Sun Belt Football Predictions 2017
By Tyler Smith
#1T Appalachian State 11-1 (8-0)
Coach: Scott Satterfield
Offensive Coordinator: Shawn Clark, Frank Ponce Defensive Coordinator: Scot Sloan, Nate Woody Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium (24,050) 2016 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense:The offensive line is one of the key factors to why this offense has been consistently good. They bring back three starters who have first team talent. The running game will miss Marcus Cox, the schools top RB of all time. With Jalin Moore back after a monster season they shouldn't be too worried. Moore has a chance to break Cox's records within the next two years. Taylor Lamb is back for his final season under center. Lamb has been one of the main reasons that this team has elevated it's game to another level leading them to back to back double digit win seasons. Last season he didn't put up the numbers we are used to seeing but with the running game rolling on all cylinders he wasn't needed to make the big play. This year he will have Sheadon Meadors who caught 45 balls in 2016. Two WR that could slide right into starting roles are Malik Williams and Thomas Hennigan. They both are the top recruits coming into the 2017 season. Defense: App State has proven that they can defend at a high level. They held opponents to under 18 points per game last season. They were on everyone's radar last season after they held Tennessee to 13 points in regulation. The line was especially impressive last season. DE Tee Sims led the team in both sacks and tackles for loss. He will be with starters Myquon Stout and Caleb Fuller. If you are looking for a weakness on this defense, good luck. The linebackers are going to be special this season with Eric Boggs leading the way at ILB. Devan Stringer has had over 60 tackles the past two seasons. OLB Rashaad Townes is ready to breakout in his final season. The secondary brings back two starters one of whom had 5 interceptions last season, Clifton Duck. He performed at a high level as a freshman. Josh Thomas will have the inside track at FS. A.J. Howard is one of the top safeties in the conference. There was hope that Latrell Gibbs would return this season after having been ineligible last season. He had 7 interceptions as a freshman. He announced that he would be playing elsewhere. Special Teams: Kicker Michael Rubino had a rough start to his freshman career but bounced back. In fall camp you will see a battle for the punter spot. Final Thoughts: Expect another special season in Boone, NC. The offense will be booming with Lamb and Moore. The defense will still be at an elite level. The schedule has them not facing Troy or Arkansas State. Their toughest conference game will be at Georgia State. |
Top Returners
Offense Passing Taylor Lamb, JR, QB Rushing Jalin Moore, JR, RB Receiving Shaedon Meadors, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Clifton Duck, SO, CB Sacks: Antonious Sims, SR, DE Tackles: Eric Boggs, Jr, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 10-3 2015 11-2 2014 7-5 2013 NA 2012 NA |
#1T Troy 10-2 (8-0)
Coach: Neal Brown
Offensive Coordinator: Kenny Edenfield and Matt Moore Defensive Coordinator: Vic Koenning Stadium: Veterans Memorial Stadium (30,000) 2016 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense: QB Brandon Silvers is the man. He took his game to another level last season with a completion percentage at 63.7, 23 touchdowns and 3,180 yards. With the amount of talent he has back at WR there is no reason his numbers shouldn't rise again. They won't lose anyone off of the WR unit. Emmanuel Thompson and Deandre Douglas combined for 12 scores and 1,560 yards. The passing attack will be one of the best in the nation. The running game is going to be an asset as well with the talent and depth they have. Jordan Chunn can put up the numbers. Last year he totaled over 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns. The line however is not as established as every other spot on offense. Both tackles will need to be replaced. Last season they only gave up 8 sacks, that will be hard to duplicate this season. Defense: This defensive line is oozing with talent. Last season they had the best run stopping D. This year they bring back both DT so expect that to continue. The edge will have some new faces with Rasool Clemons and Travon Mathis. Seth Calloway has the most experience so he will factor in at DE as well. Zo Bridges is another player that will make an impact this season getting after the QB. He is a budding star for the Trojans. The secondary is strong as well. Kamryn Melton made a big impact for them last season and now enters his final season. Blace Brown will be at the other corner spot. He totaled