Sun Belt Power Rankings (9/5/17)

The Sun Belt featured close calls in week one. Arkansas State gave everything they could handle and the Sun Belt as a whole represented itself as a tough out for nearly any team in the nation.

1. Appalachian State (0-1, 0-0): You could make a case that Arkansas State looked like the best team in the Sun Belt in week one, but I will not hold a poor performance by the Mountaineers in week one against them. They have a chance to regroup and recover with a cupcake game versus Savannah State.
2. Arkansas State (0-1, 0-0): Wait, don’t the Red Wolves normally struggle in non-conference play before kicking it into gear in Sun Belt play? This group looks ready to contend with everyone, but must make it through a gauntlet that includes Miami (FL) and SMU.
3. Troy (0-1, 0-0): The Trojans had Boise State on the ropes at times, but could not string together enough offense to pull off arguably the biggest win in a very long time. With Alcorn State, NMSU, and Akron in the next three weeks, expect the Trojans to be halfway to bowl eligibility when they face #12 LSU.
4. Idaho (1-0, 0-0): The Vandals struggled a bit in a season opening win, but are still easily the fourth best team in the conference. They cannot afford to lose to an angry UNLV squad with a trip to Western Michigan on the horizon.
5. Louisiana (1-0, 0-0): I don’t even know how to describe Saturday night for the Ragin’ Cajuns. They were dominated in nearly every facet of the game, but got two kickoff returns for touchdowns and a stand at the end and got the win. Up next is a Tulsa team looking to prove their doubters wrong.  
6. New Mexico State (0-1, 0-0): Let’s be honest, after the third quarter, the Aggies never really had a chance to win over Arizona State. Still, they fought to the end, put up 31 points, looked respectable versus a PAC 12 program. If the defense is improved, they have a chance to get to six wins.   
7. South Alabama (0-1, 0-0): For a half, the Jaguars looked poised to beat a Mississippi team from the SEC for the second time in two years. Those hopes faded fast as they gave up 27 points in the third quarter and lost big to the Rebels. With Oklahoma State, Idaho, and Louisiana Tech still on the schedule before October, this could be a tough month for South Alabama.
8. Coastal Carolina (1-0, 0-0): The Chanticleers have to earn their way up the rankings, but more wins over FBS opposition will help the cause. They could hypothetically head into October 4-0 with winnable games versus UAB, Western Illinois, and ULM. They could also easily lose all three.
9. ULM (0-1, 0-0): Huge underdogs to Memphis, the Warhawks made things a bit more stressful before bowing down in the rain. Don’t expect Riley Ferguson to be held under 100 yards passing once again, so props to the ULM defense.  
10. Georgia Southern (0-1, 0-0): Look, I know they were playing Auburn, but 78 total yards is embarrassing. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt this early in the season. Up next is a matchup with FCS program New Hampshire.
11. Texas State (1-0, 0-0): The Bobcats won and that is all that matters. It was not pretty and Houston Baptist had chances, but a win is a win. Colorado, Appalachian State, UTSA, and Wyoming await the Bobcats to end September.  
12. Georgia State (0-1, 0-0): Getting dominated at home versus Tennessee State was not the way to open a new home for the program. There is talent on the roster, so hopefully, this is a blip on the radar like a loss two years ago to Charlotte that led to an eventual bowl berth.

Top Group Of 5 Quarterback Battles For 2017

The 2017 season is quickly approaching and many teams do not know who will take the first snap as starting quarterback. For some teams, it may come down to the final moments before the opening drive while others already have a strong idea. 

Some, like Georgia Southern, may not have a clue what they are going to do with the season just a few short weeks away. 

Let's take a look at some of the top G5 quarterback battles heading into the season. 

Temple:

• 2016 Quarterback: PJ Walker
• 2017 Candidates: Anthony Russo (R-Fr.), Logan Marchi (So.)

It seems like PJ Walker was the quarterback for Temple for seven years. The four-year starter finally left for graduation and professional football after throwing for over 10,000 yards and 74 touchdowns in 49 games played.

