UL Lafayette and Arkansas State have been two of the Sun Belt’s top programs for some time, and have both made four consecutive bowl appearances. However, Georgia Southern ended their recent dominance last season, and Appalachian State could also be ready to join the conference’s elite. Both squads combined for a 16-8 record in their FBS debut and were part of the six teams that qualified for a bowl game.
An even more exciting year is coming your way in the Sun Belt. Who will take the conference crown this time around? Read on further for a quick overview of the all 11 teams in the conference, including the names to take note of and their 2015 record predictions.
Can’t get enough of football? Then why don’t you check out as well our in-depth team previews for the Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Texas Longhorns. Enjoy.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015 Sun Belt Season Wins Preview
Georgia Southern Eagles
2014 Record: 9-3 (8-0)
Predicted Record: 10-2 (8-0)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]All eyes are definitely going to be on the Eagles after going undefeated in conference to win the Sun Belt in their very first year as members. Furthermore, they proved they’re indeed the real deal by competing toe-to-toe with Power 5 teams NC State and Georgia Tech last year. The key reason for this success is their offense that ranked 10th overall in points per game (39.1) under first-year head coach Willie Fritz.
Quarterback Kevin Ellison and running back Matt Breida—the heart and soul of the team-both return to lead the team’s prolific offense. Last season, Ellison ran for 1,096 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Breida led the team with 1,485 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. But the biggest question for the Eagles this year would be how to replicate their previous success in the running game with only one returning starter on the offensive line.
Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
2014 Record: 9-4 (7-1)
Predicted Record: 8-5 (6-2)
The Ragin’ Cajuns are going to have a very different look this coming season. Quarterback Terrance Broadway, leading receiver James Butler and versatile running back Alonza Harris have all departed, leaving their offense with big question marks. Louisiana will now look to their star running back Elijah McGuire, the 2014 Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, to carry an even bigger load on offense.
But McGuirre isn’t the only solution to their offense that was No. 1 in the league in red-zone offense. Louisiana still needs to fill in its huge hole at quarterback. Three candidates that only appeared for six games combined last year—Jalen Nixon, Jordan Davis and Brooks Haack—will be fighting for the starting role.
Defense will definitely play a big role in determining the success of the Ragin’ Cajuns. Their defense in 2014 wasn’t phenomenal but still proved its efficiency, placing second in scoring defense and No.1 in red-zone defense. However, they’ll have major holes to fill on this side of the football field with standouts Christian Ringo and Justin Hamilton gone.
Appalachian State Mountaineers
2014 Record: 7-5 (6-2)
Predicted Record: 8-4 (7-1)
After a strong seven-win season, can the Mountaineers continue this run in 2015? It’s safe to say they’ll be legitimate challengers for the Sun Belt crown with 20 starters expected to return this year. The main focus for Appalachian State is to keep up its efficiency in both sides of the field. They boast an offense that averaged 219.8 yards per game, which is fourth in the league. Defensively the team was quite respectable as well, limiting opponents to just 27.3 points per contest.
Expected to be under the spotlight for the Mountaineers will be their second-year quarterback Taylor Lamb. Last year, Lamb ran for 2,381 yards, completed 61.4% of his passes and had 17 touchdowns to his name. Those numbers immediately signaled his spot as one of the Sun Belt’s top rising stars that will play a ginormous role in the success of his team in 2015.
Texas State Bobcats
2014 Record: 7-5 (5-3)
Predicted Record: 9-3 (7-1)
The Bobcats are in a very good position to replicate their success last season. They finished 7-5 and fourth in the conference, but it wasn’t enough to earn them their first Bowl appearance. Nonetheless, it was still a year to be proud of.
Texas State returns 12 starters heading to their 2015-16 campaign. Quarterback Tyler Jones, who is on his third year with the team, will be back once again to lead an improving up-tempo offense that garnered 326.3 yards in 2013 and 464.3 yards last year. Alongside Jones will be his senior tailback Robert Lowe to help him take their offense to the next level.
The defense, meanwhile, is going to be crucial for the Bobcats after the departures of their best defenders David Mayo, Craig Mager and Michael Odiari. It’s going to be a tough task in finding the right replacements. Whoever serves as their replacements on the defensive line will be in a lot of pressure in trying to live up to the expectations.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
2014 Record: 7-6 (5-3)
Predicted Record: 8-5 (7-1)
Offense for the Red Wolves is not going to be a problem this 2015 season. The fact that they have senior quarterback Fredi Knighten at the helm is already a huge boost of confidence. His quickness proved to be his most dangerous asset that helped him and his teammates thrive under head coach Blake Anderson’s up-tempo offense. Knighten completed 62 percent of his passes and ran for 4,000 yards last year.
