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2015 College Football Preview: C-USA
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 8/12/2015  at  11:07:00 AM
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2015 College Football Preview: Conference USA

To get you prepared for the upcoming college football season, we begin our run of all FBS conference previews over the next several weeks. In this next preview, we’ll take a look at Conference USA:

CHARLOTTE 49ERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 5-6
*Charlotte is making the jump from FCS to FBS this season – no lined games in 2014*Points Scored: 38.8 PPG
Points Allowed: 31.6 PPG
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
The success of Charlotte’s first FBS season will be due largely to QB Matt Johnson (8.6 YPA), WR Austin Duke (1,373 rec yds) and RB Kalif Phillips (1,436 rush yds). The 49ers have a tough run defense, but their secondary is poor.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 3-9
ATS Record: 6-5
Over/Under: 6-5
Points Scored: 24.0 PPG (97th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 34.4 PPG (110th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
The Owls should put up points with heady QB Jaquez Johnson (17 TD, 5 INT) and a productive ground game. But their defense is awful (34.4 PPG, 108th in nation), especially the run-stop unit (5.5 YPC allowed, 116th in FBS).

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL PANTHERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-8
ATS Record: 7-4
Over/Under: 5-5
Points Scored: 23.0 PPG (101st in FBS)
Points Allowed: 24.8 PPG (41st in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 9
FIU struggles to score (23.0 PPG) with QB Alex McGough (50.4% comp.), but TE Jonnu Smith (710 rec yds) and RB Anthon Samuel (582 rush yds) are solid. FIU’s defense features CB Richard Leonard (3 TD) and DE Michael Wakefield (8 sacks).

LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 9-5
ATS Record: 11-3
Over/Under: 9-4
Points Scored: 37.4 PPG (14th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 24.7 PPG (39th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
Florida transfer QB Jeff Driskel (5.4 YPA) has great skill players in RB Kenneth Dixon (1,299 rush yds, 22 TD) and WR Trent Taylor (834 rec yds). The Bulldogs led the nation with 42 takeaways, but no starting linebackers return on defense.

MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 13-1
ATS Record: 8-5
Over/Under: 7-5
Points Scored: 45.6 PPG (3rd in FBS)
Points Allowed: 21.0 PPG (18th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
JMU transfer QB Michael Birdsong takes over for Rakeem Cato and has a deep receiving corps. TE-turned-RB Devon Johnson (1,767 rush yds) is huge. The defense is thin up front but S Taj Letman and S A.J. Leggett (4 INT each) can play.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 6-6
ATS Record: 5-6
Over/Under: 7-5
Points Scored: 31.6 PPG (49th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 31.5 PPG (96th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
Junior QB Austin Grammer (7.6 YPA) has a decent supporting cast with WR Ed’Marques Batties (474 rec yds) and RB Jordan Parker (546 rush yds). However, the defense is subpar, especially its 269.7 passing YPG allowed last year.

NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-8
ATS Record: 4-8
Over/Under: 7-4
Points Scored: 27.2 PPG (79th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 29.8 PPG (86th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
UNT’s offense had only 326 total YPG (12th-worst in FBS) with QB Andrew McNulty (6 TD, 7 INT) underachieving. WR Carlos Harris (863 rec yds) is a quality top target. The green defense poses a major problem in 2015.

OLD DOMINION MONARCHS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 6-6
ATS Record: 4-8
Over/Under: 6-6
Points Scored: 32.7 PPG (41st in FBS)
Points Allowed: 38.0 PPG (115th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
Taylor Heinicke will be replaced by either freshman QB Shuler Bentley or JUCO transfer QB Joey Verhaegh. RB Ray Lawry (947 rush yds) and WR Zach Pascal (743 rec yds) will touch the pigskin most often. The Monarchs’ D-Line is weak, but LB TJ Ricks (4 FF) and SS Fellonte Misher (79 tackles) make plenty of plays.

RICE OWLS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 8-5
ATS Record: 9-4
Over/Under: 7-6
Points Scored: 28.8 PPG (66th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 28.5 PPG (82nd in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 3
The Owls don’t have elite receivers, but underrated QB Driphus Jackson (24 TD, 8 INT) will find a way to score. Handing off to junior RBs Jowan Davis (956 rush yds) and Darik Dillard (11 rush TD) are great options. The defense is pretty lackluster other than SLB Alex Lyons (71 tackles, 3 sacks).

SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 3-9
ATS Record: 5-7
Over/Under: 5-6
Points Scored: 19.0 PPG (117th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 35.4 PPG (111th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
QB Nick Mullens (12 TD, 9 INT) made great strides last year and has two quality targets with WRs Michael Thomas (592 rec yds) and Casey Martin (531 rec yds). USM also has all five starting O-Linemen back. Expect another dismal season on defense in all aspects (35.4 PPG, 451 YPG, 14 sacks).

TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-8
ATS Record: 4-8
Over/Under: 4-8
Points Scored: 17.1 PPG (121st in FBS)
Points Allowed: 25.9 PPG (55th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 2
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
UTSA’s atrocious offense (17.1 PPG and 298 YPG allowed, both 7th-worst in FBS) has to replace nine offensive starters. The defense also lost a lot, but still has key remaining pieces to be respectable again in DE Jason Neill (4 sacks), LB Drew Douglas (71 tackles) and S Mauricio Sanchez (46 tackles).

UTEP MINERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 7-6
ATS Record: 8-4
Over/Under: 5-8
Points Scored: 26.6 PPG (84th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 28.1 PPG (77th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
Stud RB Aaron Jones (1,231 rush yds, 14 total TD) will get 30 touches per game behind a stout O-Line. But opponents will stack the box to force UTEP to throw with one of three unproven QBs. The defense has many holes, but WLB Alvin Jones (9 TFL) and DB Devin Cockrell (52 tackles) are productive.

WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 8-5
ATS Record: 6-7
Over/Under: 10-3
Points Scored: 44.4 PPG (6th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 39.9 PPG (124th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
WKU’s offense has no equal in C-USA with QB Brandon Doughty (4,830 pass yds, 49 TD, 10 INT) through the air and RB Leon Allen (1,542 rush yds, 13 TD) on the ground. Although the defense allowed 39.9 PPG and 6.66 yards per play last year (both 5th-worst in nation), most starters return, including standouts LB Nick Holt (111 tackles) and CB Wonderful Terry (3 def. TD).


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