New Coaches Bring Attention To C-USA

Lane Kiffin has found a new home in Boca Raton, Fla.

 Don't think for a minute that Conference USA is just another smaller league flying under the radar, because it has the pedigree (22-11 in bowls since 2011, best among Group of Five) and, now, the coaches, to make headlines.

 Sure, it's nice to have the UAB program back from the dead, and the Blazers will have quite a few JUCO transfers and players returning to the program, but the chances that they can be competitive in year one are pretty slim. Still, they do have coach Bill Clark, who took them to .500 in 2014, their last season before returning, so the transition will not be as big as it could have been.

 Clark is a holdover -- of sorts -- but the bigger headlines were made by three coaches entering the league.

 Mike Sanford takes over at league champion Western Kentucky (11-3, 8-1), replacing Jeff Brohm, who left the greener pastures -- well, more green in his pocket, anyway -- of Purdue. The Hilltoppers have a standout in quarterback Mike White, who threw for over 4,300 yards with 37 touchdowns and just seven picks. White likes to spread the ball around, which makes the Hilltoppers difficult to defend (nation's best 45.4 ppg last year).

 Sanford may be the youngest coach in FBS, but he could be in line for bigger things if the WKU coaching road map means anything. The previous three coaches -- Brohm, Bobby Petrino (Louisville) and Willie Taggart (Oregon, via South Florida) -- all got big paydays, so if Sanford keeps the winning going, he could be next in line.

 While Sanford is new to the head coaching ranks, Lane Kiffin and Butch Davis are not.

 Kiffin, embattled offensive coordinator at Alabama last year, takes over at Florida Atlantic (3-9, 2-6), which hasn't won more than three games in a season since 2013. The Owls dropped four games last year by seven points or less, and Kiffin's presence and experience in the big time could reverse some of those results. FAU is the nation's most experienced team, and brings in a big-time arm in De'Andre Johnson (ex-Florida State, JUCO transfer) to run the show. Johnson has the smarts, the arm and, occasionally, the legs, to take over the offense, and it would be no shock if he blossoms under Kiffin's tutelage. Improving a defense that was 125th nationally is a major chore, but the experience of that group alone should help a bit.

Butch Davis

 Davis is back in business after a number of years in the broadcast booth, and he inherits a team in Florida International (4-8, 4-4) that's long on experience. The Panthers return 81 percent of their tackles from last season, highlighted by a stellar linebacking group. The best of the bunch is senior Treyvon Williams, who netted 109 stops. Quarterback Alex McGough is a veteran who should get better (1,891 yards, 13 TD, 11 INT) with a better coaching staff. Road trips to Central Florida and Indiana will show the Panthers whether or not they have improved.

 All of those big names reside in the Eastern Division, which is obviously where the balance of power in CUSA lies.

 Also noteworthy from the East is Marshall (3-9, 2-6), which plummeted to three victories after winning 33 games in the previous three seasons. And infusion of defensive talent from Power 5 schools - notably LBs Jaquan Yulee (Alabama) and Juwon Young (Miami, Fla.) and DB Shurod Thompson (Oregon State) -- should put the Thundering Herd nearer the top of the standings, where they had seemingly been owning, not renting (three straight finishes of first or second).

 Middle Tennessee (8-5, 5-3) has a lethal -- or is it potent? Not sure which is better -- pitch and catch combo of Brent Stockstill to Richie James, and teams have yet to show that they have figured out how to stop either. Stockstill tossed for over 3,200 yards with 31 touchdowns last year, 12 of them going to James. The 5-9, 178-pound speedster has over 100 grabs in each of his first two seasons, and you'd best believe he's already on the radar of the NFL. James is elusive, runs excellent routes and isn't afraid to go up for the ball. The Blue Raiders must be ready to play from the jump, opening with Vanderbilt, Syracuse and Minnesota, the latter two on the road.

 Old Dominion (10-3, 7-1) was solid defensively last year and should be again, led by defensive tackle Miles Fox (27 tackles, seven quarterback hurries) and corner Brandon Addison (47 tackles, 10 PBU). The lose a lot of experience so could tumble a bit in the standings.

 While maybe better in actuality than their record might indicate, Charlotte (4-8, 3-5) may once again be bringing up the rear of the division. Road tilts with Eastern Michigan and Kansas State could be eye-openers, especially with just 12 returning starters on board. Defense will need to the be the anchor as the offense breaks in a host of new talent.

Jaylon Ferguson

 In the West, Louisiana Tech is at the top untiil someone says otherwise. The Bulldogs (9-5, 6-3) have not finished lower than second in the past three seasons, and even though they continue to lose talent they still win games. Coach Skip Holtz has settled in nicely, winning 31 games in five seasons and recruiting well. Louisiana Tech boasts one of the better players in America in defensive end Jaylon Ferguson (49 tackles, 16 TFL, 14.5 sacks) and an offense that has nice balance. The Bulldogs have a road tilt with Western Kentucky sandwiched by contests against Mississippi State and South Carolina.

 UTSA (6-7, 5-3) played right with Arizona State early, and wasn't embarrassed on the road against Texas A&M last season. The Roadrunners have 14 starters returning and might have the best defense in the league, paced by linebacker Josiah Tauaefa (115 stops) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (10 TFL, 6.5 sacks).

 Southern Miss (7-6, 4-4) went as quarterback Nick Mullens did, losing the two games he missed as well as falling to LSU, Troy and UTSA when he started -- though all three are arguably better teams. A new quarterback this year means possible growing pains for the offense, though defenders Xavier Thigpen (12.5 TFL) and Sherrod Ruff (11 TFL) return.

 Rice (3-9, 2-6) is nothing if not ambitious, opening with Stanford in Australia before returning to the states to take on Houston and Pittsburgh later in September. The Owls are experienced, and linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee led the conference in tackles with 10.7 per game (117 total).

 Experience isn't abundant for UTEP (4-8, 2-6), which finished at the bottom of the West, though they do have maybe the best offensive line in the conference, with guard Will Hernandez a future NFL first-rounder. Linebacker Alvin Jones is back after amassing 93 stops and leads a unit with six returning starters. Coach Seth Kugler could be feeling some heat if the Miners don't get it going, with just one winning season in his four campaigns in El Paso.

 North Texas coach Seth Littrell isn't feeling such pressure, inking a five-year deal in the offseason after leading the Mean Green (5-8, 3-5) to just its ninth ever bowl trip. North Texas should have a better offense thanks to OC Graham Harrell, who used to sling it around for Texas Tech back in the day, and could use emergence from wideouts Turner Smiley (33 catches) and former Notre Dame signee Jalen Guyton, who averaged over 21 yards per grab in the JUCO ranks.

CONFERENCE USA PREDICTIONS
EAST
 1. Western Kentucky
 2. Middle Tennessee
 3. Florida Atlantic
 4. Marshall
 5. Old Dominion
 6. Florida International
 7. Charlotte

WEST
 1. Louisiana Tech
 2. UTSA
 3. Southern Miss
 4. Rice
 5. UTEP
 6. North Texas
 7. UAB

ALL-CONFERENCE USA
OFFENSE
QB Brent Stockstill/Middle Tennessee
RB Ray Lowry/Old Dominion
RB Ito Smith/Southern Miss
WR Richie James/Middle Tennessee
WR Allenzae Staggers/Southern Miss
WR Kam McKnight/Louisiana Tech
TE  Ryan Yurachek/Marshall
OT Greg Long/UTEP
OT Calvin Anderson/Rice
OG Will Hernandez/UTEP
OG O'Shea Dugas/Louisiana Tech
 C   Antonyo Woods/Florida Atlantic

DEFENSE
DE Jaylon Ferguson/Louisiana Tech
DE Marcus Davenport/UTSA
DT Miles Fox/Old Dominion
DT Anthony Rush/UAB
LB Josiah Tauaefa/UTSA
LB Emmanuel Ellerbe/Rice
LB Anthony Wint/Florida International
CB Joe Brown/Western Kentucky
CB Mike Minter/Middle Tennessee
  S  Kishawn McClain/North Texas
  S  Ocie Rose/Florida Atlantic

SPECIALISTS
  K Canon Rooker/Middle Tennessee 
  P  Jake Collins/Western Kentucky
KR Kylen Towner/Western Kentucky
PR Nacarius Fant/Western Kentucky

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME -- Western Kentucky over Louisiana Tech
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Richie James
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Jaylon Ferguson
COACH OF THE YEAR -- Lane Kiffin/Florida Atlantic
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR -- QB De'Andre Johnson/Florida Atlantic