Sun Belt preview: Ragin' Cajuns primed to end bowl drought
by J. Darin Darst
Louisiana-Lafayette's Rickey Bustle and his players got a first-hand look at what it's like to be in a bowl game last season. The only problem was they were watching Arkansas State playing on their home field in the New Orleans Bowl.
The Ragin' Cajuns closed the season with five consecutive victories and tied for the Sun Belt Conference crown in 2005, but lost out on a tiebreaker, dropping a 39-36 decision to the Indians.
"I told them before the bowl game -- for you guys that go to the game and watch it on TV -- if we took care of business like we should have, we would have been playing," said Bustle. "It is the true understanding that every play counts, every game counts."
With 13 starters returning, including quarterback Jerry Babb and running back Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette is the easy favorite to win the Sun Belt and reach its first bowl game since the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl.
"We're trying this another way because we've always been picked last and in the middle, so we'll try it this way and see what happens," joked Bustle. "We are excited about it, we appreciate the respect others have in our program and coaches, but it's something that has to be settled on the field, not in the magazines."
Sun Belt
Predicted Finish
1. Louisiana-Lafayette
2. North Texas
3. Middle Tennessee
4. Louisiana-Monroe
5. Arkansas State
6. Florida International
7. Troy
8. Florida Atlantic
Team to beat:
Louisiana-Lafayette
Sleeper team:
Middle Tennessee
Offensive MVP:
Tyrell Fenroy, La.-Lafayette
Defensive MVP:
Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas St.
Coach of the year:
Ricky Bustle, La.-Lafayette
Babb enters his senior season as the leader of an offense that led the conference in scoring (26 ppg). He is also the most-accurate passer in school history and has 1,130 career rushing yards.
He will be behind a very experienced offensive line, led by all-conference tackle Brandon Cox. The running game, which ranked seventh in the nation with 254 yards per game, will once again be strong as Tyrell Fenroy returns for his sophomore season.
On defense, the Ragin Cajuns will be in good shape with the return of defensive end Tony Hills and a very experienced secondary.
If everything falls into place, Louisiana-Lafayette will get a real bowl experience Dec. 22 against a Conference-USA opponent.
Offensive MVP
Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette: The sophomore should end up having a monster season playing behind a very experienced line. He gained 1,053 yards on 179 carries as a freshman and really came on at the end of the season, gaining 569 yards during the final four games.
Defensive MVP
Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State: The league's best safety led the team with 112 tackles last season and added two interceptions. He has already been an All-Sun Belt selection as a freshman and sophomore and will no doubt make it three in a row this year.
Predicted Finish
1. Louisiana-Lafayette: With the conference's best offense and a solid defense, the Ragin' Cajuns should finally win the Sun Belt. The rest of the league saw what this team is capable of after they closed out the season with five consecutive victories.
2. North Texas: After a disastrous 2005 season, the Mean Green look to get back to a bowl game. It all starts with the running game and Jamario Thomas. If he is 100 percent healthy, North Texas will have a very good offense. The defense is solid and is led by LB Philip Graves and DB Aaron Weathers.
3. Middle Tennessee: Eight starters are back on offense, including quarterback Clint Marks, who has started 21 consecutive games. The defense is the best in the conference and led by LB J.K. Sabb, who led the team in tackles last season.
4. Louisiana-Monroe: Sophomore Kinsmon Lancaster takes over under center after throwing just 24 passes in 2005. He'll also have a new running back in Erroll Hogan. The defense is the strength, especially in the secondary where Kevin Payne and Chaz Williams are first team all-conference members.
5. Arkansas State: After winning the conference crown last season, Arkansas State should take a step back this season. It will have to replace leading rusher Antonio Warren and QB Nick Noce, but does return WR Levi Dejohnette. DB Tyrell Johnson leads a solid defense.
6. Florida International: The Golden Panthers have a very explosive offense as QB Josh Padrick has his top wide receiver (Chandler Williams) and tight end (Samuel Smith) returning. The biggest problem is on defense, where the team has trouble holding opponents under 30 points. Keep an eye on LB Keyonvis Bouie and DE Antwan Barnes; both who are very good.
7. Troy: The Trojans biggest issue will be inexperience, but if they come together they could be the surprise. Omar Haugabook, a junior-college transfer who threw for more than 5,000 yards and 40 TDs at Dodge City Community College, is expected to be the starter at QB. The defense is led by DB Leodis McKelvin, who is also a standout in the return game.
