2018 Sun Belt Football News and Notes:
Week 10 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Info
AROUND #SUNBELTFB
Sun Belt Breaks Regular Season Non-Conference Win Total
After a win by Texas State this past Saturday in the Sun Belt’s final non-conference game of the 2018 regular season, the Sun Belt total for non-conference wins this season now sits at 21. That total is good for the most regular season non-conference wins in league history, breaking the record of 19 that was set in 2013. Including the postseason, the Sun Belt’s record for non-conference wins in a season is 22, which was set in 2016. The conference has a minimum total of five remaining non-conference games this season when factoring in postseason bowl opportunities. Also of note, the Sun Belt Conference has the second highest non-conference win percentage amongst all Group of Five Conferences with a .538 mark (1. American - .543, 2. Sun Belt - .538, 3. Mountain West - .532, 4. Conference USA - .429, 5. Mid-American - .383).
Georgia Southern Gaining Ground in Polls
Following a convincing 34-15 win over #25 Appalachian State, Georgia Southern now stands on the brink of being ranked in the top-25 in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Polls. The Eagles received 62 votes in this week’s AP Poll, which unofficially puts them at 28th in the nation, and 32 votes in the Coaches Poll, good for the 34th highest point total in the nation this week.
Two Sun Belt Teams Bowl Eligible, Others in Striking Distance
Georgia Southern (7-1) became the first Sun Belt team this season to hit the mark to be eligible for a postseason bowl game this year when they earned their sixth win on Oct. 20 against New Mexico State. Troy (6-2) followed up days later when it tallied its sixth win on Oct. 23. Appalachian State (5-2) and Coastal Carolina (5-3) are both one game away from bowl eligibility and Arkansas State (4-4), Louisiana (4-4) and ULM (4-4) are two wins away.
Offensive Player of the Week
Shai Werts, Georgia Southern (RS-So., QB, Clinton, S.C.)
Sophomore Shai Werts continued his hot start to the 2018 season as the Eagles downed No. 25 Appalachian State 34-14. The quarterback opened the scoring with a 57-yard touchdown pass and later added a rushing touchdown. He ran for 129 yards on 14 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, with a long of 47 yards.
Defensive Player of the Week
Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern (Jr., CB, College Park, Ga.)
Junior corner Kindle Vildor played a big part in Georgia Southern's defense shutting down the high-powered Appalachian State offense. Vildor picked off two passes in the fourth quarter of the 34-14 win, returning them a combined 21 yards, to run his season total to four for the season. He also had two tackles, including half a tackle for loss, and a pass break up. He now has 10 passes defended on the season, among the best in the league, and has seven career interceptions.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Kyle Pfau, Louisiana (Sr., K, Klein, Texas)
Louisiana senior kicker Kyle Pfau was perfect on two field goals in Louisiana’s 47-43 win over Arkansas State, including a 52-yard strike that was not only a career-long, but also the seventh-longest in Louisiana Football history. The Klein, Texas native was also successful on a 47-yard boot. The 52-yard field goal is the longest kick across the entire Sun Belt Conference thus far in the 2018 season. The 52-yard kick also ranks in the Top 25 nationally for longest field goals made in the FBS this season, and it was also the fourth-longest kick converted in the FBS this past week.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 3
* Texas State at Georgia State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
* South Alabama at Arkansas State, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
* Georgia Southern at ULM, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Louisiana at Troy, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
* Appalachian State at Coastal Carolina, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, November 10
* Troy at Georgia Southern, 12:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
* Appalachian State at Texas State, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Georgia State at Louisiana, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
* ULM at South Alabama, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
* Arkansas State at Coastal Carolina, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
All Times are Central and Subject to Change
* - Sun Belt Conference contest
RECENT RESULTS
Saturday, October 27
* Coastal Carolina 37, Georgia State 34 (ESPN+)
* Louisiana 47, Arkansas State 43 (ESPN+)
Texas State 27, New Mexico State 20 (ESPN3)
Thursday, October 25
* Georgia Southern 34, #25 Appalachian State 14 (ESPNU)
Tuesday, October 23
* Troy 38, South Alabama 17 (ESPN2)
* - Sun Belt Conference contest
#SUNBELTFB TEAM NEWS AND NOTES
Appalachian State
Overall vs. Coastal Carolina: Fifth Meeting – App. State Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 21, 2017 (W, 37-29) – Boone, N.C.