A redshirt in 2015, Logan Marchi won the backup role as a redshirt freshman, seeing action in five games. He only attempted six passes for 29 yards, barely making a dent in the 2016 final statistics. The Connecticut native was a dual threat in high school with over 3,000 yards passing and over 500 yards rushing as a senior. Marchi is the most experienced quarterback on the current roster.

Arguably the best quarterback prospect to sign with Temple in program history, Anthony Russo is likely the top challenger for Marchi. Russo redshirted as a freshman to save as much eligibility as possible for the future. For many within and outside the program, it is not a matter of if but when Russo finally earns the job. Currently, this race is a toss-up with Marchi holding a slight advantage.

Do not count out junior Frank Nutile or freshman Todd Centeio, but they are both long shots for the starting job.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Logan Marchi.

East Carolina:

• 2016 Quarterback: Philip Nelson/Gardner Minshew
• 2017 Candidates: Gardner Minshew (Jr.)/Thomas Sirk (Sr.)

The 2016 season for the Pirates was an unmitigated disaster due in part to instability behind center. The new coaching staff moved James Summers to running back (great move) with the belief that former Minnesota quarterback Philip Nelson would be the answer. Nelson played well at times but struggled with injuries on multiple occasions.

One of the final players added to the 2016 roster by head coach Scottie Montgomery, Gardner Minshew quickly earned the backup role to Nelson after stepping foot on campus. The JUCO transfer stepped in and threw for 1,347 yards and eight touchdowns in limited duty. Minshew has starting experience after making the final two starts of 2016 versus Navy and Temple.

A quiet pickup that could turn into one of the best graduate transfers in all of college football, Thomas Sirk followed his former offensive coordinator to ECU with hopes of earning the starting job. Sirk looked on pace to have an excellent senior season after throwing for 2,624 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior in 2015. Instead, the Florida native ruptured his left Achilles tendon and had to take a medical redshirt. That marked his second Achilles injury after rupturing his right one in 2013. If he is fully healed, he is the favorite to win the job.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Thomas Sirk.

Connecticut:

• 2016 Quarterback: Bryant Shirreffs/Donovan Washington
• 2017 Candidates: Donovan Williams (So.)/Bryant Shirreffs (Sr.)

Of the many teams that needed better play behind center in 2016, the Huskies were the most desperate. Incumbent starter Bryant Shirreffs could not get anything going offensively for the program all season long, before finally losing the starting job to freshman Donovan Williams. Despite burning his redshirt, the Huskies saw no improvement in the passing game under Williams either.

Unless Edsall knows something we do not about either of these two quarterbacks, the Huskies could be in line for another long fall in the AAC. I didn’t even list him as a true candidate but do not be overly surprised if David Pindell works his name into the mix before the season opener versus Holy Cross.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Bryant Shirreffs.

Florida Atlantic:

• 2016 Quarterback: Jason Driskel/Daniel Parr
• 2017 Candidates: Jason Driskel (Jr.)/De’Andre Johnson (So.)

 Another year and another year of question marks behind center. Driskel beat out Daniel Parr last season and was solid, but never did anything that wowed the rest of Conference USA in leading the Owls to another disappointing 3-9 season.

The offseason saw FAU bring in a new head coach (Lane Kiffin) and a quarterback looking to reset his college career (De’Andre Johnson). The redshirt sophomore signed with Florida State out of high school over offers from the who’s who of college football. He was kicked off the team before playing a snap and went the JUCO route. Kiffin brought him in with the expectation to start.

Many have written off Daniel Parr, but Kiffin is not a conventional coach. Parr is in the running (on the outskirts) until told otherwise.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: De’Andre Johnson.

Southern Miss:

• 2016 Quarterback: Nick Mullens/Keon Howard
• 2017 Candidates: Kwadra Griggs (Jr.)/Keon Howard (So.)

