Sun Belt Football

Ever since Dwight Dasher led the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders to their first ever bowl win over Southern Mississippi in 2009, this team has been face down on the floor.

This offseason was particularly rough as the Blue Raiders turned in one of the worst recruiting classes in the nation. Even worse than South Alabama, who just started playing college football.

To make matters even worse, the Blue Raiders opened the season with an ugly home loss to McNeese State, and it seemed that this program was really heading to an ugly place.

With a shocking 21-point win at Georgia Tech to now put them at 3-1 on the season, perhaps the Blue Raiders still have some gas in the tank to get back onto the national stage.

It's important to not get too out of hand over this 3-1 start. To get here, the Blue Raiders beat two of the worst teams in the FBS by defeating Memphis and Florida Atlantic.

This win over Georgia Tech is just one example of why you can't ever overlook any opponent, and the Yellow Jackets did just that.

The Blue Raiders deserve all the credit in the world for turning this season around and giving themselves suddenly something to play for.

Bowl berths are extremely important for programs like Middle Tennessee State, and now they have an excellent chance at winning six or seven games.

On a smaller scale, players getting national attention also can give a program some much needed national recognition.

Benny Cunningham did just that by rushing for 217 yards and five touchdowns in the win against Georgia Tech.

That amazing stat line will get people talking about not only Cunningham, but the program as well.

With their loss to McNeese State, the Blue Raiders needed an upset somewhere along the way to give themselves a chance at making the all important bowl game for these smaller programs.

What this win really did for the Blue Raiders was revamp a program that was struggling in recruiting and losing its small national attention that it gained in 2009.

If the Blue Raiders can get a win against a Louisiana-Monroe program that has suddenly gotten some national recognition, then the Blue Raiders can really get people talking about them.

Out of seemingly nowhere, the Blue Raiders could have gotten back some of that 2009 magic by taking down the Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Arkansas State will be looking to even out its 2-3 record as it travels to Miami to take on Florida International University.

FIU has struggled this season and sits at 1-3 overall and 0-2 in Sun Belt matchups. Another loss to a conference opponent will put the Golden Panthers in a deep hole. 

The Red Wolves are coming off a loss in their Sun Belt opener to Western Kentucky, and they too will be put in an unfavorable situation with a loss.

Here is everything you need to know about this matchup.

Game Day Information

Who: Arkansas St. at FIU

When: Thursday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Miami, Fla.

Stadium: FIU Stadium 

TV: ESPNU

Radio: 107.9 KFIN (Arkansas St.), FIUSports.com

Internet stream: WatchESPN

Arkansas State Depth Chart 

Offense

QB: Ryan Aplin (backup: Phillip Butterfield or Fredi Knighten)

RB: David Oku (backup: Frankie Jackson)

WR: Josh Jarboe (backup: Derek Keaton)

WR: Taylor Stockemer (backup J.D. McKissic)

WR: Julian Jones (backup: Carlos McCants)

TE: Anthony Kincy (backup: Andre Smith or Darion Griswold or Kenny Raines)

LT:Aaron Williams (backup: Kevin Galdino)

LG: Steven Haunga (backup: Taylor Greve)

C: Bryce Giddens (backup: Eric Allen)

RG: Alan Wright (backup: Cliff Mitchell)

RT: Zack McKnight (backup: Steven Stevens)

Defense 

DE:Tim Starson (backup: Darius Dunaway)

DT: Ronnell Wright (backup: Amos Draper)

DT: Ryan Carrethers (backup: Dexter Blackmon)

DE: Eddie Porter (backup: Chris Stone)

LB: Qushaun Lee (backup: Nick Nelms)

LB: Nathan Herrold (backup: LaAngelo Albright)

LB: Don Jones (backup: Kyle Coleman)

CB: Chaz Scales (backup: Jonathan Victorian)

FS: Sterling Young (backup: Tausean Holmes)

SS: Cole Lorigan (backup: Chris Humes)

CB: Andrew Tryon (backup: Artez Brown)

Special Teams

K: Brian Davis

P: Neely Sullivent

LS: Cade Oliver

Kr: David Oku

PR: Rocky Hayes

FIU Depth Chart

Offense

QB: E.J. Hilliard (backup: Favian Upshaw or Loranzo Hammonds, Jr.)

