SPORTS

Media picks La. Tech to win C-USA West

Staff Reports

IRVING, Texas – Louisiana Tech has been picked to repeat as the Conference USA West Division champion while WKU was voted as the favorite to win the East Division in a preseason vote conducted by a panel of media members that cover C-USA schools.

The league’s media members selected both Louisiana Tech and WKU to repeat as division champions after the two teams faced off in a record-breaking C-USA Championship Game last December in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Louisiana Tech has won two of the last three West Division titles and returns a number of key performers to help Skip Holtz’s club make another run at a C-USA Championship Game appearance. Senior RB Jarred Craft (1,074 yards, nine rushing TDs) will run behind an offensive line that returns three starters, including preseason All-C-USA guard O’Shea Dugas. Defensive end Jaylon Ferguson led Conference USA in sacks with 14.5 for a loss of 89 yards on the season, while also registering 49 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss. Ferguson also forced four fumbles in 2016 and recovered two.

The 13th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 2. The 2017 C-USA Football season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 31.

Louisiana Tech will kick off the 2017 season Saturday, Sept. 2 as the Bulldogs play hosts to Northwestern State at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston.

C-USA MEDIA MEMBERS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

EAST DIVISION

1. WKU (20)

2. Middle Tennessee (4)

3. Old Dominion (3)

4. Marshall (1)

5. Florida Atlantic

6. FIU

7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION

1. Louisiana Tech (20)

2. UTSA (7)

3. Southern Miss (1)

4. North Texas

5. Rice

6. UTEP

7. UAB

(first place votes in parentheses)