Meaningful Milestones
The
2019 season marks two important milestones - the 150th anniversary of college
football and the 25th season of Conference-USA. The sport that began with
Princeton and Rutgers on November 6, 1869, will be celebrating its 150th
birthday. Conference-USA and its 14 members will join nearly 900 teams
across all divisions to celebrate the anniversary with a special uniform patch.
The uniform logo program will be the most widespread effort of its kind in the
history of college athletics.
The QB Conference
Conference-USA
has developed an outstanding tradition of quarterbacks throughout its history.
This season could mark one of the deepest, most experienced groups of
signal-callers in years with as many as 11 C-USA teams returning starters from
last season. Highlighting the group is the two-time C-USA Offensive Player of
the Year, North Texas senior QB Mason Fine.
We're Back
A
total of 11 All-Conference Offense First-and-Second team members from 2018
return this season. Plus 10 players are back from the 2018 All-Conference
Defense First-and-Second teams this season.
This Is How We Bowl
Conference-USA sent
six programs to play in bowl games last year. The conference finished the 2018
bowl season with a 4-2 record. The .667 winning percentage was the best among
all FBS conferences, the fourth time in eight years that Conference USA has
posted the best bowl winning percentage among all leagues.
Conference-USA is
30-18 SU and 28-19-1 ATS in bowl games since 2011. Its .625 mark leads the
Group of Five in bowl win percentage over that span. And not one to back off
during the regular season, a total of 22 games
are scheduled in 2019 against teams that played in a bowl game last season.
Note: Team
write-ups are excerpts from the 2019 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine
on sale at newsstands nationwide. The numbers following each team name
represent the amount of returning starters on offense and defense, along with
the number of returning linemen, with an asterisk (*) designating a returning
quarterback. The RPR represents each team's overall, offensive and defensive
rankings in overall returning production experience.
CUSA EAST -
CHARLOTTE Off
- *5/2 Def - 7/3 RPR: 51/78/50
TEAM THEME: TURNAROUND AND LOOK AT
ME
New head coach Will Healy
arrives from Austin Peay where he won an Eddie Robinson Award as the National FCS Coach of
the Year in 2017.
Healy engineered one
of the most incredible turnarounds in college football history. In his second
year, the Governors went 8-4 after going 1-45 over the previous four years. He
inherits a Charlotte defense that ranked 11th among FBS schools in rush defense
last season and 25th in total defense. In addition, the 49ers return five
players that earned all-CUSA honors last year. Last year we called out the fact
they were a young team evolving into an experienced group, that spring chickens
turn into barnyard roosters and with it an air of hidden confidence is shaped.
This year they likely crash the bowl party.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
Since becoming an FBS school, Charlotte is 3-15 SU in its final six games of
the season.
PLAY ON: vs. UMass (9/14)
FLORIDA ATLANTIC Off
- *7/3 Def - 6/2 RPR: 96/87/88
TEAM THEME: LANE ADJUSTMENT
What a mess for Lane
Kiffin's surprising upstart crew last season. Not only did they fall from
11-wins to 5 last year, but they also crashed and burned as favorites in the
process, beating the spread just one time in seven tries. Ironically, they won
the stats but lost the game in four of the seven contests in which they were
installed as chalk. And so it was for the Owls in 2018, a total reversal of
fortune for a team that destroyed Akron, 50-3, in the Boca Raton Bowl to close
out the best season in school history the prior year. QB Chris Robison returns
but their most valuable weapon, RB Devin Singletary, left early for the NFL
draft.
STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Owls are 8-23 SU in one-possession
games since Howard Schnellenberger resigned, including 4-13 the last 4 seasons
PLAY ON: at Charlotte (9/28)
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL Off - *8/3 Def -
8/3 RPR: 6/8/26
TEAM THEME: BUTCH CAT ON THE PROWL
While the Panthers improved their numbers clear
across the board for the second year in a row under Butch Davis last season,
the fact of the matter is the schedule maker is likely on Davis' Christmas card
list. That's because FIU faced only three foes with winning records in 2018,
taking on opponents that went 53-82 during the regular season - the softest
slate in the FBS. Only five such sightings are to be found in 2019, along with
no back-to-back road games. Toss in a ton of returning experience and stellar
recruiting classes the past three years and you can understand why Davis still
rules in South Florida these days.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
Davis is 6-0 ATS in his career as an underdog when coming off a loss of 12 or
more points.
PLAY ON: at Marshall (11/30)
- KEY* as a dog off a loss
MARSHALL Off
- *8/4 Def - 6/2 RPR: 94/66/105
TEAM THEME: BACK ON THE BALL
The Herd went bowling
for the fifth time in the past six years last season but brings back a squad
short on experience in 2019. Head coach Doc Holliday is faced with replacing
the majority of his front seven along with his defensive coordinator, while the
offense loses star WR Tyre Brady. The good news is enormous JUCO Josh Ball, who
started nine games for Florida State, transfers in to anchor the offensive
line. Holliday realizes that his team was the only Group of 5 program to record
three straight 10-win seasons before blowing up with only 3 victories in 2016.
