Sun Belt Conference Upcoming Games

September 20

Florida Atlantic at Minnesota (Big Ten Network) - 11:00 a.m.

Troy at Ohio State (Big Ten Network) - 12 p.m.

Louisiana-Monroe at Tulane (CST) - 2:00 p.m.

South Florida at Florida International (ESPNU) - 4:00 p.m.

* Middle Tennessee at Arkansas State - 6:00 p.m.

Kent State at Louisiana-Lafayette - 6:00 p.m.

Murray State at WKU - 6:00 p.m.

All times Central and subject to change

* denotes Sun Belt Conference Game 

Sun Belt Conference Recent Results

September 12

Louisiana-Monroe 37, Alabama A&M 15

September 13

Michigan State 17, Florida Atlantic 0 (ESPN2)

#24 Illinois 20, Louisiana-Lafayette 17 (Big Ten Network)

Southern Mississippi 27, Arkansas State 24

Troy 65, Alcorn State 0

#11 Alabama 41, WKU 7(HSSN/CSS/PPV)

#7 LSU 41, North Texas 3 (CST/PPV)

Kentucky 20, Middle Tennessee 14 (PPV)

Sun Belt Conference News & Notes

Sun Belt Boasts Big Wins

So far in this young football season, teams from the Sun Belt Conference have been victorious over teams from automatic bid BCS conferences.  Middle Tennessee took a 24-14 win over Maryland on September 6 and Arkansas State defeated Texas A&M 24-14 on August 30. Members of the Sun Belt Conference also defeated several notable football programs in 2007.  In fact, the league boasted three wins over members from the “Big Six” Conferences.  Troy defeated Big 12 member and Insight Bowl participant Oklahoma State 41-23.  ULM earned a 21-14 win over SEC member and Independence Bowl participant Alabama.  Florida Atlantic also defeated Big Ten member Minnesota 42-39.

Sun Belt Conference Enters Agreements with St. Petersburg Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl, and PetroSun Independence Bowl

The Sun Belt Conference has signed agreements with the St. Petersburg Bowl, the PapaJohns.com Bowl and the PetroSun Independence Bow, which are effective immediately and will impact the 2008 and 2009 bowl games.  Bowl-eligible teams from the Sun Belt Conference will be the first available teams in these bowls should the contracted parties not be able to fulfill their requirements.  While the Sun Belt Conference champion will still play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the St. Petersburg Bowl or the PapaJohns.com Bowl will have second choice to select one of the Sun Belt’s bowl-eligible teams if the contracted parties are not be able to fulfill their requirements.  The agreement signed with the PetroSun Independence Bowl calls for that bowl game to receive the third choice to select one of the Sun Belt’s bowl eligible teams if the contracted parties are not able to fulfill their requirements. The Independence Bowl would also receive the second choice to select a Sun Belt bowl eligible team should the St. Petersburg Bowl or the PapaJohns.com Bowl not have an opening.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Breaks Tie

The Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA were an even 7-7 over the last two seasons headed into the 2007 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.  With Florida Atlantic’s win over Memphis in the game, the SBC claimed bragging rights over CUSA with an 8-7 edge.

FAU Claims New Orleans Bowl Title

Rusty Smith threw for 336 yards and a R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl record five touchdowns to lead Florida Atlantic to a 44-27 victory over Memphis.  It was the first bowl game for FAU, which has had a football team for only seven seasons at its Boca Raton, Fla., campus and didn’t join the NCAA’s Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) until 2005.  The game also marked another meaningful step for the young Sun Belt Conference. The league champion has now won three of seven New Orleans Bowls, including the past two by convincing margins, with Troy beating Rice 41-17 last year.  Smith finished the season with 3,688 yards passing and 32 touchdowns. Only a sophomore, he could be around for many more victories in FAU’s future.

WKU Joins Sun Belt Football

Western Kentucky University is currently in transition to become the ninth Sun Belt Conference football playing institution and the 120th Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) member. The Hilltoppers will play five SBC teams in 2008 and will be eligible for the conference title and a bowl berth in 2009. WKU, the 2002 Division I-AA National Champions, played three contests against current Sun Belt members last season (Middle Tennessee, Troy, and North Texas).  In week two last season WKU recorded five touchdowns against West Virginia Tech in the first quarter - tying a Football Bowl Subdivision record with 49 points in a quarter.  The Hilltoppers would go on to win 87-0.