six interceptions last season. With both safeties back this secondary is going to be good. Last season they only gave up 22.1 ppg so if they can keep it right around their this year 10 wins is possible. Specials Teams: The return game is can't miss action with Jabir Frye back. The kicking and punting game might be action you want to miss since Ryan Kay is gone who handle kicking and punting duties last season. Final Thoughts: We thought Troy would take a step forward last season. They did more than that they won 10 games and damn near took down Clemson. With the amount of talent they bring back on both sides of the ball they could reach 10 wins again. They dodge Appalachian State this season so we will miss out on that great matchup. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Brandon Silvers, JR, QB Rushing Jordan Chunn, SR, RB Receiving Emanuel Thompson, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Blace Brown, JR, CB Sacks: Baron Poole, SR, DT Tackles: Cedarius Rookard, JR, S and Kris Weatherspoon, SR, S Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 10-3 2015 4-8 2014 3-9 2013 6-6 2012 5-7 |
#3 Georgia State 7-5 (6-2)
Coach: Shawn Elliott
Offensive Coordinator: Travis Trickett Defensive Coordinator: Nate Fuqua Stadium: Georgia State Stadium (22,000) 2016 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: The offense had it's struggles last season. Only averaging 19.9 ppg won't win you too many games. That will turnaround this season. The Panthers were without their top play maker, Penny Hart, last season due to injury. As a freshman he was unstoppable. Todd Boyd and Glenn Smith emerged as capable targets, they are back for their final season as Panthers. The line will be strong too with four of five starters back. The running game was not used too often last season but their top back last season was Kyler Neal. Their next best option was a QB who only played in 5 games and has a chance to be the starter this season, Aaron Winchester. Winchester gives the team a different dynamic over Manning. Manning is a pocket passer who threw too many turnovers last season. Eight of his 13 ints came in two games though. He had four games with over 300 yards passing. Defense: The defense did their part last season holding opponents to just 26.6 ppg. With eight starters back it is hard to see this defense taking a step back. OLB Micheal Shaw is the teams top defensive player. Shaw leads the team in tackles and sacks. ILB Trey Payne continues to get better every season. He is now in his final season, which should be his best. All three starters are back on the line. DE Mackendy Cheridor is bound to have a big year. Julien Laurent is the bad man in the middle. The secondary has a wealth of experience. Chandon Sullivan, Jerome Smith and Bryan Williams have all played a key role the past couple of seasons for Georgia State. The lone open spot, safety, will be up for grabs in fall camp. Special Teams: Kicker will be open for the taking in the fall. Punter will be held but Brandon Wright who is up for kicker as well. Penny Hart will hope to bring some positive plays to the return unit. Final Thoughts: This is my Sun Belt sleeper. The defense has a chance to be top three in the league. The offense, as long as one of the two QBs steps up could have a massive turnaround. The schedule has them facing both App State and Troy at new Georgia State Stadium. The Georgia Southern game will be crucial to this team finishing top 3. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Conner Manning, SR, QB Rushing Kyler Neal, SR, RB Receiving Glenn Smith, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Jerome Smith, SO, DB, B.J. Clay, JR, DB, Chandon Sullivan, JR, DB Sacks: Micheal Shaw, JR, LB Tackles: Micheal Shaw, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 3-9 2015 6-7 2014 1-11 2013 0-12 2012 N/A |
#5T Arkansas State 6-6 (5-3)
Coach: Blake Anderson
Offensive Coordinator: Buster Faulkner Defensive Coordinator: Joe Cauthen Stadium: Centennial Bank Stadium (30,964) 2016 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Justice Hansen showed a lot of promise in year one. If he can take it to another level this team will be tough to beat the next few years. Hansen would love to have Cam Echols-Luper back but he is transferring. The Red Wolves still have the top TE in the league, Blake Mack. Three WR that look to emerge this season are Christian Booker, Justin Mcinnis and Kendrick Edwards. The running game was not good overall last season. As a team they averaged under 3.5 yards per carry. Warren Wand and Johnston White will get the majority of the carries. The main concern is the offensive line which doesn't return one starter. They have talent coming into the line but the continuity won't be