NEW ORLEANS – Following the Sun Belt Conference football bowl games this postseason, here is a snapshot of what people are saying across media outlets and social media:
Sun Belt
“One thing we’ve benefited from is the eastern and western division format,” he said. “I think it’s outstanding, for two champions to have an opportunity to meet somewhere and play for a conference championship. I think it’s exceptional. I think it’s a great format. I think it’s tremendous for the league.” - Lafayette Daily Advertiser (How Can the Sun Belt Conference Get More College Football Playoff Respect?)
Georgia Southern vs. Liberty - FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
“We came into this game feeling good about our offense - winning six of our last eight,” Lunsford said. “I’ve got to give Liberty all the credit. They were a motivated team wanting to win their first bowl game” - Statesboro Herald (Eagles Fall to Liberty in Cure Bowl)
Downtown Orlando is decked out in pink for the FBC Mortgage Fifth Annual Cure Bowl. - Spectrum News 13 (Orlando Goes Pink For Annual Cure Bowl)
Georgia Southern linebacker Rashad Byrd started wearing a pink headband under his helmet years before his team was selected for the Cure Bowl. - Orlando Sentinel (
Georgia Southern linebacker Rashad Byrd Honored to Play in Cure Bowl After Mother’s Breast Cancer Battle)
Arkansas State vs. FIU - Camellia Bowl
“The ability to win seven games, under the circumstances of what we’ve dealt with the last two and a half years and obviously leading up to the season with Wendy passing, then the injuries,” he said, “honestly our guys did as good a job as anybody in the country, under the circumstances.” - The Athletic (How Arkansas State’s Blake Anderson Made It Through the Most Challenging Year of His Life)
Arkansas State was playing for a bit more than just a Camellia Bowl trophy and they got it on Saturday night as one win looked and felt like it meant a lot more to those on the Red Wolves sidelines than any other. - NBCSports.com (Arkansas State Survives Late Charge from FIU to Capture Camellia Bowl Win)
Another Camellia Bowl. Another classic. This year’s Camellia Bowl did not disappoint, resembling the bowl games of past as Arkansas State (8-6) pulled out a 34-26 victory over FIU (6-7). - WSFA-TV (Late Interceptions Seal Camellia Bowl Win for Arkansas State)
It’s not often you can learn from two different Heisman Trophy contenders at the same time. Arkansas State quarterback Layne Hatcher had that opportunity, sitting in a quarterback room at Alabama in 2018 that included 2018 Heisman runner-up Tua Tagovailoa and 2019 runner-up Jalen Hurts. “I was trying to compete with them every day,” Hatcher said. “Obviously, I was learning from them for sure, but it was a good measuring stick to kind of find out where you were every day. If I could ever throw with them, I was in a good spot. It was awesome just being in that high-level room.” - Alabama News Center (Transfer QB Layne Hatcher learns at Alabama, Arkansas State, Leads Team to Camellia Bowl)
Appalachian State vs. UAB - R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
But most of all, the months between now and the 2020 season opener will be filled with uncertainty, as Clark and the Mountaineers try to follow their most successful FBS season. In short, what do you do for an encore? - Charlotte Observer (Appalachian State Had the Best Season in N.C. History, How Will Shawn Clark Top It?)
