This Week in the Sun Belt

After a week where the league went 2-9, with both wins over FCS teams, everyone in the league is in action again this week...including the first conference game of the season.  Six schools (including the Cajuns) have their home openers this week. Three schools are on the road playing Power Five schools.  And one is at home against an SEC team.  Beside what's going on at Cajun Field on Saturday, here what's happening.

APPALACHIAN STATE (+17.5) AT #12 CLEMSON--Saturday 11:30am ESPN3---After a breather against Howard, the Mountaineers take a step up this week against one of the favorites in the ACC.  The Tigers from Death Valley (ACC edition) are good on both sides of the football and it will be interesting to see how App fares against one of the nation's best.  The Mountaineers should make it a lot closer than Wofford did (49-10) against Clemson a week ago.

WESTERN MICHIGAN AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (+4.5)  Saturday, 5pm, ESPN3--The Eagles were so inept offensively last week against West Virginia they couldn't even get the ball into the red zone.  The Eagles aren't home underdogs very often, but they're playing a pretty good Broncos team that was more than competitive with Michigan State a week ago.  Georgia Southern will be without quarterback Kevin Ellison for the second straight week.

NICHOLLS STATE AT UL MONROE --Saturday, 6pm ESPN3--The Warhawks defense was good at times against Georgia despite the score, and that defense will be quite a test for the Colonels.  Former UL assistant Tim Rebowe makes his head coaching debut at Malone Stadium for Nicholls, who was idle last week.  The popular Rebowe is already changing the culture in Thibodaux.  But he has quite a task ahead of him.

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT TROY--Saturday 6pm ESPN3--Neal Brown has his first home game as the Trojans play at Larry Blakeney Field without Larry Blakeney.  CSU opened against something called North Greenville last week and won easily.  I thought the Trojans competed against NC State last week...but that defense has to get a lot better.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT TEXAS STATE---Saturday, 6pm, ESPN3--The Panthers opened with a SWAC win over Texas Southern last week and that's a good start for PVAMU.  They'll have a much tougher time against the Bobcats in the TXST home opener.  Dennis Franchione's club is very happy not to be playing Florida State again.  The running game was abysmal for the Bobcats a week ago.  That has to get better, and this week it should.

#21 MISSOURI AT ARKANSAS STATE (+10.5)--Saturday, 6pm, ESPN3---Arkansas State plays its home opener at the refurbished Centennial Bank Stadium and you have to figure it'll be a capacity crowd as an SEC team comes to town.  The Tigers had an easy tuneup against Southeast Missouri last week.  It'll be tougher in Jonesboro, where the home team is pretty tough to beat.  Are you surprised the line is just 10.5?  I'm not.

*GEORGIA STATE AT NEW MEXICO STATE (-6.5)---Saturday, 7pm, ESPN3--The Panthers got five turnovers last week and still managed to lose to a team playing its first ever FBS game.  Georgia State couldn't run the football last week and that has to change if they're going to have a chance.  NMSU didn't show they were any better on defense than they were a year ago.  But the Aggies had only one turnover last week.  If they do that again, they have a good chance to pick up their first win.

IDAHO (+43) AT #8 USC--Saturday, 7pm--{Pac 12 Network)--Idaho couldn't stop Ohio University last week.  Now they get to face a USC team that put up 55 against Arkansas State last week.  Paul Petrino was pretty quiet after last week's loss.  It'll be interesting to see how talkative he is after facing these guys.  Congratulations, Vandals.  You're a bigger underdog this week than Hawai'i is at Ohio State.

SOUTH ALABAMA VS. NEBRASKA (-27)--Saturday, 7pm, Big 10 Network--A heartbreaker for the Huskers in Mike Riley's debut last week, losing right at the end to BYU.  Their hearts are favored to feel better after Saturday against a South Alabama team that had a whopping 18 minutes of possession time...and won...a week ago.  But the Jaguars and their fans should enjoy the experience.  After all, there is no place like Nebraska.