Arkansas State’s defense could be their biggest waterloo, which they showed during their last seven games last season by giving up 28 rushing touchdowns in that stretch. They’ll hope that the additions of transfers Waylon Roberson, Robert Mondie and Jake Swallley help strengthen their interior line.
South Alabama Jaguars
2014 Record: 6-7 (5-3)
Predicted Record: 5-8 (4-4)
South Alabama probably had the biggest blow of departures in the conference, and will only five have returning starters. That being the case, they needed to get some help for next season. They immediately got a bunch of UAB transfers, who are headlined by quarterback Cody Clements and slot receiver D.J. Vinson.
Both are expected to start but of course it’s going to Clement who’ll be under the a lot of pressure behind center. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Whittier, California missed spring practice due to injury. He also passed for 2,227 yards and 14 TDs last year. Vinson, on the other hand, rushed for 670 yards at UAB and his versatility is what makes him such a dangerous player to have.
On defense, the Jaguars will also need to fill in some needs. Safeties Roman Buchanan and Antonio Carter are the only returning starters and have combined for 128 tackles last season. They’ll definitely be needing some help in the other vacant positions.
Louisiana Monroe Warhawks
2014 Record: 4-8, (3-5)
Predicted Record: 5-7 (4-4)
Offense remains a question for the Warhawks, who ranked last in rushing, total offense and scoring. But adding more to their problems is their instability at the quarterback position with the graduating Pete Thomas.
Expected to replace him behind center is Brayle Brown. Brown has proved to have a very good knowledge of the game and can be relied upon to make the right decisions during crunch time. However, he needs to stay healthy for the whole season in order to keep ULM competitive this year.
Troy Trojans
2014 Record: 3-9 (3-5)
Predicted Record: 3-9 (3-5)
Troy will be introducing a new head coach Neal Brown this upcoming season. Brown was a former offensive coach of the Trojans. He will now have a big task ahead in fixing an offense that ranked tenth in Sun Belt in both scoring and total offense last year.
But on the bright side, they won’t be having any problems behind center, with Brandon Silvers in command. Silvers’ biggest weakness though is his consistency. He had an up and down season but was highlighted by a remarkable accomplishment. The 21-year-old set an NCAA record by completing 70.5 percent of his passes in only his first year.
Idaho Vandals
2014 Record: 1-10 (1-7)
Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)
It hasn’t been easy being a Vandals faithful for the past few seasons. Last year, Idaho managed to win just one game for the third consecutive time. Heading towards the 2015 season, they’ll be hoping to see some progress and better numbers.
Their fortune will be heavily dictated by their second-year quarterback Matt Linehan, who had an inconsistent freshman season. Linehan started all 11 games, completing 58.3 percent of his throws for 2540 yards and 11 TDs. But he had 18 interceptions as well, which will need to be cut down if the Vandals want to take a step towards the right direction.
New Mexico State Aggies
2014 Record: 2-10 (1-7)
Predicted Record: 2-10 (2-6)
New Mexico State’s offense finally found its identity last year and will be looking to strengthen that in the 2015 campaign. This isn’t exactly considered as a success but rather a good start towards a (hopefully) bright future.
Last season, the Aggies averaged 24.5 points per game, which was sixth in the Sun Belt Conference. They might be able to improve on that figure with majority of their offensive line returning. Sophomore Larry Rose III, garnered 1,102 yards in 2014, would likely be their main offensive threat until they find stability in the quarterback position. Tyler Rodgers seemed to be well on his way in securing that spot, but his 23 interceptions season gave the Aggies a reason to think twice about him.
Once the team finally finds their main guy behind center, it’s likely that New Mexico State could finish with a better result this year.
Georgia State Panthers
2014 Record: 1-11 (0-8)
Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)
There’s still a long way to go before the Panthers reach prominence once again. They’ve only gone 2-33 in the past three seasons. But for the 2015 campaign, a little bit of optimism is around the air especially with senior QB Nick Arbuck, who had solid 2014 season by completing 60.4 percent of his passes for 3283 yards and 23 touchdowns. Furthermore, another reason to look forward to is the return of tailback Kyler Nealer, who averaged 5.2 yards per carry in four games before being sidelined due to injury.
But the biggest hole for Georgia Tech has been defense, defense and defense. They gave up 303.4 rushing yards per contest last year, among the worst overall. The Panthers introduce a new defensive coordinator Zane Vance, as they hope he finds a way to improve their front seven come next season. If they do, it won’t be surprising to see them get more than one victory.
Writer’s Prediction:
The Eagles earn back-to-back Sun Belt titles.
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