WarhawkReport.com - Weekend primer: Big shoes to fill at FAU

November 5, 2009

Randall Thomason
GoMiddle.com

There aren't any showdowns at the top of the standings this week in Sun Belt football but the action on the field will still have major consequences.

Troy can move within one game of clinching at least a share of the league championship and Middle Tennessee can gain bowl eligibility. That's just two of the storylines.

GoMiddle.com breaks down what to look for on Saturday in Sun Belt play.

THE SCHEDULE

Saturday's games
FAU at UAB, 1 p.m.
ULL at Ark. St., 2:30 p.m. (Sun Belt Network)
ULM at North Texas, 3 p.m.
FIU at Middle Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN360)
Troy at WKU, 4 p.m.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

BIG SHOES TO FILL AT FAU- It was a double shot of bad fortune last week for FAU as the Owls lost a heartbreaking game to Middle Tennessee and also lost star senior quarterback Rusty Smith for the season. Smith suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of the game against MT and he'll be replaced for the rest of the year by junior signal caller Jeff Van Camp, who has played in five games this year but has completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Van Camp's first test as a starter will come against UAB in a non-conference game. His performance could dictate how the Owls will finish what is shaping up as a disappointing season.

WHAT IMPACT WILL HILTON HAVE?- FIU standout receiver T.Y. Hilton has been severely limited by injury for the last four weeks, but he was given a clean bill of health on Monday and should be close to full speed if not 100 percent for this week's game at Middle Tennessee. How effective will he be? If he has all of his normal explosion, he is more than capable of making one or two big plays that completely change the complexion of a game. FIU is out of the league championship race, but the Golden Panthers still have an opportunity in front of them to finish above .500 in the league. Hilton has to be a big factor for that to happen.

LAST STAND FOR ARKANSAS STATE- The Red Wolves have had a disappointing season largely because their offense has not lived up to its potential. ASU has one final chance to salvage its season with five straight league games to close out the year. The Red Wolves need to win four of the games to reach bowl eligibiliy and all five to get to seven wins. That quest starts this week with Louisiana-Lafayette coming to Jonesboro. ASU ranks seventh in scoring offense and total offense. Those numbers have to improve in order to complement what has been a strong Red Wolves defense.

BIGGEST UPSET POTENTIAL

NORTH TEXAS vs. ULM- ULM quarterback Trey Revell's status is still cloudy after Revell missed his second straight game with an injured thumb last week against Troy. Revell is expected to be ready to play this week against North Texas, but if he is shaky early in the game, the Warhawks could be in trouble because backup Cody Wells sprained the wrist on his non-throwing hand against Troy. North Texas is coming off an offensive explosion against WKU and has been mostly competitive inside the league. ULM has to respect the Mean Green's ability to score, particularly with the game in Denton.

LOCK OF THE WEEK

TROY over WKU- The Hilltoppers have shown a knack for playing competitively against Troy in the last two meetings between the teams, but WKU has looked so lifeless on defense this year that it's hard to imagine the Trojans not rolling up a ton of yards and points. Even with the game in Bowling Green, it's impossible for WKU fans to feel optimistic after watching their team surrender more than 60 points in back to back league games. Now, the Toppers will have to face Levi Brown and the explosive Troy offense that leads the way for the best team in the Sun Belt.

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