If you want to know why Jon Sumrall is the hottest coach in college football this side of Lane Kiffin, take a look at the work he’s done this season.

He has taken a Green Wave team that needed to replace 17 starters from a year ago, including star quarterback Darian Mensah and running back Mekhi Hughes, and guided it to a 9-2 record, a No. 24 national ranking and the brink of another conference championship.

All that stands in their way is a win over Charlotte Saturday. The Green Wave are 30-point favorites against the 1-10 49ers, who are playing out the string in Coach Tim Albin’s first season.

“We’re playing a really important football game (Saturday night),” Sumrall said in what qualifies as the understatement of the year.

There’s more on the line than just Senior Night for the

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