The following is a midseason look at the Sun Belt by the league’s newspaper beat reporters. Ted Hutton (FAU) declined to participate.
***All eight beat writers that participated picked Troy to win the Sun Belt, for the Trojans and Middle Tennessee to play in a bowl game and Troy redshirt freshman QB Corey Robinson as the Freshman of the Year.
***Three players were nominated for Offensive Player of the Year: Troy senior WR Jerrel Jernigan (five votes), WKU junior RB Bobby Rainey (two votes) and Troy redshirt freshman QB Corey Robinson (one vote).
***MTSU senior DE Jamari Lattimore (Defensive Player of the Year) and Middle Tennessee (Biggest Disappointment) received seven of eight votes. FIU senior DB Anthony Gaitor (Defensive POY) and Middle Tennessee senior QB Dwight Dasher (Biggest Disappointment) got the other votes.
***Six beat writers selected Troy redshirt sophomore DE Jonathan Massaquoi as Newcomer of the Year, FIU as the Biggest Surprise and for three teams to play in bowl games (which has never happened). The other two votes went to FIU junior QB Wesley Carroll and ULM redshirt freshman QB Kolton Browing (Newcomer) and ULM (Biggest Surprise) and two teams going to bowl games.
***Five beat writers selected Troy coach Larry Blakeney as Coach of the Year. FIU coach Mario Cristobal (COY) got the other three votes.
***Three beat writers had the Ragin’ Cajuns playing in a bowl game. Three had FIU competing in the postseason, and one had Arkansas State in a bowl.
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ADAM BEASLEY
FIU beat writer
Miami Herald
(Miami, Fla.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Bobby Rainey, RB, WKU
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Gaitor, DB, FIU
Newcomer of the Year: Wesley Carroll, QB, FIU
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), FIU (New Orleans Bowl) and Middle Tennessee (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Florida International
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
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ADAM SPARKS
Middle Tennessee beat writer
Daily News Journal
(Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Louisiana-Lafayette (New Orleans Bowl) and Middle Tennessee (At-large bowl TBA) ... I think Big Ten will fill Little Casears Pizza Bowl.
Biggest surprise: Louisiana-Monroe
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
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DREW CHAMPLIN
Troy beat writer
Dothan Eagle
(Dothan, Ala.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Ragin' Cajuns (New Orleans Bowl) and Middle Tennessee (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Florida International
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
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MATTHEW ROBERSON
Arkansas State beat writer
Jonesboro Sun
(Jonesboro, Ark.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Mario Cristobal, FIU
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (New Orleans Bowl), Florida International (Little Caesar's Bowl) and Middle Tennessee (GoDaddy.com Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Florida International
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee senior quarterback Dwight Dasher, who was suspended for the season’s first four games by the NCAA after accepting an illegal loan.
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BRETT VITO
North Texas beat writer
Denton Record Chronicle
(Denton, Texas)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Mario Cristobal, FIU
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Middle Tennessee (New Orleans Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Louisiana-Monroe
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
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NICK BAUMGARDNER
Western Kentucky beat writer
Bowling Green Daily News
(Bowling Green, Ky.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, MTSU
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy, MTSU
Biggest surprise: FIU
Biggest disappointment: MTSU
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JOSHUA PARROTT
Ragin’ Cajuns beat writer
Lafayette Daily Advertiser
(Lafayette, La.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Ragin' Cajuns (New Orleans Bowl) and Middle Tennessee (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Florida International
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
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TABBY SOIGNIER
ULM beat writer
The News-Star
(Monroe, La.)
Offensive Player of the Year: Bobby Rainey, WKU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore, Middle Tennessee
Newcomer of the Year: Kolton Browning, ULM
Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy
Coach of the Year: Mario Cristobal, FIU
Conference champion: Troy
Bowl teams: Troy (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Florida International (New Orleans Bowl) and Arkansas State (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
Biggest surprise: Florida International
Biggest disappointment: Middle Tennessee
Good stuff! I think T.Y. has enough time to be OPY.
Posted by: FIUJM | October 23, 2010 at 02:45 PM
Go Panthers!
Posted by: FIUPanther | October 24, 2010 at 10:54 AM