IT’S REVIVAL TIME
LANE KIFFIN, BUTCH DAVIS GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT GLORY; UAB IS BACK AFTER DROPPING FOOTBALL FOR TWO YEARS
Conference USA isn’t short on storylines worth following in 2017.
From Lane Kiffin’s return to head coaching to UAB’s revival, the conference is getting a jolt in the arm.
Out in the West division, the trendy picks are Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and UTSA.
Louisiana Tech is coming off a nine-win season and bowl win over Navy. NFL Draft pick Carlos Henderson is gone, but it’s hard to see the Bulldogs being knocked off. They are the most complete team in this division.
UTSA’s quick rise could only the beginning. The Roadrunners becoming bowl eligible last season has head coach Frank Wilson as a prime coaching candidate for a Power Five team.
Southern Miss can’t be discounted. Senior wide receiver Allenzae Staggers can throw his name among the best wideouts in the country. Running back Ito Smith might be able to do the same. But who will be under center?
The best story in the conference lives in the West division, too. UAB is back after a two-year hiatus and the 2014 drama that temporarily shut the program down. The Blazers are back with new facilities, too. This team may struggle but being back on its feet is most important.
North Texas could be a sneaky good pick as most improved team if quarterback Mason Fine continues development. The Mean Green weren’t that far off in head coach Seth Littrell’s first season (5-7 with a bowl appearance).
Rice is coming off a 3-9 season but head coach David Bailiff believes an abundance of returning starters and health tipping in the Owls’ favor can make a difference. Rice has to start over at quarterback, though.
UTEP no longer has star running back Aaron Jones but it doesn’t change the fact that the Miners need to get back to a bowl for the first time since 2014.
Notable newcomers in East
Two simple questions for the East division — Can anyone knock Western Kentucky off the perch? And what will Florida Atlantic’s Kiffin and Florida International’s Butch Davis do in their debuts?
WKU is the back-to-back defending Conference USA champions and still has quarterback Mike White breaking all sorts of records. But coach Jeff Brohm took the Purdue job and Mike Sanford is charged with keeping the Hilltoppers on top.
Quarterback Brent Stockstill and receiver Richie James are one of the country’s best duos regardless of conference. Can Middle Tennessee State play enough defense, however? Why not Old Dominion? Ten-game winners from last year with a Bahamas Bowl win over Eastern Michigan to boot. Running back Ray Lawry is outstanding and this team isn’t dealing with the questions some of its East division brethren is.
It wasn’t long ago when Marshall was trying to challenge for a New Year’s Six bowl spot. The Thundering Herd fell on hard times last year but fans think it was only a hiccup. The team will have to prove it in an increasingly tough division.
Charlotte might be the team easily forgotten about here. The program is still in its infancy but is making major strides.
The Kiffin and Davis hires at the conference’s two Florida schools are worthy of the national spotlight.
Kiffin doesn’t need an introduction. He’s the polarizing coach with highprofile stops at Tennessee, the Oakland Raiders and Alabama. If it doesn’t work at FAU, it could be his last chance to be a head coach.
Davis is most known for his time at Miami, North Carolina and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. He hasn’t coached since 2010 with the Tar Heels and much like Kiffin, can revive his career if he can get FIU on track.