8. Florida Atlantic: The running game should be average with the return of Charles Pierre and Aaron Sanchez, who redshirted last year recovering from a broken ankle. The Owls open with five consecutive road games, including Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina.
by J. Darin Darst
Louisiana-Lafayette's Rickey Bustle and his players got a first-hand look at what it's like to be in a bowl game last season. The only problem was they were watching Arkansas State playing on their home field in the New Orleans Bowl.
The Ragin' Cajuns closed the season with five consecutive victories and tied for the Sun Belt Conference crown in 2005, but lost out on a tiebreaker, dropping a 39-36 decision to the Indians.
"I told them before the bowl game -- for you guys that go to the game and watch it on TV -- if we took care of business like we should have, we would have been playing," said Bustle. "It is the true understanding that every play counts, every game counts."
With 13 starters returning, including quarterback Jerry Babb and running back Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette is the easy favorite to win the Sun Belt and reach its first bowl game since the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl.
"We're trying this another way because we've always been picked last and in the middle, so we'll try it this way and see what happens," joked Bustle. "We are excited about it, we appreciate the respect others have in our program and coaches, but it's something that has to be settled on the field, not in the magazines."
Sun Belt
Predicted Finish
1. Louisiana-Lafayette
2. North Texas
3. Middle Tennessee
4. Louisiana-Monroe
5. Arkansas State
6. Florida International
7. Troy
8. Florida Atlantic
Team to beat:
Louisiana-Lafayette
Sleeper team:
Middle Tennessee
Offensive MVP:
Tyrell Fenroy, La.-Lafayette
Defensive MVP:
Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas St.
Coach of the year:
Ricky Bustle, La.-Lafayette
Babb enters his senior season as the leader of an offense that led the conference in scoring (26 ppg). He is also the most-accurate passer in school history and has 1,130 career rushing yards.
He will be behind a very experienced offensive line, led by all-conference tackle Brandon Cox. The running game, which ranked seventh in the nation with 254 yards per game, will once again be strong as Tyrell Fenroy returns for his sophomore season.
On defense, the Ragin Cajuns will be in good shape with the return of defensive end Tony Hills and a very experienced secondary.
If everything falls into place, Louisiana-Lafayette will get a real bowl experience Dec. 22 against a Conference-USA opponent.
Offensive MVP
Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette: The sophomore should end up having a monster season playing behind a very experienced line. He gained 1,053 yards on 179 carries as a freshman and really came on at the end of the season, gaining 569 yards during the final four games.
Defensive MVP
Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State: The league's best safety led the team with 112 tackles last season and added two interceptions. He has already been an All-Sun Belt selection as a freshman and sophomore and will no doubt make it three in a row this year.
Predicted Finish
1. Louisiana-Lafayette: With the conference's best offense and a solid defense, the Ragin' Cajuns should finally win the Sun Belt. The rest of the league saw what this team is capable of after they closed out the season with five consecutive victories.
2. North Texas: After a disastrous 2005 season, the Mean Green look to get back to a bowl game. It all starts with the running game and Jamario Thomas. If he is 100 percent healthy, North Texas will have a very good offense. The defense is solid and is led by LB Philip Graves and DB Aaron Weathers.
3. Middle Tennessee: Eight starters are back on offense, including quarterback Clint Marks, who has started 21 consecutive games. The defense is the best in the conference and led by LB J.K. Sabb, who led the team in tackles last season.
4. Louisiana-Monroe: Sophomore Kinsmon Lancaster takes over under center after throwing just 24 passes in 2005. He'll also have a new running back in Erroll Hogan. The defense is the strength, especially in the secondary where Kevin Payne and Chaz Williams are first team all-conference members.
5. Arkansas State: After winning the conference crown last season, Arkansas State should take a step back this season. It will have to replace leading rusher Antonio Warren and QB Nick Noce, but does return WR Levi Dejohnette. DB Tyrell Johnson leads a solid defense.
6. Florida International: The Golden Panthers have a very explosive offense as QB Josh Padrick has his top wide receiver (Chandler Williams) and tight end (Samuel Smith) returning. The biggest problem is on defense, where the team has trouble holding opponents under 30 points. Keep an eye on LB Keyonvis Bouie and DE Antwan Barnes; both who are very good.
7. Troy: The Trojans biggest issue will be inexperience, but if they come together they could be the surprise. Omar Haugabook, a junior-college transfer who threw for more than 5,000 yards and 40 TDs at Dodge City Community College, is expected to be the starter at QB. The defense is led by DB Leodis McKelvin, who is also a standout in the return game.
8. Florida Atlantic: The running game should be average with the return of Charles Pierre and Aaron Sanchez, who redshirted last year recovering from a broken ankle. The Owls open with five consecutive road games, including Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina.
