SouthernCollegeSports.com
SEARCH SCS.com
SCS.com HOME
CONTACT SCS.com
SCS.com FORUM
 THE COLLEGE CORNER
CONFERENCE PAGES
 ACC
 Big East
 Big Ten
 Big XII
 CUSA
 MAC
 Mountain West
 PAC 10
 SEC
 Sun Belt
 WAC

2005 SCS.com College Football Preview
2005 SUN BELT FOOTBALL PREVIEW
powered by GREATSEATS.COM
July 18, 2005

NCAA Football Tickets | 2006 ACC Tournament Tickets | Final Four Tickets

PREVIEW HOME PREVIEW FAQ
PROJECTED STANDINGS TEAM PREVIEWS
CAN'T MISS GAMES ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

PROJECTED STANDINGS

TEAM SBC OVERALL
North Texas 6-1 7-4
Middle Tennessee 5-2 6-5
Troy 5-2 6-5
Florida Atlantic 4-3 4-7
Louisiana-Monroe 3-4 4-7
Louisiana-Lafayette 2-5 4-7
Arkansas State 2-5 3-8
Florida International 1-6 2-9

TEAM PREVIEWS

SCS.com NORTH TEXAS
Last Season: 7-5 / 7-0
Starters Returning: 5 offense, 4 defense
Projected wins: Tulsa, ASU, at FIU, ULM, ULL
Projected losses: at LSU, at KST
Toss-Ups: at MTSU, Troy, at LT, at FAU
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-4 / 6-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Mean Green were the conference's best a year ago, and not much is changing. Thomas and Cobbs make up one of the most powerful RB combos in the country.

SCS.com MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Last Season: 5-6 / 4-4
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 8 defense
Projected wins: Akron, ULL, at FIU, ASU, ULM
Projected losses: at ALA, at NCSU
Toss-Ups: NTX, at VAN, at FAU, at Troy
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-5 / 5-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Blue Raiders were less than stellar in 2004, but QB Clint Marks is the league's best and should improve his TD to INT ratio. Three BCS opponents hurt the overall record.

SCS.com TROY
Last Season: 7-5 / 5-2
Starters Returning: 4 offense, 4 defense
Projected wins: CalPoly, FIU, at ULM, at ULL, at ASU
Projected losses: UAB, at MO, at SC
Toss-Ups: at NTX, FAU, MTSU
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-5 / 5-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Trojans had their ups and downs a year ago and return just eight starters. QB D.T. McDowell must play like the star he was proclaimed to be.

SCS.com FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Last Season: 9-3
Starters Returning: 4 offense, 4 defense
Projected wins: ULM, at ASU, at FIU
Projected losses: at KU, OKST, at MINN, at LOU
Toss-Ups: at ULM, MTSU, at Troy, NTX
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-7 / 4-3
BOTTOM LINE: FAU returns just eight starters from a team that beat Hawaii, North Texas, and MTSU in 2004. They meet those same three again this fall, and only the Trojans away from home.

SCS.com LOUISIANA-MONROE
Last Season: 5-6 / 4-3
Starters Returning: 6 offense, 6 defense
Projected wins: NWST, ASU, FIU
Projected losses: at WYO, at GA, at FAU, ARK, at NTX, at MTSU
Toss-Ups: Troy, ULL
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-7 / 3-4
BOTTOM LINE: ULM has the potential to finish better than projected here, but having to travel to North Texas, MTSU, and FAU hurts their chances. WR Drouzon Quillen is a star in the making.

SCS.com LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
Last Season: 4-7 / 2-5
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 5 defense
Projected wins: NWST, UCF, FIU
Projected losses: at TX, FAU, at MTSU, Troy, at NTX
Toss-Ups: at EMU, at ASU, at ULM
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-7 / 2-5
BOTTOM LINE: A second-week game at fairly weak Eastern Michigan will tell whether this team will put up a fight this fall or be content to finish in the back of the pack.

SCS.com ARKANSAS STATE
Last Season: 3-8 / 3-4
Starters Returning: 4 offense, 6 defense
Projected wins: UTM, FIU
Projected losses: MO, at OKST, FAU, at MTSU, Troy
Toss-Ups: at ULM, ULL, at Army
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-8 / 2-5
BOTTOM LINE: The Indians hung tough with the likes of Memphis and Mississippi a year ago and will again be BCS tested this fall. RB Antonio Warren will have to carry the load.

SCS.com FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Last Season: 3-7
Starters Returning: 8 offense, 9 defense
Projected wins: FAMU
Projected losses: at KST, at TT, at Troy, NTX, MTSU, FAU
Toss-Ups: at ASU, at ULM, at ULL
PROJECTED RECORD: 2-9 / 1-6
BOTTOM LINE: Division I newcomer Owls went just 3-7 against a 2004 schedule that contained only three D-I teams. That isn't the recipe for success in 2005.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Tickets | Nokia Sugar Bowl Tickets | Rose Bowl Tickets

FIVE CAN'T MISS GAMES

September 10 North Texas at Middle Tennessee
October 1 Troy at North Texas
November 19 Middle Tennessee at Troy
November 12 North Texas at Florida Atlantic
October 15 Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

OFFENSE
OL Brandon Cox JR Louisiana-Lafayette
OL Jason May JR North Texas
OL Germayle Franklin JR Middle Tennessee
OL Dylan Linberry JR North Texas
OL Justin Ernest SR Louisiana-Lafayette
RB Jamario Thomas SO North Texas
RB Patrick Cobbs SR North Texas
WR Johnny Quinn JR North Texas
WR Drouzon Quillen JR Louisiana-Monroe
TE Samuel Smith JR Florida International
QB Clint Marks JR Middle Tennessee
DEFENSE
DL Brandon Guillory SR Louisiana-Monroe
DL Tony Hills JR Louisiana-Lafayette
DL Jeff Littlejohn SR Middle Tennessee
DL Quinton Staton SR Middle Tennessee
LB Brandon Monroe SO North Texas
LB Bernard Davis SR Troy
LB Shomari Earls SR Florida Atlantic
DB Johnny Faulk SR Troy
DB Tyrell Johnson SO Arkansas State
DB T.J. Covington SR North Texas
DB Willie Hughley SR Florida Atlantic
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Nick Bazaldua SR North Texas
P Joel Stelly SR Louisiana-Monroe
AP Leodis McKelvin SO Troy

Orange Bowl Tickets | Virginia Football Tickets | Maryland Football Tickets

Photos Courtesy: mtsusidelines.com, springhill.esc7.net, bowlbound.com, ulmathletics.com, collegefootballnews.com, asuindians.com, beaconnewspaper.com

 > Talk about it in The College Corner...

U.S.A.
CONFERENCE SITES
COLLEGE WEBSITES
SOUTHERNCOLLEGESPORTS.COM
Copyright © 2005 SouthernCollegeSports.com. All rights reserved. This website is an unofficial and independently operated source of news and information not affiliated with any school, team, or league.