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Familiar favorite looks to rule new-look league
By JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer
HATTIESBURG � No team dominated the previous
version of Conference USA quite like Southern Mississippi. The makeup of the
league has changed, but the Golden Eagles believe results will stay the
same.
Southern Miss, which has won more C-USA
championships than other team, is thinking title again.
``My expectation level is that we win a
Conference USA championship,'' coach Jeff Bower said.
Making a run at the title seems like a
reasonable goal every year for Southern Miss, which has won or shared a
league-best four titles since C-USA was formed in 1996 and hasn't had a
losing season since three years before that.
``It doesn't happen overnight or over two or
three seasons. It happens over a long period of time,'' Bower said. ``We've
been consistent over the years, and there aren't many teams that have had
winning seasons for 11 straight years.''
Louisville won its third title last season,
but the Cardinals didn't stick around to defend it.
They left for the Big East along with
Cincinnati and South Florida as part of a five-team exodus. Texas Christian
joined the Mountain West, and Army returned to independent status.
Among the remaining members, nobody else has
won the crown more than once.
Then again, new teams make up half of the
12-team, two-division conference: Texas-El Paso, Rice, Southern Methodist
and Tulsa came from the Western Athletic Conference, and Marshall and
Central Florida are in from the Mid-American Conference.
League coaches picked Southern Miss and UTEP
to win the divisions and play Dec. 3 in the league's first championship
game.
UTEP coach Mike Price hopes the Miners can
stay composed despite high expectations in an unfamiliar league. A year ago,
they made a drastic turnaround � going from 2-11 in 2003 to 8-4.
``The players have never been in this position
� they're not the underdogs,'' Price said. ``It's important that our coaches
make sure the players don't have big heads.''
The biggest stars in the conference figure to
be Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams and UAB quarterback Darrell
Hackney.
Williams, the league's two-time rushing
leader, ran for 1,948 yards and 22 touchdowns last year and already owns
most school rushing records. Hackney passed for 3,070 yards and 26 TDs, but
must prove he can keep putting up big numbers without first-round draft pick
Roddy White.
``We're going to put the ball in his hands as
many times as we can,'' UAB coach Watson Brown said of Hackney.
A capsule look at the teams in predicted order
of finish:
EAST DIVISION
SOUTHERN MISS � Has history on its side:
Golden Eagles are 5-0 against UAB and 13-0 against Memphis in Hattiesburg
since 1960. ... Must replace leading rusher Anthony Harris, who quit the
team over the summer. ... DB John Eubanks is the key to the traditionally
strong defense. ... Plays another tough nonconference schedule with games at
Alabama and at North Carolina State.
UAB � Returns eight offensive starters from a
team which played in the school's first bowl. Hawaii beat UAB 59-40 in the
Hawaii Bowl. ... DE Larry McSwain, who led the league with 11 1/2 sacks, is
one of seven starters returning on defense. ... Southern Miss visits on Oct.
21.
MEMPHIS � Williams figures to carry the
offense until the Tigers settle on a replacement for QB Danny Wimprine. ...
Coming off the first consecutive bowl berths in school history. ... Must
improve a defense that was 90th in the nation.
MARSHALL � Lots of questions for new coach
Mark Snyder, a former Ohio State assistant and ex-Thundering Herd player who
replaced Bob Pruett. ... Returns only three starters on each side of the
ball. ... Will make longest road trip in C-USA in October, a 1,600-mile
journey to UTEP. ``That's going to make for a long following week,'' Snyder
said.
EAST CAROLINA � Skip Holtz, the son of Lou
Holtz, takes over for John Thompson, who won three games in two seasons. ...
QB James Pinkney is back after missing spring practice while regaining his
academic eligibility.
CENTRAL FLORIDA -- Has lost 15 straight games,
the longest active string in Division I-A. .... Went 0-11 in coach George
O'Leary's first season. ... Four losses were by five or fewer points.
WEST DIVISION
TEXAS-EL PASO � QB Jordan Palmer, younger
brother of 2002 Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, is one of six starters
back on offense. ... Loaded at receiver: Top seven wideouts return,
including Chris Francies, who leads the nation with at least one catch in 33
consecutive games. ... Counting on UCLA transfer Tyler Ebell to replace
1,100-yard rusher Howard Jackson.
TULANE � Returns eight offensive and nine
defensive starters. ... Lost top two receivers to graduation. ... LSU
transfer Lester Ricard last year was one of the nation's most efficient
quarterbacks.
HOUSTON � QB Kevin Kolb led the league in
total offense and is one of eight returning starters. ... WR Vincent
Marshall had six games with at least 100 yards receiving. ... LB Lance
Everson will miss season with injured knee.
TULSA � Ashlan Davis set the NCAA
single-season record last year with five kickoff returns for touchdowns. He
is one shy of tying the career record. ... All three non-conference
opponents (Minnesota, Oklahoma, North Texas) last season played in bowls.
RICE � Ranked 114th nationally in pass
efficiency last season and threw more than twice as many interceptions (11)
as touchdowns (five). ... Must replace 1,000-yard rusher Ed Bailey.
SOUTHERN METHODIST � Returns 11 starters from
the WAC's worst offense. ... Scored 10 or fewer points five times. ... Has
one winning season (1997) since the program was suspended in the late 1980s.
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02/23/2007 10:42:55 AM
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