Awards Candidates

Rotary Lombardi Award (Best Lineman) – Dion Small (Troy), Jason Harmon (Florida Atlantic), Matt Mandich (Arkansas State), Boris Lee (Troy), Frantz Joseph (Florida Atlantic). Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Best Defensive Player) – Frantz Joseph (Florida Atlantic), Ben Owens (Arkansas State). Rimington Trophy (Best Center) – Danny Franks (Troy), Brad Serini (Florida International), Chris Fisher (Louisiana-Lafayette).  Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back) – Tavious Polo (Florida Atlantic), Corey Small (Florida Atlantic).  Davey O’Brien Award (Best Quarterback) –  Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).  John Mackey Award (Best Tight End) –  Zeek Zacharie (Louisiana-Monroe).  Butkus Award (Best Linebacker) –  Ben Owens (Arkansas State), Frantz Joseph (Florida Atlantic), Boris Lee (Troy) Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back) –  Reggie Arnold (Arkansas State), Tyrell Fenroy (Louisiana-Lafayette).  Lou Groza Award (Best Place Kicker) –  Warley Leroy (Florida Atlantic), Drew Edmiston (Louisiana-Lafayette).  Davey O’Brien Award (Best Collegiate Player) –  Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).

Smith, Owls Return for 2008 Season

Florida Atlantic, the defending Sun Belt Conference co-champions and 2007 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Champions, will be ready for another run at the championship in 2008.  Rusty Smith, last season’s New Orleans Bowl MVP and Sun Belt Player of the Year, returns for his junior campaign after a record breaking season as a sophomore.  Smith will be aided by an offensive line that returns four of five starters from a year ago, a seasoned corps of running backs, and a talented receiver in Cortez Gent.  The defense will be just as experienced as it returns the league’s leading tackler a year ago in Frantz Joseph, as well as two Thorpe Award candidates in Tavious Polo and Corey Small.

Fenroy Has Sights on Sun Belt Rushing Record

Louisiana-Lafayette senior running back Tyrell Fenroy needs 703 rushing yards to become the all-time leading rusher in Sun Belt Conference history.  Should the LaPlace, Louisiana  native top 1,000 yards in 2008, he would join Tony Dorsett, Amos Lawrence, Denvis Manns, Ron Dayne, Cedric Benson and DonTrell Moore as the only players in NCAA history with four 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

ASU’s Owens Named Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week

Arkansas State senior linebacker Ben Owens was named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Aug. 30, after helping lead the Red Wolves to a season-opening victory over Texas A&M. Owens recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, an interception and a fumble recovery, while also helping the ASU defense pitch a second-half shutout in the game. Owens was responsible for stopping the Aggies last two drives of the game after the Red Wolves went ahead 15-14. He recovered a fumble on the Texas A&M 39-yard line, setting up a field goal that gave ASU a four-point lead with 1:12 left to play. He then intercepted Stephen McGee with 10 seconds left in the game, halting the Aggies final drive that reached the ASU 34-yard line and clinching the victory for ASU. Owens, a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection, was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. He becomes the first player in ASU history to be named a national defensive player of the week and the first Sun Belt Conference player to receive the recognition since FAU cornerback Tavious Polo last season after the Owls defeated Minnesota on Sept. 20. Owens, already on the Butkus Award Watch List, will be added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

Sun Belt Alumni

Troy’s Leodis McKelvin was selected with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, marking the second time in the last four years the Sun Belt has had a player chosen in the draft’s first round (Demarcus Ware, 11th pick of first round in 2005 by Dallas).  Arkansas State’s Tyrell Johnson was a second round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 after he broke the Sun Belt Conference record for career tackles during the 2007 season.  Johnson joins other notable Sun Belt players in the NFL such as Jake Delhomme (Louisiana-Lafayette – Carolina Panthers), Charles Tillman (Louisiana-Lafayette – Chicago Bears), Antwan Barnes (Florida International – Baltimore Ravens), Brandon Stokley (Louisiana-Lafayette – Denver Broncos), Marty Booker (Louisiana-Monroe – Chicago Bears), Ike Taylor (Louisiana-Lafayette – Pittsburgh Steelers), Osi Umenyiora (Troy – New York Giants), Lawrence Tynes (Troy – New York Giants), and Demarcus Ware (Troy – Dallas Cowboys).  Notable former professional football players from Sun Belt schools includes Joe “Mean Joe” Greene (North Texas), Stan Humphries (Louisiana-Monroe), and Brian Mitchell (Louisiana-Lafayette).  Current Cleveland Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.

