Two games on the slate this weekend carry bowl ramifications and league leader Troy hopes to pull off a key win for the Sun Belt when it travels to Arkansas.
GoMiddle.com breaks down what to look for on Saturday in Sun Belt play.
THE SCHEDULE
Saturday’s games
Ark. St at FAU, 3 p.m.
WKU at ULM , 3 p.m.
ULL at Mid. Tenn, 3:15 p.m. (Sun Belt Network)
North Texas at FIU, 6 p.m.
Troy at Arkansas, 6:30 p.m. (CSS)
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
A LOT OF POINTS IN FAYETTEVILLE- The Troy Trojans are on fire and appear to be headed for another Sun Belt Conference championship. Troy has a great chance to make a big statement and earn respect for the league in this week’s road game at the SEC’s Arkansas. The Trojans enter the game on a seven game winning streak and quarterback Levi Brown has established himself as one of the top passers in the country. Brown has thrown for 2,777 yards and 15 touchdowns so far this season. Arkansas has a suspect pass defense that ranks 116th nationally. The game could feature a lot of offensive fireworks as Brown faces off against Ryan Mallett of the Razorbacks.
ULM HUNTING A BOWL GAME, WKU HUNTING A COACH- ULM has a great shot to make its first bowl game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference this season. The Warhawks are one win away from bowl eligibility and they host the winless Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday. WKU ranks near the bottom of every major statistical category in college football and as a result coach David Elson was fired earlier this week. An 0-12 season could be likely for the Hilltoppers. Getting to six wins would give ULM a chance to record its first ever winning season in FBS (1-A) football. Its last two games come against Louisiana-Lafayette and Middle Tennessee.
BOWL POSSIBILITIES ON THE LINE AT MT- This week’s game in Murfreesboro is huge as Middle Tennessee battles Louisiana-Lafayette. MT is bowl eligible but needs one more win to feel more secure about its chances to make the postseason. On the flipside, The Ragin’ Cajuns are sitting at five wins and need to win this weekend to keep their bowl hopes alive. The Cajuns have dominated recent history against MT, winning five of the last six games. The Blue Raiders’ last win in the series came in 2006, the last time MT made a bowl game.
BIGGEST UPSET POTENTIAL
TROY over ARKANSAS- The Trojans are clearly the Sun Belt’s most dominant team and this weekend’s game against SEC foe Arkansas looks like a potentially favorable matchup for Troy. The Trojans feature the nation’s seventh ranked passing attack and quarterback Levi Brown looks to take advantage of a weak Razorback secondary. If Troy’s offensive line can protect Brown, the potential is there for a major upset in Fayetteville. It’s worth keeping an eye on.
LOCK OF THE WEEK
ULM over WKU- The Warhawks have been one of the surprise teams in the league this year and one more win will put them in the bowl discussion. WKU is on a 17 game losing steak and is now in full blown transition mode with the dismissal of Elson. So who will win this tilt in Monroe? You do the math.