there right away. An influx of transfer via FBS teams or JUCO will fill in most of the open spots. Defense: The defense was dominate last season. They held 6 Sun Belt teams to under 20 points per game. Only four starters are back from that team. The good news is they have one of the best players in the league back at DE, Ja'Von Rolland-Jones. Rolland-Jones has been making an impact for the Red Wolves since his red shirt freshman season. He has had at least 7.5 sacks and 12 TFL since 2014. The line will also feature former Alabama DT Dee Liner. Liner was thought to be one of the best defensive lineman in his class. The secondary will be filled with transfers as well. Both safety positions feature two JUCO players Darreon Jackson and Micheal Johnson. Blaise Taylor is the lone returning starter. He had 3 interceptions last year. Linebacker Kyle Wilson gets overshadowed by Rolland-Jones but he had a special year as well. He had 80 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. Nickel back Justin Clifton leads the team in tackles with 86. Special Teams: Blaise Taylor is one of the top returners in the conference. Sawyer Williams (K) and Damon Foncham (P) are back for the sophomore seasons. Final Thoughts: The offensive line really concerns me. If they don't gel this offense could be hanging around 27 ppg again. The defense has a chance to be a tops in the conference with the talent that is back. The schedule has a lot of tough road games and Troy at home to finish the year. There will be a huge non-conference game headed to Jonesboro this season though as the Miami Hurricanes come to town. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Justin Hansen, JR, QB Rushing Warren Wand, SR, RB Receiving Blake Mack, SR, TE Defense: Interceptions: Blasie Taylor, SR, CB Sacks: JaVon Rolland-Jones, JR, DE Tackles: Justin Clifton, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 8-5 2015 9-4 2014 7-6 2013 8-5 2012 10-3 |
#5T Georgia Southern 6-6 (5-3)
Coach: Tyson Summers
Offensive Coordinator: Bryan Cook Defensive Coordinator: Zo Costantini Stadium: Paulson Stadium 2016 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: Back to the Flexbone offense for the Eagles. Why they abandon something that was working is beyond me. They now enter 2017 without their top two rushers. The running backs are still strong with Wesley Fields and L.A. Rambsy back. The line should be in good shape with the experience they have back. QB is where the Eagles may struggle. QB's Seth Shuman and Shai Werts are the top two options. You will likely see both until one them take the reigns. They won't go to the air too often but when they do Myles Campbell will be the top target. Defense: The defense had one key issue last season, getting to the QB. They only had 11 sacks and 67 tackles for loss. The top TFL players from last season are gone. The top returning player for sacks is Chris DeLaRosa with 1.5. The Eagles could turn to true freshman to solve this problem. Demetrice Lofton at DT and Brian Miller at DE could be the duo to do that. The linebacker unit is a bit unknown. Chris DeLaRosa has the most experiencing out of everyone, his career high in tackles are 43. Tomarcio Reese comes in from the JUCO ranks and should fill one OLB spot. Todd Bradley has a strong shot at the other OLB position. Overall this unit will see a lot of players hit the field until they find the best group. They have a strong secondary with safeties Joshua Moon and R.J. Murray. Depth, youth at corner. Jessie Liptrot was fourth in tackles as a freshman. You will see plenty of Kindle Vildor, Monquavion Brinson and Christian Matthew as well. Special Teams: Tyler Bass will replace one of the top kickers in the nation last year Younghoe Koo. Matt Flynn is back at punter. Final Thoughts: The offense will lose out on a lot of proven talent from last seasons team but the move to the flexbone is a smart one. The defense doesn't have enough in the front four to put this team higher than 5th. The schedule isn't kind either with both Troy and App State in conference play. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Seth Shuman, SO, QB Rushing Wesley Fields, JR, RB Receiving Myles Campbell, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Joshua Moon, JR, S Sacks: Chris DeLaRosa, SR, LB Tackles: Joshua Moon, JR, S Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 5-7 2015 9-4 2014 9-3 2013 NA 2012 NA |
#5T New Mexico State 5-7 (5-3)
Coach: Doug Martin