Sun Belt Facilities Growing and Expanding

Every Sun Belt football institution has seen major facility facelifts over the last several years or major improvements are on the way.  Troy began the trend of facility enhancements when Veterans Stadium was transformed into Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium in 2003.  The Trojans’ state-of-the-art stadium features a six-story press box structure that houses 27 sky boxes, a media hosting facility, a unique Trojan Stadium Club area that houses more than 1,000 guests, and floors dedicated to sports medicine, academics and strength & conditioning.  Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe have followed by adding synthetic turf in their stadiums.  Synthetic turf has also been installed at Louisiana-Lafayette and construction finished on an indoor practice facility in 2007 – only the second collegiate facility of its kind in the state of Louisiana.  North Texas recently completed The Mean Green Athletic Village which includes the Darrell R. Dickey Practice Facility and the Athletic Center, which is complete with a football locker room, coaches’ offices, and team and position meeting facilities.  Two of the most significant projects in progress are the renovations taking place at Florida International’s FIU Stadium and Western Kentucky University’s L.T. Smith Stadium.  FIU Stadium will transform the home of the Golden Panthers in two phases with the first phase complete for the 2008 season and the second phase eventually pushing capacity to 45,000.  The renovations at WKU’s L.T. Smith Stadium will help push the Hilltoppers into the Football Bowl Subdivision. The renovation includes approximately 5,000 seats in the new west grandstand, which will also house football offices, locker rooms, a weight room and training room.  At Florida Atlantic the FAU Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a 30,000-seat, open-air stadium on the Boca Raton campus. 

ASU’s Leonard Takes Fast Track to Degree

Arkansas State junior quarterback Corey Leonard is already widely known for his accomplishments on the football field, but it was his accomplishments in the classroom that garnered him recognition at ASU’s Summer Commencement.  Even while the Covington, La. native has had to work the time demands of a college football player into his schedule, his dedication to academics led him down an early path to graduation before his junior season on the field.  Leonard earned his bachelor’s degree in Business and is now enrolled in graduate school.  On the field, three Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week awards, 2007 Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist, All-Sun Belt Conference selection and numerous school records are among his honors.  “It’s obviously quite an accomplishment to graduate prior to playing your junior year,” said ASU Head Football Coach Steve Roberts. “Corey continues to be what we desire from all our student-athletes in the classroom, in his community involvement and in his preparation to win.”

FAU Extends Howard Schnellenberger’s Contract

Florida Atlantic University recently extended Howard Schnellenberger’s contract as the Owls head football coach through the 2010 season.  “Howard has built the football program into a bowl champion in record time,” said Craig Angelos, FAU’s athletic director. “FAU wants him to serve at the team’s helm through its next historic phase, the construction of our on-campus stadium.”  FAU hired Schnellenberger in 1998 to spearhead the fund raising efforts to add football to the university. Since that time, the Owls have accomplished many firsts and have quickly risen in prominence on campus, in the community, in the state and on the national front. “I’m delighted with the extension and the opportunity that it gives me to continue in the next stage of this program’s development,” said Schnellenberger.

University of South Alabama Begins Football Program

The University of South Alabama, one the founding members of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976, recently approved the addition of football to the intercollegiate athletic program.  The decision came after a recommendation from President Gordon Moulton based on input from student, faculty, alumni and community groups.  The intention is that the Jaguars will field a team in 2009 with a full transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision by 2013. USA is a charter member of the Sun Belt Conference.  Former Birmingham Southern head coach and Mobile native Joey Jones was named as the Jags’ first head football coach and Jones has already put a staff in place and hit the recruiting trails. The Jaguars will begin their schedule at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in downtown Mobile in the fall of 2009. The 40,000-seat facility is home to the GMAC Bowl and the Senior Bowl, plus numerous high school football games each year.

