Sun Belt Conference Weekly News and Notes (Complete PDF)
2014 Sun Belt Conference Media Guide
2014 Sun Belt Conference Composite Schedule
2014 Sun Belt Conference Standings
Sun Belt Leaders Looking To Carry Momentum into Second Half of Season
While the sixth week of the season saw five conference games take place, the upcoming week will have just three conference games scheduled for Saturday. The light Saturday conference schedule is in part due to the two non-conference games that are scheduled, but also because of UL Lafayette and Texas State’s upcoming ESPN2 game on Tuesday, October 14.
All five of Saturday’s games will take place east of the Mississippi River, starting with UL Monroe’s clash with Kentucky in Lexington. It will be the second of three Southeastern Conference teams that the Warhawks play this season, having already played LSU and with a later date scheduled against Texas A&M.
In Atlanta, Georgia State continues a tough stretch of opponents as the Panthers face Arkansas State. Week six saw Georgia State fall in a four quarter tussle to preseason Sun Belt favorites UL Lafayette – and now the Panthers face a Red Wolves team predicted to finish second and the following week a South Alabama squad predicted to finish third. The October schedule for Georgia State concludes with Georgia Southern – currently 3-0 in Sun Belt play.
Arkansas State’s trip to the state of Georgia is the beginning of a three game road stretch for the Red Wolves. They will not play in the confines of Centennial Bank Stadium again until November 8.
Idaho and New Mexico State with travel the length of the Sun Belt for their respective meetings with Georgia Southern and Troy.
Notably for Georgia Southern, the Eagles will be looking to become the first team in Sun Belt history to start their inaugural year of conference play 4-0. Previously two first year teams (both in 2001) started Sun Belt play 3-0, but fell to 3-1 the following conference game. Outside of the conference’s first season of play in 2001, only once has an inaugural member finished with a winning record overall or in conference play (2004 – Troy – 7-5, 5-2 Sun Belt).
Appalachian State hosts Liberty on Saturday in what will be the Mountaineers last non-conference game of the season.
Upcoming Schedule
October 11
UL Monroe at Kentucky - 11 a.m. (SEC Network)
* Arkansas State at Georgia State - 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
* New Mexico State at Troy - 2 p.m. (ESPN3)
Liberty at Appalachian State - 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Idaho at Georgia Southern - 5 p.m. (ESPN3)
October 14
* UL Lafayette at Texas State – 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
* denotes Sun Belt Conference game
Recent Results
October 4
* South Alabama 47, Appalachian State 21 (Sun Belt/ESPN3)
* UL Lafayette 34, Georgia State 31 (ESPN3)
* Arkansas State 28, UL Monroe 14 (ESPN3)
* Texas State 35, Idaho 30 (ESPN3)
* Georgia Southern 36, New Mexico State 28 (ESPN3)
September 27
* South Alabama 34, Idaho 10 (ESPN3)
* UL Monroe 22, Troy 20 (Sun Belt/ESPN3)
#17 LSU 63, New Mexico State 7 (SEC Network)
Texas State 37, Tulsa 34 (3OT (ESPNews)
September 25
* Georgia Southern 34, Appalachian State 14 (ESPNU)
Sun Belt Players of the Week - As selected by a media voting panel
Offensive Player of the Week
Terrence Franks (Texas State, Sr., RB)
Terrence Franks set a school record and had the sixth-highest yardage total in Sun Belt Conference history when he ran for career-highs of 284 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries to lead Texas State to a 35-30 victory over Idaho. His first run of the game was for a 70-yard touchdown and gave the Bobcats a 7-3 lead. He set a school record and had the second-longest run in Sun Belt Conference history with a 95-yard carry for the touchdown on his second carry in the game. Franks also had another 70-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. His 284 yards are the fourth-highest total in school history and was the sixth-highest in SBC history. His three touchdowns equal a career-high he set in 2011 and are the most touchdowns scored in a game by a Sun Belt Conference player this season.