Saturday will be Appalachian State’s first time playing at Coastal Carolina after winning four previous meetings in Boone. The Mountaineers won in 2017 (37-29 in their first Sun Belt meeting), 2012 (55-14), 2006 (45-28 in the FCS playoffs) and 2005 (30-3).
Appalachian State is 30-4 in its last 34 conference games and 14-3 in its last 17 conference road games. The Mountaineers are in the middle of playing three straight road games.
A week after batting down two passes, Demetrius Taylor recorded the first blocked punt of his career at Georgia Southern. With Steven Jones blocking two punts against Gardner-Webb and Tae Hayes blocking a field goal against South Alabama, the Mountaineers have four blocked kicks this season, a total that’s tied for third place nationally.
Corey Sutton is 12th nationally at 20.48 yards per catch, and a 50-yard catch at Georgia Southern was his third reception of at least 40 yards this season.
App State ranks in the top 16 nationally with Sun Belt-leading averages of 40.4 points per game (14th) and 18.3 points allowed per game (16th).
Arkansas State
Overall vs. South Alabama: Sixth Meeting – Arkansas State Leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 11 (W, 24-19) – Mobile, Ala.
Arkansas State is set to host South Alabama Saturday, Nov. 3, in its 2018 Homecoming game. A-State holds a 5-1 all-time record against South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference series that dates back to just 2012. The Jaguars claimed a 24-19 win in Mobile last season, but the Red Wolves hold a 3-0 record against USA at Centennial Bank Stadium, where they hold a 62-15 record since 2005.
Arkansas State has won 14 of its last 15 Homecoming games, including its last seven in a row, dating back to the 2003 season.
The Red Wolves have recorded at least 400 yards total offense in five games this season, including the last two in a row.
True freshman running back Marcel Murray recorded a career-high 121 rushing yards and career-best three touchdowns on 19 attempts versus Louisiana, giving him back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.
Arkansas State recorded its first interception since the UNLV game last week against Louisiana, actually finishing with multiple picks for the second time this season.
Ronheen Bingham recorded a career-high 13 tackles versus Louisiana, matching the most by an A-State player this season and also marking the second time of his career he has posted double-figure stops.
Coastal Carolina
Overall vs. Appalachian State: Fifth Meeting – App. State Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 21, 2017 (L, 29-37) – Boone, N.C.
Coastal Carolina scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and 17 of the last 24 points in the game, as freshman place kicker Massimo Biscardi kicked a 23-yard field goal with 2:54 left in the contest to lead the Chanticleers to a 37-34 come from behind win over the Georgia State Panthers last Saturday.
The win pushes Coastal Carolina to 5-3 overall on the season, 4-2 in road contests and 2-2 in Sun Belt play. Saturday’s victory was the second-straight for the Chants, the seventh win over their last 10 games and puts CCU just one game away from becoming bowl eligible in its first year of eligibility.
The Chants have rushed for over 250 yards in six of their eight games this season, including in each of their last three games, and are averaging 251.6 yards per game on the ground for the year.
CCU, which ranks in the top-10 nationally in time of possession, has dominated the clock this season having posted a time of possession of over 30 minutes in seven of its eight contests on the season, including having the ball over 34:00 minutes in each of its last five contests (3-2).
Coastal is 0-4 all-time versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers with all four meetings having come in Boone, N.C., including a 37-29 loss last season in Sun Belt Conference play. However, the Chants, who will be hosting the Mountaineers on Homecoming Weekend this Saturday, are 10-5 in Homecoming games all-time at Brooks Stadium.
Georgia Southern
Overall vs. ULM: Eighth Meeting - Georgia Southern Leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2016 (W, 23-21) – Statesboro, Ga.
Georgia Southern leads the all-time series with ULM 5-2.
In 2015, the Eagles scored three touchdowns late to pull away and win 51-31 in Monroe.
In 2016, R.J. Murray blocked a field goal as time expired to help preserve a 23-21 win in Paulson Stadium.
Before the 15-13 win over Texas State last month, that marked the last win of two points or less for the Eagles.
Georgia Southern has won the past three games in the series against the Warhawks.