The climb back up over the past two seasons has been rewarding. The ball is
back in their court.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
Marshall is 6-0 SUATS in bowl games under Holliday.
PLAY
AGAINST:
at Florida Atlantic (10/18)
MIDDLE TENNESSEE Off - 4/2
Def - 6/2 RPR: 122/111/101
TEAM THEME: MISSING YOU... AND
YOU... AND YOU...
Like it or not,
Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill will be toiling as an "empty
nester" this season. That's because his son, 4-year starting QB Brent
Stockstill, has graduated and is hoping to land an NFL free agent contract.
What the 2018 CUSA Coach Of The Year is really hoping for in 2019, though, is
an injury-free season as his team was hampered much of the season last year.
Still, the Raiders managed to make it the CUSA championship while relying
heavily on 21 seniors who combined to start 61.8 % of MTSU's games in 2018 -
the 2nd most in the nation. With that card now played out, it's on to
re-tooling a young and inexperienced unit in 2019.
MTSU has been bowl
eligible ten times in 13 years under Rick Stockstill, competing in eight bowl
games.
PLAY
AGAINST:
at Charlotte (11/2)
OLD DOMINION Off
- 4/2 Def - 5/1 RPR: 111/113/73
TEAM THEME: THE MAX WITH THE MINIMUM
If the Monarchs were
cast onto the Game Of Thrones, head coach Bobby Wilder would have been the
Night King last season. After ascending to a 10-win team in 2016, the air has
come out of the balloon for the Monarchs the last two campaigns. Making matters
worse for this neophyte program that joined the FBS ranks in 2014, is an
offense this season that has been decimated by player losses. Last year's 1-6
start set the tone for things to come but to their credit, the Wildlings refused
to die - a testament to the head coach who launched this program just six years
ago. Sadly, Wilder is out shopping at TJ Maxx for JUCO's this season.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
Old Dominion's home sellout streak officially ended at 60
last season. It has a 47-19 record -time at home.
PLAY ON: at Middle Tennessee
(11/23)
WESTERN
KENTUCKY Off - *10/5
Def - 6/3 RPR: 14/14/39
TEAM THEME: YOUNG PEAS IN A POD
After having sailed
'over' its season win totals in five of the previous six years, before bouncing
to only 3 victories in 2018, new head coach Tyson Helton - USC coach Clay's
brother - knows that immediate improvement is expected from the Hilltoppers in
2019. Prior to taking over the reins at Western Kentucky this season, Helton
was an OC in five previous seasons at WKU, USC, and Tennessee. Those teams
averaged 9.2 wins, 35.6 points and 469.4 yards per game under his tutelage.
Western Kentucky's 2015 season ended with The Hill ranked
final AP ranking of 24 - the highest in school history - and a school-record 12
victories, including the first-ever FBS conference championship while breaking more
than two-dozen school offensive records under Helton as offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, Sophomore RB Joshua
Samuel rushed for over 600 yards at nearly 5.5 YPR in 2018 and will only get
better - as should the rest of this very experienced squad.
STAT YOU WILL LIKE: A total of 20
underclassmen made starts for the Hilltoppers last season.
PLAY ON: vs. Louisville (9/14)
CUSA WEST -
LOUISIANA
TECH Off
- *8/3 Def - 5/0 RPR: 30/28/54
TEAM THEME: THE HAIR OF THE DOG
There
is no hiding the fact that Skip Holtz's offense has been waning the past two
seasons - scoring nearly 300 fewer points last year than in 2016. With it,
Holtz is banking on an experienced group of returnees, starting with QB J'Mar
Smith. Meanwhile, the running game failed to tally 2,000 yards for the first
time since 2013, and it should be noted that the Bulldogs have suffered 5
1-point losses over the past three seasons. Safe to say that hangovers like
these would normally affect most teams in a bad way. Not when you're a Skip
Holtz team looking to return to 9-win territory, where they resided from
2014-2016. We've learned to not bet against Skippy in underdog roles.
STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Holtz is 48-24-1 ATS as a
dog in his career, including 20-3-1 ATS when coming off an ATS win of more than
8 points.
PLAY ON: vs. Southern Miss (10/19)
NORTH TEXAS Off - *8/3 Def - 5/2 RPR: 59/22/110
TEAM THEME: PAY ATTENTION
Exactly how much
street cred does Mean Green head coach Seth Littrell have, you ask? After
inheriting a 1-11 team, Littrell has won 23 games and a division title in his
first three years in Denton. Yeah, we're paying attention. Coming off his best
season ever in 2018, Littrell lost OC Graham Harrell, the ex-Texas Tech
quarterback, to USC, but he's been an OC multiple times himself. He'll utilize
the entire passing attack as QB Mason Fine (nearly 4,000 passing yards with 27
TDs and 5 INTs last season) and his receiving corps is back from the league's
top scoring offense. Remember, Littrell turned down numerous coaching offers to
remain in Denton. The man can coach.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
North Texas was the only FBS team to outgain EVERY opponent during the regular
season last year.