RB: Damian Mallary (backup: Jeremiah Harden or Shane Coleman)

WR: Wayne Times (backup: Nick England)

WR: Jacob Younger (backup: Jairus Williams)

WR: Glenn Coleman (backup: Willis Wright)

TE: Ta’Keen Griner (backup Zach Schaubhut)

LT: Caylin Hauptmann (backup: Edens Sineace)

LG: Giancarlo Revilla (backup: David Istanich)

C: Shae Smith (backup: Donald Senat)

RG: David Delsoin (backup: Jordan White)

RT: Rupert Bryan, JR. (backup: Aaron Nielsen)

Defense

DE: Tourek Williams (backup: Greg Hickman)

DT: Andre Pound (backup: Joshua Fomey)

DT: Isame Faciane (backup: Fadol Brown)

DE: Paul Crawford (backup: Greg Hickman)

LB: Demarkus Perkins (backup: Kenneth Dillard)

LB: Winston Fraser (backup: Patrick Jean)

LB: Jordan Hunt (backup: Josh Glanton)

CB: Sam Miller or Junior Mertile

FS: Justin Halley (backup: Demarkus Perkins)

SS: Johnathan Cyprien (backup: Chuck Grace)

CB: Jose Cheeseborough or Richard Leonard

Special Teams

K: Jack Griffin

P: Josh Brisk

LS: Shae Smith

KR: Richard Leonard

PR: Richard Leonard

  

What This Game Means for Both Teams

The Red Wolves and the Golden Panthers are both searching for their first conference win, and if either doesn’t find it in this game, it may be a long season.

Arkansas State finished with a  perfect 8-0 record against Sun Belt opponents last season, but that feat is already impossible to accomplish again after losing 26-13 to Western Kentucky.

WKU, along with Louisiana-Lafayette and Middle Tennessee, are all undefeated in the conference. ULL is the only team at 2-0 in the Sun Belt, while FIU is the only team at 0-2.

The Golden Panthers went winless in conference games last year, and a victory in this matchup would be a massive boost to their season.

Key Player for Arkansas State: Ryan Aplin, Quarterback

The Red Wolves quarterback was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2011. The senior has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 1,165 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions this season. 

He has also rushed for 193 yards and another score, and he is the driving force behind the team’s offense.

Aplin is both a leader and the team’s most potent offensive weapon. If he is in rhythm on Thursday, the Red Wolves will win this game.

Key Player for FIU: Johnathan Cyprien, Strong Safety

Cyprien currently leads the team with 49 tackles, and he is a physical presence in the secondary. 

The senior strong safety is also the career leader in tackles at FIU, and the Golden Panthers will need him to play up to the standard he has set for himself during his time in Miami.

With Cyprien’s leadership on defense in addition to several tackles from the hard-hitting defensive back, the FIU defense is capable of making a few plays.

Final Prediction: Arkansas State 27, FIU 13

Alpin will ensure that the Red Wolves move the ball, and the Golden Panthers will not be able to keep pace as they drop to 0-3 in Sun Belt games. 

Overcoming a 13-0 deficit against reigning conference champion Arkansas State is hard enough to accomplish. 

Doing that without your starting quarterback? Even harder. 

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers did just that though, thanks to the impressive performance from backup quarterback James Mauro. 

After starting QB Kawaun Jakes suffered an injury to his left knee late in the second quarter and was unable to return to the game, WKU turned to Mauro to start off the second half of play. 

Only seeing action in two previous games this year, the 20-year-old has completed four of six passes for a grand total of 68 yards, with 32 coming on one play. 

Forced into a high-pressure situation like this, the redshirt freshman reacted like one would expect—a three-and-out on his first drive. 

The jitters were gone after that. The next two times the Hilltoppers gained possession, Mauro led his team downfield, capping both drives off with a touchdown pass. 

Hauling in Mauro's first career touchdown was tight end Mitchell Henry, a one-yard pass. The score was also Henry's first career TD, a score that put the Tops on the board for the first time that night. 

An interception gave the ball right back to Western, and the offense led by No. 13 capitalized on the good field position. 