The Eagles are 3-3 all-time in games played in the state of Louisiana, but have won their past three games in the Pelican State. The last time they lost in Louisiana was 2003 at McNeese.
GS is 10-5 all-time against teams from the state of Louisiana.
The Eagles are 3-0 against the Sun Belt West Division this season, downing Arkansas State, South Alabama and Texas State.
Georgia State
Overall vs. Texas State: Sixth Meeting - Georgia State Leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: Nov. 11, 2017 (W, 33-30) - San Marcos, Texas
With six catches for 118 yards against Coastal Carolina, Penny Hart moved into fourth place in Sun Belt history in career receiving yards with 2,852. He ranks seventh all-time with 193 receptions.
With Hart at No. 4, Georgia State has two of the top four all-time receivers in Sun Belt history. Former Panther Robert Davis (2013-16) ranks No. 2 with 3,391 receiving yards.
Quarterback Dan Ellington is third in the Sun Belt in passing (213.1 ypg) and total offense (262.1 ypg) while accounting for 14 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He is completing 61.6 percent with 1,705 yards passing and 392 net rushing yards, leading the team in both categories.
Hart is GSU’s leading receiver with 40 receptions for 571 yards and two touchdowns, along with 105.1 all-purpose yards per game.
Among all active FBS receivers, Hart is first in career receiving yards per game (80.4), fourth in career receiving yards (2,852) and receptions per game (5.51), sixth in receptions (193) and 10th in touchdown receptions (19), all in just 35 games.
Junior Tra Barnett rushed for a career-high 161 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries vs. Coastal Carolina, the second-highest single-game rushing total in school history. His 75-yard touchdown run is the third-longest run from scrimmage in GSU annals.
Louisiana
Overall vs. Louisiana: 20th Meeting – Louisiana Leads, 11-8
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 2015 (L, 14-41) – Lafayette, La.
Louisiana won a big Sun Belt Conference Western Division matchup against Arkansas State, 47-43, on Saturday, Oct. 27, to move into a tie for first place in the division with ULM.
Louisiana’s first three TDs scored, against Arkansas State, were from 64 yards or greater. The Ragin’ Cajuns had entered the game with just three TDs of 60 yards on the season.
Senior quarterback Andre Nunez finished with three touchdowns in the game, two passing and one rushing, along with a 69.2 percent completion percentage (18-for-26) to lead Louisiana to a big win over Arkansas State.
Louisiana had two scoring drives under 35 seconds in the game, both the fastest scoring drives this season for the Cajuns. The first was a two play 89-yard 31-second scoring drive (Elijah Mitchell 65-yard TD run) the second was on the next drive when Raymond Calais went 72 yards on the ground on the first play to give Louisiana a 21-second one play 72-yard scoring drive.
Senior kicker Kyle Pfau nailed two field goals in the game (52, 47) and his 52-yard field goal was the seventh longest in school history, the fourth longest in the FBS this weekend and the longest for Louisiana since 2012.
ULM
Overall vs. Georgia Southern: Eighth Meeting - Georgia Southern Leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2016 (L, 21-23) – Statesboro, Ga.
ULM leads the Sun Belt in sacks, with 23 for 153 yards. The Warhawks have recorded multiple sacks in six of their eight games, including five each at Southern Miss (36 yards) and at Coastal Carolina (37 yards). ULM has already exceeded last year’s season total, as the Warhawks managed 21 sacks (137 yards) in 12 games.
In its 20-14 Homecoming victory over Texas State, ULM’s defense permitted a season-low 242 yards total offense, forced a season-high eight punts, recorded 10 tackles for loss (38 yards) and limited the Bobcats to just 2-of-13 on third-down conversions. The 14 points also marked the fewest allowed by ULM under head coach Matt Viator.
ULM fifth-year senior linebacker David Griffith recorded a season-high nine tackles (4 solos, 5 assists), including 1.5 for losses (4 yards), against Texas State. Griffith has produced at least one tackle for loss in each of the last three games and in five of eight games overall.
South Alabama
Overall vs. Arkansas State: Sixth Meeting – Arkansas State Leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 11 (L, 19-24) – Mobile, Ala.
South visits Arkansas State looking for the program’s first win in Jonesboro in four tries.
