The 2015 college football season is finally here! Today, college football teams around the country will be vying for a spot in the 2nd annual College Football Playoff, which last season saw The Ohio State Buckeyes take home the trophy. Last season also saw the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns; who we looked at in our first preview, take home their 4th consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Championship.
In this our final R+L Bowl preview, we preview our final two teams who are prepping for the upcoming season and we also take a look at what’s to come in college football in 2015.
Louisiana-Monroe
The Warhawks are looking to provide a balance attack on offense this season. This will start with building on the fact that the team lead the Sun Belt Conference in passing yards; however, the team will need to improve in the running game to be successful as they finished last in rushing yards. Success on offense starts with redshirt freshman Garrett Smith, who will start at quarterback for the Warhawks. Head Coach Todd Berry is excited to see what the dual threat quarterback can do. The defense is led by seniors. Michael Johnson is the returning Sun Belt sack leader and Mitch Lane is a first team All Sun Belt selection. The defense will certainly look to provide a spark for the young offense. ULM opens up the season this Saturday at No. 9 Georgia. The defense will have its hands full trying to contain Nick Chubb, who some think could win the Heisman trophy this year. After Saturday, the non-conference schedule does not get easier, as the team will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama on September 26. The Warhawks open up conference play at home against Georgia Southern on October 3. Other key conference match ups include at UL-Lafayette on October 31 and a home game against Arkansas State on November 14.
New Mexico State
The Aggies are looking to improve on their 2-9 overall record last season. Junior Tyler Rogers is the man under center for New Mexico State. He’ll have an ace in his back pocket in sophomore running back Larry Rose III who rushed for 1,102 yards last season. Junior wide receiver Teldrick Morgan will be the quarterbacks top passing option. The offensive line is one of the best in the Sun Belt, and that will help the offense thrive. Size is an issue on the defensive side of the ball, but a majority of the defensive rosters returns which should provide some stability and experience. The Aggies open up the season Saturday at Florida and will then play a conference game against Georgia State at home on September 12. In addition to the Florida Gators, the Aggies will also take on another SEC school, Ole Miss on October 10. Key conference games include at Georgia Southern on October 17 and at UL-Lafayette on November 21.
Let the Games Begin
The 2015 college football season gets underway tonight with the first Sun Belt team to be in action this year, Idaho. The game against Ohio University will take place at 9:00 PM (EST) on ESPN 3. Tomorrow night, Georgia State will take on Charlotte at 3:30 PM (EST) on ESPNU. Other notable non-conference match ups on Saturday include UL Lafayette at Kentucky and Georgia Southern at West Virginia. A complete schedule can be found on the Sun Belt website. Along with the Sun Belt and the New Orleans Bowl, we have your complete coverage of everything you need to know leading up the the R+L Bowl. Stay with us throughout the season for updates and our Game of the Week. You can also catch up on any preseason news you missed by reading our R+L Bowl Preview series. We’ll also deliver all your updates on Facebook and Twitter.