Offensive Coordinator: Doug Martin Defensive Coordinator: Frank Spaziani Stadium: Aggie Memorial Stadium (30,343) 2016 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: The Aggies offense had it's ups and downs last season. There is good reason to be optimistic about this years offense. RB Larry Rose is back, as well as, QB Tyler Rogers. Rose has been the starting running back at NMSU since his freshman year. Last season was down due to injuries. This season he will be ready to go. He should be back to his 2015 numbers of 1,500 yards. The line Rose will be running behind has experience. They need to elevate a little bit more to take this team to the top half of the Sun Belt though. The Aggies are glad to have Tyler Rogers back for one final season. Rogers still needs to elevate his touchdown numbers but his interceptions are trending down. He is becoming a threat in the running game but not someone who can dominate you as a rusher. He targets many players in the passing game. They don't currently have a breakout player but they will need to find one this season. OJ Clark caught the most balls last season in his first year but only averaged 7 yards per catch. Izaiah Lottie and Jonathan Boone could emerge as play makers for the Aggies. Defense: Oh, it was bad last season, real bad. The Aggies ranked near the bottom in almost every category. They brought in former Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani to run the defense. Head Coach Doug Martin was an assistant under Spaziani. With nine starters back he should be able to improve this team. The secondary has a chance to improve a lot with four JUCO signee's. They also bring back four starters in the back. Jaden Wright is one of the best safeties in the conference. He had five interceptions last season. Moving to the middle of the defense where the Aggies will be the strongest with Terrill Hanks, Dalton Herrington and Javahn Ferguson. Ferguson was one the teams top tacklers in 2015 but missed the 2016 season. Herrington leads the team in tackles with 113. Hanks is the teams best option to get in the backfield. 11 sacks is not going to cut it this season. The Aggies must find a push up front for this defense to fully turnaround. They have three starters back and add a JUCO lineman Tre Randle. Randle stands 6'7, he will need to show an ability to get in the backfield to earn a starting spot. Special Teams: A new kicker, Parker Davidson, is in Las Cruces, which is good news all around. Punter Payton Theisler had a good season as a freshman. The return units on both sides need massive improvements. Final Thoughts: I have a good feeling about this Aggies team. They have good options at running back and QB they need a WR to emerge though. The defense won't be nearly as bad with Spaziani at DC. If the Aggies can steal a game early that would be a plus. The back end of the schedule should have this team getting wins down the stretch. |
#7 Louisiana 5-7 (4-4)
Coach: Mark Hudspeth
Offensive Coordinator: Will Hall Defensive Coordinator: Charlie Harbison and Mike Lucas Stadium: Cajun Field (36,900) 2016 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: The Anthony Jennings project didn't work out, he was still a bad passer (shocker). Jordan Davis will now enter the season as the main man under center. Davis should help a talented WR corps that's ready to break out. Keenan Barnes and Ja'Marcus Bradley are the top two options from last season. All eyes will be on Calif Gossett in the red zone with his size. The running game has been strong for the Ragin' Cajuns since 2012. They will be without Elijah McGurie who was the teams leading rusher the past three seasons. There doesn't seem to be a next in line guy that has emerged just yet. Sophomore Jordan Wright might end up being that guy. The good news for the running attack is that they will be running behind one of the top lines in the league. Kevin Dotson has first team potential at guard in year two. Defense: While the offense was playing poor the defense was holding it's own. The line will be strong with three returners from last years team that only allowed 129 yards on the ground. Joe Dillion made things happen as a freshman. His 7 sacks last season led the team. Louisiana took major hits in the LB department. They lost both starters, they totaled 195 tackles last season. Replacing that production will be very difficult. TJ Posey has the most experience of the remaining players. His 27 tackles freshman year is a career high total. No team has more experience at safety than Louisiana. Both Tracy Walker and Travis Crawford have been mainstays at the position. Crawford is the top returning tackler with 71. Walker leads the team in interceptions. Damar'ren Mitchell played well for a freshman at corner. Special Teams: Fans were happy with Stevie Artigue season at kicker going 19-24. Steven Coutts left the team to go to Cal. The Cajuns will look to recent transfer Sam Geraci from Cincinnati to fill the void. Final Thoughts: Mark Hudspeth needs to get this program back to the winning side. If Jordan Davis can be the guy at QB they have a chance. With the inexperience at linebacker you have to wonder if that will end up being the pain point for an otherwise strong defense. The Cajuns have a tough road schedule in conference and non-conference play. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jordan Davis, JR, QB Rushing Darius Hoggins, SR, RB Receiving Keenan Barnes, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Tracy Walker, SR, S Sacks: Joe Dillon, SO, DE Tackles: Travis Crawford, SR, S Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 6-7 2015 4-8 2014 9-4 2013 9-4 2012 9-4 |
#8 South Alabama 4-8 (3-5)
Coach: Joey Jones
Offensive Coordinator: Bryant Vincent Defensive Coordinator: Kane Wommack Stadium: Ladd Peebles (33,500) 2016 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: Dallas Davis showed some promise in his sophomore season. He played well in the biggest games of the season but in some of the low key matchups he was poor. His completion percentage will need to improve this season. His first quarter percentage is at 63 percent and by the 4th quarter is goes down to 52.6. Last seasons top 4 receivers have departed. The Jaguars will need some youth to develop for the seasons to come. Sophomores Jordan McCray and Kawaan Baker have a good shot to be those guys. The running backs for South Alabama are much better than their 102nd national rushing ranking. Xavier Johnson and JUCO transfer Tywun Walters are ready to put up big numbers but is the offensive line ready? They have two returning starters plus Miami transfer Tyler Grimsley. The left side should be fine but the right has questions. If the line can get a push that should mean more carries for the running backs which is the strength of this offense. Defense: The defense has play makers at all three levels. The secondary was strong last season and they bring back a bulk of the talent. Jalen Thompson could earn first team accolades this season at corner. Both safeties are back as well. While Jalen Thompson could earn first team accolades, Jeremy Reaves is going to earn it. The line has a chance to be best in the conference. Finesse' Middleton will be a full time starter this season after he had 4.5 sacks last season. Zach Befort and Tyree Turner are in the middle and will look to improve the run defense. Transfer Rocel McWilliams adds to the depth they have at DE. Darrell Songy did nothing but make plays last season. He had 100 tackles and will be called upon to put up big numbers again. The Jags will have to replace a lot of their pass rushing talent from last season. Whoever starts at OLB will play a key role in that. Special Teams: Kicker Gavin Patterson missed 6 kicks last season. With only 16 attempts South Alabama can't afford to have another season like that. A new punter will enter after a great season for the punting unit. Final Thoughts: If the passing game finds threatening WR targets and the line can provide lanes for the running backs they will not be as bad as I have them listed. The defense should be able to keep them in most games. They have a tough road schedule as they play four of my top 5 teams. Had this team had Texas State, ULM and Coastal on the schedule you would see more wins. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Dallas Davis, JR, QB Rushing Xavier Johnson, SR, RB Receiving Maaseiah Francis, JR, TE Defense: Interceptions: Jalen Thompson, JR, CB Sacks: Finesse Middleton, SR, DE Tackles: Darrell Songy, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 6-7 2015 5-7 2014 6-7 2013 6-6 2012 2-11 |
#9T Idaho 3-9 (2-6)
Coach: Paul Petrino
Offensive Coordinator: Kris Cinkovich Defensive Coordinator: Mike Breske Stadium: Kibbie Dome (16,000) 2016 Record: 9-4 The Breakdown Offense: The Vandals were second in scoring last season in the Sun Belt. That may be hard to duplicate with just four starters back. With QB Matt Linehan back they have a chance. Linehan has been the starter at Idaho since his freshman season. He passed for over 3,000 yards last season. His interception to touchdown ratio isn't great but it led this team to 9 wins last season. The line will be crucial to this teams success. Several underclassmen will get a shot to prove themselves this season. The playmakers look solid for Idaho. Wide receivers Alfonso Onunwor, Jacob Sannon and Reuben Mwehla are all senior starters. Linehan did target the TE position a lot last season and the two now graduated players had 89 catches combined. Finding options in the passing game might prove to be a top priority for this offense. With everyone who factored into the running game last season back the run game should be a bit more of a priority depending on how the line shapes up. Isaiah Saunders and Aaron Duckworth are the one