C-USA MEDIA MEMBERS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

DALLAS – Marshall and North Texas each won nine games and played in a bowl game last season and the league’s media are forecasting that the two schools will meet in the C-USA Championship Game this December, as the Thundering Herd were picked to win the East Division title, while North Texas was selected to be crowned West Division champions, in a preseason vote conducted by a panel of media members that cover C-USA schools.Marshall welcomes back nine starters on offense and six on defense from a squad that finished 6-2 in the conference last season. Quarterbackwas named co-Freshman of the Year after averaging 245 yards per game with 15 TD passes in 10 outings. In addition to four returning starters on the offensive line, led by senior All-C-USA C, the Herd brings back a pair of productive rushers in junior(the team’s leading rusher the last two seasons) and sophomore(578 yards and 4 TDs in the final five games last year). The Marshall defense did not allow a 100-yard rusher all of last season and senior DEand LBwill lead the way up front, while CBspearheads the secondary.North Texas returns nine starters from the league’s top-ranked scoring offense (34.6 points per game). Included in that group is senior QB, the back-to-back C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and the FBS active leader in passing yards with 9,417. He threw 27 touchdown passes in 2018, tossing 12 to senior WR, (68 catches for 1,017 yards). Junior RBran for 977 yards and 15 scores behind a line that welcomes back a trio of starters. On the other side of the ball, senior DE(7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss) and senior S(67 tackles, four interceptions) headline the six starters that are back on defense.FIU, armed with 16 combined returning starters on offense and defense, including senior and reigning C-USA Newcomer of The Year QB(C-USA-best 157.6 passer efficiency rating and a school-record 26 TD passes) and senior LB(school-records with 132 total tackles and 83 solo stops), was picked second in the East, followed by Florida Atlantic and senior LB(team-high 86 tackles, four interceptions and one fumble recovery. Rounding out the media picks in the East are Middle Tennessee, WKU, Old Dominion and Charlotte.Southern Miss, which allowed the fewest first downs in the FBS and had the number three-ranked total defense, returns six starters on that side of the ball, led by senior S(51 tackles, six interceptions), along with nine returnees on offense, and has been selected second, followed by Louisiana Tech and playmaking junior S(61 tackles, 7.5 TFL’s, four interceptions, 12 PBU’s), picked third. Closing out the media picks in the West Division are UAB, UTSA, Rice and UTEP, respectively.The 15th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 7. The 2019 C-USA Football season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 29.1. Marshall (14)2. FIU (9)3. Florida Atlantic (3)4. Middle Tennessee5. WKU6. Old Dominion7. Charlotte1. North Texas (20)2. Southern Miss (4)3. Louisiana Tech4. UAB (2)5. UTSA6. Rice7. UTEP(first place votes in parentheses)