On the third play of the drive, Mauro hooked up with Henry once again, this time on a 22-yard pass to the back corner of the endzone. Their second connection of the night put their team up 14-13, and they never looked back. 

James Mauro finished the game with eight completions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for the first real action of his career. 

The Hilltoppers improved to 4-1 (1-0) on the season as they eventually beat the Red Wolves 27-13. The team's only loss came against No. 1 Alabama. 

Not playing again for another two weeks, the quarterback situation will be an entertaining one to follow. Jakes is off to a stellar start in this 2012 season, but given Mauro's impressive outing, the coaches will have to consider both options. 

Assuming Jakes' injury is nothing serious, the nod will more than likely be given to the senior. Fans of WKU can rest easy, though, knowing the team is in good hands for the next few years with Mauro waiting in the wings. 

The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have shocked the college football betting world this season with their two-game journey through the SEC.

Now they get to play at home for the first time this season, Friday night vs. the 2-0 Baylor Bears (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) and bettors are wondering if they can be trusted with 7.5 points, according to the college football odds comparison.

"The questions are, can they pick up another upset victory, or at least cover the spread as a home dog, or will Baylor go to 3-0 in the post-RGIII era?" OddsShark.com football analyst Jack Randall said in an interview this week.

"Playing on the road as a huge underdog against superior foes carries a different motivation than playing at home against a superior foes and many are worried that this is a perfect letdown spot for the Warhawks."

The game currently sees one of the highest over-under numbers of the week as well. The total settled around 70 early Friday, after opening around 71.5 and dipping as low as 69 at some shops.

UK Monroe is 1-1, splitting two overtime games against big-time opponents. The Warhawks opened their season by beating Arkansas 34-31 in OT in Little Rock and then rallied to force overtime at Auburn before falling 31-28 last Saturday.

The 'Hawks won outright as 30-point dogs vs. the 'Hogs, then covered as 14-point dogs vs. the Tigers.

Junior Kolton Browning, a third-year starter for the Warhawks at quarterback, has completed 62 percent of his pass attempts this season, owns a 6-1 TD/INT ratio and leads the team in rushing.

On the other side of this matchup, Baylor was expected to step back into college football obscurity after Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III left school to join the NFL after last season. However, it's been a case of "so far, so good" for the Bears this year, with two high-scoring victories to their credit.

Baylor won its season opener a couple weeks ago, beating former Southwest Conference rival SMU 59-24, then dispatched Sam Houston State (FCS) 48-23 in last week's game.

Stepping into the big shoes left by Griffin, senior QB Nick Florence has completed 63 percent of his throws this season for better than nine yards-per-attempt, and owns a 7-2 TD/INT ratio.

Louisiana-Monroe returned 13 starters this season, eight on offense, including almost all their skill-position players, from a team that went 4-8 last year. Most experts are picking the Warhawks to finish in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt Conference this season.

Baylor got back 14 starters this year, including eight on defense, from a team that went 10-3 last year. Most experts figure the Bears to finish in the bottom third of the Big 12 this season.

As of Wednesday afternoon, most online sportsbooks were listing Baylor at -7.5 for Friday's game, with a total of 68.5.

These two programs, separated by about 300 miles across the Texas-Louisiana border, have never met before on the football field.

Free Pick

The hometown crowd should certainly be juiced for this one, after their team nearly went 2-0 on the road in the SEC. The concern is that the ULM is vulnerable to a slow start or a bad break and the doubts will come creeping in. We play on Baylor. (Pick courtesy of PickShark.com. Watch for line updates via Twitter.)

The last time the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky beat a SEC opponent was: never. 

Until Saturday night, that is, as they took down the Kentucky Wildcats in an instant classic. 

In what seemed to be the theme for the first half, WKU jumped out to a field goal lead thanks to a first possession interception by UK's Maxwell Smith. 

The pick was Smith's first of the season, but that number rose quickly as the Hilltoppers grabbed four more off the sophomore QB, three of them landing in the hands of Florida transfer Jonathan Dowling.

Western Kentucky held the 3-0 lead heading into the second quarter, but quickly changed that as they scored on their first two possessions. Both scores came via a one yard rush by Antonio Andrews, who was easily the difference maker in this game. 

Kentucky made their move, however, tacking on 10 unanswered points, heading to the half down by seven, but with momentum in their favor. 