two punch to watch out for. Defense: The pass defense was one of the worst in terms of yards but they forced a lot of interceptions. Ranking 10th in the nation in TO Margin will win games for you. They will need to do that again or their win total will sink. The secondary lost several key players including Jayshawn Jordan who had 6 interceptions last year. Two other senior DB had two each. Filling these voids will be huge. Lloyld Hightower is certian to start at corner. Armond Hawkins is the returning free safety. The line has a stud in Aikeem Coleman. Coleman had 8 sacks last season with 11 tackles for loss. He needs another player on the line to develop. The line is not nearly as deep as it was last season. The linebackers are stacked. Tony Lashley went from ten tackles to 107 tackles. He made his presence felt all over the field. Ed Hall and Tony Lashley also were key contributors as sophomores. Expect this linebacker group to earn some accolades this season. Special Teams: When you lose Austin Rehkow, you lose a punter and kicker. Who ends up holding those jobs now, will be determined in practice this fall. Whomever wins the jobs will have the pleasure of kicking inside the Kibbie Dome. Final Thoughts: This will be Idaho's final year at the FBS level. Say goodbye to the Kibbie Dome, folks. Concerns are on both the offensive and defensive lines. The schedule has them facing both App State and Troy. They finish with two tough test at Ga State and New Mexico State. Matt Linehan is going to have to work some magic to get this team back to 9 wins. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Matt Linehan, JR, QB Rushing Isaiah Saunders, JR, RB Receiving Alfonso Onunwor, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Kaden Elliss, JR, LB Sacks: Akeem Coleman, SR, DE Tackles: Tony Lashley, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 9-4 2015 4-8 2014 1-10 2013 1-11 2012 1-11 |
#9T ULM 2-10 (2-6)
Coach: Matt Viator
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Kubik Defensive Coordinator: Mike Collins Stadium: Malone Stadium (30,427) 2016 Record: 4-8 The Breakdown Offense: Well another year where the offense was poor. ULM hasn't scored over 25 points per game since 2012. The running game was a bright spot last season. They have four running backs that got quality exposure last season. They will need to settle in with two backs this season. Austin Vaughn came on strong in the last two games of the season including a 100 yard game vs. App State. Garrett Smith is the front runner for the QB spot. He got injured last season only giving him 8 games of action. If the line can continue to be solid then this offense has a chance to get better. They can not take a step back. They only gave up 19 sacks last year. The WR unit will feature three junior WR. Xavier Brown, Marcus Green and RJ Turner were the top three options last season. Getting over 230 yards per game would be a vast improvement. Defense: Turnover margin was awful. If that number is bad then the defense needed to be great and they were far from it. Four teams scored over 50 points on them last season. Eight starters are back from last season. They will need to continue to build depth across the board. Only three seniors will really factor in for this team. This is a good opportunity to get better and build for next season. If they don't improve on stopping the run then they will have another horrible season. They have three players with quality starting experience back. They need to elevate their game this season. The strongest unit is linebacker where David Griffith and Chase Day return. They were top two in tackles and tackles for loss. Griffith led the team in sacks as well. The secondary had 6 interceptions last season. They lost their best defensive back in Justin Backus. Special Teams: Craig Ford made some improvement last season. If the offense gets better he will be called upon more often. Alex Prince is in at Punter. Final Thoughts: The schedule is not going to make things easy for the Warhawks. They have a good home schedule for the fans with Arkansas State, App State and Ga State featured. Auburn, Florida State and Memphis will be brutal though. The offense and defense still have more questions than answers. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Garrett Smith, JR, QB Rushing Ben Luckett, JR, RB Receiving Marcus Green, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Four Players Tied With 1 Sacks: David Griffith, JR, LB Tackles: David Griffith, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 4-8 2015 2-11 2014 4-8 2013 6-6 2012 8-5 |
#11 Coastal Carolina 2-10 (1-7)
Coach: Joe Moglia
