Sun Belt Conference Weekly News and Notes (Complete PDF)
Sun Belt Conference Media Guide
Sun Belt Conference Composite Schedule
Sun Belt Conference Standings
Sun Belt Conference Statistics
The Sun Belt Conference: Together We Rise
• A record six Sun Belt teams went to bowl games last season, breaking the previous record of four set in 2012 and 2015. The four bowl wins were the most ever by the Sun Belt in its league history.
• The Sun Belt’s .667 winning percentage in bowl games fell one win shy of claiming a win in ESPN’s “Conference Bowl Challenge” among all 10 FBS conferences, and percentage-wise finished tied with the Big 12 Conference for the second spot. It was the best bowl winning percentage among the “Group of Five” conferences.
• The Sun Belt finished third in the annual “Group of Five” conference rankings in 2016 after finishing fifth the past two seasons.
• The College Football Playoff distributed $50 million to the “Group of Five” conferences to be split evenly amongst the leagues, with the other $35 million distributed based on regular season and post season performance. The Sun Belt’s third-place finish resulted in an extra $3 million to be distributed evenly among its membership.
• The Sun Belt will add a significant boost to its officiating program this year as it was recently announced that the conference will use a collaborative replay system. The system will allow officials in a central location to review replays and assist officials at each game.
• Troy became the first Sun Belt school to earn an AP Top 25 ranking last season (#25 – November 14).
• South Alabama defeated No. 19 San Diego State 42-24 for the program’s first win over a top-25 team and Mississippi State 21-20 for its first win against a member of the SEC last season.
Arkansas State and Appalachian State were co-champions of the league in 2016. It was the fifth conference title in six seasons for the Red Wolves, and a first-ever Sun Belt title for the Mountaineers.
• The 2017 season will be the fifth consecutive year all Sun Belt football home games will be carried by an ESPN network. In total, 68 home contests will be televised.
12 Sun Belt home games are already slated to appear on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU including at least one game on “Championship Saturday” on December 2nd.
• The Sun Belt will determine its football conference champion with a championship game for the first time in league history beginning with the 2018 season. The game will be played between the winners of the East and West divisions.
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, October 26
* South Alabama at Georgia State - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, October 28
Appalachian State at UMASS - 2:30 p.m. (Eleven Sports)
* Georgia Southern at Troy - 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
* ULM at Idaho - 4 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Texas State at Coastal Carolina - 5 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Arkansas State at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
* denotes Sun Belt Conference game
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
Recent Results
Thursday, October 19
* Arkansas State 47, Louisiana 3 - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, October 21
Missouri 68, Idaho 21 – 11 a.m. (SEC Network)
* Troy 34, Georgia State 10 – 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Appalachian State 37, Coastal Carolina 29 – 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
UMASS 55, Georgia Southern 22 - 2:30 p.m. (Eleven Sports)
* South Alabama 33, ULM 23 – 4 p.m. (ESPN3)
Sun Belt Football Players of the Week
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Justice Hansen, Arkansas State (Jr., QB)
Junior quarterback Justice Hansen recorded 396 yards total offense, including 275 through the air and a career-high 121 on the ground, and was responsible for three touchdowns during Arkansas State’s 47-3 victory over Louisiana. He averaged 9.3 yards per rushing attempt and accounted for his first running score of the season, while also completing 23-of-37 passes with no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns. Hansen became just the fifth player in Sun Belt Conference history to record at least 275 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game.
Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State (Sr., QB)
Taylor Lamb threw for a career-high 427 passing yards with two TDs and no interceptions in the Mountaineers’ 37-29 win over Coastal Carolina. His 427 yards rank second-most in a game in school history (Armanti Edwards - 433 vs. South Carolina State in 2008) and third-most by a Sun Belt QB this year. On his first TD pass of the game, Lamb became App State’s all-time leader with 75 before adding one more. Lamb is now tied for third place in SBC history with 76 TD passes, the same total FAU’s Rusty Smith had from 2005-09. Lamb has led first-place App State to second-half come-from-behind victories in all four league games this year.