Defensive Player of the Week
Craig Mager (Texas State, Sr., DB)
Craig Mager recorded a career-bests 12 tackles and three tackle for losses of 20 yards in Texas State’s victory over Idaho. Mager also recorded the first two sacks of his career and broke up a game-high two other passes against the Vandals. His two pass breakups also equaled his career-best effort and were the most he has had since he broke up two passes against San Jose State in 2012. His two sacks tie as the second-highest total by Sun Belt Player this season behind teammate Michael Odiari’s 4.5 sacks this season.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Wil Lutz (Georgia State, Jr., P/PK)
Georgia State's Wil Lutz became the Panthers' career leader in field goals and successfully executed a fake punt to highlight his performance against UL Lafayette. Lutz, a junior from Newnam, Ga., hit just one field goal against the Ragin' Cajuns, but it was from 48 yards, the third-longest in Georgia State history. It was also the 16th of his career for the GSU school record. Lutz's field goal came on the final play of the first half and sent the Panthers into the locker room with a 17-14 lead. Starting at punter for the first time in his career, Lutz punted three times for a 38.0-yard average, but it was the time he didn't punt that really made a difference for the Panthers. With Georgia State punting on 4th-and-11 from its own 19-yard line, Lutz was attempting a rugby-style punt when he took off down the right sideline and gained 26 yards for the first down. Lutz's play helped lead to the Panthers' first touchdown of the game. Lutz also averaged 64.2 yards on five kickoffs with two touchbacks.
Around the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt sets win record vs. Non-Conference Foes
The Sun Belt Conference’s 21 non-conference wins in the 2013 season eclipsed the previous record mark of 19 set in 2012. Additionally, of note for the league’s non-conference win total was that the Sun Belt fared well against its peer opponents in the non-AQ BCS ranks during the 2013 season. The Sun Belt finished the year a combined 8-1 against members of Conference-USA (4-1), the Mid-American Conference (3-0) and the Mountain West Conference (1-0). The Sun Belt also had the best overall non-conference win percentage when comparing the four non-AQ conferences.
Sun Belt Membership
The Sun Belt Conference will contest the 2014 football season with 11 members – Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy. UALR and UT Arlington compete as non-football playing members. The Sun Belt will have four new members in the league this year as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern were added as all-sports members and Idaho and New Mexico State were added as football playing members. Both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern bring with them highly successful football programs and each team will begin the process of transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) immediately. The 2014 Sun Belt football season will mark the debut of both in the league schedule and standings. Additionally, both the Mountaineers and Eagles will be able to compete for the league championship in football for the 2014 season. Both teams will first be eligible to compete in a spot for a postseason bowl game come the 2015 season. Idaho and New Mexico State are familiar partners of the Sun Belt Conference, having been football members from the league’s inaugural year of football in 2001 through the 2004 season. Both members played an integral part of forming the Sun Belt Conference for football and now add strength to the league. Both teams will be immediately eligible to compete for the Sun Belt football championship and also for a spot in postseason bowl games.
Sun Belt Undefeated in 2013 Bowl Games
The 2013 football season saw two teams take home bowl championship trophies, as UL Lafayette won its third consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and Arkansas State won its second consecutive GoDaddy Bowl. The Red Wolves won their second consecutive GoDaddy Bowl by defeating Ball State 23-20. The previous season the Red Wolves defeated Kent State in the annual bowl game played in Mobile. The Red Wolves have made three consecutive appearances in the game, having lost to Northern Illinois in their first appearance. The Ragin’ Cajuns closed the 2013 football season with a 9-4 record that included a share of the 2013 Sun Belt Conference title and a 24-21 win over Tulane in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Preseason Awards Candidates
Paul Hornung Award Watch List - Rashon Ceaser, UL Monroe, J.D. McKissic, Arkansas State; Lou Groza Award Watch List - Maxwell Johnson, New Mexico State; Ray Guy Award Watch List - Austin Rehkow, Idaho Justin Manton, UL Monroe; Rimington Award Watch List-Bryce Giddens, Arkansas State, Mike Marboe, Idaho, Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, New Mexico State; John Mackey Award Watch List- Darion Griswold, Arkansas State; Wes Saxton, South Alabama; Jim Thorpe Award Watch List - Sterling Young, Arkansas State, Rocky Hayes, Arkansas State; Biletnikoff Award Watch List -Rashon Ceaser, UL Monroe, Wes Saxton, South Alabama, Shaverez Smith, South Alabama, Jamal Robinson, UL Lafayette; Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List - Justin Hamilton, UL Lafayette,Gerrand Johnson, UL Monroe, Qushaun Lee, Arkansas State, Mykhael Quave, UL Lafayette, Daniel Quave, UL Lafayette, Tyler Roberts, Troy, Dominique Tovell, UL Lafayette, David Mayo, Texas State, Davey O’Brien Watch List - Terrance Broadway, UL Lafayette; Dick Butkus Award Watch List - Michael Orakpo, Texas State; Doak Walker Award Watch List - Marcus Cox, Appalachian State, Michael Gordon, Arkansas State, Alonzo Harris, UL Lafayette, Robert Lowe, Texas State; Maxwell Award Watch List - Qushaun Lee, Arkansas State; All-State Sugar Bowl Manning Award Watch List - Terrance Broadway, UL Lafayette.
Sun Belt Bowl Games
The Sun Belt Conference maintains primary bowl tie-ins with the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. A team from the Sun Belt Conference has played in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl since its inception in 2001. The SBC has won five consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl games and seven out of the last eight. The GoDaddy bowl matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Mid-American Conference. Arkansas State has helped lead the Sun Belt to two consecutive wins in the GoDaddy Bowl. The Camellia Bowl will match-up the Sun Belt Conference against the Mid-American Conference beginning in December. The game will be played yearly at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
Come 2015, the Cure Bowl will feature a team from the Sun Belt Conference against the American Athletic Conference. The game will be played yearly at the newly renovated Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., the weekend before the Christmas holiday. The Cure Bowl is the first of its kind to combine the passions of college football with the goal of supporting breast cancer research.
The Sun Belt Conference will also be part of the rotation for the newly created Bahamas Bowl and Miami Beach Bowl.
With the 2014-15 year marking the debut of the College Football Playoff (CFP) the Sun Belt continues to find itself among the 10 premier college football conferences and the new system is guaranteed universal access based on performance – there are no automatic qualifiers for the playoff system. Additionally, the CFP will mean that a spot among the premier bowl games of college football will be guaranteed to the highest-ranked champion from the “Group of Five” conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, American Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference, Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.
Georgia State’s Ruiz Named John Mackey Tight End of Week
Georgia State tight end Joel Ruiz was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week after his season opening performance in the Panthers’ 38-37 win over Abilene Christian. Ruiz, a junior from Kingsland, Ga., had a career-best game with seven receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Sun Belt Bowl Game Winning Percentage
Over the last five years the Sun Belt Conference ranks second out of the 10 FBS conferences in postseason bowl game winning percentage. In fact, the Sun Belt Conference ranks ahead of noted leagues – the ACC, Pac-12 and the Big Ten.
|
Conference |
Winning % |
|
SEC |
0.625 |
|
Sun Belt |
0.571 |
|
Mountain West |
0.538 |
|
C-USA |
0.536 |
|
Big 12 |
0.513 |
|
Pac-12 |
0.500 |
|
ACC |
0.439 |
|
American |
0.400 |
|
Big Ten |
0.385 |
|
MAC |
0.346 |
All-Time Sun Belt Standings for Current Members (Sorted by Winning Percentage)
|
School |
Wins |
Losses |
Percentage |
Years in Sun Belt |
|
Georgia Southern |
3 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
|
Troy |
49 |
26 |
0.653 |
11 |
|
New Mexico State |
16 |
12 |
0.571 |
6 |
|
Arkansas State |
48 |
39 |
0.552 |
14 |
|
UL Lafayette |
51 |
44 |
0.537 |
14 |
|
UL Monroe |
48 |
48 |
0.500 |
14 |
|
South Alabama |
7 |
11 |
0.389 |
2 |
|
Texas State |
3 |
5 |
0.375 |
2 |
|
Idaho |
7 |
22 |
0.241 |
6 |
|
Georgia State |
0 |
9 |
0.000 |
2 |
|
Appalachian State |
0 |
2 |
0.000 |
1 |
UL Lafayette Football Honored for Academic Performance
The UL Lafayette football team was recognized recently for having the highest grade point averages in the Sun Belt Conference last school year. This year’s Sun Belt Team Academic Award will be presented to the Cajuns as they had the highest average GPA of all Sun Belt football teams. The academic award is calculated by totaling individual GPAs of team members, then dividing by the total number of student-athletes on that particular team. All GPAs are based on the previous school year and include the total GPA for the year (not the average of semesters).
Georgia Southern’s Frye Named a Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
Georgia Southern offensive tackle Garrett Frye has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS Senior and have notable achievements in the four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
Georgia Southern University’s Male Student-Athlete for both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years as well as earning first-team All-America honors, Frye was a 2013 CoSIDA/Capital One Division I Academic All-District selection. He owns a 3.77 cumulative grade point average in the Exercise Science curriculum.
UL Lafayette’s Cadona Named Ray Guy National Punter of the Week
UL Lafayette punter Daniel Cadona was named the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week following his performance against Ole Miss on Sept. 13. Cadona, a native of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia averaged 51.1 yards on seven attempts for the Ragin’ Cajuns against the No. 14-ranked Rebels. Cadona, who recorded a net average of 48.7 yards, recorded punts of 50 yards or greater on his first six attempts and placed three inside the Ole Miss 20-yard line.
Sun Belt to Expand Live Event Distribution with ESPN3
The Sun Belt Conference and ESPN announced recently a content expansion within their agreement that will result in the exclusive distribution of up to an additional 50 Sun Belt events on ESPN3 - ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network.
“ESPN continues to live up to its billing as the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’ with the advances that it has made in digital content,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. “ESPN3 and WatchESPN have revolutionized how viewers consume sports – we are excited to be part of that and eager to display the Sun Belt to the 92 million homes that ESPN3 reaches.”
Fans will begin seeing the product of the expanded agreement this fall when a number of Sun Belt football games will be exclusively produced and distributed on ESPN3. The fall sports season will also feature the conference’s Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, and Volleyball Championships on the network. A number of men’s and women’s regular-season basketball games will be available along with every contest from the 2015 Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Baseball will be featured heavily in the spring with a run of regular-season games and up to seven matchups from the conference championship being made available. Several games from the 2015 Softball Championship will also be carried on ESPN3.
The deal that has been struck will also be instrumental in the future of airing more live events as the conference and ESPN will work jointly to develop a school production based model. This will result in Sun Belt members being able to deliver high quality productions that can be featured on ESPN3 throughout the year.
Sun Belt Conference Head Football Coaches Teleconference
Every Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:47 a.m. beginning August 25 to November 24
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
Contact John McElwain (mcelwain@sunbeltsports.org) for info
10:30 a.m. – Announcements – If Necessary
10:30 a.m. – Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State
10:37 a.m. – Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern
10:44 a.m. – Dennis Franchione, Texas State
10:51 a.m. – Larry Blakeney, Troy
10:58 a.m. – Paul Petrino, Idaho
11:05 a.m. – Doug Martin, New Mexico State
11:12 a.m. – Blake Anderson, Arkansas State
11:19 a.m. – Mark Hudspeth, UL Lafayette
11:26 a.m. – Todd Berry, UL Monroe
11:33 a.m. – Trent Miles, Georgia State
11:40 a.m. – Joey Jones, South Alabama
Sun Belt Conference Video Feed
Contact Travis Llewellyn (llewellyn@sunbeltsports.org) for info.
The Sun Belt Conference will provide a weekly video feed of head coach interviews and game highlights each Tuesday during the 2014 football season. The video feed will be made available exclusively through a digital download this season using the website https://sunbeltsports.egnyte.com/. New videos made available on this site will be uploaded on Tuesday of each week by 2 p.m. The videos will also be maintained and archived throughout the season. Members of the media may also find supplementary content on this site such as logos and photos. For login information please contact Travis Llewellyn (llewellyn@sunbeltsports.org) or John McElwain (mcelwain@sunbeltsports.org).
Team News and Notes
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Appalachian State fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Sun Belt play with Saturday’s 47-21 loss to South Alabama.
The 26-point margin of defeat was Appalachian State’s largest at home since it dropped a 34-7 decision to Western Carolina at then-Conrad Stadium on Oct. 6, 1984.
South Alabama’s 582 yards were the most that Appalachian State has allowed since The Citadel racked up 618 yards in a 52-28 win at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Sept. 15, 2012
Making his third-career start, Appalachian State redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Lamb rushed for a career-high 78 yards on 13 carries (6.0 avg.) versus South Alabama but completed just 16-of-30 passes for 152 yards, which was his lowest total since taking over the starting role.
Appalachian State sophomore running back Marcus Cox had just 16 yards on eight carries against USA, matching the lowest rushing total of his 17-game career (he had 16 yards on three carries in his collegiate debut at Montana on Aug. 31, 2013).
Appalachian State lost for only the 13th time in its last 81 home games.
Appalachian State looks to rebound on Saturday, Oct. 11 when it hosts Liberty for homecoming at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Appalachian State is squaring off with Liberty for the 10th time overall but the first time in 12 years.
Separated by just 215 miles, Appalachian State and Liberty played nine times in a 16-season span from 1987-2002.
The Mountaineers have won each of the last five games in the series, defeating the Flames in five-consecutive seasons (1998-2002) by an average score of 33-18.
Appalachian State is 38-12-2 in homecoming games at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers had a 10-year homecoming winning streak snapped with a 34-10 loss to Samford last year.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
A-State has a winning record (3-2) after five games for the first time since the 2011 season and just the fifth time since joining the FBS in 1992 (2014, 2011, 2008, 2006, 1998) . . . With its 28-14 win over ULM, A-State improved its Sun Belt Conference record since 2011 to 21-3 . . . Dating back to last season, the Red Wolves have won five consecutive home game and now stand 19-2 over their last 21 games at Centennial Bank Stadium . . . Arkansas State is 10-1 over its last 11 games played in the month of October . . . A-State won its Sun Belt Conference opener for the second straight year to give it a 1-0 league record in back-to-back years for the first time since 2005 and 2006 . . . The Red Wolves are 31-13 over the last four seasons . . . Junior wide receiver J.D. McKissic became the fourth player in school history to record over 2,000 career receiving yards (2,015) . . . McKissic posted a season-high 120 receiving yards vs ULM, giving him six career 100-yard receiving games . . . Versus ULM, junior quarterback Fredi Knighten recorded 355 yards total offense, 284 passing yards and was responsible for four touchdowns - all career highs . . . Junior running back Michael Gordon ran for a season-high 168 yards, collecting his fifth career 100-yard rushing game. His 168 yards were the third most by a Sun Belt Conference player this season . . . A-State has recorded at least 300 yards total offense 50 times over its last 56 games, including all five contests this year. The Red Wolves posted a season-high 548 yards total offense versus ULM, giving it two games this year with over 500 . . . Sophomore linebacker Xavier Woodson recorded a career-high three tackles for loss against ULM and leads the team with 5.5 on the season. He also posted double-figure tackles for the second straight game . . . A-State has held three opponents this season to 14 points or less, the most since holding three to no more than 14 in 2012. The Red Wolves have won 15 consecutive games when holding an opponent to 17 points or less . . . A-State is ranked 16th in the nation in sacks per game and 31st in tackles for loss . . . Through five games this season, A-State has yet to give up 100 yards rushing to an individual. The Red Wolves held ULM to just 72 total rushing yards and a 2.9 average per rush. It was the second time this year A-State has held an opponent under 100 total rushing yards . . . Junior punter Luke Ferguson has posted at least two punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line every game this season and has a Sun Belt-high 15 on the year.
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern (4-2, 3-0) returns home to Statesboro for its Homecoming game this weekend with a 6 p.m. kickoff against Idaho on Saturday, October 11th at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The game will be available on ESPN3. The Eagles and Vandals have met only once before, an NCAA Division I-AA playoff game in 1990 in Statesboro during the Eagles’ fourth NCAA FCS national championship run. Georgia Southern held off Idaho 28-27, the closest margin for any Eagle postseason game, after the Vandals stormed back and scored 17 second-half points.
The Eagles improved to 3-0 in Sun Belt Conference play and racked up Georgia Southern’s 298th program win with a 26-28 victory at New Mexico State Saturday night. The 2011 season was the last time either Georgia Southern or Coach Willie Fritz were undefeated at this point in conference play and Fritz won his second game in as many trips to the state of New Mexico. It was Fritz’s 250th career game as a head coach.
After allowing 14 points in the first quarter, the Eagles scored 29 unanswered points in the second and third quarters, scoring on six-straight possessions. Georgia Southern trailed New Mexico State 14-12 at the half, but took its first lead in the third quarter and survived a fourth-quarter charge by the Aggies for the win. It was the first meeting between the two schools and longest trip for the Eagles since a 1999 game at Oregon State.
Sophomore quarterback Kevin Ellison and redshirt freshman running back L.A. Ramsby each had more than 100-yards rushing with Ellison as the game leader with 145 yards and two touchdowns and Ramsby posting a career-best 136 yards. Ramsby also contributed his career-long run, a 46-yard gain in the Eagles’ first scoring drive in the second quarter. He gave the Eagles the lead early in the third quarter with a seven-yard TD run to cap the longest drive of the night. Matt Breida was just shy of the century mark with 96 yards rushing.
Tying his career best from the season opener at N.C. State, Alex Hanks went 3-3 on field goals and had the second-longest field goal of his career with his 45-yarder. That field goal reduced the Eagles’ scoring deficit to only two points as the first half ended.
The Eagles went above the 400-yard rushing mark as a team for the second-straight game and third time this year. Georgia Southern’s 373.5 rushing yards per game is the best in NCAA Division I and the Eagles appear in the top 25 of 15 NCAA statistical categories, including scoring offense, red zone offense, red zone defense, passing yards per completion, turnover margin, passes intercepted, and both fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards per game.
Georgia State Panthers
Georgia State took a 31-28 lead on Marcus Caffey’s 2-yard touchdown run with 6:35 to play, but UL Lafayette scored the game-winning touchdown with 3:34 left to earn the 34-31 victory.
In both of their Sun Belt losses this season, the Panthers have taken the lead with a touchdown in the final five minutes before falling.
Playing his first game at running back after moving to offense from cornerback last week, Caffey carried the ball a school-record 27 times for 90 yards. His three rushing touchdowns on runs of 12, one and two yards are also a Georgia State record, and he joins Donald Russell (2011-12) as the only Panthers to score three touchdowns in a game. Caffey was an all-state running back at Atlanta’s Grady High School.
Punter-placekicker Wil Lutz was a busy man against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The junior from Newnan, Ga., hit a 48-yard field goal, the third-longest in Georgia State history, on the final play of the first half to give the Panthers a 17-14 lead. That was also the 16th field goal of his career for the GSU school record. Lutz is now Georgia State’s career leader in field goals (16), extra points (63) and points by kicking (111).
Starting at punter for the first time in his career, Lutz punted three times for a 38.0-yard average, but it was the time he didn’t punt that really made a difference. With Georgia State punting on 4th-and-11 from its own 19-yard line, Lutz was about to attempt a rugby-style punt when he took off down the right sideline and gained 26 yards for the first down. Lutz’s play helped lead to the Panthers’ first touchdown of the game.
Georgia State’s touchdown drives against UL Lafayette covered 91, 96, 88 and 75 yards. The 96-yard drive, which included 10 plays and lasted 4:52, is the second-longest in school history and longest since a 97-yard touchdown drive at UTSA in 2011.
Georgia State converted nine of 14 third-downs against ULL as Nick Arbuckle was 7-for-10 for 99 yards on third-down plays. On the season, Georgia State leads the Sun Belt and ranks 22nd nationally on third-down conversions at 47.9 percent.
Georgia state ranks in the top three in the Sun Belt in scoring (30.4 ppg/third), total offense (450.4/third) and passing offense (322.6/second). Arbuckle leads the conference in total offense (323.6) while ranking second in passing yards (318.2 pg) and pass efficiency (142.7).
Idaho Vandals
Idaho continues to put up impressive offensive numbers. The Vandals’ 523 yards total offense at Texas State Saturday night was the most since the 2010 team opened the season with 547 against North Dakota.
Redshirt freshman Matt Linehan, senior receiver Josh McCain and senior tight end Justin Podrabsky continue to be among the Sun Belt and national leaders.
Linehan, with more than 300 passing yards in four of five games (a league best), is the Sun Belt Conference leader in: completions per game with 29.00 (fifth nationally), passing yards per game with 328.8 (eighth nationally) and total passing yards with 1,644 (11th nationally). He’s second in total offense per game at 309.6 (20th nationally). His 33 completions at Ohio University and Texas State are second best for a single game in the Sun Belt this season. He has the league’s best games in: total offensive plays – 67 at Texas State (he’s also second with 62 at Ohio) and pass attempts – 56 at Ohio (he’s also second with 52 at Texas State)
Linehan and McCain hooked up for a 75-yard completion at Ohio, which, at the midpoint of the season, is the league’s longest pass play in 2014.
McCain, who one year ago was a quarterback, is tied for the league lead in receiving games of more than 100 yards (three). He is the Sun Belt leader in receiving touchdowns with six (sixth nationally) and receiving yards per game with 113.6 (10th nationally).
McCain is one of 11 receivers Linehan has used this season. Of those 11, four have at least 20 catches with McCain’s 37 for 568 the best. He’s followed by Richard Montgomery with 30 (306), Justin Podrabsky with 26 (234) and Deon Watson with 23 (238). Podrabsky’s average of 5.2 receptions per game is tops among the nation’s tight ends.
Austin Rehkow, the 2013 Walter Camp Team punter and a member of the 2014 Ray Guy Award Watch List, is the Sun Belt leader (47.9 yards per kick) and is ranked fourth nationally.
UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Terrance Broadway went 20-for-26 for 216 yards and two touchdowns while Jamal Robinson caught eight passes for 119 yards and two scores in UL Lafayette’s 34-31 Sun Belt-opening win over Georgia State on Saturday night.
UL Lafayette (2-3, 1-0 SBC) totaled 461 yards of offense compared to Georgia State’s 425, and outgained the Panthers on the ground, 195-138. Elijah McGuire led the Cajuns with 90 rushing yards on six attempts.
UL Lafayette heads to San Marcos, Texas, on Oct. 14 when it takes on Texas State in a 7 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN2.
Robinson returned to the lineup after missing two games to an injury by catching eight passes for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Robinson caught a game-tying touchdown late in the first half before his 21-yard grab from Terrance Broadway with 3:34 remaining gave the Cajuns the lead for good.
Daniel Cadona averaged 42.3 yards per punt and booted a long of 47 yards on his first attempt before his 46-yard punt in the second quarter was downed at the GSU 4. On the season, he is averaging 46.5 yards per attempt with 11 of his 25 punts landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
UL Monroe Warhawks
ULM will make its third road trip of the season as it travels to Lexington, Ky., for a non-conference showdown at Kentucky on Saturday... The meeting between the Warhawks and the Wildcats will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs, with Kentucky leading the series, 3-1.
ULM’s road tilt at Kentucky is the third of four non-conference games against Power Five conference teams... The Warhawks have already played Wake Forest and LSU and on Nov. 1 the squad will face Texas A&M... ULM is just one of two FBS programs to have a non-conference slate comprised completely of teams from Power Five leagues (UMass is the other).
The contest against Kentucky is the second of three games for the Warhawks against SEC competition in 2014... All three contests are road contests and ULM has as many SEC road games as SEC member Florida.
ULM fell to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play after a 28-14 setback at Arkansas State on Oct. 4... The Warhawks and the Red Wolves were deadlocked in a scoreless tie at the half, but Arkansas State scored 14 points in each of the final two quarters en route to the victory.
ULM forced three turnovers at Arkansas State to extend its active forced turnover streak to 31 straight games... The Warhawks’ active streak of 31 straight games with at least one forced turnover is the longest active streak in FBS.
Rashon Ceaser led the Warhawks with 10 catches at Arkansas State and it marked the second-straight double-digit receiving effort for the junior wide out... Ceaser hauled in a career-best 12 catches in the 22-20 win over Troy on Sept. 27... Ceaser tied for the Warhawk lead with 82 receiving yards against the Red Wolves.
Kenzee Jackson also tallied 82 receiving yards in Jonesboro, Ark... Jackson finished the game with six catches including his first receiving TD of the season, a 41-yard score from QB Brayle Brown with 1:30 to play in the final quarter.
Ajalen Holley recorded his third TD reception of 58 or more yards this season as he hauled in a 59-yard TD pass from QB Pete Thomas with 12:21 to play in the fourth quarter at Arkansas State... Holley’s score closed the deficit to just seven points (14-7)... Holley had a 58-yard TD catch (from Thomas) in the win over Idaho and a 64-yard TD reception (from Thomas) in the win over Troy.
Tyler Cain finished with 108 all-purpose yards in the conference tilt at Arkansas State... Cain netted 62 kick return yards, 42 rushing yards and four receiving yards... It was his second straight 100+ all-purpose yard performance as he had 132 all-purpose yards against Troy.
Gerrand Johnson and Joey Gautney each recorded double-digit tackles at Arkansas State as they finished with 11 and 10, respectively... Johnson also added two tackles for loss and one sack, while Gautney had one sack... Gautney forced a fumble for the second straight contest as he knocked the ball loose (from QB Fredi Knighten) and it was recovered by Cordero Smith.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State University fell to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Sun Belt Conference, losing 36-28 to conference opponent Georgia Southern at Aggie Memorial Stadium in the Tough Enough to Wear Pink game this past Saturday.
Tyler Rogers recorded 329 yards through the air on 34-of-48 passing with three interceptions. Rogers had a productive night on the ground, going for 49 yards on ten attempts. Brandon Betancourt led the Aggies with 65 yards on the ground on 11 carries, recording two touchdowns.
Larry Rose III and Xavier Hall had a combine 65 yards rushing and a touchdown each. Teldrick Morgan led all receivers with 100 yards on ten catches. Joshua Bowen added 92-yards and Jerrel Brown had 73-yards as well.
The Aggies continue Sun Belt Conference play next week when they hit the road for a matchup versus Troy on Saturday, Oct. 11, beginning at 2 p.m. (CT).
South Alabama Jaguars
With a 47-21 win at Appalachian State, South Alabama moved to 3-0 on the road this fall while extending its school-record streak to four straight victories away from home. … Senior QB Brandon Bridge finished with career highs of 339 yards passing, 362 yards of total offense and four touchdowns accounted in the defeat of ASU. He scored the first touchdown of the night with an eight-yard run five-and-a-half minutes into play to give the Jaguars the lead for good, then threw three scoring passes in a span of 13 minutes midway through the contest to help USA extend its advantage to 33-7 midway through the third quarter. Bridge finished the night 19-of-28 passing and did not turn the ball over while posting the second-highest single game totals in the school’s record books for passing and total yards; with the effort, he helped lead the Jags to a 582-yard performance, the second-highest team total in program history, against a defensive unit that entered play tied for second in the Sun Belt in total defense. … Terrell Brigham became the first individual to lead the Jaguar defense in tackles twice this season after posting a team-high eight stops — which included one behind the line of scrimmage — in the ASU win; he also accomplished the feat with a career-best-tying 11 tackles in the SBC opener against Georgia Southern on Sept. 20. The senior also extended his school record by making his sixth career fumble recovery to end the Mountaineers opening possession after just three snaps, the first of three takeaways for the Jag defense in the contest. … Shavarez Smith became the first Jaguar to surpass 100 receiving yards this season after posting game and season-high totals with six catches for 133 yards against ASU. He scored a pair of touchdowns in the contest — the first time the senior has accomplished the feat since USA visited Navy on Nov. 16 last fall — including a 67-yard catch from Bridge that made the score 20-0 with six-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening half, the Jags’ longest play from scrimmage this year. … Not only did DE/OLB Ridge James end the Mountaineers first possession by forcing a fumble on third-and-two at the ASU-26 he was responsible for stopping their opening drive of the second half when he combined with Theo Rich for a sack on third-and-five, the first of his career. The senior also blocked his first-ever kick when he kept ASU off the scoreboard early in the second quarter with the Jaguars nursing a 10-0 advantage when he got a piece of a 34-yard attempt. … Junior Danny Woodson II opened the scoring in the second half last time out with his first touchdown reception since USA’s game at Texas State on Oct. 26 last year, going on to finish with a season-best 71 yards on three catches. That was seven more yards than the wide receiver had recorded in the first four games this fall combined.
Texas State Bobcats
Texas State improved its home record to 2-1 in Bobcat Stadium this season with its 35-30 victory over Idaho. The win followed a 35-31 setback against Navy and a 65-0 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Texas State has a combined record of 13-8 in home games since 2011 and an all-time record of 112-79 in home games at Bobcat Stadium after winning two of its first three home games this season.
Texas State also improved to 3-2 for the second straight season and the fifth time since 2005. The victory over Idaho gives Texas State a two-game winning streak after the Bobcats won a 37-34 triple overtime victory at Tulsa on Sept. 27. The Bobcats also opened with 3-2 records in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013 after beginning 2005 with a 6-1 mark.
Texas State enters the UL Lafayette game looking to improve to 4-2 for just the third time since 2005. The Bobcats opened the 2008 and 2011 with 4-2 records after opening 2005 with a 6-1 record.
Texas State played in front of three of the top five home crowds in school history during the first three home games this season.
Terrence Franks set a school record with a 95-yard touchdown run Franks had the sixth-highest yardage total in Sun Belt Conference history and fourth highest total in school history when he ran for a career-high of 284 yards.
Franks also had three rushing touchdowns also equaled his career-high that he set in 2011 when he set a freshman record with three touchdowns against Tarleton State. He had also had two 70-yard runs against the Vandals and that gives him five runs of 70-or-more yards in his career.
Craig Mager recorded a career-bests 12 tackles and three tackle for losses of 20 yards in Texas State’s victory over Idaho. Mager also recorded the first two sacks of his career and broke up a game-high two other passes against the Vandals.
David Mayo has recorded 15 or more tackles in three games this season, including the last two, He logged a career-best 20 tackles at Tulsa, 16 versus Idaho and 15 against Navy.
Michael Odiari recorded a career-best 4.5 quarterback sacks for losses of 22 yards and two quarterack hurries against Idaho.
Troy Trojans
Nyck Young and Jalen Harris both had their first career catches. Troy now has 20 different players with a catch this season, the Trojans led the nation with players with a catch last week with 18 … Troy’s 98-yard drive in the second quarter ties the longest scoring drive in Troy’s Division I history, since September 14, 2002, against Southern Utah … Quarterback Brandon Silvers led the Trojans on back-to-back scoring drives for the first time in his career; it is the first multi-passing touchdown game of his career … Josh Anderson recorded his first career carry, a two-yard gain … Brandon Silvers and Jordan Chunn led Troy on the ground with 32 rushing yards each. The last time a quarterback led the team in rushing was against Arkansas State on September 12, 2013. Anthony had16 carries for 87 yards and one TD … Wide receiver Chandler Worthy moved up in the records books in kick returns, pass receptions and receiving yards. Worthy is now tied for third in Troy history with 67 kick returns, tied for ninth with 112 catches and is 13th in receiving yards with 1,589 … Brandon Silvers finished the game 22-of-31 and had a career-high 265 yards in the air … Tyler Roberts earned his second sack of the year for a loss of 12 yards, the longest sack of the year … Femi Odaibo recorded his third interception of the season, the most in a season since Brynden Trawick in 2012, who also had three … Jamal Stadom recorded the first sack of his career for a loss of four yards … Ryan Kay set a new career-long punt, which went for 51 yards.