The 2017 season, second under Jap Hopson, will finally give us a true glimpse of what the former Alcorn State head coach has in store for the program. The Golden Eagles have to replace several important players on offense, but none are bigger than quarterback Nick Mullens.

The good news for Southern Miss is that true freshman Keon Howard got a chance to get on the field and get reps. The bad news is how poorly he performed during that starting quarterback tryout. Howard was a highly ranked recruit out of high school and may turn out to be a star, but he was a disaster with a 44% completion percentage and only 365 yards in four games played.

The original plan for Hopson and company in 2017 was for Kwadra Griggs to play the role of backup while Howard sat as a redshirt. Griggs instead struggled in the classroom and had to redshirt the 2016 season instead. All indications point to his head being on straight and ready to take the starting role. I feel like this is Griggs’ job to lose.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Kwadra Griggs.

Northern Illinois:

• 2016 Quarterback: Anthony Maddie/Ryan Graham/Drew Hare/Daniel Santacaterina
• 2017 Candidates: Ryan Graham (Jr.)/Daniel Santacaterina (So.)

The 2016 season was an abject disaster for the Huskies due to a game of musical chairs behind center. Drew Hare was the projected starter and made it all of two games before being lost for the season. Ryan Graham took over for two starts before giving way to Anthony Maddie. The third quarterback made it through five starts and was lost for the season. Graham took over again for another two starts before quarterback #4 came into play. Daniel Santacaterina took over and led the Huskies to a season finale win over Kent State.

Now that we got through all that, the battle is between Graham and Santa. Graham has much more experience and I do not think he will be the starter to end the season, but I think he starts the season under center. Keep the name Marcus Childers in your mind as well for later in the season because it’s not NIU if one quarterback makes it through the year unscathed.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Ryan Graham.

San Jose State:

• 2016 Quarterback: Kenny Potter/Josh Love
• 2017 Candidates: Josh Love (So.)/Montel Aaron (Fr.)

Honestly, not many people outside of the Mountain West Conference really paid much attention to the Spartans issues at quarterback in the offseason. Kenny Potter struggled to find his groove in 2016, but he is still better than either option this fall.

Josh Love was the backup and saw limited action in 2016. He did not impress that much when getting on the field, giving him a very small advantage heading into the fall.

It was tough at times, but the Spartans were able to redshirt highly touted Montel Aaron for this season. Head coach Brett Brennan inherits a 6-5 beast of a quarterback that looks ready to see significant playing time for the next four years. Aaron is a much more mobile and explosive quarterback that is not afraid to make mistakes. I believe that Love starts the season opener before giving way to the Montel Aaron era of SJSU football.  

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Josh Love.

Nevada:

• 2016 Quarterback: Tyler Stewart/Ty Gangi
• 2017 Candidates: David Cornwell (Jr.)/Ty Gangi (Jr.)

Last season was a weird one for the Wolfpack. They were not very good in going 5-7 but still had a chance to win three more games if a play or two went differently. Tyler Stewart was the man for the first 2/3 of the season, but struggled with injuries and finally succumbed for the year in game eight.

Ty Gangi took over and proved to be a more explosive option behind center, despite being less accurate than his predecessor. Gangi gives the coaching staff a more mobile quarterback option behind center, forcing defenses to play more man to man with no help over the top. If Gangi wins the job, he could become “Big Play Ty.”

The only thing keeping Nevada from giving the starting job to Gangi is yet another disgruntled former Alabama quarterback. David Cornwell was a former four-star quarterback that never got a chance to prove his worth in the SEC. He is a strong-armed signal caller that could thrive in an Air Raid offense. The offensive philosophy of new head coach Jay Norvell is the reason Cornwell will win the starting job.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: David Cornwell.

Louisiana:

• 2016 Quarterback: Anthony Jennings
• 2017 Candidates: Jordan Davis (Jr.)/Dion Ray (So.)

