NEW ORLEANS – Following Week 8 action in Sun Belt Conference football, here is a snapshot of what people are saying across media outlets and social media:
Sun Belt
For a program familiar with making history, these are heady times even for the Appalachian State Mountaineers. On Sunday, the undefeated (6-0) Mountaineers received a No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and the No. 22 spot in the Amway Coaches poll, eclipsing last week's No. 24 ranking in both polls as the highest FBS ranking in Sun Belt Conference and school history. - AppStateSports.com (
App State Sets League Records with Latest Top 25 Ranking)
The highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion is guaranteed a spot in a New Year's Six bowl, but who would get the nod if both Boise State and SMU run the table?...And what about Appalachian State? The Mountaineers still have to travel to South Carolina on Nov. 9 -- ESPN's FPI gives them a 19% chance to win -- but if they pull off a victory en route to a Sun Belt title, it's the kind of road win that could separate them from the other New Year's Six contenders. - ESPN.com (Second-Half Scenarios That Could Create College Football Playoff Chaos)
The Mid-American Conference frequently plays mid-week college football games. But not Wednesday night. Troy faced South Alabama on Wednesday night on ESPN2 in a Sun Belt Conference contest, and it prompted some subtle disrespect from the MAC toward the Sun Belt on Twitter. - Montgomery Advertiser (Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt Fight on Twitter Over Better Midweek College Football)
With Nebraska off this week, we asked our staff members to do something they don’t get to do very often––be a fan. More specifically, just pick a team and try to live-and-die a game for a week. - Hail Varsity (
Solid as a Rock at App State)
South Alabama at Troy
“Getting that belt is big,” Troy running back DK Billingsley said. “Just having that belt in your hands and knowing how much it means is something.” - Montgomery Advertiser (
Notch in the Belt: Troy Trojans Show Spunk on Defense, Solidly Squash South Alabama Jags)
The Trojans scored three touchdowns in the second half on the way to a 37-13 victory over the Jaguars at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, claiming the “Battle for the Belt” again after winning 38-21 in Mobile last year. - AL.com (Troy Pulls Away for 37-13 Victory Over South Alabama in ‘Battle for the Belt’)
“Sometimes in these rivalry games you never know what kind of performance you’re going to get from your team, so I’m really proud of our team. Tonight, was a total team effort, and I’m extremely proud of the defense as they were the key to the game,” said Troy head coach Chip Lindsey. - WSFA-TV (Trojans Defend the Wall Against Jags)
Louisiana at Arkansas State
One game ago, its ground game was bottled up. But Louisiana let the genie out of the bottle Thursday, rushing for 315 yards and five touchdowns in a 37-30 ESPNU-televised win at Arkansas State. - Lafayette Daily Advertiser (Cajuns Take Ground Game to Next Level)
Raymond Calais took off on the left side, broke free with a huge hole and easily outran the lone defender chasing him on his 80-yard scoring run in the second quarter. - Lafayette Daily Advertiser (Buckley's Breakdown: Raymond Calais Runs Free in Dominant UL Victory)
Jonesboro, Arkansas, a place where Cajun football teams have gone to lose over the past 28 years but Thursday night was a different type of trip for Louisiana. The offense flowed and put up points while the defense deployed a bend but don't break mentality as they defeated Arkansas State 37-20. - KPEL Radio (Cajuns Rise to the Occasion in Jonesboro, Defeat Arkansas State)
Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern
For the second consecutive game, Georgia Southern was pressed into overtime. And for the second straight game, the Eagles were up to the task. - Statesboro Herald (Eagles Edge Out Triple-OT Win Over Coastal Carolina)
“Our kids fought their butts off tonight. There’s something special about this group,” said Georgia Southern head coach Chad Lunsford. “These dudes believe in one another and they take care of one another. They fight all the way to the end, and that makes me want to come to work every day.” - Savannah Morning News (THE RAIN EVENT: Kennedy Leads Georgia Southern Past Coastal Carolina in 3 OT at Rainy Paulson)
Who doesn't love some good dancing? - ESPN.com (Dancing by Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina Players Leads to Penalties)
ULM at No. 24 Appalachian State
“I feel like we’ve definitely been playing a whole lot better,” said Josh Thomas, a senior safety and team captain. “We just — I feel like we’re finally clicking in the scheme a little bit better. Winston Salem Journal (App State's Defense Is "Doing It Better." That Improvement Starts with Third Down)
The No. 24 Mountaineers celebrated their first home game as a nationally ranked FBS team, piling up a 572-213 advantage in total yardage. Charlotte Observer (Appalachian State Football Makes History)
“We posted signs all over our building and on everybody’s locker that we got beat 52-45 in (ULM quarterback) Caleb Evans’ first start, we’re well aware of what happened that year, we’re well aware that no Sun Belt team has ever been ranked for two straight weeks,” Drinkwitz said. “We were motivated to write our own history and always compete better than it's been done before.” Watauga Democrat (App State Whips Warhawks, Becomes Bowl Eligible)
Army West Point at Georgia State
With possessions at a premium and the Army offense crunching minutes and yardage, Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott was looking for a couple of second-half stops Saturday night. If that happened, his prolific offense would do the rest. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Defense Makes Stops Georgia State’s Offense Needs, as Panthers Defeat Army)
The first time many college football fans heard the name Georgia State was in Week 1 of this season when the Panthers shocked Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, 38-30. After that, the Panthers predictably fell off the radar since they play in the Sun Belt Conference and aren’t on television very much. But they registered a second notable win Saturday, beating Army 28-21 to move to 5-2 on the season. - USA Today 8 Takeaways (Georgia State Wasn’t a Fluke After All)
Georgia State and Army battled on the gridiron Saturday night at Georgia State Stadium, competing in swamp-like conditions due to the effects of Nestor on the Gulf Coast. But the Panthers defended their turf defeating the Black Knights 28-21. - 11 Alive (Tra Barnett Ties Georgia State Rushing Record in Win Against Army)
Ellington passed for three touchdowns, Aubry Payne caught the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter and Georgia State’s defense held on the final drive in a 28-21 victory over Army on Saturday night. - Associated Press (Ellington Passes for 3 TDs in Georgia State’s Win Over Army)