Sun Belt Sports Fans

Let’s hold off on the coronation, shall we? Before the Troy Trojans are anointed as the Sun Belt champions for the fourth time in five years, they have to pass through a few more tests. One such test comes this Saturday in Troy, Alabama.

Yes, it is clear that – at least for the time being – Troy is once again the best team in the Sun Belt. The Tuesday night takedown of Middle Tennessee – in Murfreesboro, no less – on Oct. 5 re-established coach Larry Blakeney’s bunch as the top dog in this particular FBS conference. Troy knows how to win, and the max-out performance against the credentialed Blue Raiders affirmed as much. Dwight Dasher, Middle Tennessee’s talented quarterback, might have been both rusty and dinged-up after an extended break, but Troy still needed to prove it could outflank him and outmaneuver him, and that’s exactly what the Trojans managed to do. With a week and a half of rest in their back pockets, the Trojans must now take on the other team that has a realistic shot at overtaking them for the Sun Belt title.

While Middle Tennessee is 1-1 and groping for answers, Louisiana-Lafayette stands at 2-1 in the Sun Belt, good for third place behind 2-0 Troy and 1-0 Florida International (FIU’s unbeaten mark is sure to change before too long). If ULL can go into Veterans Memorial Stadium and topple Troy, the Ragin’ Cajuns and coach Rickey Bustle will tie Troy in the Sun Belt standings but own the head-to-head tiebreaker which would determine the league championship. Troy pushed back against one Sun Belt contender, but the Trojans have to re-prove themselves this weekend, and if they don’t, they’ll be in an unexpected dogfight for league supremacy.

This game figures to be a shootout. ULL competed really well for two and a half quarters in its most recent game against Oklahoma State on Friday, Oct. 8. Bustle scheduled that game so that his team could gear up for Troy’s spread offense, which Oklahoma State operates at a higher level and with more imposing physical specimens at the wide receiver slots. ULL, despite being outgunned, managed to roll up 21 points in the second quarter and take a 21-17 halftime lead. Just that accomplishment alone – against an Oklahoma State team that beat Troy earlier in the year – said a lot about the potential the Ragin’ Cajuns possess. When Troy and Mr. Blakeney look at game film this week, they’ll certainly study how ULL competed on even terms with OSU well into the second half.

ULL could have done even more damage against Oklahoma State if not for one critical mistake. OSU scored to take a 24-21 lead early in the second half, but then Cowboy coach Mike Gundy decided to execute an onside kick which the Ragin’ Cajuns recovered at the OSU 37. It was then that the foundation for an upset win came tumbling down. ULL quarterback Chris Masson – who completed 60 percent of his passes and threw for over 300 yards against Oklahoma State with two touchdowns – threw his one interception of the night. After that turning point, Oklahoma State pulled away for a 54-28 win. ULL was denied in its upset bid, but the Cajuns still showed a lot of game and gave Troy much to think about.

Don’t put the laurel of victory on Troy’s head. Don’t start engraving “Sun Belt champion” into any trophy or piece of stone. Louisiana-Lafayette will have a lot to say about the direction of the 2010 Sun Belt season. Buckle up for a high-flying encounter in the southeastern part of Alabama.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer