2019 Sun Belt Football News and Notes:
Week 6 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Game | Media Guide
AROUND #SUNBELTFB
• Sun Belt Conference football takes center stage this week with a league matchup on Thursday to go along with a trio of Saturday games. All four contests are set for live coverage on the ESPN family of networks.
• Appalachian State remained listed among the teams receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches powered by USA Today Sports Top 25 polls this week. The Mountaineers received 50 points in the AP Poll and 28 points in the Amway Coaches Poll. Appalachian State has appeared among the teams receiving votes in both polls every week so far this season. The Mountaineers earned the Sun Belt’s second-ever Top 25 ranking last season – 25th in the Oct. 21, 2018 AP Poll. Appalachian State’s ranking tied the highest-ever ranking for a Sun Belt team with Troy’s ranking of 25th in the Nov. 13, 2016 AP Poll.
• Appalachian State's 10-game winning streak is the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision's third-longest active streak behind Clemson (20) and Ohio State (11). The Mountaineers are one of 18 teams in the FBS still unbeaten and one of just four schools among the Group of Five conferences without a loss, joining Boise State, Memphis and SMU.
• The Sun Belt has recorded three wins against Autonomy Five conference opponents in the same season for the first time in conference history. This season, Georgia State’s win at Tennessee was its first over a Southeastern Conference opponent and first against an Autonomy Five opponent in the program’s 10-year history. Coastal Carolina’s win at Kansas was its first over a Big 12 Conference opponent and first in eight tries against an Autonomy Five opponent in the program’s 17-year history. Appalachian State's win at North Carolina was its first win against an Autonomy Five opponent since the victory at Michigan in 2007 when the Mountaineers were an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision program.
• The Sun Belt is building on its non-conference success from a year ago with 19 wins and the third-best winning percentage among the Group of Five conferences so far this season.
1. American - 29-13 (.690)
2. Mountain West - 26-14 (.650)
3. Sun Belt - 19-16 (.543)
4. Conference USA - 19-29 (.396)
5. Mid-American - 17-28 (.378)
• Among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision statistical leaders entering the week:
- The Sun Belt boasts three of the top 16 running backs in three different categories:
1. Rushing yards per game - ULM redshirt Josh Johnson (8th, 119.8), Appalachian
State junior Darrynton Evans (11th, 117.8) and Louisiana redshirt junior Trey Ragas (16th, 109.6.
2. Rushing yards per carry - Ragas (1st, 9.79), South Alabama senior Tra Minter (7th, 8.00) and Johnson (11th, 7.37).
3. Rushing touchdowns - Evans (t3rd, 9), Louisiana junior Elijah Mitchell (t3rd, 9) and Ragas (t11th, 6).
- Evans ranks second in all-purpose yards per game (176.25) and tied for second in points per game (15.0).
- Evans and Troy junior wide receiver Reggie Todd rank tied for second in kickoff return touchdowns (1).
- Arkansas State redshirt senior wide receiver Omar Bayless ranks first in receiving yards (689) and receiving yards per game (137.8) and tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns (7).
- Troy senior quarterback Kaleb Barker ranks fifth in passing yards per game (341.8), sixth in total offensive yards per game (356.8) and 10th in passing touchdowns (13).
- Coastal Carolina redshirt senior cornerback Chandler Kryst ranked tied for first in interceptions (3).
- Appalachian State junior defensive end Demetrius Taylor ranks tied for second in forced fumbles per game (0.75).
- Troy sophomore Carlton Martial ranks tied for fourth in tackles for loss per game (1.9).
- Georgia Southern redshirt senior placekicker Tyler Bass ranks tied for first in field goals per game (2.50).
• So far this season, the Sun Belt has received several in-season honors, including:
- Arkansas State redshirt senior wide receiver Omar Bayless was among the first season watch list additions for the 2019 Biletnikoff Award.
- Appalachian State senior linebacker Jordan Fehr, Arkansas State redshirt senior punter Cody Grace, Georgia Southern redshirt senior placekicker Tyler Bass and Georgia State senior defensive end Terry Thomas are semifinalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda.