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State (Sr. DL)
Senior defensive end Ja’Von Rolland-Jones recorded a season-high 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, five tackles and a forced fumble that was scooped up by teammate Caleb Caston and returned for a touchdown during Arkansas State’s 47-3 victory over Louisiana. Rolland-Jones sacked Louisiana quarterback Andre Nunez on the game’s third play and stripped the ball in the process, resulting in a 24-yard touchdown return that put the Red Wolves ahead 7-0 within less than a minute of the game’s opening kickoff. His 2.5 sacks pushed his career total to 36, moving him into a tie for the fourth most in NCAA history.
Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama (Sr., DB)
Senior defensive back Jeremy Reaves shared team-high honors with eight total stops in the victory over the Warhawks, and he had a hand in both USA takeaways that ended their first and last possessions of the contest. ULM advanced to the USA-1 yard line on its opening drive and was poised to tie the game when Reaves picked up a fumble and returned it 92 yards, setting up a touchdown and 14-0 lead instead on the Jags’ ensuing snap. Then, with South up 10 points in the fourth quarter, the senior picked off a pass at the USA-33, allowing the Jaguars to run out the final six minutes of play and clinch the win. Reaves is now the sole leader on South’s career interception list - the pick was his seventh since the start of the 2014 campaign - while the fumble return was the longest in school history.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Evan Rabon, Coastal Carolina (Jr., P/K)
Rabon set a school record with a 65-yard punt and his three punts went for 65, 51 and 48 yards. He was 3-for-3 in field goals, making a 49-yarder at the end of the 2nd quarter to give CCU a 19-17 lead at halftime. Rabon also made a 24-yarder to start the 3rd quarter for a 22-17 lead and has had at least one 50-yard punt in five straight games, including three games with two.
Sun Belt News and Notes
Sun Belt Membership
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy give the league 10 full-time members that compete in football. Little Rock and UTA compete as Sun Belt members in all sports other than football. Idaho and New Mexico State compete only in the sport of football.
Sun Belt Bowl Partners
In 2001, the Sun Belt Conference began sponsoring football and created the inaugural New Orleans bowl in December of that year. The conference now stands as one of the 10 premier college football leagues in the country.
As part of the College Football Playoff a worthy football team in the Sun Belt can be in the national championship picture, and the league is a permanent part of the “Group of Five” conferences (joining the American Athletic Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA) that sends its highest-rated champion to a premier January 1st bowl game.
In the last four years the Sun Belt Conference has gone from having two primary bowl partnerships to five in 2017. From 2001 to 2009 the Sun Belt Conference had only one bowl partner.
College Football Playoff
Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or CFP semifinals
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
First Selection (vs. CUSA)
Dollar General Bowl (Mobile, Ala.)
Second Selection (vs. MAC)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.)
Third Selection (vs. MAC)
AutoNation Cure Bowl (Orlando, Fla.)
Fourth Selection (vs. American)
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl (Tucson, Ariz.)
Fifth Selection (vs. Mountain West)
Sun Belt Conference Championship Game
The Sun Belt Conference will hold its first ever football championship game as the league’s presidents and chancellors, as well as athletic directors, voted unanimously to play the game beginning in 2018. The addition of Coastal Carolina and the decision to move forward as a 10-team football league, along with the NCAA Division I Council’s rules on championship games, means that the championship game has become a reality.
Sun Belt Athletes are Student-Athletes
During the recent 2016-17 academic year, Sun Belt member institutions awarded over $50 million in scholarships to more than 3,100 student-athletes, while also providing life experiences such as team building, domestic and foreign travel, community service, mentoring and recognition through honors and awards. The commitment to education recently led to over 2,100 Sun Belt Conference student-athletes being named to the 2016-17 Commissioner’s List and Academic Honor Roll. The list is comprised of 1,087 student-athletes on the Commissioner’s List (3.5 grade point average or better) and 1,045 student-athletes on the Academic Honor Roll (GPA between 3.0 and 3.49).
