2019 Sun Belt Football News and Notes:
Week 11 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Game | Media Guide

AROUND #SUNBELTFB
• Sun Belt Conference football moves into the final stretch of the regular season with five matchups on the schedule, beginning with another Thursday night clash on ESPNU. All five Week 11 contests are set for live coverage on the ESPN family of networks.

• The Sun Belt boasts three bowl-eligible teams in Appalachian State (7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt), Georgia State (6-2, 3-1) and Louisiana (6-2, 3-1) with Arkansas State (5-4, 3-2) and Georgia Southern (5-3, 3-1) just one win away. The Mountaineers are bowl eligible for the fifth-straight season, while the Panthers are bowl eligible for the third time in five seasons and the Ragin' Cajuns are bowl eligible for the second-straight season.

• The Sun Belt has recorded three wins against Autonomy Five conference opponents in the same season for the first time in conference history. Appalachian State's win at North Carolina on Sept. 21 marked the conference’s 11th win over an Autonomy Five opponent in the last 10 seasons (2011-19). Nine of the league’s 11 Autonomy Five wins during that span have been on the road.

• As a part of ESPN's yearlong initiative marking 150 years of college football, a panel of 150 media members, athletics administrators and former players and coaches selected Appalachian State's 2007 win at fifth-ranked Michigan as the No. 3 greatest college football game behind Nebraska's 35-31 win on Nov. 25, 1971, and Miami (Fla.)'s 31-30 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 1984.

• The Sun Belt is building on its non-conference success from a year ago with 21 wins and the third-best winning percentage among the Group of Five conferences so far this season.
 
1. American - 33-13 (.717)
2. Mountain West - 29-18 (.617)
3. Sun Belt - 21-18 (.538)
4. Conference USA - 22-31 (.415)
5. Mid-American - 18-30 (.375)

• Appalachian State reached monumental milestones this season, receiving the highest NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision rankings in school and conference history. The Mountaineers ascended to ranking 20th in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches powered by USA Today Sports Top 25 polls on Oct. 27. Appalachian State was also ranked in the Oct. 13 (24th in the AP and Coaches) and Oct. 20 (21st in the AP and 22nd in the Coaches) polls. The Mountaineers have received votes in 14 straight weeks of the AP Top 25 dating back to last year.

• So far this season, the Sun Belt has received numerous in-season honors, including: 

- Six student-athletes among the nominees for the 2019 Burlsworth Trophy – Appalachian State senior offensive lineman Noel Cook, Arkansas State sophomore placekicker Blake Grupe, Coastal Carolina senior cornerback Chandler Kryst, Georgia State senior safety Remy Lazarus, Louisiana senior defensive back Deuce Wallace and Troy sophomore linebacker Carlton Martial.

- Georgia Southern junior running back/return specialist Wesley Kennedy III named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for Week 8 on Oct. 21, Week 9 on Oct. 28 and Week 10 on Nov. 4.

- Two student-athletes receiving honorable mention recognition on the 2019 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week award – Arkansas State redshirt junior quarterback Logan Bonner (Week 4 on Sept. 24) and ULM senior quarterback Caleb Evans (Week 10 on Nov. 4).

• Among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision statistical leaders entering the week:

- Arkansas State redshirt senior wide receiver Omar Bayless leads the nation in receiving yards per game (129.8), receiving yards (1,168) and receiving touchdowns (13). 

- The Sun Belt boasts six of the top 35 rushers in the nation in rushing yards per carry – Louisiana redshirt junior running back Trey Ragas (2nd, 8.42), Georgia State senior running back Tra Barnett (17th, 6.36), ULM redshirt junior running back Josh Johnson (25th, 6.20), Louisiana junior running back Elijah Mitchell (27th, 6.08), South Alabama senior running back Tra Minter (33rd, 5.92) and ULM senior quarterback Caleb Evans (34th, 5.87).

- The Sun Belt is home to four of the top 15 rushing offenses – Louisiana (3rd, 288.0), Georgia Southern (7th, 269.3), Georgia State (10th, 257.3) and Appalachian State (15th, 2232.6).

- Appalachian State ranks first in blocked kicks (5), tied for second in fourth down conversion percentage (.875) and fumbles lost (1) and eighth in passing yards allowed per game (165.1).

• 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
Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern (Jr., RB, Savannah, Ga.)
Georgia Southern junior running back Wesley Kennedy III shined on the national stage as the Eagles upset then-No. 20 Appalachian State Kennedy carried the ball 13 times for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns. The second score was a 68-yard run to open the second half. Kennedy has rushed for more than 115 yards in each of his past three games and is the first Eagle with three straight games of two or more rushing touchdowns since Matt Breida had four straight in 2015.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Darreon Jackson, Arkansas State (Sr., DB, Derby, Kan.)
Arkansas State senior defensive back Darreon Jackson recorded a career-high 17 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, to help lead the Red Wolves to a road victory at ULM. Jackson put up the third-most tackles in a game this season by a Sun Belt player, while his total was the most by an Arkansas State player since Nathan Herrold had 17 stops against South Alabama in 2012. He topped his previous career high of 15 tackles set just two games ago against Louisiana and now has 40 total stops over his last three outings. Jackson posted his sixth career game with double-figure tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Blake Grupe, Arkansas State (So., PK, Sedalia, Mo.)
Arkansas State sophomore placekicker Blake Grupe made both of his field goal attempts and scored 12 points in the Red Wolves' road win at ULM. Grupe connected on attempts from 43 and 31 yards out and was a perfect 6-of-6 on extra point attempts to finish one point shy of his career-high total. In the process, he moved into a tie for eighth in career field goals made and points in school history. Grupe has now made 13-of-14 field goals this year with his only miss coming from 50 yards out against Georgia.

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
October 7: Dan Ellington, Georgia State
October 14: Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
October 21: Raymond Calais, Louisiana
October 28: Tra Barnett, Georgia State
November 4: Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern

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
October 7: Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern
October 14: Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
October 21: Trajan Stephens-McQueen, Georgia State
October 28: Nathan Page, Arkansas State
November 4: Darreon Jackson, Arkansas State

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
October 7: Cody Grace, Arkansas State
October 14: Rhys Byrns, Louisiana
October 21: Tyler Sumpter, Troy
October 28: Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern
November 4: Blake Grupe, Arkansas State

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, November 7    
*Louisiana at Coastal Carolina (ESPNU), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 9    
*South Alabama at Texas State (ESPN3), 2 p.m.
*Georgia Southern at Troy (ESPN+), 2:30 p.m.
*Georgia State at ULM (ESPN+), 4 p.m.
Appalachian State at South Carolina (ESPN2), 6 p.m.

*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times Central and Subject to Change