The Southern Conference has had a perception as a football league for many years. Much of that was due to the success of departed members Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, which have moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
For the SoCon to regain that identity this season, a lot of the perception is going to be shaped in nonconference clashes this week.
It is obviously headlined by the eighth-ranked University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s home game Saturday evening against seventh-ranked Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference on Saturday, but that is not the only key matchup. Samford will host Central Arkansas of the Southland Conference on Thursday, and Furman entertains fourth-ranked Coastal Carolina of the Big South Conference on Saturday.
Mercer will travel to OVC member Austin Peay, while The Citadel hosts Pioneer Football League member Davidson.
The SoCon could use some respect-building wins this week after not getting multiple teams in the FCS playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons last year. Only UTC went.
“It’s going to be an important game for us, but also for our conference, as is Furman, Samford and all the nonconference games in our league,” UTC coach Russ Huesman said Tuesday. “It’s big when two top-10 teams play early in the season; it’ll be looked at around the country as to what these teams can do.”
Two SoCon teams will face FBS opponents this week – Virginia Military Institute visits Ball State on Thursday and Wofford faces Clemson on Saturday – while Western Carolina will host NCAA Division II member Mars Hill.
“It’s big for us to represent our conference and a chance for our conference to make a good name for ourselves,” Furman coach Bruce Fowler said. “We don’t go in with our conference’s success being an emphasis – it’s not something we’re concerned with – but it would be big for our conference to be able to compete with those teams.
“It’ll be a good test. We’re really excited about playing them.”
New Samford head coach Chris Hatcher said his primary concern is his team’s play but added that a couple of wins in out-of-conference play could boost the perception when it comes time to pick the 24 playoff teams.
“Central Arkansas is going to be one of the top two or three teams we play all season long,” Hatcher said. “But if we have playoff aspirations, good quality wins in nonconference games bodes well for everyone in the conference.
“This is the week we’re pulling for the guys in the conference. It would be big if we could win some ballgames.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.
Southern Conference this week
Thursday’s Games * VMI at Ball State, 7 p.m. * Central Arkansas at Samford, 7 p.m. Saturday’s Games * Wofford at Clemson, 12:30 p.m. * Mercer at Austin Peay, 4 p.m. * Jacksonville State at UTC, 6 p.m. * Davidson at The Citadel, 6 p.m. * Coastal Carolina at Furman, 7 p.m. * Mars Hill at Western Carolina, 7 p.m.