Senior Kawaun Jakes and the rest of the WKU offense quickly took the momentum right back as the second half got underway. The team marched 75 yards down the field on a drive that ended on a Jakes pass that found teammate Willie McNeal wide open in the end zone. The score put Western up 24-10 and would be their final score in regulation. 

UK answered yet again though with a touchdown on the following drive. 

With two minutes and 14 ticks left in the game and down by seven, Kentucky would have one last chance to save themselves from the embarrassment of losing to the underdog. Miraculously, they did just that, thanks in large part to a late hit on the Hilltoppers that gave the Cats a much needed first down. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX3r5kXq9dU

Kentucky capitalized on the fresh start with a 22-yard TD pass two plays later to notch things up at 24-all, sending the game into overtime. 

If the game wasn't exciting enough to this point, the two teams took it to a whole new level. 

WKU won the toss, sending Kentucky's offense out on the field to start the extra time. They responded by scoring in just three plays, putting all the pressure on the Tops. 

The life had seemingly been taken out of the visiting Western team and it showed after their first few plays in OT. Kentucky, being the nice team they are, decided to give that life back to them by roughing Kawaun Jakes on a third and seven stop, giving WKU a first down. That first down led to yet another Andrews touchdown rush, his third of the game. 

Showing the guts and tenacity the fans back home in Bowling Green have grown to love, Head Coach Willie Taggart left his offense on the field, going for two and the win. 

With their destiny in their hands, WKU threw a screen pass to do-it-all man Andrews who was lined up as receiver. After catching the ball, making a perfect hesitation move, Andrews wheeled back around and threw it back to QB Jakes on the left side of the field who waltzed past the pylons sealing the win.

This was the first time time the Tops had beat UK in their previous four attempts and their first win against an SEC team in 17 tries. 

Don't call it an upset though. Western Kentucky has now won nine of their last 11 games, the only two losses coming from No. 1 LSU a season ago and the other at the hands of No. 1 Alabama just last week. 

You can call it a statement win, however, something the program had yet to establish until this big win. A big win that will look great on their resume at the end of the year as they look to capture their first bowl berth since joining the FBS in 2008. 

Despite falling to the Auburn Tigers in overtime Saturday afternoon, the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have emerged as one of the biggest surprises in college football.

Another Louisiana-Monroe Southeastern Conference matchup on the road led to another overtime photo finish.

Led by quarterback Kolton Browning and former Army coach Todd Berry, the Sun Belt Conference unknowns have pushed two consecutive SEC teams to the brink in overtime, knocking off one en route to a 1-1 start.

But wait a second. Aren’t these early season games against the Sun Belt Conference supposed to be “rehearsals” for the better SEC teams?

Is it that the dominant SEC is beginning to fall off? With LSU, Alabama and Georgia all in the top 10, that isn’t the case.

It could be that the ULM Warhawks are the real deal.

It’s too bad this is the end of their competition against the SEC in 2012. Browning may have put himself into Heisman contention if he continued to have the exposure he’s garnered over the past two weeks.

Okay, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself there.

However, how unrealistic is it that a seemingly unknown quarterback could emerge from the abyss to change the national viewpoint of himself and his team?

After posting average results in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Browning was not on any prominent award watch list this offseason.

However, after his stunning performance in leading his team to an upset over the No. 8-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, he was recognized as the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week. The Davey O’Brien award is given to the best quarterback at the end of the college football season.

Without the notoriety gained from these two games and the come-from-behind heroics of these Warhawks, you may not have given Browning or his team a second thought this season.

No one, anywhere, predicted this kind of incredible start for these Warhawks.

If they can continue to play at a high level, you may hear their names again during this year’s bowl season.

Through two games, Browning and the Warhawks have already beaten expectations and been the biggest surprise in college football.

Now it’s time to meet those expectations with a dominant run through the Sun Belt.

Follow @BigHoagowski

Mike Hoag is a Trends and Traffic writer for Bleacher Report and also covers the Cleveland Browns and the NFL for the site.

Louisiana-Monroe may still not be considered in the same league as Auburn, but when you beat a team ranked No. 8 in the nation to start the season, you certainly turn some heads.