“When you’re an assistant coach, you make suggestions. When you’re a head coach, you make decisions,” Shawn Clark said during his winning news conference, his son, Braxton, to his right. “And at the time, I had a lot of faith in our defense, I had a lot of faith in Zac Thomas, I had a lot of faith in Thomas Hennigan...I said it a long time ago. We’re not going to play scared at Appalachian State. We’re going to play aggressive and let the cards fall where they fall.” - Winston-Salem Journal (Shawn Clark Believed in His Guys and Took Chances. Because of That, No. 20 App State Wins Yet Again)
Make no mistake, this was a very important win for the Appalachian State program. Shawn Clark was promoted to lead it after Drinkwitz's departure, and he passed his first test with flying colors. The Mountaineers dug themselves a 14-point hole in the first eight plays of the first quarter but didn't panic. As has been the case for the majority of the season, they punched back and wore down the opponent with its speed, physicality and comfort within a system. - CBSSports.com (Mountaineers Cap Off Dream Season with Win over Blazers)
“Ten days ago, we didn’t have a head coach,” said Shawn Clark, who the school promoted from offensive line coach after Eliah Drinkwitz left to be the head coach at Missouri. “Our players are resilient. When I became the head coach, it became very different, very fast. I relied on our players to lead the way.” - New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune (
'More crazy things' Help Appalachian State Win Another New Orleans Bowl, This Time Against UAB)
One of the touching post-game moments came during the celebration, right after the trophy presentation to head coach Shawn Clark, who picked up his first football win as a head coach and first bowl victory all in one fell swoop. With seniors Jordan Fehr (linebacker) and Noah Hannon (offensive lineman) sitting on the stage in front of him as he hoisted the big trophy over his head, Clark then leaned down as the players scrambled to their feet and said, “Now go take this trophy to the fans.” - Blowing Rock News (
The Big Easy: Mountaineers Win 5th Straight Bowl Game, 31-17)
The giant-killer role doesn’t fit any more for Appalachian State. - Charlotte Observer (App State Goes from Hunter to Hunted at New Orleans
First-year Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill won’t have to go very far to watch league champion Appalachian State play UAB in Saturday’s New Orleans Bowl. The Sun Belt’s offices are also located in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. And next door is the Smoothie King Center, the new home of the Sun Belt men’s and women’s basketball tournament. - New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune (Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill discusses New Orleans Bowl, State of Conference)
Georgia State vs. Wyoming - NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Georgia State started the season with four healthy captains, all seniors. Georgia State finished its season Tuesday with a
38-17 loss to Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Ariz., with just one of those captains mostly healthy. Linebacker Ed Curney and safety Remy Lazarus went down earlier in the year with season-ending knee injuries. Quarterback Dan Ellington played through an ACL injury in the final four games. Only tackle Hunter Atkinson survived unscathed.- Atlanta Journal-Constitution (
Georgia State Football Feels It’s Poised for More Success)
Dan Ellington, who was playing with a knee injury in the Panthers’ 38-17 loss to Wyoming in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Tuesday, pledged to Elliott at a time when Georgia State won its first bowl game in program history, the 2017 Cure Bowl, and was still considered the new guys on the block in the Sun Belt Conference. - Arizona Daily Star (
Panthers Fall Short, But Dan Ellington Still Helps Georgia State Make History)
"They ought write a book about Dan," Panthers coach Shawn Elliott said. "You talk about heart, you talk about courage, you talk about leadership, you talk about enthusiasm, you talk about putting a program on your back." - Associated Press (
Wyoming Rolls Over Georgia State 38-17 in Arizona Bowl)
Louisiana vs. Miami (Ohio) - LendingTree Bowl
Louisiana used an efficient performance from quarterback Levi Lewis and its defense held on in the closing minutes to notch a 27-17 win over Miami (OH) in the LendingTree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, on Monday night. The win pushes the Ragin' Cajuns record to 11-3 -- the first 11-win season in program history. - CBSSports.com (Ragin' Cajuns Earn First 11-Win Season with LendingTree Bowl Victory)
“I thought it was a really good football game,” Louisiana head coach Billy Napier said. “We had a few undisciplined penalties at times — some procedural issues — but for the most part, we didn’t turn the football over. I thought we tackled well.Outside of the one fumble we had early, I thought we had pretty good ball security. I thought we had good plans. I thought we had really good practices leading up the game. We made progress as a team.” - Acadiana Advocate (Cajuns, Redhawks Handle Month-Long Breaks in Style with Smooth LendingTree Bowl Performance)
The Ragin' Cajuns improved to 11-3 with the victory and claimed their first bowl win under second-year head coach Billy Napier, having lost last year's Cure Bowl to Tulane. - Bleacher Report (Levi Lewis, Louisiana Hold Off Miami (OH) to Win 2020 LendingTree Bowl)
Levi Lewis’ performance Monday night in the LendingTree Bowl was a long way from Lewis’ start to the season. - Lafayette Daily Advertiser (Shifty' Levi Lewis Makes Miami Defenders Pay)
It has been a pretty good bowl season for schools from the state of Louisiana. Louisiana (11-3) knocked off Miami Ohio (8-6) in the 2020 Lendingtree Bowl Monday night, 27-17, for the program’s first bowl victory since 2014. It also improved schools from the state of Louisiana to a clean 4-0 in bowl games this bowl season. - NBCSports.com (LendingTree Bowl Win by Louisiana Moves Pelican State to 4-0 in Bowls)
“Certainly, we wouldn’t have accomplished what we’ve accomplished so far this season if we didn’t have that steady leadership and energy that this group has provided,” Louisiana head coach Billy Napier said. In short, this senior class “verifies and confirms all of those things that you believe in.” - Acadiana Advocate (
UL's Senior Class Leaves Lasting Legacy in Heart and Mind of Coach Billy Napier)