North Texas’ Fitzgerald Shows Patience Pays Off

In 2004 North Texas wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald walked on to the Mean Green football team and was redshirted.  A year later his season total was one reception for nine yards.  Fitzgerald’s numbers in 2006 weren’t much more spectacular: 4 receptions for a total of 83 yards.  His progression then sky-rocketed under Todd Dodge’s new offensive system in 2007.  Fitzgerald hauled in 111 catches for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns.  His 111 receptions were the third most in the NCAA last year and he also led the Sun Belt in receptions per game and yards per reception en route to being named First Team All-Sun Belt.

Louisiana-Lafayette’s Michael Desormeaux Adds to Cajuns Run Game

Ragin’ Cajun senior quarterback Michael Desormeaux led Sun Belt in rushing yards per game (123.2) in SBC games and finished second in overall rushing yards in 2007. Desormeaux became the 24th quarterback in NCAA history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and finished with the 20th most rushing yards by a QB in a single season in NCAA history. He also boasted 17 total touchdowns and ranked eighth nationally in yards per carry, 28th in rushing per game and 38th in net rushing. He rushed and passed for more than 100 yards in the same game five times and scored a touchdown in 10 games. He also completed 55 percent of his passes to 16 different receivers, despite having only one senior wide receiver.

Troy’s Maurice Greer Overcomes Cancer

Maurice Greer will enter his first season at Troy after transferring from Garden City Community College prior to this season.  Getting acquainted with campus life and his new teammates shouldn’t be much of a challenge for the running back.  After all, Greer was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer while playing at Garden City.  The Denver, Colorado native went threw months of chemotherapy and radiation and found himself back on the football field for another year of junior college football.  The former Mr. Football in Colorado has made quite the recovery in the last couple of years and he will compete for a starting sport for the Trojans this fall.

Sun Belt Conference Team News & Notes

Arkansas State Red Wolves (2-1, 0-0 SBC)

This Week vs. Middle Tennessee: Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee will battle in the second conference game of the 2008 season.  Both teams are among the most proven Sun Belt squads so far this season as each had claimed a significant non-conference win (MT defeated Maryland and ASU defeated Texas A&M).  The Blue Raiders have already played one Sun Belt game this season having lost to Troy in the opening week.  MT will be looking to avoid a 0-2 start to its Sun Belt campaign.

Last Week vs. Southern Miss.: While it dropped a 27-24 decision to Southern Miss last time out, Arkansas State’s 2-1 start is still its best since posting a 2-1 record through its first three games of 2003.  The last time ASU held a 3-1 or better mark through its first four games was 1986 when it was 3-0-1 .  The crowd of 25,938 at the Southern Miss game was the fourth largest in ASU Stadium history.  For just the second time in ASU history, the Red Wolves played back-to-back home games in front of 20,000 or more spectators.  ASU has now posted over 400 yards of offense in each of its first three games, matching its total number of games with at least 400 for all of last season. ASU has eight sacks through its first three games, leaving it just five sacks shy of its total for all of last year.

Florida Atlantic Owls (1-2, 0-0 SBC)

This Week at Minnesota: A year after providing the Sun Belt with its first win against a Big Ten opponent by defeating Minnesota, Florida Atlantic will battle the Gophers once more. Rusty Smith tossed five touchdowns a year ago against the Gophers to earn USA Today Offensive Player of the Week while Tavious Polo recorded three interceptions and earned the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honor.  Minnesota is coming off of a 35-23 win over Montana State in a game that the Gophers were out gained by the Bobcats in net yards 356 to 352.  The Gophers’ two other wins this season have come against Northern Illinois (31-27) and Bowling Green (42-17).  Minnesota is averaging nearly 400 yards of total offense per game and FAU is currently giving up over 440 yards per game to opponents.