- Texas State senior linebacker Bryan London II is of one 30 FBS candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate football.
- Arkansas State redshirt freshman quarterback Layne Hatcher was named as one of eight Manning Award “Stars of the Week” on Sept. 30.
- Arkansas State senior punter Cody Grace was a Ray’s 8 selection by the Augusta Sports Council and Ray Guy Award on Sept. 30.
- Eckrich National Team of the Week powered by Pro Football Focus – Appalachian State junior running back Darrynton Evans, Arkansas State senior cornerback Jeremy Smith and Louisiana redshirt junior linebacker Chauncey Manac (Week 2), Troy sophomore linebacker Carlton Martial (Week 3) and Louisiana redshirt junior Trey Ragas (Week 5).
• The 2019 Sun Belt Football Championship Game pits the East and West Division champions with the best conference winning percentages on Saturday, Dec. 7. The second edition of the league’s football title game is slated for live coverage on ESPN or ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Omar Bayless, Arkansas State (RSr., WR, Laurel, Miss.)
Arkansas State redshirt senior wide receiver Omar Bayless became the fourth player in school history to record over 200 receiving yards in a game by posting 10 receptions for a career-high 213 yards and a touchdown in the Red Wolves’ 50-43 road victory over Troy. Bayless finished with the third-most receiving yards in school history and the seventh most in the nation this season, while also tying the fifth-most ever by a Sun Belt Conference player. A-State’s first offensive play of the game saw Bayless come up with a 92-yard touchdown catch, which was the second-longest reception in school history, third-longest in the nation this season and tied the fourth-longest ever by a Sun Belt player. His 10 receptions tied his career high and he is now ranked ninth in the nation in receptions with 7.2 per game. Bayless came up with his seventh touchdown of the season, giving him 16 for his career to tie the most in school history. He posted over 100 receiving yards for the fourth time in five games this year and leads the nation with 137.8 yards per game.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jacques Boudreaux, Louisiana (Sr., LB, New Orleans, La.)
Louisiana senior linebacker Jacques Boudreaux continued to be a leader for the Ragin' Cajuns' defense, notching a career-high 12 tackles in the victory over Georgia Southern. Of the 12 tackles, seven came in the first half. His previous career high for tackles was 11, which he set a season ago against ULM. Boudreaux recorded his first tackle for loss of the year against the Eagles, producing a three-yard loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cody Grace, Arkansas State (Sr., P, Perth, Western Australia)
Arkansas State senior punter Cody Grace averaged 49.4 yards per punt with three of his five attempts pinning Troy inside its own 20-yard line and completed a 15-yard pass to junior receiver Brandon Bowling in the third quarter to convert a momentum-changing fake punt in the Red Wolves' road victory over Troy. Following a Troy field goal that gave the Trojans their first lead of the game at 34-31, the Arkansas State ensuing drive stalled at its own 44-yard line before Grace extended the drive on a key fourth-down play. The Red Wolves found the end zone just two plays later with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter, reclaiming a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the outing. Grace punted five times with a long of 58 yards, and his 49.4 average per attempt nearly matched his career high of 50.0 recorded just the week prior. The Perth, Western Australia, native has now recorded at multiple punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line in 22 of 29 career games.
2019 Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player
September 2: Dan Ellington, Georgia State
September 9: Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State
September 16: Kaleb Barker, Troy
September 23: Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
September 30: Omar Bayless, Arkansas State
Defensive Player
September 2: Carlton Martial, Troy
September 9: Chandler Kryst, Coastal Carolina
September 16: Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern
September 23: Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
September 30: Jacques Boudreaux, Louisiana
Special Teams Player
September 2: Massimo Biscardi, Coastal Carolina
September 9: Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern
September 16: Monquavion Brinson, Georgia Southern
September 23: Joshua Rowland, Texas State
September 30: Cody Grace, Arkansas State
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 3
*Georgia Southern at South Alabama (ESPNU), 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 5
*Arkansas State at Georgia State (ESPN+), 2:30 p.m.
Memphis at ULM (ESPNU), 2:45 p.m.
Troy at Missouri (SEC Network), 3 p.m.
*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times Central and Subject to Change