SUN BELT NOTEBOOK: League looking to add more Power 4 victories

The Sun Belt Conferences improving reputation as a football league has been built on non-conference success, and the conference is looking at some opportunities to build on that this week in the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The SBC is 6-4 against the American Athletic Conference and 1-1 against the Mountain West generally considered two of the best Group of Five conferences but victories against autonomous conferences are what really move the needle.

After picking up victories against Power 4 opponents the past two weeks Georgia State topped Vanderbilt at home last week and James Madison blew out North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday there are some opportunities for more wins against the ACC and SEC this weekend.

Louisiana (2-1) heads to Wake Forest (1-2) to take on a struggling Demon Deacons team, perhaps giving the SBC its best shot at a victory against an autonomy conference.

The first thing weve got to do is not beat ourselves, Ragin Cajuns head coach Mike Desormeaux said.

Were going to have to be able to move the football and keep our defense off the field if we can.

They are going to be really big up front on the offensive line.

Weve got to be able to establish the line of scrimmage better on defense.

The Cajuns, however, feel like they are coming off a missed opportunity, falling 41-33 at home to Tulane out of the AAC on Saturday.

Im not real happy sitting here on a Monday feeling like we left some things out there, Desormeaux said during the weekly SBC media teleconference on Monday.

From here on out, its nothing but good football teams.

Weve got to do it better than we did last week.

There are no moral victories.

Weve got to find a way to win that game.

South Alabama, coming off an impressive blowout victory at Appalachian State last Thursday, also has an opportunity to score an upset when the Jaguars head to LSU.

The Jags (2-2, 1-0 SBC) hope to ride some momentum fresh off an offensive explosion over the past two weeks.

Its another opportunity, first-year USA head coach Major Applewhite said.

Its another opportunity to prove ourselves.

Weve made marked improvement in the last four weeks and it doesnt need to slow down now.

Were going to have to play really well and were going to prepare that way.

The one thing we can control is our attitude, our preparation and our physicality.

Georgia State (2-2) and Georgia Southern (2-2) took a step back from the Modern Day Hate unofficial moniker for the in-state rivalry and announced the new official name the Georgia Grown Bowl.

Along with the name, Saturdays game will also have a new rivalry trophy.

While Georgia State head coach Dell McGee and Georgia Southerns Clay Helton seem to have a friendly relationship, theres little love lost between the fanbases and both know winning this week could mean a lot to fans and in-state recruits.

Were looking forward to the opportunity to hold up the first trophy, McGee said.

Any time you are talking about two state schools in battle ...

it becomes kind of a pride deal for people from the state of Georgia.

I think its another opportunity for fans and their family to support each other in this rivalry game.

Helton embraced the new name, which recognizes the Peach States agricultural industry and also wants to see his team hoist a trophy following the conference opener.

Im really excited about the Georgia Grown Bowl, Helton said.

I think its going to bring even more attention to that game.

I think that any time you have two teams that are in the same state, you see the importance to the players in that state.

Theres so much talent within this state.

All of the sudden, you make it the Georgia Grown Bowl and theres a trophy involved.

It just grows.

Coming off a blowout loss at home to Virginia, Coastal Carolina head coach Tim Beck said his team needed to return to a fundamental approach that helped the Chanticleers (3-1) start the season with a trio of victories.

We just got to get back to the basics of football, Beck said.

What happens as coaches is when you start having success you start doing more.

You start adding.

When you start adding and as a coach theres only so much you can coach.

So what are you coaching? Are you coaching scheme or are you coaching fundamentals and technique? Weve got to get back to those things.

Coastal will have some time to work on blocking and tackling with a bye week coming up before playing host to Old Dominion on Oct.

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