Last Week at Michigan State: FAU’s defense held the Spartans to just seven first half points and the Owls controlled first half time of possession and just needed one big play to get back into the game. That big play would not come as the rain soaked field and steady rain proved to be the biggest obstacle for the Owls. Rusty Smith would complete just 8 of 34 passes for the game and only threw for 143 yards.  The offensive line continued to shine in pass defense allowing no sacks - the unit has not allowed a sack since the last play of the 2007 New Orleans Bowl. Defensively, the Owls forced MSU to punt 10 times and kept the Spartans to 3-of-16 in third down conversions. Andre Clark tallied a career high 16 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss. Frantz Joseph recorded 13 tackles for his third game with double-digit tackles.

Florida International Golden Panthers (0-2, 0-0 SBC)

This Week vs. USF: Florida International took a week of to rest and prepare for its home opener against South Florida this upcoming Saturday.  The Golden Panthers’ home opener for the 2008 season will also be the opening of the brand new FIU Stadium.  FIU Stadium is the only on-campus Football Bowl Subdivision football facility south of Orlando and represents the foundation of the Golden Panthers football program.

Last Week BYE (Last: at Iowa): The 42-0 loss to Iowa marked the first time that FIU had been shutout since September 1, 2007 (59-0 at Penn State)—a streak of 12 games.  The announced crowd of 70,585 was the third-largest FIU has ever played before (107,678 at Penn State on 9/1/07 and 90,138 at Alabama on 10/28/06).  Linebacker Scott Bryant’s forced fumble in the first quarter was his second in as many games.  Marquis Rolle’s four pass receptions in the first half were the most by a Golden Panther in a game this season and one more than the sophomore had caught over the first 12 games of his college career (2 in 2007/1 last week at Kansas). Rolle finished with a career-high five catches for 39 yards.

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (0-2, 0-0 SBC)

This Week vs. Kent State: A week after a narrow loss to #24 Illinois, the Cajuns will have to regroup for their home opener against Kent State.  The Golden Flashes enter the contest with a 1-2 record with its lone win coming against Delaware State last week.  Kent had previously started the season 0-2 with losses to Boston College (0-21) and Iowa State (28-48).  Kent State is turnover-prone and inconsistent on special teams as evident by the two interceptions and five fumbles the Golden Flashes endured during their first two contests.  Against their two Football Bowl Subdivision opponents the Golden Flashes gave up seven rushing touchdowns and an average of 195 yards rushing per game. 

Last Week at Illinois: The Cajuns gave #24 Illinois all they could handle last Saturday in Champaign.  The Cajuns three-point deficit is the closest ULL has ever come to topping a ranked team on the road.  The Cajuns defeated #25 Texas A&M 29-22 at home on Sept. 14, 1996.  Running back Tyrell Fenroy has already become the Cajuns career leader in rushing yards.  He needs 37 combined yards to pass Brandon Stokley for the most rushing and receiving yards in program history.  He needs 704 rushing yards to pass Patrick Cobbs (North Texas) and become the all-time leading rusher in Sun Belt Conference history.  Fenroy enjoyed a career-best six receptions at #24 Illinois for a career-best 52 receiving yards.

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-2, 0-0 SBC)

This Week at Tulane: ULM stays in-state for a non-conference battle with Tulane at the Louisiana Superdome.  It is just the second meeting between the two schools and first since 2002.  It is the first of two straight games against Louisiana oppoents for the Warhawks, who open Sun Belt play on Oct. 4 against Louisiana-Lafayette following a bye week.  This is the second straight season that ULM has played a Conference USA opponent -- the Warhawks dropped the season opener to Tulsa last year.

Last Week vs. Alabama A&M: ULM picked up its first win of the season, a 37-15 decision over Alabama A&M in a game that was moved up to Friday night, just eight hours prior to kickoff.  Senior quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster tossed three touchdown passes and ran for one more accounting for nearly 300 total yards of offense.  Lancaster has now thrown five touchdowns to no interceptions this season and has 162 pass attempts without an interception.  Freshman wide receiver Anthony McCall caught his third touchdown of the season and junior wideout Darrell McNeal caught his first two touchdowns of the season.  The game marked the fourth straight season that ULM’s Malone Stadium opener was not played on Saturday.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-2, 0-0 SBC)

This Week vs. Arkansas State: Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee will battle in the second conference game of the 2008 season.  Both teams are among the most proven Sun Belt squads so far this season as each had claimed a significant non-conference win (MT defeated Maryland and ASU defeated Texas A&M).  The Blue Raiders have already played one Sun Belt game this season having lost to Troy in the opening week.  MT will be looking to avoid a 0-2 start to its Sun Belt campaign.