After looking impressive as a redshirt freshman in 2015 while seeing action in limited duty, Jordan Davis looked to many as a top candidate to start at quarterback for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Instead, the coaching staff brought in LSU graduate transfer Anthony Jennings and Davis slipped down the depth chart. Rather than a breakout 2016 season, he had a total of 44 yards of total offense for the year. He is the most experienced and ready to play quarterback on the roster.

Then you have the tricky case of Dion Ray. The sophomore found time in the Cajuns backfield and rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries while attempting only one pass. He is a talented player that deserves as many touches as possible, but will likely see more action in Wildcat formations as a run-only quarterback.

Also, do not count out JUCO transfer Andre Nunez as a dark horse candidate.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: Jordan Davis.

Georgia Southern:

• 2016 Quarterback: Kevin Ellison/Favian Upshaw/Seth Shuman
• 2017 Candidates: Seth Shuman (So.)/Shai Werts (R-Fr.)/Kado Brown (Jr.)/Jaalon Frazier (Fr.)

There are entrenched quarterbacks and quarterback battles all over the nation, but the Eagles are the only program in the nation with what can only be described as a quarterback royal rumble. Seth Shuman is the only quarterback on the roster with experience after his redshirt was inexplicably burnt last fall. He would seemingly be the favorite to win the position, but honestly, no one has much of a clue what will actually happen.

Former Army quarterback Kado Brown could be the top candidate outside of Shuman to earn starting reps.

• 2017 projected season opening starter: No idea.

Other possible battles: Old Dominion (Blake LaRussa/Drayton Arnold/Jordan Hoy), Western Michigan (Confusion with Tom Flacco leaving for Rutgers). 

Sun Belt Week Five Review

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with the Sun Belt going 4-6. Conference play kicked into gear with three Sun Belt games taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week five Sun Belt football action.

Sun Belt Week Four Review

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with the Sun Belt going 2-6 with one conference game taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week four Sun Belt football action.

Sun Belt Week Three Review

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with Sun Belt going 5-3 with no conference games taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week three Sun Belt football action.

Sun Belt Conference Week Two Review:

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with the Sun Belt going 6-5 with only one conference game (Ga. St-NMSU) taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week two Sun Belt football.

G5 Season Leading Rushers: Post-Week Two

Two G5 rushers have broken the 300 yard mark with Ray Lawry actually breaking 400 yards for a FBS leading 438 yards in the first two weeks of the season. The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA lead the way with 3 players making the top 10 a piece, followed by the Sun Belt with 2, American with one, and Army with one. The MAC has none.

Sun Belt Week One Review

With one week in the books, who were the biggest winners and losers of the opening week?

Sun Belt Predictions

When people hear the Sun Belt Conference, they tend to think of the bad and the teams that left for CUSA among other places. In reality, the Sun Belt is an up and coming conference that has been smart in adding Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. Let's take a look at the Sun Belt and how I see things shaking down.

Sun Belt Players to Watch

There are lots of players to watch in the Sun Belt this fall throughout the conference. Let's take a look at a few from every team in the league:

2015 Sun Belt Conference Games To Watch

Conference games to watch: 

Top Sun Belt Non-Conference Games

Non-Conference Games to watch:

2015 Sun Belt Football Schedule

Sun Belt Schedule:

Top CUSA Non-Conference Games

Conference USA has quite the slate of non-conference games in 2014 with matchups versus P5 programs dotting the landscape. Here is a look at ten of the biggest non-conference games involving Conference USA teams in my opinion. **These games are not listed in any particular order**

TOP NON-CONFERENCE GAMES:

Top 15 G5 Running Backs

15 best G5 running backs:

Why your team will win the Sun Belt Title

Why your team will not win the Sun Belt Title

11 named to the Walter Camp Award Watch List

Walter Camp Award Watch List:

Group of Five players on the Maxwell Award watch list

2015 Maxwell Award watch list

Each year the Maxwell Football Club presents the Maxwell Award for the College Player of the Year. This award is presented in honor of Robert W. (Tiny) Maxwell, legendary college player, official and sports columnist.

Group of Five Players on the Hornung Award Watch List

2015 Hornung Watch List: