ULM-Baylor Preview: Sun Belt With Another Opportunity To Shine
By Kyle Kensing
Sep 8, 2012; Little Rock, AR, USA; Louisiana Monroe Warhawks quarterback Kolton Browning (15) celebrates with teammates after the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. Warhawks defeated the Razorbacks 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE
ULM welcomes Baylor to Malone Stadium tonight for the ESPN Friday night showcase. Joe Tessitore may not be on the call, but recent precedent suggests an exciting showdown is in store.
ULM has generated buzz by twice taking SEC opponents to overtime, knocking Arkansas from the top 10 and elevating Gene Chizik’s blood pressure. The Warhawks’ home opener and third consecutive BCS conference match-up has sparked interest rarely paid a program that has never reached a bowl game. A win over a Baylor team that won 10 games a season ago might send the ULM fan base into an outright tizzy.
“It should be a fun game,” said ULM head coach Todd Berry in his press conference this week. “I’d love for our players to walk out during warm-ups and see a great crowd.”
Reports during the week had Malone Stadium nearing capacity, so Berry should get his wish. And those taking in the contest either live or on the ESPN broadcast get to see an outstanding quarterback battle. BU’s Nick Florence is someone Berry called “special,” thus far filling in nicely for departed Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
Meanwhile, ULM’s Kolton Browning statistically ranks among the nation’s elite very early into the season. He should pose a threat to the Bear defense with his ability to pass and rush effectively, something BU no doubt saw plenty of in practices a season ago.
“He’s kind of uncanny. He’s on fire. He’s hot right now, and he’s really doing a good job,” said BU head coach Art Briles in his weekly press conference.
It’s not just Browning or ULM doing a good job at present. The Sun Belt Conference was once the dregs of Div. I-A/FBS football, more notable for taking early season and Homecoming week beatings from SEC opponents than anything else.
But the SBC has become far more competitive. The league boasts wins over its SEC counterparts this season in ULM’s shocker over Arkansas, and Western Kentucky’s thrilling upending of Kentucky last week. FIU is trying to make it two straight over reigning co-Big East champion Louisville this Saturday. North Texas put a scare into Kansas State a week ago. The SBC is getting noticeably better because of years in investing via means a vocal lot criticizes.
Sept 15, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Kawaun Jakes (6) and quarterback James Mauro (13) celebrate after their team defeated the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium. Credit: Mark Zerof-US PRESSWIRE
It’s a gradual process, but the Sun Belt is starting to show the rewards of playing stiff competition. Those aforementioned paychecks also stacked up in the universities’ respective bank accounts, helping SBC programs to upgrade facilities. Sun Belt Tuesdays, ESPN’s midseason, mid-week showcase of the conference’s teams has also given its members funding and exposure. And yes, bowl games have aided the process as well.
FIU is a great example. The Golden Panthers have reached the postseason in the last two campaigns, and the university athletic department has parlayed its bowl earnings into significant upgrades to its stadium, something head coach Mario Cristobal sees as a lynchpin in the program’s future.
The university’s commitment helped Cristobal stay when pursued by Rutgers in the off-season. Coaches like him are another reason for the Sun Belt’s improvement, and keeping those leaders is critical. ULM has one in Berry. La.-Lafayette won the New Orleans Bowl last season with the guidance of Mark Hudspeth. Willie Taggert pulled WKU out of a winless gutter and has the Hilltoppers poised for another season over .500, and Arkansas State wooed hot commodity Gus Malzahn away from Auburn.
The SBC 2012 title race will be exciting, and certainly one worth following.
Sustaining its recent run of fortune will prove challenging for new commissioner Karl Benson, who loses FIU and UNT to Conference USA. Benson oversaw the disintegration of another conference in the WAC, so learning from the mistakes of the past is critical for the league to continue building upward as it evolves.