Sun Belt News and Notes

Louisiana:
Not even Mark Hudspeth had them on his ballot.
But after a 41-13 win over Tulane on Saturday, the 4-1 UL Ragin' Cajuns received six votes from coaches throughout the country in this week's USA Today Top 25 college football poll.
"I was glad to see that," Hudspeth said Monday. "But no, mine was not one of those."
"I'm waiting to see how we do these next couple of weeks," he added, "and it very well could be one of mine."
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012210090309&adjusted=1

Lousiana-Monroe:
ULM announced Monday that a ninth football game has been picked up for television this season.
ESPN3 will stream the Warhawks' conference game at Western Kentucky next weekend, marking the seventh straight week the team will receive air time.
The Warhawks will be on the Sun Belt Network for the second week in a row this Saturday when they host Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m. in their first home conference game, but it will be the second time this week that ULM gets to present its team to a bigger audience.
http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20121009/SPORTS/210090329/ULM-gets-more-TV-time-ESPNU-feature

Florida Atlantic:
BOCA RATON — The first four days of FAU's mid-season bye week weren't used to lounge on the beach.
The players bypassed margaritas for lifting sessions, while the coaches turned the two r's of rest and relaxation into one — recruiting.
Four FAU coaches hit the trail for three days, with FAU coach Carl Pelini himself traveling to his old stomping grounds on the plains to offer Iowa Western QB Jake Waters.
Upon returning to Boca Raton, Pelini put the Owls through a workout session that resembled a spring workout more than a game-preparation session. The Owls conditioned and did individual drills to work off a bit of the rust that accrued over the days off. The Owls will have six sessions to prepare for Louisiana-Monroe next week.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-10-04/sports/fl-fau-owls-news-1005-20121004_1_fau-coach-carl-pelini-fau-owls-weight-room

Florida International: 
MURFREESBORO — Florida International, the Sun Belt Conference preseason favorite, has been battered, bruised and limping along through a disappointing season thus far.
But relief for FIU could be at hand just as MTSU arrives in Miami for Saturday’s game.
FIU quarterback Jake Medlock (foot) and running backs Kedrick Rhodes(ankle) and Jeremiah Harden (ankle) could all return from injuries against the Blue Raiders.
http://www.dnj.com/article/20121009/BLUERAIDERS01/310090007/FIU-may-healthy

Troy: 
TROY — Troy football players are reinstituting an old campus rule covering student attendance at a midweek football game.
For Thursday’s home game with Western Kentucky, the Trojans have hauled out the heralded Levi Brown-Bear Woods proviso requiring student attendance.
The penalty remains the same: Any absent student will be punched in the face.
“They don’t have any excuses,” receiver Justin Albert said. “They always say, ‘Oh, we got Alabama playing. Oh, we got Auburn playing.’ Well, it’s Troy’s night.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20121009/SPORTS0404/310090011/Troy-Football-Trojans-look-spark-from-fans?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports

South Alabama: 
MOBILE, Alabama -- All James Elliott could do was wait. After transferring to South Alabama from Kentucky, making the move so he could be closer to his Pensacola home and his seriously ill mother Pamela, Elliott petitioned the NCAA to grant him a hardship waiver. If granted, it would allow Elliott to play immediately for the Jaguars and not force him to go through the usual one-year waiting period after transferring from one Football Bowl Subdivision team to another.
South Alabama Football James Elliott 2012 South Alabama offensive lineman James Elliott takes a break during practice Tuesday, March 20, 2012, in Mobile, Ala. Elliott, a Pensacola native and transfer from Kentucky, was cleared by the NCAA recently to play immediately for the Jags. He will be available for Saturday's game at Arkansas State. (Press-Register/Mike Kittrell) Mike Kittrell | mkittrell@al.com
"Immediately'' took a little longer than expected and desired.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/10/elliott_cleared_by_ncaa_to_pla.html

Arkansas State: 
JONESBORO, Ark. (10/8/12) – Arkansas State University’s Qushaun Lee has been chosen this week’s Sun Belt Conference Football Defensive Player of the Week for his noteworthy performance in last Thursday’s victory at Florida International as released this Monday (Oct. 8) by the conference office.  
The A-State sophomore linebacker played an integral role in the Red Wolves’ 34-20 conference win at FIU last Thursday (Oct. 4) night with a game-high 12 tackles (nine solos), an interception and a pass break-up.  Lee led an ASU defense which held the Golden Panthers to 308 yards in total offense and 3.9 yards per play in the contest, not including a FIU 33-yard run on a fake punt.  Lee’s interception, his first of this season and third of his career, led directly to A-State’s fourth touchdown of the game to give the Red Wolves a 27-10 advantage midway through the third quarter.  Lee stepped in front of FIU quarterback Loran Hammonds’ pass at the Panther 28-yard line and returned the ball two yards to set up ASU’s second-quarter score.
http://www.astateredwolves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=35558&SPID=2798&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205707492&DB_OEM_ID=7200

Western Kentucky:
 Perhaps in seasons past, a bye week meant going back to square one at Western Kentucky.
Not in 2012.
For the first time since 2006, WKU (4-1, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference) comes out of an off week after a win.
“It’s a little different after a win,” said senior tight end Jack Doyle, who has never experienced an off week after a victory with the Hilltoppers. “You get in and focus on the things you need to focus on, and we got some good work in. It gave you new energy to bounce back and come in on Saturday and Sunday and I thought we had a really good day (Sunday).”
WKU coach Willie Taggart said Sunday was one of his team’s best practices of the year, surprising considering the Tops had three light workouts last week and two off days before returning to campus this weekend.
“Our guys were focused,” he said. “They’re really paying attention to the details of what the coaches are asking them to do and we didn’t have a lot of repeats. Guys knew who they were blocking and where they were going. A big part of it was the communication. I heard a lot of guys talking in the things they see and that was great to get from our guys, is hearing that communication.”
http://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/hilltoppers-still-focused-even-after-idle-week/article_9c55dd06-122a-11e2-9dd1-001a4bcf887a.html

North Texas: 
North Texas had hoped to bring Freddie Warner back sometime late this season to help bolster its secondary during a late push for a winning record and a trip to a bowl game.
Now UNT is just hoping the sophomore cornerback’s career isn’t completely over.
Warner tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during spring practice.
UNT head coach Dan McCarney confirmed Monday during the Sun Belt Conference’s coaches teleconference that Warner tore the ACL in the same knee a second time while going through the rehabilitation process.
Warner will undergo a second ACL reconstruction surgery on his knee, ending any hope he will return this season and putting his future in 2013 and beyond in question.
http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20121009-football-unts-warner-out-for-season.ece