Sun Belt Shines

Traditionally, Sun Belt teams are the ones that the big conference schools schedule early on in the season when they are tired of beating up on themselves in intra-squad scrimmages and need someone else to practice with prior to the rigorous conference schedule beginning.  They may also schedule them for homecoming when they need a guaranteed win for the students, alumni and distinguished guests (recruits).  It’s a symbiotic relationship from which both schools benefit: the big school gets a pretty much guaranteed win, and the smaller programs get a big payday for their school.

Things have changed though.  Last year, Louisiana Monroe went to Tuscaloosa and came out of Bryant-Denny Stadium with a win over SEC powerhouse Alabama.  Yes, the same Alabama Crimson Tide that has 12, count ‘em, 12 national titles.  Troy beat the Cowboys of the Big Twelve’s Oklahoma State, too.

So far in this young season, Sun Belt teams have come close to playing spoiler in some big conference school’s seasons.  In week one Arkansas State beat Texas A&M and in week two Middle Tennessee beat Maryland, who then beat #23 California.  On top of the victories, Sun Belt teams, with the exception of our beloved Golden Panthers, have been able to play competitive football, too.  Last week Arkansas needed a last minute touchdown to beat ULM.  This past weekend MTSU played Kentucky very closely, as did Arkansas State with Southern Miss, Brett Favre’s alma mater.  Louisiana-Lafayette almost sipped the fun out of Champagne, Illinois, losing to Ron Zook’s 24th ranked Fighting Illini 20-17.  I also believe that, had it not rained as badly as it did, FAU might have been able to beat Michigan State in East Lansing.  Instead, Mother Nature did her part to shut down Rusty Smith and the high flying offense of the Owls.  I don’t know who to blame Cortez Gent’s sudden case of the dropsies on though.

Granted, the Goliaths that have fallen at the hands of Davids of the Sun Belt have been  middle of the pack teams, with the exception of Alabama.  The Sun Belt has yet to conquer the Floridas, Ohio States and Texas’ of the world, but that day may dawn sooner than later.  Maybe the Sun Belt teams aren’t too far from passing their counterparts in Conference USA or the MAC as the whipping boys of the NCAA.  

Is this the week that FIU’s football program gets the signature win it so desperately needs?  Perhaps.  After all, FIU did play well against Kansas, despite what the lopsided score would indicate.  Our opponent this week, the Bulls of the University of South Florida, who are led by stud quarterback Matt Grothe, needed a heroic effort from their star to rally past the Jayhawks in Tampa this past weekend.  

USF may be the most talented team we’ll face all season.  They play with speed and finesse on offense and hit hard on defense.  But we are opening our new stadium this week and I’m sure that Coach Cristobal is pounding that into the boys every day in practice.  The university has invested a ton of money not only in the construction of the stadium, but in the marketing of this as a program on the rise.  The last thing they want to see is the Panthers getting blown out in The Cage‘s inaugural game. 

Show the Ladies Some Love

In all my excitement over the start of college football season, I forgot to mention the other fall sports teams that have already started their seasons at FIU.  The women's and men's soccer teams are both off to winless starts, although they both have schedules loaded with top-notch opposition.  The men, in only their second match of the season, played the top ranked team in the country.  Meanwhile, the women have dropped some close match ups to Florida Gulf Coast and Miami, as well as a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Buffalo, in which the Lady Panthers outshot the Bulls 25-8.

In the meantime, the football team had a respectable showing in Lawrence, Kansas against the 14th ranked and heavily favored Jayhawks.  Unfortunately, if you weren't in Kansas, you didn't get to see any of it.  From what I have read, highly touted speed demon punt returner T.Y. Hilton, whose number teammates have gotten to know very well while chasing him down the field  all summer long, looked fantastic in returning a Kansas punt 74 yards for the Golden Panthers' only touchdown of the game.  

As suspected, Paul McCall was the starting signal caller for FIU and is rumored to have looked very good when the offensive line gave him time.  He finished the game 10 of 28 for 73 yards and two picks.  He also rushed for 26 yards, showing that those mobility drills that he has been enduring over the past spring and summer have paid off.

The defense supposedly had the Kansas O confused early on, forcing a fumble and a three-and-out punt on the first and second Jayhawk possessions, respectively.   Also, the defense held Kansas to 384 total offensive yards.  That same Kansas offense torched the FIU defense for 615 total yards en route to putting up 55 points last season.  Overall, I remain optimistic for this season.  The defense seems to be living up to its hype and the offense can only get better.

In case any of you missed it, the Golden Panthers will hold an open scrimmage in their brand new stadium, which is appropriately being dubbed The Cage, on September 11 at 7 o'clock.  The scrimmage is open to the public and admission and parking are free.  Also, stay tuned to FIUsports.com to learn when and where there will be a viewing party for this weekend's football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten.  Or, if you are lucky enough to get the Big Ten Network, you can watch it at home (but where is the fun in that).

Now, on to the pride of the Panthers, the women's volleyball team.  Right now they have more wins (4) than the other fall sports teams combined.  This past weekend, they won the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C., beating the host and 19th ranked Tigers in the process.  They were led by preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Yarimar Rosa, who had a double-double in all three tournament games.  On their way back to Miami, the ladies stopped in Greenville, S.C., where they continued to dominate the schools from the Palmetto State by beating Furman.  The unbeaten Lady Panthers' first action on their home court will be Friday, September 12, when they host the two-day FIU Tournament.  Other teams participating in the tournament include Penn, Oral Roberts and Central Florida.

A quick blurb on my Atlanta trip, I had a lot of fun.  We didn't get into the game, there were many more people looking to buy tickets than there were selling and we all know what happens when demand is greater than supply, the price goes upward.  We ended up at a small microbrewery/sports bar with a bunch of other Bama fans who were also left ticketless.  The group of us had a lot of fun together even though there were a few of them who were beyond the "I drank so much that I have to high five anyone and everyone around me anytime that Bama does something even remotely positive.  While I'm at it, I think I'll spray them with saliva, too," stage of inebriation.     

I stayed with my cousin Laurae and her husband Jim while there.  I enjoy seeing them and their kids and I think Laurae and Jim enjoy having me around since the kids seem to gravitate towards me, giving L and J a moment of peace, if only ever so brief a moment.

That's about all for now.  I'll be back tomorrow and Friday with a wonderful method of preparing the perfect chicken wings for tailgating and a look at this weekend's football foe, the Iowa Hawkeyes.  I may even try to make a score prediction.

-ELI3