Sun Belt Predictions

[CrappDaddy]

I think that our quartebacks will determine the season. Mcguire was pretty shaky last year against Arkansas state but made the big plays when it counted. If he can build on that success, the offense should be fine. I don't reaaly expect much from our defense. They should be better than last year but I don't think they will be real hard to score on unless Fouqier gets them on the same page. Watching 6 out of 12 games last year, that defense seemed to be very unorganized and out of place. I really hope I'm wrong.

[Just1More]

_ It is rebuilding when you lose 3 of your most prolific players at skill positions in recent memory. To replace 75% of your offense with inexperienced freshmen and sophmores is exremely difficult. I understand your thought process since we are experienced everywhere else but it seems premature to put a prediction on how these youngsters will perform. _

It's extremely common for sportswriters, unaffiliated with a program's details, to look first at the experience of the starting QB. They then look at the yards from returning RBs and WRs. There is little room (or required room) to look further, in their situations. Only a knuckelhead sportswriter would take those "stats" on UL and try to devise some other way of figuring out how we are going to measure up better in a conference where they don't study any other teams in any other greater detail.

Even inside the SBC community most cannot figure out how we are going to make up for the yards provided by Fenroy and MD... and the overall athletic ability of Chery. If you look at yards alone, and don't consider the balance of an offense that is required to win more than .500 games... you wouldn't give us any chance whatsoever.

The irony in football is that you can have a breakaway running QB, a phenominal RB, and a super athlete at WR, and not win many games. You can have an average running and fairly good passing QB, a solid RB or RBs, and several good route running and good hands WRs and TEs and destroy everyone you play. I watched it happen to UL over and over again the past 10 years.

Another irony against UL the past many many years... just about every opponent we faced that had a phenom at RB or QB, has almost never had a career day against us. We usually shut down that individual... but lose the game. We've also allowed some of the most average group of offenses to move down the field on us... if they just use a balanced offensive attack. I could care less if we don't have individual record-setting players next year. I do care that we begin running an offense and defense that limits weaknesses at any particular aspect of the game. THAT has always been OUR weakness.

[zephyr]

_ 6-6 is status quo and could keep him here another year. Anything less, after 7 years, he gets no pass. He could have substituted more to get players ready for this year. In fact, I wonder if he had played a QB other than Desormeaux vs. UTEP and saved MD for conference, could we have pulled out one more win and gone to a bowl game. We lost anyway and it was meaningless conference-wise. Cherry was great in a few games but non-existent in others. With a more balanced offense this year, losing MD and Fenroy may not impact us as much as everyone thinks. And, it is time for our defense to step up. It is Fouquier's 3rd or 4th year. He has recruited to his schemes, he has everyone back including those key players injured last year and has more depth at DL. We should be able to minimally win 6 games and hopefully a 7th game to insure a bowl bid. There is no reason we should lose to Southern, N. Texas, WKU, and ULM at home. Expectations should be to at least split with FAU at home or FIU, with at least one other conference win vs. ASU, MTSU or Troy at home, coupled with a possible upset of K State. At least, that is my prediction for the season. Overly optimistic? Perhaps. Realistic? I hope so. We'll see. _

Here's a question. If we win all the games you say we should BUT lose the game you call an upset, how does that make your season any less substantial? You said it yourself that we would have to upset a K-State to do it so if we don't but we win the games we should and split some that are toss-ups, then how does a 6 win vs. 7 win season change in your mind. I only ask since you obviously draw the line calling 6 wins status quo but 7 wins optimistic and successful.

Also, MD's injury had little to do with us losing our two conference games we did lose at FAU and Troy. If you don't remember, we were drilled and gave up a ton of points because we had no more defensive players to rely on thanks to injury. We were outmanned from the beginning.

Substituted? We bring in fresh guys at every position but QB on both offense and D. IMO, we play too many guys and you don't sacrifice talent on the field for another player because you think he might get hurt until the game is not in question any longer. That is just deflecting blame and I don't think its fair.

You are correct about the Chery comments and the D. Chery was a great player but his receiving stats were a little skewed by 2 good games. The D is much more experienced and I agree, they should be much more improved this year.

