseason play in back-to-back years will greatly benefit FIU moving forward. 

FIU started its football program in 2002, and this season the Golden Panthers recorded their best season ever at 8-4. 

For the first eight years of playing college football, the Golden Panthers always had a losing record. In fact, they even went 0-12 the year before Mario Cristobal took over as head coach. Cristobal had some rough times, but he's done a tremendous job turning this program around. 

With two consecutive winning records, FIU continues to improve, but it won't matter as much if the Golden Panthers lose to Marshall in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl.

The Golden Panthers have to capitalize on the position they're in, as it could have a big impact in recruiting. Playing in Miami is very appealing to some high school stars, but only if the team is doing well. 

When talking to reporters leading up to the game, athletic director Pete Garcia took a shot at the current state of football in Florida. 

"At 8-4, we don't only have the best record in FIU history, we have the best record in the state of Florida. It's a natural step for this football team to go back to a second straight bowl game." 

Florida, Florida State and Miami have all had disappointing seasons, meaning FIU has to take advantage of this by winning its bowl game in impressive fashion. 

Playing in the national spotlight can either devastate a smaller team's future or help it significantly. 

Senior playmakers T.Y. Hilton and Wesley Carroll will do their part to make sure the Golden Panthers stay competitive in this game. Hilton, the team's leading receiver, and Carroll, the starting quarterback, have been a big reason for FIU's recent success, as well as running back Kedrick Rhodes.

Their competition wasn't too difficult at the end of the season, but this team has the experience to not get too worked up about Tuesday's bowl game. 

In the end, the Golden Panthers need to dominate in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl because it will work wonders for the future of their program.