Last Week at Kentucky: Middle Tennessee may have come up one yard short on its last second Hail Mary play, but several Blue Raiders had notable performances against the Wildcats.  Desmond Gee recorded his third career 100-yard receiving game, reaching the milestone in the first half against Kentucky. Gee finished the game with three catches for 106 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Joe Craddock topped the 300-yard passing mark for the second time in his career and he surpassed 200 yards for the third time this season. The last time Middle Tennessee had a quarterback start a season with three straight games over 200 yards was Clint Marks in 2004. Craddock, who had 290 passing yards in his last visit to the Bluegrass state against Louisville last year, finished with 355 passing yards.

North Texas Mean Green (0-3, 0-0 SBC)

This Week BYE (Next: vs. Rice): North Texas will look to regroup during its off week as the Mean Green are off to a disappointing 0-3 start for the second consecutive season.  The Mean Green are currently giving up an average of 47.3 points per game and Rice is averaging 39.7 points per game on offense.

Last Week at LSU: North Texas registered just three points against LSU, marking the first time under second-year head coach Todd Dodge that the Mean Green has failed to score a touchdown.  North Texas was held scoreless in the first quarter for the second time this season and the eighth time in the 15 games under second-year head coach Todd Dodge.  Through three games this season North Texas has just three turnovers. At this point last year, North Texas had turned the ball over 10 times.  Casey Fitzgerald caught a pass in the first quarter, extending his streak to 15 straight games with at least one reception.

Troy Trojans (2-0, 0-0 SBC)

This Week at Ohio State: Coming off of a 35-3 loss to #1 Southern Cal, Ohio State will take on another Trojan squad when Troy visits Columbus, Ohio.  This will be the sternest test thus far for Troy this season, as the Trojans have had their way on offense and defense in their two games this season.  Troy is averaging 518 yards of total offense per game and is giving up only 202 yards of offense per game.  Excluding the USC game, Ohio State has given up only 14 points this season. 

Last Week vs. Alcorn State: Quarterback Jamie Hampton threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 45 yards and another score, all in the first half, in rolling to a 52-0 halftime lead en route to a 65-0 victory over Alcorn State. Hampton completed 26 of his 37 pass attempts and connected on touchdown throws of 10 yards (Jerrel Jernigan), 15 yards (Mykeal Terry), nine yards (Austin Silvoy) and 38 yards (Terry).  Troy rolled to a school record 736 yards of total offense in the game. The Trojans had 421 passing yards and 315 rushing yards against Alcorn State. The old school record for total offense in a game was 640 yards, which was also set against Alcorn State, in 1993. Troy ran a total of 107 offensive plays in the game, which far surpassed the school record of 97 set last year against Oklahoma State.

WKU Hilltoppers (1-2, 0-0 SBC)

Last Week vs. Murray State: After three straight weeks on the road, the Hilltoppers will finally play their 2008 home opener next Saturday when instate rival Murray State visits for a 6 p.m. kickoff in the debut of the newly renovated Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.  Murray State is off to an 1-2 start on the 2008 season having lost games in consecutive weeks to Indiana (3-45) and Illinois State (23-42).  The Racers’ lone win came against Lambuth (41-17) in the opening week of the season.

Last Week at Alabama: Alabama rushed for 281 yards and scored three of their five touchdowns on the ground as the #11 Crimson Tide picked up a 41-7 win over WKU.  The Hilltoppers took advantage of the first Alabama turnover of the game when Travis Watters picked off a John Parker Wilson pass to give WKU a short field midway through the second quarter. Facing a 4th-4 on the Crimson Tide 36, WKU quarterback David Wolke found Tristan Jones down the sideline for 30-yard touchdown pass to get the Hilltoppers on the board and make it a 24-7 game. That score was the first touchdown allowed by Alabama in the 2008 season. The Hilltoppers were able to keep Alabama off the board in the final period, picking up a second turnover when Blake Boyd recovered a Roy Upchurch fumble at the WKU seven yard line. Kyle Anderson was credited with the forced fumble.