[zephyr]

_ 6-6 is status quo and could keep him here another year. Anything less, after 7 years, he gets no pass. He could have substituted more to get players ready for this year. In fact, I wonder if he had played a QB other than Desormeaux vs. UTEP and saved MD for conference, could we have pulled out one more win and gone to a bowl game. We lost anyway and it was meaningless conference-wise. Cherry was great in a few games but non-existent in others. With a more balanced offense this year, losing MD and Fenroy may not impact us as much as everyone thinks. And, it is time for our defense to step up. It is Fouquier's 3rd or 4th year. He has recruited to his schemes, he has everyone back including those key players injured last year and has more depth at DL. We should be able to minimally win 6 games and hopefully a 7th game to insure a bowl bid. There is no reason we should lose to Southern, N. Texas, WKU, and ULM at home. Expectations should be to at least split with FAU at home or FIU, with at least one other conference win vs. ASU, MTSU or Troy at home, coupled with a possible upset of K State. At least, that is my prediction for the season. Overly optimistic? Perhaps. Realistic? I hope so. We'll see. _

I'm tired of the status quo argument. Nobody wants to only win 6 games and be happy but there are so many factors to overcome to building this program into what we want, its probably going to take longer than many want. However, one factor to play into this is that we will have one less out of conference game to play making our chances of 7 win seasons much more likely and raising the level of expectation. With the questions we currently have and tough out of conference schedule, I say 6 wins is acceptable this year. However, the addition of the extra conference game AND experience and talent we will have on both sides of the ball next year, I'd say that 7-8 wins should be the measuring stick

[RaginCajun09]

AND ANOTHER PREVIEW

http://cfn.scout.com/2/856002.html

[Just1More]

Shux, I just figured out a use for these predictions, but my girlfriend says I'm leaving ink smears on my ass cheeks.

[RaginCajun09]

ANOTHER PREVIEW .. and the MAC is the worst conference now!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...w-and-rankings

[RaginCajun09]

This is kinda interesting .... A 2005-2008 Sun Belt Review

http://leftyloon.blogspot.com/2009/0...2005-2008.html

[zephyr]

_ ANOTHER PREVIEW .. and the MAC is the worst conference now!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...w-and-rankings _

Doesn't surprise me. I think the SBC is improving much more rapidly than many think, especially the Ruston boys. I don't think Tech would finish 2nd in the SBC this year....Oh I forgot, I'm jealous and need to shut my mouth!

[shof]

_ Doesn't surprise me. I think the SBC is improving much more rapidly than many think, especially the Ruston boys. I don't think Tech would finish 2nd in the SBC this year....Oh I forgot, I'm jealous and need to shut my mouth! _

Yea, just more Tech envy.

[RaginCajun09]

a great preview

http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/06/ncaa...l-preview.html

[RaginCajun09]

Short and sweet preview

http://www.10starpicks.com/articles/...ce-Preview.cfm

[Turbine]

On the loss of UL's studs and having to replace them . . .

When my friend Troy G. reminded me of this I didn't try to read more into it and I hope you don't either . . .

What happened the year AFTER Payton Manning left Tennessee?


igeaux.mobi

[RaginCajun09]

Here is a summary of all the previews posted so far!

2009 Sun Belt Previews

1. http://www.sports2debate.com/index.p...cles&Itemid=15

2. Ragin Cajuns Preview http://www.collegesports-fans.com/fo...s-preview.html

3. http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/a...s_sunbelt.html

4. http://www.bettorsworld.com/2009/sun...ce-preview.htm

5. http://cfn.scout.com/2/856002.html

6. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...w-and-rankings

7. 2005-2008 Review http://leftyloon.blogspot.com/2009/0...2005-2008.html

8. http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/06/ncaa...l-preview.html

9. http://www.10starpicks.com/articles/...ce-Preview.cfm

[rbilleaud]

As much as we'll miss Fenroy this year, my bigger concern is at QB. Every QB we've had since Delhomme has been something of a disappointment. The only reason Desormeaux had the numbers he did was because of the presence of Fenroy and Cherry. Now without those two producers on offense and no returning starter at QB, I have serious concerns. Perhaps McGuire or Mason will surprise me, I hope so, but I'm not counting on it. I hope Bustle will not hesitate to pull the trigger with Gautier if we are not getting production out of the other two; given Bustle's past tendency to stay with something that may not be working, I'm not optimistic there either. To me, there's nothing wrong with a good, healthy quarterback controversy, I think it pushes each to outdo the other. Spurrier has used this formula several times in the past to great effect and Richt used it with David Green and D.J. Shockley at Georgia a few years ago. In fact, speaking of Georgia, when Matt Stafford started to fall apart early in his sophomore year, Richt brought Brandon Cox in to compete for the starting job. After a few games like that, Stafford straightened out and became the no. 1 pick stud he is today. If there is a serious question with Mason or McGuire, I say use em both and throw Gautier in there too for good measure.