Offensive Coordinator: Jamey Chadwell Defensive Coordinator: Mickey Matthews Stadium: Brooks Stadium (15,000) 2016 Record: 10-2 (FCS) Offense: The offense scored just over 37 points last season at the FCS level. Only 3 starters return from that team though. The most important spot on the team is QB and the Chanticleers have two that are the front runners for the spot Austin Wilson and Josh Stilley. The line is expected to be one of the worst in the conference. If both the line and QB spot don't produce it will be a rough year one for Coastal. It is too bad they won't have RB De'Angelo Henderson for the move to FBS. They do have experience here with Osharmar Abercrombie. The WR unit is weak. Don't be surprised if not one player on the team has over 40 catches. Defense: Last year's defense would have been good for this transition. They held opponents to just under 20 ppg. They lose some serious talent from 2016 team. The defensive line is the strongest spot on the team. Marcus Williamson, Tarrol Stafford and Myles White are all skilled DE. Ja'ree Tolbert and Dwayne Price will hold things down in the middle. Shane Johnson is the top returning linebacker. He had 66 tackles last season. Lawavious Paul and Kerron Johnson will step into OLB. We will see what happens in the secondary. They lose a lot of talent but return upperclassmen at both corner and safety. Behind them is a lot of youth. Fall camp will be more telling on who will earn starting roles. Special Teams: Sun Belt teams will be made aware of Chris Jones when he is back to return. Evan Rabon will be at punter. Masamitsu Ishibashi will likely be the starter at kicker. Final Thoughts: It is year one in the FCS to FBS transition. The Chants would like to have last years roster this season but they will have to make due. The first four games will be huge for Coastal as they are all winnable. |
Top Returners
Offense: Passing: Tyler Keane, SR, QB Rushing: Osharmar Abercrombie, SR, RB Receiving: Chris Jones, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Anthony Chesley, JR, CB Sacks: Marcus Williamson, SR, DE Tackles: Shane Johnson, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals: 2016 N/A 2015 N/A 2014 N/A 2013 N/A 2012 N/A *FCS Team |
#12 Texas State 1-11 (0-8)
Coach: Everett Withers
Offensive Coordinator: Parker Fleming and Zak Kuhr Defensive Coordinator: Randall McCray Stadium: Bobcat Stadium (30,000) 2016 Record: 2-10 The Breakdown Offense: The Bobcats scored 56 points in a win over Ohio U. You would think this would mean a high scoring season. Wrong. The Bobcats ranked 124th in points per game with 18.6. Tyler Jones QB the team last season to no avail. Miss State grad transfer, Damian Williams, is the favorite to win the job. If he doesn't pan out several freshman will be aiming for the spot. Three star, Jaylen Gibson being one of them. The running game was the worst in the nation last season. Is all you need to know is that QB Tyler Jones went from 583 yards in 2015 to -8 in 2016. The line has to be better. With 44 sacks given up and no push up front they were likely the worst line in the country. So they went out and found freshman and JUCO players to help fill that void. Wide receiver is the most talented unit on the offense. They have their top 9 players from last year returning. If the line can keep the QB upright they will get a chance to shine. Defense: The offense was one of the worst in the country, so was the defense. Their is competition all over the field except for linebacker. Bryan London as a freshman had 141 tackles. He was second in the country in that stat. If he ends up with that number again this team has the same issues. He plays next to Gabe Loyd who had 102. Both ILB combined for 243 tackles. That is a big issue. The line will have to improve. If this defense gets better look at the line. Last season they totaled 9 sacks which you would think that could almost happen by accident. Two transfers and Ishmael Davis will hope to restore some faith in this line. The secondary lacks the experience to have a lot of confidence. This whole back end of the defense is up for grabs in fall camp. Special Teams: Last season the Bobcats split time between two kickers. This season they may have both of those players punt as well. Odd situation in San Marcos. Final Thoughts: This team really stands no chance this season. The only unit I can point to that is competitive with other Sun Belt teams is linebacker. They face UL Monroe and Coastal this season. Those will be their best chances for a W. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Connor White, JR, QB Rushing Stedman Mayberry, JR, RB Receiving Tyler Watts, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Stan Kanu, JR, DL Sacks: Gabe Loyd, SR, LB Tackles: Bryan London, SO, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 2-10 2015 3-9 2014 7-5 2013 6-6 2012 4-8 |