Football: UL picked to win Sun Belt by Athlon Sports magazine

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, June 12, 2013

When it comes to predicting the Sun Belt’s 2013 football champion, it’s a guessing game with no consensus on the winner even for the prognosticators.

Three national college football preview magazines on newsstands now all seem to agree on the top conference’s top four contenders.

But each has a different projected winner, with Athlon Sports tapping UL, Lindy’s going with UL Monroe and Sporting News having Western Kentucky at the top.

None of the three has 2011 and ’12 Sun Belt-champ Arkansas State as its No. 1, but all three have the Red Wolves among its top four.

And they at least all do agree on which among eight conference programs will finish last: new Sun Belt-member Georgia State, a move-up from the FCS level.

The rundown from Athlon Sports, Lindy’s and Sporting News:

• Athlon Sports has UL No. 1, UL Monroe No. 2, Western Kentucky No. 3 and Arkansas State No. 4;

• Lindy’s has UL Monroe No. 1, Arkansas State No. 2, UL No. 3 and Western Kentucky No. 4;

• Sporting News has Western Kentucky No. 1, UL No. 2, UL Monroe No. 3 and Arkansas State No. 4.

All three magazines, no matter where they ranked coach Mark Hudspeth’s Cajuns, colored UL as a bona fide conference title-contender.

• Athlon’s comments: “The Cajuns led the Sun Belt in scoring last season (35.5 ppg) and could be even better offensively this year. They will need to be, since ULL’s defense ranged from mediocre to bad in 2012.

“Still … the school’s first Sun Belt title since 2005 is well within reach.”

• A comment from Lindy’s: “The Cajuns have all the ingredients for a legitimate run at the Sun Belt title.”

• Sporting News’ comment: “If (new defensive coordinator James) Willis tightens the Cajuns’ defense and Broadway picks up where left off … Hudspeth just might get his third bowl win – and perhaps even (a Sun Belt title).”

The three magazines also picked preseason all-Sun Belt teams, and Phil Steele’s has its accessible online.

Eight different Cajuns were tapped as first-team picks by at least one of the four publications, but none were consensus picks among the four.

The breakdown:

• quarterback Terrance Broadway (Phil Steele’s);

• center Andre Huval (Athlon, Sporting News)

• offensive guard Daniel Quave (Athlon, Lindy’s, Phil Steele’s)

• offensive tackle Mykhael Quave (Athlon, Sporting News)

• all-purpose player Darryl Surgent, a UL receiver who also is a return man (Lindy’s);

• defensive end Christian Ringo (Athlon, Lindy’s, Sporting News);

• defensive tackle Justin Hamilton (Sporting News); and

• linebacker Justin Anderson (Phil Steele’s, Sporting News).

Phil Steele’s is the only one of the four not to go with UL Monroe senior-to-be Kolton Browning as its No. 1 All-Sun Belt QB, instead picking Cajuns junior-to-be Broadway.

All four did agree on the conference’s top two preseason running backs, naming Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews and Arkansas State’s David Oku to their first teams.

LAGNIAPPE: Athlon Sports and Sporting News both ranked the conference’s 2013 recruiting classes, and both had UL No. 1. … Some Sun Belt superlative mentions: Broadway is “Best Scrambler” according to Lindy’s and Sporting News’ “Best Running QB;” Ringo is “Best Pass Rusher” according to Lindy’s and Sporting News; Hudspeth is Sporting News’ “Best Game-Day Coach” and “Best Recruiter;” and Cajun Field, according to Sporting News, is the Sun Belt’s “Most Intimidating Stadium.” … Athlon Sports and Lindy’s both ranked teams nationally. Athlon had UL at No. 66 and Lindy’s had the Cajuns at No. 78.