PLAY ON: at Louisiana Tech (11/9)
RICE Off
- 6/2 Def - 6/1 RPR: 5/29/4
TEAM THEME: PLAYING THE BACKUP,
BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP QB
As a
result of starting both the 3rd most freshmen and the 3rd most underclassmen
(including a nation-high 27 players making 56.8% team-starts) last season, the
force-fed Owls suddenly become one of the nation's deepest squads in terms of
returning experience this season. But it wasn't easy. Few seasons played out as
unfortunate on the injury front as the Owls' 2018 campaign. Rice lost QBs Shawn
Stankavage and Evan Marshman to injury during the year. Jackson Tyner and Sam
Glaesmann were bumped down the depth chart for performance, leaving freshman
Wiley Green as the next man up when "next man up" was called against FIU.
Taking on a brutal schedule in 2019 should be a breeze in Year Two for Mike
Bloomgren.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
Rice is 31-11-3 ATS as a conference home dog, including 16-2-2 ATS when taking less
than 7 points.
PLAY ON: at UTSA (10/19)
SOUTHERN MISS Off
- *10/5 Def - 6/2 RPI:
4/1/47
TEAM THEME: HOP ABOARD, Y'ALL
As a
result of having started the third most of seniors in 2017, the Golden Eagles
were forced to go the barefoot route last season. What it means is they will be
one of the most experienced teams in the land in 2019. To top it off, the
defense was dynamite last year, ranking 3rd in the nation overall. The biggest
concern, though, is an offense that has regressed each and every year in both
points and yardage under 4th-year head coach Jay Hopson. A rugged
3-game non-conference stretch to start September should have them primed for
league play. Nevertheless, look for the Hattiesburg Eagles to soar once October
rolls around.
STAT YOU WILL LIKE: USM played in
a bowl game for 14 of 15 years until the 2012 season. Since then, the Eagles
have been to just 3 bowls.
PLAY ON: vs. North Texas (10/12)
UAB Off - *4/1 Def - 4/1 RPR:
130/128/125
TEAM THEME: PARTY OUT
As Don Meredith liked
to say, "Turn out the lights, the party's over." Or so it will seem this season
for the back-on-the-map Blazers, whose long climb back from football's deathbed
perhaps peaked last season with a school-record 11 victories, no thanks to a
senior-laden squad urged on with motivation to help resurrect this program back
to respectability. In doing so, UAB poured thru a roster that witnessed a total
of 23 seniors making 69.7% of the starts in 2018 - the most in the land. As a
result, four linemen and the top four WRs are gone on offense. The good news,
though, is UAB will tackle only three foes that owned a winning record last
season.
STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Blazers are 12-3 ATS under Clark when
facing an opponent coming off a win, including 7-0 ATS when UAB is coming off a
loss.
PLAY AGAINST: vs.
Louisiana Tech (11/23)
UTEP Off
- *7/4 Def - 4/2 RPR: 124/85/129
TEAM THEME: MAKING LEMONADE OUT OF
LEMONS
Good news for any
football team that has won ONE game the past two years: 32 signees inked to a
recruiting class, including 5 three-star recruits and 12 more two-star
recruits. It was clearly the best class UTEP has had in nearly a decade. Now if
second-year head coach Dana Dimel finds time for the new kids on the block this
season, 2020 will clearly take on a different look in El Paso, one certainly
more appealing than Trump's immigration wall. Despite just one win last season,
the Miners' stats improved significantly on both sides of the ball in points
scored and allowed, as well as yardage gained and allowed in 2018. Now that's a
refreshing concoction.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE:
The Miners are 9-73-1 SU and 18-60-3 ATS in the last 83 games in which they
have been outgained in the stats.
PLAY ON: at New Mexico State
(11/23)
UTSA Off - *9/5 Def - 6/3 RPR: 89/58/103
TEAM THEME: GET THOSE ZAGODACTYL FEET
MOVING
After improving their
numbers on both sides of the ball in 2017, the Roadrunners blew all four tires
and went rim-running last season when the offense regressed 140 yards and the
defense declined 137 yards. Through it all, UTSA had its win total slashed in
half as San Antonio enters the 2019 campaign on a 6-game losing slide. We hope
it doesn't negatively affect head coach Frank Wilson's job security, as he is
an extremely well-liked, and highly respected coach. For the Roadrunners to
return to their 2017 ways, though, the offense will need to hit the weight room
and do some heavy lifting. Oddly, a third offensive coordinator in as many
years might actually help as the 'Runners try to solve why their get-up-and-go
got up and went.
STAT YOU WILL
LIKE: The
Roadrunners are 5-22 ATS in SU conference losses.
PLAY
AGAINST: at
UTEP (10/5)
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