NEW ORLEANS — Arkansas State University was predicted to finish third in the conference in the Sun Belt preseason coaches poll.
The Red Wolves earned one first-place vote, and with 122 points, they were behind No. 1 Appalachian State (136 points) and No. 2 Troy (127 points).
“We’ve gotten used to being underdogs,” Anderson said. “We have not been picked to win the league ever, that I’m aware of, and we’ve won five out of the past six. So it’s just a position we feel comfortable with. If it adds fire, the guys feeling disrespected, then so be it.”
Anderson led the Red Wolves to the Sun Belt title last season and defeated Central Florida 31-13 in the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
UALR and Sun Belt
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced July 12 that it will study the cost of adding a football program, and since the school is a member of the Sun Belt in its other sports, it would be able to join the conference as a football member.
Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said UALR, per the conference’s by-laws, would be incorporated, but the Sun Belt is “really happy with the 10 teams we have now” and have “no interest in looking elsewhere” for more members.
Instant share
Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson spoke in support of the league’s partnership to share the SEC’s collaborative replay center at the SEC headquarters in Birmingham, Ala.
The SEC implemented the system last season, where three officials watch all SEC football games, allowing them to review replays and assist officials at each game. The replay decisions in other conference games are left up to the officials on-site.
Benson pointed toward last season when Central Michigan upset Oklahoma State with a game-winning Hail Mary that should not have happened. An offensive penalty on the play before should have ended the game. The Mid-American Conference suspended its officials for two games for the blunder.
“Had collaborative replay been in place, that play would have been overturned and Oklahoma State would have won,” Benson said. “Why wouldn’t we have the opportunity to make sure it’s right?”
Controversy surrounded Arkansas State’s only Sun Belt loss last season, when replay overturned a late touchdown by an ASU offensive lineman who had recovered a fumble. The review turned the game into a 24-19 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.
Coastal debut
In September 2015, the Sun Belt announce that Coastal Carolina would join its conference for the 2017 season, and the Chanticleers made their media debut as a Sun Belt member Monday.
Coastal Carolina began its transition from an FCS to FBS program last season, when it went 10-2 as an independent team. As part of the NCAA transition, the school will not be eligible for postseason play until the 2018 season.
“That’s fine with me as long as we make everybody at Coastal Carolina proud,” said senior running back Osharmar Abercrombie, who rushed for 507 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2016. “It’s pretty tough for some guys. Everybody wants to play for a bowl game. But us, right now, we’re just focused on making Coastal Carolina proud.”
The Conway, S.C., university was last a member of the Big South Conference in 2015, when it went 4-2 in conference and lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs, 41-38, to The Citadel.
Last season, the Sun Belt’s four bowl victories were the most in league history.
“I think we’re coming in at a great time because the conference is at an alltime high,” associate coach Jamey Chadwell said. “We feel like we’re going to be a great addition to this conference, where we feel like we’re the ones picked No. 1, and we’re the ones talking about a New Year’s Eve bowl. We wouldn’t have made the jump if we didn’t think so.”
ASU schedule
DATE OPPONENT, TIME
Sept. 2 at Nebraska, 7 p.m. Sept. 9 Miami, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 16 UAPB, 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at SMU, 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at Ga. Southern, 7 p.m. Oct. 14 Coastal Carolina, TBA Oct. 19 La.-Laf., 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at N.M. St., TBA Nov. 11 at S. Alabama, TBA Nov. 18 Texas State, TBA Nov. 25 at La.-Monroe, TBA Dec. 2 Troy. TBA * Sun Belt Conference game