Sun Belt Sports Fans

WEEK FOUR PREVIEW

MATCHUPS

Louisiana-Monroe at Iowa

Middle Tennessee at Troy

Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida International

Florida Atlantic atAuburn

Indiana at North Texas

Central Arkansas at Arkansas State

The headliner in this list of games is Middle Tennessee’s tussle withTroy. These two teams have inhabited the upper division of the Sun Belt over the past few years. Before Florida International emerged to steal their thunder in 2010, the Blue Raiders and the Trojans viewed their clashes as the games of the year in the Sun Belt, with Florida Atlantic sometimes butting into the conversation.Troyhumiliated Middle Tennessee last year in a Tuesday night game that was nationally televised on ESPN2. This year, MTSU will be out for revenge, butTroy– having just finished its customarily (and intentionally) brutal non-conference schedule, will likely be sharp and focused. This is the Trojans’ game to lose. AssumingTroycan prevail, the Trojans would become the main challenger to FIU this season.

The other main attraction in the Sun Belt this upcoming weekend is FIU’s next conference game, a home date against Louisiana-Lafayette. Florida International should definitely win this game, but road upsets were a big part of the 2010 Sun Belt campaign. FIU’s rout ofTroywas completely unexpected, as was Middle Tennessee’s win at Florida International on the final weekend of the season. FIU can’t be complacent, not against a Louisiana-Lafayette team led by first-year coach Mark Hudspeth. ULL has enough offensive weaponry to be taken seriously;Western Kentuckyis a slam dunk, but not ULL. Maria Cristobal will be sure to have his players ready for this challenge.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer