Around the Dog Park: A DIII champion faces harsh NCAA punishment

General G5

• Lamar has scheduled games with Texas State (2024) and North Texas (2025).
• A JUCO head coach is under investigation for allegedly charging players rent to sleep in the locker room.
• Mary Hardin-Baylor may have to vacate their 2016 Division III championship after their head coach allowed student-athletes to borrow his 2006 vehicle. The NCAA way over-stepped on this ruling in my opinion, and I hope UMHB’s appear is successful.
• The Athletic recaps where each G5 conference is at through the midway point of the season.
• Evidently Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun isn’t happy with the program’s placement in the Mountain West.
• Bill Connelly’s midseason awards highlight a lot of great players and coaches at the G5 level.

AAC

• UCF is still the top ranked in the G5 per the latest S&P+ rankings.
• Several AAC coaches are among the top names on The Athletic’s list of coaches to watch this coaching carousel.
• Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell was named to The Athletic’s midseason Freshman All-American team. Great name for a running back by the way.

C-USA

• “Ryan” is now the corporate title sponsor of the 2019 C-USA Football Championship game. “Ryan” has also been named the “Official Corporate Tax Services Firm of Conference USA”. Really curious to see how much this cost “Ryan”.
• Marshall has announced future games with North Carolina Central and Norfolk State.
• UTSA Head Coach Frank Wilson has come under even more fire after last week’s loss to UAB in the Alamodome.
• The SWC Roundup has called for Frank Wilson to be fired.
• Incredible stat from The Athletic: “Western Kentucky is 4-2 without scoring more than 20 points in any of its wins after beating Army 17-8.” That’s not the Hilltoppers I’m used to!
• No matter though, WKU has emerged as an unlikely candidate to win Conference USA.
• Following a huge loss to Southern Miss, UNT is suddenly facing a lot of adversity this season. The Mean Green will need a bit of luck and some preservation if they’re to win the division.
• The Daily Dragon breaks down some crucial plays from the UTSA and UAB match up.
• The Palm Beach Post dishes out grades for each of FAU’s units at the midseason mark.
• Rice is aiming to turn quality showings into wins. The Owls have their best opportunity of the season this week as they travel to UTSA.
• Linebacker Anthony Ekpe and fullback Reagan Williams will be out for Rice this week.
• Southern Miss Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner made the call to move former wide reciever De’Michael Harris to running back and it has paid huge dividends for USM’s explosive offense.

Sun Belt

• The loss of a close friend has helped motivate Arkansas State receiver Omar Bayless’ breakout season.