This Week In the Sun Belt

It’s time for college football.

The 2014 kicks off tonight, and it’s a school from the Sun Belt that will be the first FBS school to take the field  It’s the first of a weekend where ten of the league’s eleven teams will be in action.  (South Alabama opens its season September 6^th.  One game is scheduled for tonight,  two more on Thursday and the other seven teams open on Saturday.

WEDNESDAY:  ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT GEORGIA STATE –Atlanta, GA 6pm (ESPNU)

The Panthers get to kick off the FBS portion of college football’s 2014 season as Georgia State hosts Abilene Christian.  Georgia State was 0-12 a year ago and is looking to win its first game as a member of the FBS.  The Panthers are in just their fifth year of football overall.  Trent Miles’ team showed they could be competitive in several games last year, but depth in the second half was their downfall more often than not.  Abilene Christian is in its first season in the Southland Conference after competing as an FCS independent in 2013, going 6-5.  Abilene Christian nearly knocked off New Mexico State a year ago.  The Wildcats are playing the first of two Sun Belt Opponents.  They travel to Troy on September 13^th.

THURSDAY:  WAKE FOREST AT ULM  6pm (ESPNU)

These two teams played a year ago, with ULM taking a 21-19 win in Winston-Salem for their first ever win over a school from the ACC.  The Warhawks have won their home opener five of the last six years, with their only loss coming in a nationally televised shootout against Baylor.  This is the first time the Warhawks have opened the season at JPS Field at Malone Stadium since back in 2007 when they played against Tulsa.  ULM plays three of its first four games at home.  Dave Clawson makes his Wake Forest coaching debut after coming over from Bowling Green State where he was the head coach for five seasons.  True freshman John Wolford is scheduled to start at quarterback for the Demon Deacons.  ULM is the only FBS school that has all of its non-conference games against schools from “Big 5” conferences.

CAL POLY AT NEW MEXICO STATE  7pm ESPN3

New Mexico State was just 2-10 a year ago and second year coach Doug Martin is hoping being in a league and not having to compete as an independent will be the tonic his squad needs to be more competitive.  The Aggies defense gave up 535 points in 12 games a year ago.  They’ll face a Mustang squad that played .500 ball a year ago and was 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference (FCS).  Cal-Poly is a run oriented club that threw the football fewer than 20 times per game last year.  New Mexico State will open conference play next week against Georgia State.

SATURDAY:  APPALACHIAN STATE AT MICHIGAN  11AM (ESPN2)

The Mountaineers return to the site of their program’s biggest win and perhaps the biggest upset in college football history when they take on Michigan.  Back in 2007, App State stunned college football with their 34-32 win over the Wolverines.  The win was part of a national championship season in the FCS for the Mountaineers, who won three consecutive national titles (2005-07).  Neither team had a great season a year ago.  App State went just 4-8 in their final year in the Southern Conference, while Michigan lost six of its final eight games after a 5-0 start.  This is the first game for Appalachian State as a member of the FBS.

TROY AT UAB   11AM—Fox College Sports

Nothing like a little in-state rivalry to get things going.  Larry Blakeney begins his 24^th season as head coach of the Trojans and carries a 34-7 record all time against teams from the state of Alabama.  He is 7-4 in his career at UAB, including a 34-31 overtime win a year ago, a game in which the Trojans trailed by fourteen points entering the fourth quarter.  Bill Clark takes over as the head coach after leading Jacksonville State to the FCS playoffs a year ago.  Experience at quarterback will be one of the story lines in this game.  Troy’s quarterbacks have a grand total of four games FBS experience.  But that’s four more than UAB, who has none.  This will be the sixth straight year the two teams have met on the gridiron.  Troy has won four of the last five meetings.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT N. C. STATE  11:30 (ACC Net/ESPN3)

It’s the first game as an FBS member for Georgia Southern, entering the Sun Belt after compiling six national titles in the FCS.  Playing and competing against an FBS team is nothing new for the Eagles, who knocked off Florida a year ago.  The Eagles game against the Wolfpack will be the first for new coach Willie Fritz who had tremendous success coaching at Sam Houston State.  The Eagles are switching offenses from the triple option to the spread option this year.  N. C. State is coming off a 3-9 season in Dave Doeren’s first year in Raleigh after leading Northern Illinois to an Orange Bowl berth in 2012.  Both Fritz and Doeren are from Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

MONTANA STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE  6pm ESPN3

Another year, another head coach for the Red Wolves as former UL offensive coordinator Blake Anderson takes over for Bryan Harsin, now at Boise State.  This is only the fifth time that ASU has opened at home (second straight) since moving to the FBS in 1992.  Arkansas State has won its last nine home openers at Centennial Bank Stadium.  The Red Wolves have won 41 of their last 50 home games.  The Bobcats were 7-5 last year but struggled at the end, losing their final three games.  Montana State plays its home opener against a school called Black Hills State next Saturday in Bozeman.  This is the fourth meeting between the two schools.  Montana State has won all three previous meetings.

IDAHO AT FLORIDA 6pm (ESPNU)

Paul Petrino (Bobby’s brother) leads the Vandals in his second season after struggling to a 1-11 mark a year ago.  This is the first meeting between the two schools.  Idaho returns to the Sun Belt after spending last year as an FBS Independent.  Florida struggled to a 4-8 record last season under Will Muschamp.  Florida is the only “Big 5” conference school on Idaho’s schedule.  The Vandals play two teams from the MAC and one from the Mountain West.  Idaho was picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt this season.  It is 2,800 miles and three time zones from Moscow, ID to Gainesville, FL.

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF AT TEXAS STATE 6PM (ESPN3)

This is the second straight year UAPB opens the season against a team from the Sun Belt.  The Golden Lions were blown out by Arkansas State 62-11 in Jonesboro last year.  Monte Coleman’s club was 2-9 a season ago.  This is the first time the Bobcats have opened at home since 2009.  Texas State is 17-1 in its last eighteen home openers.  Texas State was bowl eligible in its first year in the league a season ago.  Dennis Franchione’s team is in its third year in the FBS, having spent one year in the WAC before moving to the Sun Belt last year.