Topic: WKU, Louisiana Tech picked as favorites in Conference

[Big City]

Conference USA has reason to tout its strength after going 4-1 in bowl games last season, including a win over Big Ten member Illinois.

The league went 20-5 against independents and mid-major teams not in Power 5 conferences. That says something about the quality of competition that figures to be another battle this season.

Louisiana Tech is the media’s pick to repeat as West Division champion, with second-year member Western Kentucky the choice to win the East. Defending champion Marshall was the second choice behind WKU and returns many players from the league’s top-rated offense and defense.

Marshall and Louisiana Tech impressed some coaches enough to earn votes in the preseason poll. Nobody in C-USA would be shocked if other league members join them there or in postseason.

“We’ve always been underdogs, and this year is different,” said WKU senior quarterback and reigning league MVP Brandon Doughty, who returns after the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility.

“We’re predicted to win the East and try to do something special for the first time. We really have to make sure we’re on our game plan.”

Offense again is C-USA’s strong suit again thanks to the presence of two of the nation’s most prolific units at Marshall and WKU. Besides finishing 1-2 statistically with averages of more than 535 yards per game, those schools staged an epic shootout last fall that WKU won 67-66 in overtime to hand unbeaten and No. 19 Marshall its only loss in a 13-1 season.

The Hilltoppers went on to beat Central Michigan 49-48 in the inaugural Bahamas Bowl and join brethren Louisiana Tech — which topped Illinois 35-18 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl — Rice and Marshall as postseason winners. UTEP was the only loser.

Ironically, WKU’s defense sealed the wild victory after yielding 34 fourth-quarter points by denying a 2-point conversion pass on the final play after CMU scored a 75-yard touchdown pass featuring three laterals. Wonderful Terry’s clutch breakup marked a coming of age for a young defense, and WKU coach Jeff Brohm now wants to make sure that unit has matured if his team is to fulfill expectations.

“Even though [C-USA] is known as an offensive league,” Brohm said, “six of the last eight champions have led the league in total defense. We feel like we are going to be much better on defense.”

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150813/GZ02/150819714/1144

[svherd]

The first line confirms what I have suspected all along. La Tech beating B10 Illinois carries much more weight than us beating NIU. That's a big reason why the Bulldogs are getting pre-season votes.

[HerdnClt]

Western now becomes like the blue and Yeller. Cheer for whoever plays them. ABW.

[gochneaur645]

The first line confirms what I have suspected all along. La Tech beating B10 Illinois carries much more weight than us beating NIU. That's a big reason why the Bulldogs are getting pre-season votes.

I don't think one sentence in a generic AP article proves anything. And La Tech got a grand total of one more preseason vote than we did.

Anybody who knows anything about college football know NIU was by far the best team in Illinois.

Most media members who pick WKU over Marshall know nothing about either team other than that they return that guy who put up a lot of stats and we don't return that guy who put up a lot of stats. These things are meaningless.

[gochneaur645]

Western now becomes like the blue and Yeller. Cheer for whoever plays them. ABW.

I'll be cheering very hard for WKU when they play Vandy, Indiana, and LSU.

[NC Thunder]

I'll be pulling for WKU in every game they play except for the one
against THE HERD! It will make beating them that much sweeter!

[HerdnClt]

I'll be pulling for WKU in every game they play except for the one
against THE HERD! It will make beating them that much sweeter!

Everyone can cheer for whomever they like. Their low class throat slashing in front of my section at the end of the game last year eliminates me as a fan.

[HerdKelly]

Everyone can cheer for whomever they like. Their low class throat slashing in front of my section at the end of the game last year eliminates me as a fan.

Everybody does it.

From last year against FAU...

In ranking the Herd’s six penalties, the two on returns may have been the second- and third-most ill-advised. Cornerback Darryl Roberts’ unsportsmanlike conduct foul was the undisputed “champ.”

Roberts successfully covered Alex Deleon on a first-down pass at the MU 40, probably more of a drop than a break-up. Whatever the case, Roberts responded with a throat-slash gesture, an absolute no-no in the semi-unwritten celebration code.

“It was just emotion, in the moment,” Roberts said. “It just happened. I didn’t do it intentionally, it just happened out of excitement of the game.”

That the Herd had six penalties for 60 yards isn’t a negative, in this season’s terms — MU entered the game averaging 90 yards per game in penalties.

“That was the same damn [officiating] crew we had at Akron, we had 30 or 20,” Holliday said. “We made great improvement from the Akron game.”

Marshall committed 20 fouls for 188 yards at Akron, both unwelcome school records.

- See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20141025/GZ02/141029361/2006013146#sthash.15hDbQ9K.dpuf

[morpheus]

Even their coaching staff was doing that crap and the players were flipping of everyone as they walked off the field.  A good a$$beating is what these clowns need this Fall.  Hope they do well and we send their season down in flames in Nov.