Coming off an 11-day break since falling to Troy in “The Battle For The Belt,” it begins a stretch that will see the Jags close out the regular season with contests on each of the four weekends of November.
It’s the first of three straight Sun Belt Conference matchups with fellow West Division foes for the Jaguars.
A-State is one of two opponents on South’s 2018 schedule that first-year head coach Steve Campbell faced during his time at Central Arkansas, as he led the Bears to a 28-23 victory in Jonesboro on Sept. 24, 2016. On the UCA staff with Campbell that day were also current Jaguar assistant coaches Pete Bennett, Harland Bower, Josh Jones, Matt Kitchens, Greg Stewart and Larry Warner.
Jamarius Way posted his first touchdown reception since the Jaguars played at Memphis on Sept. 22, moving up to third on the school’s all-time list for receiving yards after finishing the contest with 80 on six catches; it’s the fifth time this season that the senior has caught five or more passes in a contest.
Jordan McCray has now posted touchdowns in back-to-back outings for the first time in his career with a 16-yard scoring catch for the Jags’ opening points of the night, as the junior finished the contest with three receptions for a season-best 60 yards.
Texas State
Overall vs. Texas State: Sixth Meeting - Georgia State Leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: Nov. 11, 2017 (L, 30-33) - San Marcos, Texas
Texas State recorded multiple interceptions in a game for the second time this season when the Bobcats intercepted two passes against New Mexico State. Clifton Lewis intercepted a pass and returned it 23 yards to set up Texas State’s second touchdown in the game. Anthony J. Taylor also intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop a NMSU drive in the fourth quarter.
Texas State had 239 yards rushing on 49 carries as a team. The totals are the second-highest in both categories for the Bobcats this season. Willie Jones III rushed for a career-high 110 yards on 19 carries and Robert Brown, Jr. ran for a career-best 95 yards on 17 carries against New Mexico State.
Willie Jones III made his fifth start of the season, generated 223 total yards and was responsible for three of Texas State’s four touchdowns against New Mexico State. He scored Texas State’s first touchdown with a 19-yard run and threw two touchdowns in the game.
Jeremiah Haydel caught a touchdown pass for the third time in four games when he caught a 39-yard TD pass against New Mexico State. Haydel led the Bobcats two catches for 56 yards.
Anthony D. Taylor also scored his second touchdown of the season on a three-yard run. He ran for 27 yards on seven carries against the Aggies.
Troy
Overall vs. Louisiana: 20th Meeting – Louisiana Leads, 11-8
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 2015 (W, 41-17) – Lafayette, La.
Neal Brown has never been shutout as a head coach or as an offensive coordinator -- a span of 134 games … Troy led South Alabama 16-7 at the end of the first quarter; Troy improved to 24-3 all-time under Neal Brown when leading after one quarter … Troy has outscored its opponents 89-14 in the first quarter over the last seven games … Troy led 31-17 at the half; Troy improved to 28-1 all-time under Neal Brown when trailing at the half … Troy led 31-17 at the end of the third quarter; Troy improved to 30-0 all-time under Neal Brown when trailing after three quarters of play … After opening 3-8 under Neal Brown, Troy is now 28-8 in its last 36 games … Troy is now 18-4 in its last 22 game dating back to the 2016 Dollar General Bowl … The victory was Troy’s 10th straight Sun Belt Conference win which is the second-longest active conference winning streak in the country (UCF, 12). Troy has now won six straight Sun Belt road games and 18 of its last 21 overall league games … Troy is now bowl eligible for the third straight season … Troy’s defense forced three South Alabama turnovers compared to two by the Trojans; Troy is now 23-1 under Neal Brown when winning the turnover battle … Troy rushed for 252 yards in the game marking the fourth time this season the Trojans topped the 200-yard rushing mark … Troy improved to 20-0 when rushing for more than 150 yards under Neal Brown … Deondre Douglas moved into a tie for sixth place with Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Bobby Enslen with his 16th career touchdown reception. He now has a touchdown reception in four straight games and in six of eight games this season … Deondre Douglas had 64 career rushing yards entering the game, including a 35-yard touchdown run last season at Georgia State, he had a 61-yard run in the second quarter of tonight’s game … B.J. Smith became just the second Troy player to rush for more than 100 yards in four consecutive games after rushing for 170 yards on 22 carries.