ULM is coming off a shocking 34-31 overtime victory over then-No. 8 Arkansas last week. 

In that game, Warhawks quarterback Kolton Browning went 42-for-67 for 412 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The junior also rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He accounted for over 87 percent of ULM's offense.

The Warhawks also picked off Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson, and actually knocked him out of the game. Freshman quarterback Brandon Allen was forced to start the second half, which didn't go well for him. He went 6-for-20 for 85 yards, one touchdown and one interception as ULM bounced back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to eventually win the game.

Auburn (0-2) has had a rough start to the season, but the Tigers did lose to two formidable opponents in Clemson and Mississippi State.

Sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier has struggled in his first season starting, to say the least. Through two games, he's gone 24-for-49 for 319 yards (6.5 yards per attempt), while tossing one touchdown to four interceptions.

Against the Bulldogs last week, Frazier had a dreadful performance, going 13-for-22 for 125 yards and no touchdowns to three interceptions.

Also, the running game hasn't been as good without Michael Dyer. Even if you take out Frazier's 20 carries for 13 yards, the Tigers are still averaging a ho-hum 4.8 yards per carry with no rushing touchdowns. 

So what, exactly, does Auburn have?

Well, the Tigers do have a game-changer in defensive end Corey Lemonier. Lemonier has racked up 11 tackles (three tackles for loss) and three sacks so far this season.

Other than that, you can't be too confident in Auburn's play so far. The defense overall has missed tackles left and right and the only player in the secondary who has stood out is safety Demetruce McNeal.

Still, this is ULM, not a major program. 

So what do the Warhawks need to do to pull off a second-straight stunner?

First of all, getting some pressure on Frazier is their best bet. Frazier's numbers so far don't lie. He's looked like a freshman for the majority of the two games and he's also been sacked four times. If ULM can make Frazier uncomfortable, the Warhawks have already shown they can capitalize (two interceptions so far).

Also, the Auburn running game leaves a lot to be desired, but sophomore Tre Mason did have a big game against Clemson to start the season before getting stymied against Mississippi State. Mason rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries against Clemson.

While ULM did a fantastic job against Arkansas running back Knile Davis last week (16 carries, 62 yards), the squad did allow senior Dennis Johnson to rush for 50 yards on seven carries. Auburn may try to find some room running the ball with Frazier struggling, so ULM needs to be prepared.

Last but not least, the Warhawks need to win the turnover battle. There's a chance, given the way he's played so far, that Frazier coughs the ball up on Saturday.

Browning needs to take care of the ball and avoid hurting his team. He took three sacks against Arkansas despite his 67 pass attempts. He figures to see a stronger pass rush this time around and he can't allow Lemonier to rattle him.

The Lousiana-Monroe Warhawks have never had a season in which they finished above .500.  The perennial bottom dwellers of the Sun Belt Conference had never had much to really cheer about.

Until today, that is.

The Warhawks went into Little Rock and pulled off what may very well be one of the greatest upsets in the history of college football, defeating the eighth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in overtime, 34-31.

UL-Monroe QB Kolton Browning put forth a Herculean effort in accounting for nearly 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns, while throwing only one interception.  Browning gave the Arkansas defense trouble all night long, both with his arm and with his legs.

The Warhawks got on the scoreboard first on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Browning to Centarius Donald less than six minutes into the game.  However, Arkansas appeared to right the ship as they then rattled off 28 straight points and appeared to have the game in the bag midway through the third quarter.

The upstart Warhawks would not go away that easily, scoring three straight touchdowns that included a 23-yard pass from Browning to Brent Leonard with less than a minute left, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra quarter, the Warhawks forced the Razorbacks to settle for a field goal, setting themselves up with the opportunity to pull off the upset.  After finding themselves in a fourth-and-1, ULM coach Todd Berry decided to take a gamble and go for it. 

Browning rolled out to his left on a play-action, only to find himself greeted by a wall of Arkansas defenders.  Looking back to his right, Browning saw the field wide open.  He sprinted up the field and towards the sideline, diving across the goal line to give ULM a program-defining victory.

As Arkansas fans stood in stunned silence, the ULM sideline erupted in jubilant excitement, realizing they had just achieved the greatest victory in program history and one of the greatest upsets of all time.