2017 Sun Belt Football Coaches Predicted Order of Finish (first place votes)
1. Appalachian St. (7) - 136 pts
2. Troy (2) - 127 pts
3. Arkansas State (1) - 122 pts
4. South Alabama - 98 pts
5. Louisiana (1) - 95 pts
6. Idaho - 84 pts
7. Georgia Southern - 82 pts
8. Georgia State - 48 pts
9. ULM - 46 pts
10. New Mexico St. (1) - 41 pts
11. Texas State - 31 pts
12. Coastal Carolina - 26 pts
Team News and Notes
Appalachian State Mountaineers
• With 76 career touchdown passes, Appalachian State senior quarterback Taylor Lamb is now App State’s all-time leader. He had two touchdown passes after entering Saturday’s game tied for first place with Armanti Edwards, who had 74 from 2006-09. Lamb’s 76 touchdowns have come in 45 games.
• Lamb’s 427 passing yards rank second in school history behind the 433 that Edwards had against South Carolina State in 2008. It was the eighth 400-yard passing game in App State history, and Lamb’s previous high was 397 yards against Liberty as a redshirt freshman in 2014.
• Lamb is now tied for third place in Sun Belt Conference history with 76 touchdown passes, the same total FAU’s Rusty Smith had from 2005-09. There’s a first-place tie at 81 between Troy’s Corey Robinson (2010-13) and ULM’s Kolton Browning (2010-13).
• Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina drew an attendance of 30,179 - which ranks seventh in Kidd Brewer Stadium history and was the ninth home crowd of at least 30,000 in school history. Three of the top seven crowds have occurred in the last 10 home games, as a record 35,126 fans attended the Wake Forest game earlier this season and 34,658 attended the Miami game early in the 2016 season.
• App State is 4-0 in Sun Belt play for the third straight season. It has won 24 of its last 26 league games and is 12-1 at home during that stretch.
• With redshirt freshman Jalen Virgil catching five passes for 186 yards and senior Ike Lewis posting six catches for 106 yards, it was the first time App State had two 100-yard receivers since 2013, when Tony Washington (129 yards) and Andrew Peacock (127) both hit triple digits against Georgia Southern. It was the second straight 100-yard game for Lewis, who had six catches for 101 yards at Idaho.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
• Arkansas State holds a 4-2 record that matches its best ever through six games played since it joined the FBS in 1992.
• The Red Wolves have won four consecutive Sun Belt Conference games and holds a 43-7 record over its last 50 league contests.
• Dating back to the 2010 season, A-State holds a 21-2 record over its last 23 games played in the month of October.
• Arkansas State has won seven consecutive home games dating back to last season and has secured a winning record at Centennial Bank Stadium for the 13th consecutive year.
• With its 47-3 victory over Louisiana, A-State has now won eight consecutive midweek games (Tue.-Thur.) to make it 19-6 all-time in such contests as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (since 2001).
• The Red Wolves have won 20 of their last 24 conference road games dating back to the 2011 season.
• While Arkansas State and New Mexico State have played 11 times, including an initial 1993 meeting, Saturday’s game will be just the fifth between the two teams since 2003. A-State stands 5-6 all-time against the Aggies with their five victories coming in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2003 and 1998.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
• This will be the first meeting between Coastal and Texas State.
• Coastal is 10-4 all-time in Homecoming games, including a current five-game win streak in such games. After dropping its first ever Homecoming game in 2003, Coastal won four straight. The Chants then went just 1-3 over its next four Homecoming contests before going on its current five-game win streak.
• Despite riding a six-game losing streak, Coastal is 45-13 (.776) over its last 58 regular-season games since a four-game losing streak six games into Coach Joe Moglia’s first season (2012).
• Entering the App State game, Coastal Carolina only had 13 pass break-ups in its first six games. At App, Coastal tallied seven, including two each by DE Myles White and CB Preston Carey.
• Evan Rabon set school record with 65-yard punt at App State. He broke his own mark of 59 yarder set at ULM earlier this season. His three punts in the game went for 65, 551 and 48 yards for average of 54.7. He was 3-for-3 in field goals, making a 49-yarder at the end of 2nd quarter to give CCU 19-17 lead at halftime and also made 24 yarder to start the 3rd quarter for a 22-17 lead.
•Tyler Keane threw for a career-high 332 yards with two TDs at App State. Through his first three games, Keane threw one TD with three interceptions. Over his last five, Keane has thrown nine with just two picks. The streak started by throwing for a then career-high 329 yards at ULM and in his last outing, Keane threw for 332 yards – tied for 11th on the CCU single-game list.
Georgia Southern Eagles
• Georgia Southern and Troy have met 16 times on the gridiron with the Trojans holding a 10-6 lead in the series that dates back to 1934, although that number is a little misleading.
• Since Georgia Southern re-started its football program for the 1982 season, the Eagles are 6-2 against Troy.
• The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak against the Trojans. They beat them 24-21 in the 1995 I-AA Playoffs on the road, beat them 42-10 in 2014 at Paulson Stadium and won 45-10 in 2015 on the road.
• Last season, the Eagles finished the season on a high note by downing the Trojans 28-24 at Paulson Stadium to deny Troy a share of the Sun Belt title.
• The two teams played every year from 1934-1941 with the Trojans winning all eight contests.
• Saturday’s game will be Georgia Southern’s third game in the state of Alabama this season compared to just two played in Georgia through seven games.
• The Eagles opened the season at Auburn on Sept. 2 and then had to move their scheduled home opener against New Hampshire on Sept. 9 to Birmingham due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
• Georgia Southern is 0-2 in the Yellowhammer State this season, 7-5 all-time in the modern era. Additionally, the Eagles are 18-9 against teams from the state of Alabama since re-starting the program in the early 1980s.
Georgia State Panthers
• After going 51 days between home games, Georgia State will now host its second game in six days at Georgia State Stadium with South Alabama Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
• Penny Hart leads the Sun Belt with 7.8 receptions per game (6th in FBS) and 97.8 receiving yards per game (15th in FBS). He has six touchdown receptions.
• Hart, who was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List last week, has six touchdowns in the last four games.
• After 21 career games, Hart ranks third in GSU history in career receptions (125), receiving yards (1,747) and touchdown receptions (15), with career averages of 6.0 receptions and 83.2 yards per game with at least one reception in every game he has played.
• Hart’s career average of 6.0 receptions per game ranks fourth among all active FBS receivers.
• QB Conner Manning leads the Sun Belt in completion percentage at 66.5 percent (18th in FBS).
• Sixth-year senior safety Bryan Williams grabbed his team-leading third interception against Troy. He now has five career interceptions.
• Georgia State is the least penalized team in the Sun Belt, averaging 4.3 penalities and 36.3 yards per game.
Idaho Vandals
• Idaho enters its Oct. 28 game against ULM looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Vandals have dropped their last two Sun Belt contests. They have not lost three consecutive home league games in the same season since 2011 in the Western Athletic Conference.
• Matt Linehan became the fourth student-athlete in Idaho history and the fifth in Sun Belt history to amass 10,000 career passing yards. Linehan has thrown for 10,130 yards, No. 3 in school history and fourth in Sun Belt lore.
• David Ungerer recorded the first multi-touchdown game of his career at Missouri (Oct. 21). Ungerer hauled in an eight-yard score from Matt Linehan in the second quarter, before capping the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter from Mason Petrino. It was the first touchdown of Petrino’s career. Ungerer and Petrino were prep teammates at Pullman High School, just 10 miles from the University of Idaho campus.
• Junior linebacker Kaden Elliss has seen time on both sides of the ball this season, playing full back and tight end on offense. Elliss tallied the first receiving touchdown of his career at Missouri (Oct. 21), hauling in a seven-yard score from Matt Linehan in the first quarter. Elliss also led the Vandals in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss against the Tigers.
• Junior linebacker Tony Lashley leads the Sun Belt in solo tackles per game (7.1) and ranks second in total tackles per game (10.1). Lashley is on pace for the most tackles by a Vandal since 2007.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
• Against Arkansas State, Stevie Artigue’s 51-yard field in the first quarter was the longest of his career and the first 50-yard field goal by a Ragin’ Cajun since Brett Baer (52 yards) against East Carolina in the 2012 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
• Artigue’s field goal tied Drew Edmiston (at Houston, 2006) for the 14th-longest in school history.
• Raymond Calais’ 9-yard reception in the fourth quarter was his first career catch.
• Sam Geraci attempted a career-high nine punts for Louisiana, placing three inside the A-State 20-yard line.
• Junior college transfer Koa Haynes recorded a season-high 10 tackles to lead Louisiana on defense.
• Redshirt freshman Trey Ragas continues his impressive season for the Ragin’ Cajuns ranking among the NCAA leaders in yards per carry (31st, 6.02), rushing TDs (33rd, 7) and total rushing yards (57th, 542).
• Ryheem Malone is ranked 16th among FBS players in punt return average (12.6) with Raymond Calais ranked 16th in kickoff return average (26.5).
ULM Warhawks
• Against South Alabama, the Warhawks offense piled up for 307 yards against the Sun Belt Conference’s second-ranked run defense, but the Jaguars pitched a fourth-quarter shutout and rode it to a 33-23 win on Saturday.
• Quarterback Caleb Evans went 14-23 passing on the day while also gaining 90 yards on the ground.
• Running back Ben Luckett led ULM in rushing with 91 yards on 11 carries and scored two touchdowns.
• Running back Marcus Green had another big day in rushing for 74 yards, gaining 44 yards receiving and another 88 yards on kick returns.
New Mexico State Aggies
• For the second time this season NM State scored on their first drive of the game (UNM on 9/9)
• This was the first time this season NM State has begun a game with back-to-back scoring drives
• Greg Hogan recorded his first touchdown catch of the season.
• The two field goals allowed tied a season-high for the Aggies.
• Conner Cramer recorded his first touchdown pass since doing so last season at South Alabama (12/3/16).
• Jason Huntley recorded his second-straight game with 100+ all-purpose yards.
• Anthony Muse recorded a career-high in receiving yards (106).
• Jason Huntley set a career-high in receptions (11).
• Over the last three games, the Aggies have only allowed 10 points in the third quarter.
South Alabama Jaguars
• The Jaguars defeated ULM, 33-23, at home on Saturday, marking the first time South has won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference contests since Nov. 7-12, 2015.
• It was the fourth time in as many meetings in the series with ULM that the home team has won.
• USA improved to 9-0 in Homecoming games since the program’s inception in 2009, and is now 15-2 all-time at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in October.
• Xavier Johnson ran for 33 yards on his second carry of the day, finishing the contest with a game-high 99 yards on 11 attempts to become the Jaguars’ all-time leading rusher. The senior broke the old mark set by Kendall Houston, who gained 2,587 yards on the ground from 2010-14.
• Junior WR Sam Harris led all players in the ULM game with eight catches for 141 yards; not only did he post career highs in both categories, his five-yard touchdown catch with four seconds left in the second-quarter — which gave USA the lead for good, 24-20, was the first of his career. In addition to recording the first 100-yard receiving game by a Jaguar this season, Harris’ performance placed him among the top 10 on the school’s record lists for both catches (tied for fourth) and receiving yards (tied for sixth) in a game.
• Jeremy Reaves shared team-high honors with eight total stops in the victory over the Warhawks, and he had a hand in both USA takeaways that ended their first and last possessions of the contest. ULM advanced to the USA-1 on its opening drive and was poised to tie the game when Reaves picked up a fumble and returned it 92 yards, setting up a touchdown and 14-0 lead instead on the Jags’ ensuing snap. Then, with South up 10 points in the fourth quarter, the senior picked off a pass at the USA-33, allowing the Jaguars to run out the final six minutes of play and clinch the win. Reaves is now the sole leader on South’s career interception list — the pick was his seventh since the start of the 2014 campaign — while the fumble return was the longest in school history.
now has 3,971 total offense yards.
Texas State Bobcats
• Texas State returns from a bye week when the Bobcats play their second straight road game at Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28. This marks the first time that the Bobcats and Chanticleers will meet on the gridiron. Coastal Carolina is the third of three first-time opponents for Texas State this year with the other two being Houston Baptist and Colorado.
• The Bobcats enter the Coastal Carolina game ranked 38th nationally and third among Sun Belt Conference leaders with 2.43 quarterback sacks per game after recording two sacks at Louisiana. That marked the fifth time this season that Texas State has two or more sacks in a game. The Bobcats opened the season with six sacks against Houston Baptist, and had three sacks at Colorado, 2.5 sacks against UTSA and 2.0 sacks at Wyoming before the Louisiana contest.
• Texas State enters the Coastal Carolina game ranked fourth among Sun Belt Conference teams and 44th nationally in rushing defense after surrendering an average of 142.6 yards per game. The Bobcats have held six of their first seven opponents under their season average in rushing yards this season.
• The Bobcats averaged a season-best 8.8 yards per pass at Louisiana when the Bobcats completed 14 of 25 passes for 219 yards with one interception.
• Freshman quarterback Willie Jones III came off the bench to complete 12 of his 18 passes for 197 yards with an interception.
• Texas State enters the Coastal Carolina game having thrown for over 200 yards in two straight games with 219 passing yards at Louisiana and 205 yards against ULM. Texas State has three 200-yard passing games overall this season with a season-best 260 yards against Appalachian State.
• The Bobcats are averaging 12.59 yards per completion to rank sixth among Sun Belt Conference teams this season.
Troy Trojans
• Neal Brown has never been shutout as a head coach or as an offensive coordinator -- a span of 120 games.
• Troy improved to 17-1 all-time under Neal Brown when leading at the half; the Trojans led 21-3 over Georgia State.
• Troy improved to 2-0 on opponent Homecoming games this season; the Trojans also defeated LSU on its Homecoming.
• Troy improved to 18-0 all-time under Neal Brown when leading after three quarters of play; the Trojans led 31-3 over Georgia State.
• Troy has now won 12 straight games when totaling more than 400 yards of offense in a game; the Trojans finished with 457 yards against Georgia State. Troy is 13-1 all-time under Neal Brown in such games.
• Josh Anderson made his first start of the season at tailback in place of injured Jordan Chunn; it was 20th career start with the previous 19 coming at fullback.
• Brandon Silvers’ 49-yard touchdown pass to John Johnson in the first quarter was Troy’s longest touchdown play of the season and the second-longest passing play of the season. It was Johnson’s first touchdown reception of the season and the third of his career.
• The Silvers to Johnson touchdown pass was Troy’s first touchdown pass since the game-winner against Akron (Silvers to Deondre Douglas); Troy had attempted 81 passes in between the two touchdown passes.
• Brandon Silvers finished the game with two touchdown passes for his 17th career multi-touchdown game and the first this season; Silvers entered the game with just two touchdown passes on the season• Deondre Douglas’ 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter was his second touchdown reception of the season and the eighth of his career.
• Deondre Douglas moved into 12th place on the Troy career reception list with 111 after catching three passes against Georgia State.