Dothan Eagle-Around The Sun Belt

[MeanGreen61]

Post by TrojanWar on the Troy board.

Around the Sun Belt: Mean Green finding it tougher to repeat

Drew Champlin / Eagle Staff Writer

August 5, 2005

In four years, it's been North Texas and no one else.

No one has challenged the Mean Green for the Sun Belt football championship and the league's automatic bid in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Troy Trojans made it to a bowl last year with a strong season that included a nationally-televised win over Missouri and no doubt the league's most exciting play ever when offensive lineman Junior Louissant picked up a fumble and rumbled and stumbled into the end zone, racing past the Missouri defense at record speed and putting the Trojans on the map.

But this year features the best chance the Mean Green will go down. Sure, all-world running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas are there, but there isn't a proven quarterback (or a quarterback that's ever played) that can make the pass when needed. There's too many talented quarterbacks in this league that can win ball games all by themselves. Not to mention, the rest of the league is simply catching up.

Take Middle Tennessee for example. Coach Andy McCollum features the league's top signal caller in Clint Marks. The Blue Raiders were picked third behind North Texas and Troy, but this could be their year.

Other teams who could sneak past North Texas are Troy, if their young talent grows up quickly and Carl Meadows steps up at quarterback, and a dark horse in Louisiana-Monroe. The program has been quickly improving under coach Charlie Weatherbie, and quarterback Steven Jyles is an exciting dual threat.

Steele's pick: For the past seven years, I've been pretty faithful in reading Phil Steele's preseason magazine. Of all the mags, his is the most in-depth and best bang for your buck. The man is a numbers and analysis machine. Adding to that, he's been right much, much more than he's been wrong.

This year, he has Middle Tennessee winning the conference. Sounds like a good pick. The big upset? Not really one, but he's got Troy sixth, ahead of only the two Florida schools.

We'll see how much he pays attention to the Sun Belt when the season's over.

Watch out for the Wave: Florida Atlantic, with 118-year-old Howard Schnellenberger, has made tremendous strides since moving to Division I-A three years ago. He signed on with the program in 1998, built it from scratch, starting in 2001, and helped the Owls become the fastest start-up program to get a victory over a Division I-A team (two games) and became the fastest program to reach the Division II playoffs before moving to I-A in 2003. This year, FAU will be a part of a conference for the first time.

Schnellenberger has been a part of NFL and NCAA champions, and at the Sun Belt Media Days, he sure seemed to have plenty of spunk and energy left in his system. This year might not be the year, with only seven starters returning, but senior quarterback Danny Embick has a chance to be one of the league's best.

Looking for upsets?: Troy put the Sun Belt on the map with its upset of then-nationally ranked Missouri on Thursday night on national TV. Is this a season where we might see more Sun Belt teams knock off higher-tier teams in major conferences? Beating Vanderbilt doesn't count, but here are six games to watch: Sept. 3, Middle Tennessee at Alabama; Sept. 8, Oklahoma State at FAU (Dolphins Stadium on ESPN2); Sept. 17, Troy at Missouri; Sept. 24, Troy at South Carolina; Sept. 24, North Texas at Kansas State; Nov. 19, Middle Tennessee at N.C. State.

Five players to watch: You know about Cobbs and Thomas for North Texas, but here are five players who have a chance to step up into the league's elite. Some are known, some aren't.

n Carl Meadows, Troy, QB ? Meadows threw only four passes last season, but won the job over returning starter D.T. McDowell, who is no longer with the team.

n Drouzon Quillen, ULM, WR ? "Tree," the 6-foot-6 wideout, looks to build on a strong 2004 season after missing '03 to injury.

n Ja'Mel Branch, UNT, DB ? 2001 SBC Freshman of the Year moves to defensive backfield after three years at wide receiver, missing last year to injury.

n Steven Jyles, ULM, QB ? Marks was voted 1st team, but Jyles might be the most exciting quarterback in the conference, with his arm and his feet.

n Eugene Gross, MT, RB ? Injury-plagued career, needs big year to make Marks look even more effective on offense

Final predictions: Since I'll be making weekly game predictions, season predictions had to be made. The Sun Belt will finish in this order: Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Troy, La. Monroe, La. Lafayette, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State, Florida International.

Drew Champlin covers Troy athletics for The Dothan Eagle. His column will appear each week starting football season. He can be reached at dchamplin@dothaneagle.com.

[GreenBat]

Who is this clown? He didn't even mention "The Mighty" Quinn. Or our entire linebacking corps returning. He mentioned Branch, but not Covington. What's up with that?

[PlummMeanGreen]

But this year features the best chance the Mean Green will go down. Sure, all-world running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas are there, but there isn't a proven quarterback (or a quarterback that's ever played) that can make the pass when needed. There's too many talented quarterbacks in this league that can win ball games all by themselves. Not to mention, the rest of the league is simply catching up.

......Carl Meadows, Troy, QB ? Meadows threw only four passes last season, but won the job over returning starter D.T. McDowell, who is no longer with the team.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So Troy U has a QB who has thrown 4 more passes than Mean Green projected starter, ie, one Dan Meager, and that gives Troy U some big advantage? Has this reporter checked the Texas HS football credentials and pedigree of Dan Meager and just how many major schools had him on their prime target list for QB? So the reporter says we don't have anyone who can..............PASS THE BALL?!?!?!? lol!

And which SBC QB won ball games all by themselves last year? None of us would be able to count even one who did that against NORTH TEXAS.

Does this reporter particularly not like the running game and how 2 Mean Green running back (against SBC defenses) could possibly run out time clocks all across the SBC and run the table once again this Fall?

Ok, this guy is a Troy U homer reporter and what more could he have to say other than (perhaps) given a bit more praise to the last 2 year's NCAA National Rushing Leaders? Maybe he over-looked Sir Patrick Cobbs and Super Jamario Thomas, but he for sure won't when Troy U plays NORTH TEXAS on national television this Fall.

Edited August 6, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen