2theadvocate.com | Sports | Florida Atlantic at top of SBC class

By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate
Published: Jul 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS — Florida Atlantic enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the Sun Belt Conference and the league’s coaches expect the Owls to stick around for a while.

FAU, the defending Sun Belt champion, was picked first in the league’s preseason poll announced Monday during the first day of the two-day Sun Belt Media Days.

The Owls (8-5, 6-1 SBC last season) qualified for a bowl in just their sixth season of existence, the quickest such accomplishment in NCAA history. Their Sun Belt title (thanks to a 35-32 victory over Troy, which also finished 6-1) earned them the host berth in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, in which they defeated Memphis, 44-27, in December.

With 17 starters returning on offense and defense, including the preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, FAU was the logical and popular choice to win in 2008. The Owls received six of eight first-place votes, finishing with 62 points, 11 more than second-place Troy.

“Sure, people are going to come at us with their ‘A’ game,” FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger said. “That’s fine. That has to happen sooner or later. I’d rather it be sooner rather than later.”

Schnellenberger used to refer to nonconference games against schools from BCS conferences as “advanced training” games, but the Owls have advanced far enough that he now looks at all games as winnable.

“We’ve now demonstrated that we can play with our conference on a weekly basis,” he said. “We’ve demonstrated that we can beat what we have called in the past advanced training teams.

“Our job is to continue and develop until we go undefeated. If we do that, then that’s about all we can do. If we don’t, then we’ll take that as a tragic loss. Our goal now is to qualify for a BCS bowl.”

Troy and third-place The University of Louisiana at Monroe (46 points) each had one first-place vote. Arkansas State (39) points was picked fourth, followed by Middle Tennessee (32), UL-Lafayette (26), North Texas (19) and Florida International (13).

“I hope we’re building some respect,” said Charlie Weatherbie, who’s beginning his sixth season as ULM coach. “I think it’s important that people respect what we’re trying to do with our program.”

ULL coach Ricky Bustle is entering his seventh season, coming off records of 3-9 and 3-4.

Bustle called senior running back Tyrell Fenroy, who needs 779 yards to become the Sun Belt’s all-time leading rusher, “one of the most steady players I’ve ever been around.” Fenroy was named first-team all-conference and will team with senior quarterback Michael Desormeaux to lead what should be a high-scoring offense.

“I feel like we’re going to be productive offensively,” Bustle said. “We’ve got 10 out of 11 starters back, and I think having Tyrell and David running the show we’re about as good as we can be there.”

Bustle said he thinks the experience that young defensive players received last season and the enthusiasm they displayed during an aggressive spring, could yield a better defense than most expect.

ULL plays five of its first six games on the road, including nonconference contests against Southern Miss, Illinois, and Kansas State.

“That’s tough,” Bustle said. “You can dwell on it all you want, but it doesn’t do you any good. Five out of six on the road is tough for anybody. We’ve just got to ride the wave up and down and make sure to stay focused.”

ULL had two other first-team selections in junior offensive lineman Chris Fisher and senior place-kicker Drew Edmiston. ULM had three first-team picks — tight end Zeek Zacharie, junior defensive back Greg James and junior punter Scott Love.

FAU also led the way in all-conference selections with eight, including junior quarterback Rusty Smith, the league’s Player of the Year a year ago, and senior linebacker Frantz Joseph, who were picked to be the top Sun Belt players on each side of the ball.

“He is a remarkable young man and a terrific quarterback,” Schnellenberger said of Smith, the New Orleans Bowl MVP last season. “He has made himself into a winning quarterback. He hasn’t moved through the minefield and the high competition that he’s going to be moving through, so he has to grow and develop to be the best football player he can. If he does that, then he’s going to be a first-round choice by the NFL."

Sun Belt poll
As voted on by the league’s eight head coaches. First-place votes in parentheses.
School	Points
1. Florida Atlantic (6)	62
2. Troy (1)	51
3. ULM (1)	46
4. Arkansas State	39
5. Middle Tennessee	32
6. UL-Lafayette	26
7. North Texas	19
8. Florida International	13
All-Sun Belt Team
As voted on by the league’s eight head coaches and selected media members.
Offense
QB: Rusty Smith (FAU, Jr.); RB: Reggie Arnold (ASU, Jr.), Tyrell Fenroy (ULL, Sr.); WR: Cortez Gent (Florida Atlantic, Jr.), Casey Fitzgerald (NT, Sr.); TE: David Johnson (ASU, Sr.), Zeek Zacharie (ULM, Sr.); OL: Matt Mandich (ASU, Sr.), Nick Paris (FAU, Sr.), Chris Fisher (ULL, Jr.), Kelvin Drake (NT, Jr.), Dion Small (Troy, Sr.)
Defense
DL: Alex Carrington (ASU, Jr.), Robert St. Clair (FAU, Sr.), Jervonte Jackson (FAU, Sr.), Kenny Mainor (Troy, Sr.); LB: Ben Owens (ASU, Sr.), Frantz Joseph (FAU, Sr.), Boris Lee (Troy, Jr.); DB: Tavious Polo (FAU, So.), Corey Small (FAU, Sr.), Greg James (ULM, Jr.), Alex Suber (MT, Sr.), Sherrod Martin (Troy, Sr.), Tavares Williams (Troy, Sr.)
Special teams
P: Scott Love (ULM, Jr.); PK: Drew Edmiston (ULL, Sr.); RS: Desmond Gee (MT, Jr.)
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Rusty Smith (FAU, Jr., Quarterback)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Frantz Joseph (FAU, Sr., Linebacker)


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